Subject: IWG East Brunswick separation of orientation and state
From: Interfaith Working Group <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1998 23:37:12 -0400 (EDT)

August 12, 1998

Home News Tribune
35 Kennedy Blvd.
East Brunswick, NJ 08816

Dear Editors:

In an obvious play on the phrase "separation of church
and state" a recent letter-writer proposed a
"separation of sexual preference and state." This
proposal deserves serious consideration.  If we were to
follow the same guidelines established for religion
since the passage of the Constitution, that would mean
that government agencies would not suggest that any
particular sexual orientation is better than any other,
or that either sexual activity or a lack of sexual
activity  is preferable.  Under such a system the
government would not limit any right or responsibility,
such as civil marriage or employment, to people of any
one orientation, such as heterosexuals.  Schools would
be sexually neutral, teaching the basic scientific
facts about sexual orientation and both same-gender and
mixed-gender sexual activity without forcing moral
judgments on anyone. 

Such a system would allow moral training about sexual
issues to happen in homes and houses of worship where
it belongs, and would hopefully not offend the
sensibilities of those people with religious objections
to a particular orientation or those whose religious
beliefs hold that heterosexuality and homosexuality are
morally equivalent.

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.