Subject: IWG Cleveland Marriage Letter
From: Interfaith Working Group <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 25 Jul 1999 23:53:44 -0400 (EDT)

July 24, 1999

Cleveland Plain Dealer 
1801 Superior Ave. 
Cleveland, Ohio 44114

Dear Editors:

Thank you for Brian E. Albrecht's excellent July 18
marriage articles.  It is very rare to see coverage
that clearly separates religious and civil marriage,
that includes religious people and organizations that
support same-gender marriage, and which seems to
fairly represent the positions of people on both
sides of the issue.  

However, at one point, Albrecht wrote: "None of the
major Christian denominations or Judaism recognizes
same-sex marriages," which is not true.
Reconstructionist Judaism recognizes same-gender
marriages, and while Reform Judaism's Central
Conference of American Rabbis does not officially
recognize same-gender marriages, they have no rule
against individual rabbis performing the ceremonies. 
The Quakers leave marriage policy up to
congregations, and individual Friends' meetings
perform same-gender marriages.

We also agree with Robert Knight that it is an issue
which involves, "religious liberty, freedom of
speech, freedom of association and how we view
ourselves as human beings."  Inasmuch there are many
different religious definitions of marriage, it is a
violation of religious liberty to impose any one
religious definition on everyone.  Opponents
frequently say that same-gender relationships should
not be called "marriage," which is an attempt to
restrict free speech.  Civil marriage is society's
primary mechanism for legally binding, recognizing,
and protecting the association of two consenting
adults; denying that recognition threatens free
association by officially discouraging long-term
same-gender relationships.  And we hope that we all
think of ourselves as loving, compassionate and just
human beings who value the nature and quality of our
relationships rather than worrying about and
discriminating against people in other relationships
on the basis of their gender.

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.

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