Subject: IWG San Antonio Greg Dell letter
From: Interfaith Working Group <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 5 Apr 1999 23:38:41 -0400 (EDT)

April 3, 1999

San Antonio Express-News
Box 2171
San Antonio, TX 78297-2171

Dear Editors:

We take exactly the opposite view of the Rev. David
Trawick [letter, April 1] with regard to what
constitutes responsible religious reporting.  It is
hardly the job of reporters or headline writers to
determine what actions constitute "disobedience to
Scripture;" to guess at whether an individual thinks
that "he is more enlighted than 2,000 years of church
tradition;" or to interpret whether the law of any
particular church is "clear."  

There is little question that the removal of Rev. Greg
Dell from his congregation and the United Methodist
Church as a whole for ministering to all of the his
congregants makes it more difficult for people with
differences of opinion on this one issue to coexist
within the denomination, as did passing a rule in the
first place that forbade the ritual expression of the
beliefs of a growing minority.  To say that the
"pastor's punishment fuels division" was
straightforward and factual.

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.