Subject: IWG Honolulu Religion and Orientation
From: Interfaith Working Group <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 3 Jun 1999 23:46:14 -0400 (EDT)

June 3, 1999

Honolulu Star Bulletin
PO Box 3080
Honolulu, HI  96802

Dear Editors:

	Mike Gabbard's May 31 letter was extremely
misleading.  First of all, belief in a Supreme Being
does not predetermine certain beliefs about sexual
orientation.  There are those who believe that
heterosexuality and homosexuality are morally and
ethically equivalent, and people who believe they
aren't; people who believe each of these things may
worship one or more deities, belong to religious
traditions that don't worship deities, or may not be
religious or religiously observant.  
	Second, there are many disagreements over what
scriptures in many different religious traditions say
about a lot of things.  Certainly most Christians
currently believe that there are passages in the Bible
that clearly condemn same-gender sexual behavior. 
That, however, is a matter of interpretation.  There
are also many Christian scholars, clergy and laity who
do not believe any such thing, and are quickly
increasing in number; among Jews there is also little
consensus on the question.  
	Third, the wording of Mr. Gabbard's last sentence
strongly implies that the same Supreme Being is
responsible for writing "the Bible, Koran, Torah and
the Vedas."  While there are certainly people who
believe that all religions really revere the same God,
it is hardly a position held by a "vast majority of
people," and given that the scriptures of the world's
major religions are very different documents, and
their messages are debated daily, most people who hold
that belief are not scriptural literalists. 

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 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.