Subject: IWG Minneapolis Anti-gay discrimination in the ELCA
From: Interfaith Working Group <[email-masked]>
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
[email-masked]                      and clergy supporting gay rights,
http://www.libertynet.org/~iwg/         reproductive freedom, and the 
215-235-3050                            separation of church and state.