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October 31, 2016Faith leaders across denominations and traditions sign statement urging NO vote on Question 4 and reject marijuana legalization.
The following statement has been released on behalf 132 faith leaders in the Commonwealth in opposition to Question 4/marijuana legalization on the Nov. 8 ballot. The statement was sent by by the Archdiocese of Boston.
Statement:
As faith leaders across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, we urge all citizens to vote NO on Question 4 on Election Day, November 8th.
In the midst of an opioid epidemic, it is beyond reason that the Commonwealth would commercialize the sale of marijuana. It is important for our citizens to know the facts: this legislation was written by and for the billion-dollar marijuana industry. Ninety-six percent of the money supporting this proposal comes from out of state. If passed, the law would make it significantly difficult for local communities to try to opt out. It would authorize companies from outside of Massachusetts to legally sell marijuana that is 10 to 600 times more potent than that of past decades. We believe this will lead to greater addiction particularly for young people. For the sake of our children and grandchildren, let us not expose them to the unnecessary danger of shops selling packaged edible forms of marijuana including candy.
It is important to recognize that Massachusetts has already decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana, so concerns about people being arrested for possession do not apply to this proposed law. Nor is there a rationale in tax revenues.
First, there is no amount of money that would justify the dangers of commercializing marijuana. Second, the expense of regulating it and funding the public safety and medical response to accidents and overdoses would far exceed the supposed tax revenue. Lastly, the cost and the grief to families from marijuana-related abuse is incalculable. An example is the tragic death of Massachusetts State Trooper Thomas Clardy earlier this year. The person charged with that motor vehicle fatality is alleged to have used marijuana before driving that day.
As faith leaders, we believe that our efforts as a society should be focused toward improving life for our citizens. A culture that encourages and promotes the use of drugs is failing its people. As the neighborhood pastors who tend your houses of worship, streets and hospital bedsides, who live in and know our local communities, we have seen the struggle with addiction and we have grieved with our people at the funerals. Each of us can recount the tragic stories of people whose drug addiction began with marijuana.
Question 4, if approved, will generate substantial profit for out-of-state drug marketers at the expense of the health, well-being and the lives of our families and loved ones. Please join us in voting NO on Question 4, for the good of our Commonwealth and our people.
Signed:
1 Mr. Ramin Abrishamian, Needham Baha'i Community
2 Rev. Gary Adams, Morningstar Baptist Church, BPD Chaplain
3 Very Rev. Nicholas Apostola, Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese of America
4 Dr. Abdul Cader Asmal, Islamic Council of New England
5 I.C.C. Chair Naim Assil, Islamic Council of New England
6 Msgr. Andon Atamian, Holy Cross Armenian Catholic Church
7 Dir. Dale Atlas, John 17:23 Ministries
8 Rev. Archpriest Antranig Baljian, St. Stephen's Armenian Apostolic Church
