Subject: IWG Phila. Inquirer Church/State/LP Coverage
From: Interfaith Working Group <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 26 Apr 1998 00:13:25 -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

The Philadelphia Inquirer
PO Box 8263
Phila., PA 19101

Dear Editors:

Your coverage of the Life Partnership hearings in City
Council did not completely capture exactly how one-
sided the religious testimony was in favor of the three
bills.  A large number of religious organizations and
individual clergy members testified in favor of the
bills, including the Episcopalian and Lutheran Bishops,
the American Jewish Congress, the Union of American
Hebrew Congregations, Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting,
Dignity/Philadelphia, two Reconstructionist rabbis, two
Unitarian Universalist pastors, a Disciples of Christ
minister, an MCC minister, an Episcopal priest, and
Methodist, Lutheran, and Baptist pastors.  But we hope,
ultimately, that Council will decide this vote as a
matter of law, and not of theology.  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.