Subject: IWG Inquirer church/state/Coral Ridge/Urban Family Council
From: Interfaith Working Group <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1998 23:30:55 -0400 (EDT)

July 26, 1998

The Philadelphia Inquirer
PO Box 8263
Phila., PA 19101

Dear Editors:

	We are glad that Jane Eisner is uncomfortable
about Pastor Van Z. Moore's suggestion that he use
taxpayer money without government oversight.  But if
she is merely uncomfortable, it is doubtful that she
has thought about the implications.  If the contractors
who got $25 million to fix the public housing high
rises mentioned in her commentary had asked for the
same deal, she would probably be outraged. 
	Unfortunately Eisner's commentary confuses two
separate stories: one about two theologically-similar
congregations divided by racial, economic and
geographic circumstances who overcome their differences
to work and worship together; and another about these
congregations insisting that the government should
reinforce their theologically-based prejudices.
	Just because Pastor Moore explicitly stated that
he would discriminate against sexual minorities in
hiring, there is no guarantee that he would not find
other moral grounds for discrimination, or that he
would limit discrimination to hiring. The same
standards--plus forced religious participation--could
apply to those lined up at the soup kitchen, or waiting
to get into a shelter.  The least we should require of
facilities and opportunities provided--or financed--by
our government is that they are available to all.    
	Earlier this year the Urban Family Council, which
is supported by New Life Presbyterian, purchased full
page ads in local newspapers urging City Council to
discriminate against same-sex couples.  Coral Ridge
Ministries, the largest congregation in the
Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), just organized a
$600,000 national ad campaign designed to encourage
legalized discrimination against sexual minorities. 
The following week, Pastor Moore (in partnership with
New Life Presbyterian, also a PCA church), tells Eisner
he wants to hire workers with government money and
discriminate against sexual minorities.  Eisner says
there is "no assurance he would be successful" in
raising private monies.  That same Sunday morning there
is an announcement from Coral Ridge that they are
raising $300,000 to discredit the ACLU, which works on
anti-discrimination and church-state separation cases. 
Plenty of money is available to encourage
discrimination; less so for soup kitchens.  It's all a
question of priorities.  
	Turning government functions over to religious
groups is the same as turning the government over to
them; and it was exactly this kind of church rule that
so many people came to this country to escape.

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.