Subject: IWG Bill Maher Letter
From: Interfaith Working Group <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 12 Jul 1997 22:51:33 -0400 (EDT)

The following went out on IWG letterhead listing 10 congregations and religious
organizations and 42 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.

July 10, 1997

Politically  Incorrect with Bill Maher
7800 Beverly Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90036

Dear Mr. Maher:

	Thank you for giving your audience a sense of the
ongoing debate over religion and sexual orientation. 
By using religious arguments to counter heterosexual-supremecist
viewpoints both you and your guests did a
more than adequate job of preventing the debate from
disintegrating into "morality vs. immorality" or
"Christians vs. everybody else."  And you certainly
showed respect and restraint in praising the one
dissenting guest for sticking to her beliefs, even if
you did refer to her as a "Bible Thumper." 
	We encourage you in the future to consider
inviting guests with some expertise and credentials in
progressive religion and/or church/state separation. 
We have referred print and broadcast media to qualified
speakers for interviews and spirited debates, and would
be happy to assist your staff in locating appropriate
guests.

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.