Subject: IWG Arizona Religious support letter
From: Interfaith Working Group <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 9 Apr 1999 01:11:40 -0400 (EDT)

April 7, 1999

Arizona Daily Star
PO Box 26887
Tucson, AZ  85726 

Dear Editors:

In response to the question raised by Dave Cullen on
April 6 about religious support of gay rights:  The
number of supportive clergy and congregations is
growing steadily and is much higher than one might
suppose based on on Mr. Cullen's commentary.  The
Interfaith Working Group, for instance, represents six
organizations, ten congregations and sixty-two clergy
from fifteen religious traditions in Pennsylvania, New
Jersey and Delaware. The Rev. Paul Sherry, President
of the United Church of Christ, recently issued a very
strong statement entitled, "Now No Condemnation,"
addressing the role of sexual minorities in the church
and society; and the United Methodist Church,
Presbyterian Church (USA) the Episcopal Church, and
Reform Judaism have been engaged in internal
discussions over policy toward sexual minorities that,
while painful, have led a great many clergy to voice
their support for equal rights for sexual minorities
both in their denominations and in secular society,
and will hopefully, in the end, lead to consistent
pro-equality policies in those religious bodies as
well as equality under the law.

Sincerely,
Barbara Purdom     Christopher Purdom
Interfaith Working Group Coordinators

The above letter went out on IWG letterhead listing 17 congregations and
organizations and 61 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
http://www.libertynet.org/iwg           and clergy supporting gay rights,
[email-masked]                      reproductive freedom, and the 
voice: 215-235-3050  fax: 232-0829      separation of church and state.

Sunday May 16, 1999 5pm. Marching In the Light: IWG Benefit Concert. Old
First Reformed Church. 4th and Race, Philadelphia, PA.  See the web page.