Sam2: I have a problem with your comment: “I guarantee that if you would ask Richard Joel what he thinks of Conservative conversions he would say that he is neither a Posek nor Rosh Yeshivah and would leave that decision up to R’ Schachter.”
What does this mean? R’ Schachter gives the psak as far as how YU holds on these issues, but it could be that he personally holds differently? That’s how I could interpret this statement.
I feel that there is a right and a wrong, either conservative conversions are OK or they’re not, it’s not a gray area, obviously I hold that the person is not halachically Jewish, but maybe I’m wrong on this issue, but this is what I believe the gedolim poskin in this issue. So what would be the difference if he came out himself and said this himself – YU and I are of the same mind and a person must convert to Judaism according to the laws prescribed in halacha. It shmecks of a double talk to me, even though you didn’t say it that way. This is my honest interpretation of such political speech.