Subject: IWG Bergen (County NJ) Record Letter
From: Interfaith Working Group <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 15 Oct 1997 23:16:44 -0400 (EDT)

The following went out on IWG letterhead listing 10 congregations and religious
organizations and 48 clergy from 14 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.

October 14, 1997

Bergen Record
150 River Street
Hackensack, NJ 07602

Dear Editors:

	We were alarmed by the precedent of printing Rev.
Adriana Mueller's rebuttal of an article profiling a
gay church.  Are you going to give equal time to
Mueller whenever you do a story about people with
religious beliefs that are different from hers?  Will
articles about conservative Catholics be accompanied by
a warning that not everyone believes in papal
infallibility or the importance of Mary?  Will features
about synagogues and mosques be balanced by a statement
that Christ is the one true way?  How about
clarifications on the merits of infant baptism, the
correct interpretation of communion or the faith vs.
works debate?
	The debate over sexual orientation, while current
and newsworthy, is just one of many differences in
belief among people of faith.  Balanced articles
detailing differences of opinion among groups are both
helpful and educational in that they demonstrate that
people of many faiths can coexist peacefully.  Articles
profiling individual religious groups can also serve
the same purpose.  But rebuttals specifically attacking
a particular group's beliefs suggest a natural
hierarchy of religions that promotes animosity and do
not contribute to a civil society.

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.