From: Interfaith Working Group Subject: IWG Minneapolis Anti-gay discrimination in the ELCA Date: Sat, 21 Feb 1998 22:35:38 -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 20, 1998 Star Tribune 425 Portland Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55488 Dear Editors: James D. Torgerson's February 17 comments regarding sexual minorities in the church are full of contradictions. Stating that the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) urges full acceptance of gay and lesbian persons into the life of the church, he also notes that it specifically denies them both ordination and marriage. As marriage and ordination are part of the life of the church, the denomination (and Torgerson) are being contradictory. Torgerson decries the introduction in the ELCA of what he believes is "local option," pointing out that connectional churches (with strong centralized national policies), specifically the Presbyterian Church (USA), have consistently rejected the ordination of sexual minorities. The PCUSA, however, has a rapidly growing network of dissenting congregations acting contrarily to national policy regarding ordination. He then says that denominations with local option, such as the Episcopal Church and United Church of Christ, have many gay and lesbian clergy. Indeed, those denominations are doing just fine with ordained sexual minorities and have experienced no ill effects from the practice. Finally, Torgerson states that church rules against sex outside marriage apply equally to heterosexuals and homosexuals. Except that, as he already pointed out, the church does not let homosexuals marry, so the prohibition is not equal at all. Sincerely, Barbara Purdom Christopher Purdom Interfaith Working Group Coordinators -- Interfaith Working Group Religious organizations, congregations iwg@libertynet.org and clergy supporting gay rights, http://www.libertynet.org/~iwg/ reproductive freedom, and the 215-235-3050 separation of church and state.