Subject: IWG Main Line Times Correction/EPF/PK/Church State
From: Interfaith Working Group <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 5 Feb 1998 23:37:40 -0500 (EST)

The following went out on IWG letterhead listing 12 congregations and
organizations and 53 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.

February 5, 1998

Editorial Page
Main Line Life
110 Ardmore Avenue
Ardmore, PA 19003

Dear Editor:

	We are writing to correct some misinformation
printed in your paper concerning the composition and
mission of the Interfaith Working Group (IWG) which
appeared both in the Broadsides column of January 15
(which also discussed Equal Partners in Faith [EPF]
and Promise Keepers [PK]) and in a letter from Cyrus
J. Sharer printed January 29 which responded to that
column.
	First, Mr. Sharer is not a member of the IWG, as
implied in the headline accompanying his letter, nor
would we assume from his tone that he would want to
be (and clergy are the only eligible individuals). 
Mr. Sharer himself completely misstated the
composition of the IWG in his letter; we have listed
on our stationery fifty-three clergy, six
congregations and six religious organizations
supporting our mission and purpose.  The six
congregations do not include the four he lists in his
letter, and none are from the Main Line.  Six of the
fifty-three clergy are employed by five Main Line
congregations, including the four mentioned in the
column and letter.  
	Second, individuals from the IWG were among the
many clergy and officers of religious organizations
from around the country who have signed an EPF letter
as individuals expressing concerns about the Promise
Keepers; as an organization, the IWG co-sponsored
local EPF informational meetings, endorsed the flyer
that was handed out at the PK rally, and publicized
the work of the EPF. However, our mission statement
does not say anything about PK; the material quoted
in the Broadsides column is actually from EPF.  
	Third, and much more importantly, Mr. Sharer has
taken the liberty of completing fabricating a
"statement of purpose" for the IWG.  Contrary to what
Mr. Sharer would have you believe, our mission
statement does not mention abortion, specific sexual
acts, or proposed alterations to the Constitution or
Declaration of Independence.  Indeed one of our
purposes as an educational organization is to
demonstrate the continued practical application of
Constitutional law, especially the free exercise and
establishment clauses of the First Amendment as they
now stand, in the ongoing debate over such issues as
gay rights and reproductive freedom.

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.