Subject: IWG Philadelphia Daily News Church/State Life Partner
From: Interfaith Working Group <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 26 Apr 1998 00:10:48 -0400 (EDT)

The following went out on IWG letterhead listing 12 congregations and
organizations and 56 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.

April 24, 1998

Philadelphia Daily News
PO Box 7788
Phila., PA 19101

Dear Editors:

Thank you very much for April 24 editorial, which
reinforced and beautifully illuminated our purpose in
getting so many clergy and religious organizations to
testify before City Council about why they support
passage of the Life Partnership bills.  With or without
a clear consensus in the religious community, City
Council should not be voting for legislation based on
any criteria other than the principles of the United
States Constitution.  As we concluded in our official
statement regarding this debate, which has now been
endorsed by eight religious organizations, eight
congregations, and seventy-seven individual clergy from
sixteen religious traditions: "The Mayor and City
Council are charged with doing what is best for the
health and welfare of all people in Philadelphia, not
forcing the religious tenets of some city residents on
all her citizens."

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.