Subject: IWG Austin TX lifestyle/orientation/religious liberty
From: Interfaith Working Group <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1998 23:08:43 -0400 (EDT)

August 11, 1998

Austin American-Statesman
305 S. Congress Avenue
Austin, TX 78767

Dear Editors:

We were confused by Alanna Verhaalen's letter of August
9.  First, not all Christians believe that
homosexuality is inherently sinful; and second, what
does it mean to defend yourself against a lifestyle, or
to defend a belief against things you know to be wrong? 
Sexual orientation is not the same as lifestyle;
neither orientations nor lifestyles attack anything;
and nobody is being forced to live a lifestyle they
didn't choose, although there is a concerted national
ad campaign  attempting to convince everyone to live as
a heterosexual conservative Christian.   

We still have Constitutional guarantees of freedom of
belief and the exercise of religion; nobody is being
forced to believe anything, including the idea that
homosexuality is the moral equivalent of
heterosexuality (although that idea is becoming more
popular).  The only limitation on the free exercise of
our beliefs is when our beliefs require that we abridge
the rights of others.   

Sincerely,
Barbara Purdom     Christopher Purdom
Interfaith Working Group Coordinators

The above letter went out on IWG letterhead listing 16 congregations and
organizations and 59 clergy from 16 religious traditions. 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.

-- 

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.