Subject: IWG CORRECTED Deseret News Christian Persecution letter
From: Interfaith Working Group <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 20 Jun 1998 23:28:49 -0400 (EDT)

PLEASE IGNORE THE PREVIOUS EMAILED VERSION OF THIS LETTER.

June 19, 1998

Deseret News
Box 1257
Salt Lake City, UT 84110 

Dear Editors:

Marianne M. Jennings' June 15 piece managed to paint a
disheartening picture of religious intolerance, in
which Christians are routinely threatened, denigrated,
and excluded.  She may very well believe that Terrance
McNally is anti-Christian; she is entitled to her
opinion.  But she fails to note that the theater where
McNally's play Corpus Christi was scheduled was not
just threatened with pickets; there were numerous
anonymous death threats and promises that the play
would be shut down.  These terroristic tactics make
Frank Rich's calling the protesters "thugs" a little
more understandable. 

But what was really disturbing in her list of anti-
Christian incidents was the synopsis of Bishop
Righter's book.  Is the Bishop supposedly anti-
Christian?  Or is Jennings perhaps anti-Episcopalian? 
(Or does she just automatically discount all people of
faith who disagree with her?) When Jennings contrasts
gays with Christians she ignores the existence of all
of those who are both gay and Christian.  And when she
claims that gay rights activists do not understand
faith she insults those like Bishop Righter and people
from many other religious traditions, both gay and
straight, who became gay rights activists because of
their faith.  What better example of faith is there
than a man who endured a heresy trial and the continued
insults of people like Ms. Jennings for helping his
fellow humans achieve some measure of dignity? 

The above letter went out on IWG letterhead listing 15 congregations and
organizations and 58 clergy from 15 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.

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.