Subject: IWG USA Today Gwen Daye Richardson response
From: Interfaith Working Group <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 15 Jun 1998 22:49:28 -0400 (EDT)

June 15, 1998

USA Today
1000 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington,VA  22229

Dear Editors:

Gwen Daye Richardson's June 12 comments completely
missed the point.  Everyone is free to believe and
practice whatever they want as long as what they are
practicing is otherwise legal.  Richardson is
performing a service when she points out that she and
many other Christians believe in gender equality. 
However, Richardson, just like those she is
criticizing, is claiming that only her interpretation
takes the whole of the truth into account, while
those with whom she disagrees are being selective. 

Many people, for instance, would argue that to take
the whole of a scripture into account means to
concentrate on the overall messages and themes,
rather than concentrating on all of the individual
passages which appear to speak to a particular
subject.  This is hardly the same as saying, "it must
be OK because Christ never said anything about it,"
though for some who take the Gospels and the words of
Christ as primary, that may be argument enough.  And
many of those who do concentrate on individual
passages would disagree with Richardson's contention
that the Bible includes "clear admonitions against
gay sexual relations." 

The Southern Baptist convention is free to argue for
gender inequality, as long as they don't use that
excuse to infringe on the rights of women through
law, and everyone else, like Ms. Richardson, has the
right to decide if they want to follow what the SBC
says.  Similarly, neither the SBC nor Ms. Richardson
should be infringing on the rights of sexual
minorities, and we hope that they will refrain from
disparaging the faiths of those who feel that it is
in fact their very faith that mandates that they work
to uphold those rights.

Sincerely,
Barbara Purdom     Christopher Purdom
Interfaith Working Group Coordinators

The above letter went out on IWG letterhead listing 15 congregations and
organizations and 58 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.

-- 

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.