Subject: IWG Christian Science Monitor Marriage Letter
From: Interfaith Working Group <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 21 Jul 1999 23:30:56 -0400 (EDT)

July 20, 1999

Readers Write
Christian Science Monitor
1 Norway Street
Boston, MA 02115

Dear Editors:

Your July 19 article about marriage was a reasonable
and balanced summary, even if was slanted in favor of
gender-bias in civil marriage laws.  But Vincent
McCarthy's closing comment that marriage "can't be
modified without destroying it," is simply
ridiculous.  

We have different marriage laws in all fifty states,
different definitions of marriage in every religious
tradition, and have significantly broadened civil
marriage rights in the United States over the last
half of this century.  Civil marriage law has
historically been used to legally encode notions of
segregation and superiority.  Today marriage is seen
by many as the last line of defense for encoding the
supposed supremacy of heterosexuality, and thus
gender is described as the most important part of a
common (but not universal) definition of an
institution  which is "the chief vehicle for passing
on values in American society."  Many religious
organizations and people of faith see other values in
marriage, and do not see gender as integral to the
definition.

Sincerely,
Barbara Purdom     Christopher Purdom
Interfaith Working Group Coordinators

The above letter went out on IWG letterhead listing 17 congregations and
organizations and 67 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.

Equality Summit - Promoting our values: Equality and Diversity.  Thursday,
July 22, 7 pm. 2125 Chestnut, Phila. http://www.libertynet.org/iwg/special.html