Subject: IWG Kansas City Star Letter
From: Interfaith Working Group <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 14 Dec 1996 23:41:50 -0500 (EST)

The following went out on IWG letterhead listing 3 congregations, 5 religious
organizations and 36 clergy from 12 faiths and denominations. If you are in 
the general Philadelphia area and represent a congregation or religious 
organization or are clergy, let us know if you want to be added - all faiths 
are welcome. We will also be happy to help start similar organizations in 
other areas.

December 14, 1996

Letters Editor
The Kansas City Star
1729 Grand Avenue
Kansas City, MO 64108

Dear Editors:

Regardless of letter-writer Chris Miller's
understanding of the word "church," the legal
definition of a house of worship includes a number of
different denominations and faiths.  A congregation
may use any number of sources for scriptures--
including the Bible--or not use any at all.  

Many churches do not believe in the absolute authority
of the Bible, including churches which are morally
opposed to same-sex marriage, and there are churches
which do believe in the absolute authority of the
Bible, and believe that the Bible mandates same-sex
marriage.

Just as there are different religious definitions of
"church" and one legal definition of a house of
worship which encompasses almost all of them, there
are also many different religious definitions of
marriage, and one legal definition which should
encompass as many as possible.

Religious liberty, which sets us apart from much of
the rest of the world and makes this country great,
depends on the strict separation of church and state. 
No one religious group can or should decide how the
rest of us may use the language.

Sincerely,
Barbara Purdom     Christopher Purdom
Interfaith Working Group Coordinators

-- 

Interfaith Working Group                Religious organizations, congregations 
[email-masked]                      and clergy supporting gay rights,
http://www.libertynet.org/~iwg/         reproductive freedom, and the 
215-235-3050                            separation of church and state.