9 Rev. Theodore Barbas, Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Boston
10 Rev. Paul Bebis, Holy Trinity Church
11 Rev. Vassilios Bebis, St. Nectarios Church
12 Pres. Andrew Beckwith, Massachusetts Family Institute
13 Fr. William Bergmann, Church of the Good Shepherd
14 Fr. Thomas F. Bouton, Saint Ambrose Rectory
15 Mr. Scott Brill, Institute for Christian Unity
16 Pastor Randy Cahill, Calvary Chapel, Rockland
17 Rev. Constantine Cambus, Nativity of the Virgin Mary Church
18 Pastor Esteban Carrasco, House of Destiny
19 Rev. George Carrigg, St. Christopher Church
20 Fr. Mark Cherubim, Coptic Orthodox Church of St. Mark
21 Rev. Thomas Chininis, Transfiguration of Our Saviour Church
22 Rev. Gregory Christakos, Sts. Anargyroi Church
23 Rev. Brian Clary, St. Mary Church
24 Rev. Frank Cloherty, Catholic Collaborative of Lynn
25 Rev. Thomas Cokotis, Holy Trinity Church
26 Dir. Jacqueline Colon, Iglesia La Luz de Christo, Chelsea
27 Very Rev. Panteleimon Costarakis, St. John the Baptist Church
28 Rev. Demetrios Costarakis, St. Nicholas Church
29 Rev. Matt Crane, Institute for Christian Unity
30 Dcn. Michael Curren, St. Augustine Church
31 Most Rev. Edgar M. da Cunha, SVD, Roman Catholic Bishop of Fall River
32 Pastor Edmund C. de la Cour, First Baptist Church of Pocasset
33 Rev. Bob Dibbs, Evangelical Pastor
34 Pastor Chris DiGiacomo, Lifeline Baptist Church, Haverhill
35 Dr. Dris Djermoun, Ph.D., President, Islamic Council of New England
36 Pastor Neil Eaton, New Hope Chapel
37 Pastor Kenneth Ebersole, East Gate Christian Fellowship
38 Msgr. Georges El-Khalli, Ph.D., Our Lady of the Cedars of Lebanon Church
39 Rev. Anthony Evangelatos, Annunciation Church
40 Imam Abdullah Faaruuq, Mosque for the Praising of Allah
41 Dcn. Michael Fadel, St. Vasilios Church
42 Shaykh Yasir Fahmy, Senior Imam, Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center
43 Rev. Ben Feldott, Cape Cod Church
44 Pastor Fred Ferreira, 3rd Baptist Church
45 Very Rev. James Flavin, Episcopal Vicar, Central Region, RCAB
46 Rev. Carlos Flor, St. Thomas, St. Mary, and Lourdes Church
47 Rev. Janice Ford, Rector, The Episcopal Church of the Reconciliation
48 Rev. Christopher Foustoukos, St. Vasilios Church
49 Rev. Evangelos Georgiadis, St. Demetrios Church
50 Rev. Arthur Gerald, Twelfth Baptist Church
51 Rev. Asterios Gerostergios, Sts. Constantine and Helen Church
52 Rev. Panagiotis Giannakopoulos, St. George Church
53 Rev. Dr. Dennis Gill, E-Net Evangelical Network of New England
54 Rev. John Govostes, Assumption Church
55 Pastor DaQuall Graham, Full Deliverance Church, Lowell
56 Pastor Paul E. Gramit, Ev. Trinity Lutheran Church (LCMS-UAC)
57 Pastor Nicholas G. Granitsas, First Congregational Church, Revere
58 Bishop Brian Greene, Pentecostal Tabernacle, Cambridge
59 Pastor Ronald Grimley, Abundant Life Church, Wilmington
60 Mr. Richard Guerriero, Knights of Columbus
61 Pastor Arlene O. Hall, Deliverance Temple Worship Center
62 Dcn. Charles Hall, St. John the Baptist Church, Peabody
63 Fr. Samuel Hanna, Priest, St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church, Natick
64 Pastor David R. Hill, Abundant Grace Church of Boston, Brighton
65 Chaplain Sherami Hinders, Evangelical Campus Ministries
66 Rev. Dr. Paul Jehle, The New Testament Church of Cedarville
67 Fr. Mina Kaddis, Sts. Paul and John Chrysostom Coptic Churches
68 Rev. Nicholas Kastanas, St. Athanasius the Great Church
69 Msgr. Frank Kelley, Sacred Heart Church
70 Ms. Verna Khantzian, Holy Cross Armenian Catholic Church
