Monday, August 25, 2008

Complain to people who participated in people of faith only event

The initial event of the Democratic national convention, held Sunday August 24, was an of people of religious faith, by people of religious faith, and for people of religious faith only event "reaching across partisan and ideological lines in this Convention to address the values that matter to Americans".

The people listed below apparently already participated during this initial convention event so send an email to each of them (if you find the missing email addresses then post a comment here) politely requesting that they not participate again if people without faith are deliberately singled out for exclusion from such "big tent" "unity" events to "address the values that matter to Americans" (scroll down for sample letter):

Archbishop Demetrios need email
Rabbi Steven Foster foster@congregationemanuel.com
Rabbi Steve Gutow need email
Reverend Lucia Guzman lucia.guzman@denvergov.org
Bishop Charles E. Blake, presiding prelate of the Church of God in Christ Inc. and pastor at the West Angeles church bishopblake@westa.org
Dr. Ingrid Mattson, president of the Islamic Society of North America imattson@hartsem.edu
social activist Sister Helen Prejean, author of "Dead Man Walking" hprejean@dpdiscourse.org
Imam Abdur-Rahim Ali of the Northeast Denver Islamic Center need email
Rabbi Amy Schwartzman of Temple Rodef Shalom in Maryland senior.rabbi@templerodefshalom.org

Sample letter:

Reverend Lucia Guzman:

While outreach to people of all religious faiths is good, the deliberate and explicit failure to acknowledge and recognize to role of people without religious faith at the opening "unity" event of the Democratic convention was unfair and wrong. Since you appear to be listed as a speaker at that "of, for, and by" people of faith only "big tent" event I would like to share with you my disgust with the Democratic party and with everyone who is responsible for denying representation to people without faith and my disappointment that you would agree to speak at such a discriminatory event. My impression is that you have a positive record with regard to sensitivity to issues of prejudice and bigotry. I respectfully request that not participate in the future in such "inclusive" events if people without faith are intentionally singled out for exclusion. Celebrating various religious faiths to the exclusion of alternative\competing beliefs (including rejecting religious faith) is not a proper Democratic party function anymore than celebrating various manifestations of Protestantism over alternative\competing beliefs (including Hinduisms, etc.) would be a proper Democratic party function. Thank you.

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