Subject: IWG Des Moines Register Letter
From: Interfaith Working Group <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 1997 23:29:58 -0400 (EDT)

The following went out on IWG letterhead listing 10 congregations and religious
organizations and 39 clergy from 13 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.

April 21, 1997

The Des Moines Register
Box 957
Des Moines, IA  50304

Dear Editors:

In his letter of April 21, Larry Miller made an
incorrect distinction between "liberals" and "people of
faith."  Many people of faith support multiculturalism,
tolerance, and separation of church and state; nor do
they attach the meanings to these ideas that Mr. Miller
claims.

Society has a right to say that a person's action or
behavior is wrong or immoral.  We have laws against
theft, murder, kidnapping and many other activities. 
We also have some basic disagreements in this country
over exactly what types of sexual behavior are wrong or
immoral; and sometimes the disagreements stem from
individuals' religious beliefs, and sometimes not.

Separation of church and state does not preclude people
of faith from involvement in public policy and
government.  It does preclude the direct involvement of
tax-deductible organizations in the political process,
direct payments of public money to religious
organizations, forced participation in religious
activities, and the imposition of laws that have no
reason except to further the religious aims of one
group of people.

Multiculturalism is the recognition that there are many
different groups of people in this country with many
different belief systems, and that there always have
been, which is why we need tolerance and the separation
of church and state.

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.