Subject: IWG Jane Eisner letter
From: Interfaith Working Group <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 7 Apr 1997 20:40:30 -0400 (EDT)

The following went out on IWG letterhead listing 9 congregations and religious
organizations and 38 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.

Jane Eisner
The Philadelphia Inquirer
PO Box 8263
Phila., PA 19101

Dear Ms. Eisner:

Thank you very much for your April 6 comments on the
need for religious diversity and the separation of
church and state.  Obviously everyone believes that
their religion is best for them, and most probably
believe that their religion would be right for
everybody, but the reality is that we all have
different beliefs and we all need to get along.   Media
recognition of the fact that Americans subscribe to
many different religious systems and coexist peacefully
despite having many different opinions on religious and
social issues can go a long way toward preserving our
religious freedom.  

We must not accept that any one individual or
organization speaks for everyone in a given faith. 
There are many who are unwilling to tolerate diversity
within their own religion or religious diversity in the
society at large, and who have the financial and
political clout to do something about it. You have more
power than most people to assure a balanced
presentation of religious opinions on social issues. 
We hope that your interest in this subject will lead
you to further research American religious diversity
and the organizations that support and attack it. 
Thank you again.

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.
From: Interfaith Working Group <[email-masked]>
Subject: IWG Inquirer Letter re David Boldt
Date: Mon, 7 Apr 1997 20:44:11 -0400 (EDT)

The following went out on IWG letterhead listing 9 congregations and religious
organizations and 38 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 6, 1997

The Philadelphia Inquirer
PO Box 8263
Phila., PA 19101

Dear Editors:

In his column encouraging school districts to use
William Devlin's sex education program, David Boldt
wonders why anyone would object to a program that
suggests that sex should be reserved for marriage, or
that points out a correlation between homosexuality and
AIDS.   Whether there is a correlation between
homosexuality and AIDS is simply not relevant.  The
only relevant issues in guiding students' behavior
should be cause and effect, and homosexuality does not
cause or spread AIDS.  Unsafe sex and certain types of
drug-use spread AIDS.  

Any program which suggests that sexual activity should
be limited to partners in a mixed-gender marriage is
clearly designed to exclude non-heterosexual students,
and Mr. Boldt should consider the possibility that a
failure to discuss the concerns of gay students in sex-
education classes has contributed to the correlation
between AIDS and homosexuality.  

If Devlin were capable of producing a curriculum which
did not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation
then we would be more willing to accept Boldt's
assertion that the program is not religiously based. 
Removing references to the religious basis for a
particular course of instruction while keeping the
conclusions does not render the program areligious; it
merely makes it seem even less logical, and an
illogical approach by educators is not going to help
any student avoid a sexually transmitted disease or an
unintended pregnancy.  If we are going to include a
moral component in sex education, then a comprehensive
survey of the many moral and religious approaches to
human sexuality would be much more useful.

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.