Subject: IWG Chattanooga Boy Scouts Letter
From: Interfaith Working Group <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 1999 23:39:09 -0400 (EDT)

August 10, 1999

Chattanooga Free Press
Box 1447
Chattanooga, TN  37401-1447

Dear Editors:

We strongly object to the notion that discriminating
against sexual minorities constitutes standing up for
a high moral standard (editorial, August 6).  It is a
very different standard than New Jersey law, which
holds that public accommodations may not discriminate
on the basis of sexual orientation.  And it is a
different standard than many houses of worship hold,
including some congregations sponsoring Boy Scout
troops.  Private religious organizations are free to
set whatever moral standards they want, but if the
Scouts are going to operate as a public
accommodation, then they ought to abide by all of the
rules governing public accommodations. And if they’re
going to get support from a broad base of religious
institutions, they need to recognize that more and
more people in the religious community do not believe
the phrase "morally straight"  has anything at all to
do with sexual orientation.

Sincerely,
Barbara Purdom     Christopher Purdom
Interfaith Working Group Coordinators

The above letter went out on IWG letterhead listing 17 congregations and
organizations and 65 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
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.

Support our work: wear an IWG shirt! http://www.libertynet.org/iwg/clothes.html