71 Dr. Nabil Khudairy, Executive Director, Islamic Council of New England
72 Fr. John G. Kiley, St. Anne Church
73 Rabbi Yossi Kivman, Chabad Jewish Center of Mansfield
74 Rev. Panteleimon Klostri, St. Luke Church
75 Grand Rabbi Y.A. Korff, zvhil-Mezbuz Rebbe, Chaplain of the City of Boston
76 Rev. Dionysios Koulianos, St. Catherine Church
77 Rev. Mirek Kowalczyk, FDP, St. Joseph - St. Lazarus Church
78 Deacon John Koza, St. Mary of the Annunciation Church
79 Rev. Nicholas Krommydas, St. Demetrios Church
80 Dir. Michael King, Massachusetts Family Institute
81 Dir. Maryellen MacAdam, New Life Community Church
82 Imam Taalib Mahdee, Masjid al-Qur'aan
83 Rev. John Maheras, St. George Church
84 Rev. Christopher Makiej, Sts. Constantine and Helen Church
85 Rev. Konstatinos Manetas, Dormition of the Virgin Mary Church
86 Most Rev. Robert J. McManus, Roman Catholic Bishop of Worcester
87 Metropolitan Methodios, Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Boston
88 Rev. David Michael, St. Joseph Church
89 Rev. Kris Mineau, Massachusetts Family Institute
90 Pastor Paul Minor, All Saints' Church
91 Rev. Vincent Minucci, St. Demetrios Church
92 Rev. Dr. Roberto Miranda, Congregacion Leon de Juda
93 Rev. Dimitrios Moraitis, St. Spyridon Cathedral
94 Pastor Gary Moritz, Twin City Baptist Temple
95 Rev. Demetre Mott, Annunciation Church
96 Rev. John G. Mulvihill, First Baptist Church
97 Rev. Athanasios Nenes, Taxiarchae Church
98 Very Rev. Makarios Niakaros, Holy Apostles/St.s Peter and Paul Church
99 Dr. Vito Nicastro, Office for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs
100 Cardinal Sean O'Malley, OFM Cap., Archbishop of Boston
101 Mr. Paul G O'Sullivan, Knights of Columbus
102 Pastor Roy Owens, Baptist Church
103 Rev. Nikolaos Pelekoudas, Holy Trinity Church
104 Pastor Marc Peña Grace, Baptist Church
105 Rev. Ephraim Peters, St.s Constantine and Helen Church
106 Pastor John Pfeffer, Faith Community Church, Seekonk
107 Rev. Costin Popescu, Annunciation Church
108 Rev. Harry Providakes, St. George Church
109 Pastor George Ray, Trinity Evangelical Church, North Reading
110 Pastor Sean Richmond, The River Church
111 Rev. Peter Rizos, St. George Church
112 Very Rev. James J. Ronan, VF, St. Mary- St. Catherine of Siena Church
113 Most Rev. Mitchell T. Rozanski, Roman Catholic Bishop of Springfield
114 Rev. Thomas Ryan, CSP, The Paulist Center
115 Bishop Nicholas Samra, Eparchial Bishop of Newton Melkite Church USA
116 Rev. Mark Scott, Associate Pastor, Azusa Christian Community
117 Fr. Christopher H. Stamas, St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral, Springfield
118 Rev. Charles Sutton, All Saints Anglican Church
119 Rev. Anthony Tandilyan, St. Vasilios Church
120 Pastor James Thomasson, Meetinghouse Baptist Church, Middleborough
121 Rev. Demetrios Tonias, Annunciation Cathedral
122 Rev. Theodore Toppses, St. Gregory the Theologian Church
123 Rev. George Tsoukalas, St. George Church
124 Exec. Dir. Yusufi Vali, Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center
125 Rev. Luke Veronis, Sts. Constantine and Helen Church
126 Rev. Harry Vulopas, St. George Church
127 Rev. Aaron Walker, St. Athanasius the Great Church
128 Rabbi H. David Werb, Rabbi Emeritus, Temple Beth Emunah
129 Fr. Richard Wilson, Sts. John and Vincent Churches
130 Rev. Dr. David Wright, Executive Director, Black Ministerial Alliance
131 Rev. Basil Yarde, Final Thrust Kingdom Community
132 Rev. Dr. Mark Yoon, Boston University Chaplain for Evangelical Students