RELIGIOUS INSTITUTE
ON SEXUAL MORALITY, JUSTICE, AND HEALING 21 CHARLES STREET z WESTPORT, CT 06880 z 203‐222‐0055 z WWW.RELIGIOUSINSTITUTE.ORG Contact: Rev. Debra W. Haffner Office (203) 222‐0055 Cell (203) 984 5638 haffner@religiousinstitute.org RELIGIOUS LEADERS RESPOND TO THE MURDER OF DR. GEORGE TILLER Westport, CT, June 2, 2009 – The Religious Institute today issued a statement on behalf of national religious organizations and religious leaders in the wake of the murder of Dr. George Tiller in his church on Sunday, May 31, 2009. The statement is signed by religious leaders, including the Presidents of three national denominations, who have joined to mourn for Dr. Tiller and to condemn the violence that led to his death. The statement and a list of signatories – still in formation – follows. * * * STATEMENT OF RELIGIOUS LEADERS ON THE MURDER OF DR. GEORGE TILLER As religious leaders, we affirm that life is sacred. We mourn for Dr. George Tiller. We decry the cruel act of violence that ended his life. We pray for his family, friends, colleagues, and staff, and for the untold number of women and families who have been deprived of his compassionate care. We condemn physical and verbal violence and harassment directed against abortion clinics, their staffs, and their clients. We call for a society that assures safe access and delivery of reproductive health care services, both for the women and families who need them, and the practitioners who provide them. Rev. Debra W. Haffner Rabbi Dennis Ross Executive Director Director Religious Institute Concerned Clergy for Choice Rev. Dr. Ignacio Castuera Rev. Carlton Veazey National Chaplain Director Planned Parenthood Federation of America Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice Ellen T. Armour, Director, E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Program on Gender, Religion and Sexuality, Nashville, TN Dr. Lee Barker, President, Meadville Lombard Theological School, Chicago, IL Rev. Dr. Rita Nakashima Brock, Director, Faith Voices for the Common Good, Oakland, CA Rev. Steve Clapp, Director, Christian Community, Fort Wayne, IN Rev. Dr. Marie M. Fortune, Founder, Faith Trust Institute, Seattle, WA Dr. Christine Gudorf, Chair, Department of Religion, Florida International University, Miami, FL Ms. Ann Hanson, Minister for Sexuality Education and Justice, United Church of Christ, Cleveland, OH Dr. Mary E. Hunt, Co‐Director, WATER, Silver Spring, MD Ms. Debra Kolodny, Executive Director, ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal, Philadelphia, PA Rev. Peter Laarman, Progressive Christians Uniting, Los Angeles, CA Rabbi Michael Lerner, Chair, Network of Spiritual Progressives, Berkeley, CA Rev. Troy Plummer, Executive Director, Reconciling Ministries Network, Chicago, IL Dr. Sylvia Rhue, Interim Director, National Black Justice Coalition, Washington, DC Rev. Michael Schuenemeyer, Executive, Healthy and Wholeness Advocacy, United Church of Christ, Cleveland, OH Rev. William Sinkford, President, Unitarian Universalist Association Rabbi Mychal B. Springer, Associate Dean, Jewish Theological Seminary, New York, NY Rev. John H. Thomas, General Minister and President, United Church of Christ, Cleveland, OH Dr. Emilie M. Townes, Academic Dean, Yale Divinity School, New Haven, CT Rev. Rebecca Voelkel, Director, Institute for Welcoming Resources, Minneapolis, MN Rabbi Arthur Waskow, Director, The Shalom Center, Philadelphia, PA Rev. Matthew Westfox, National Coordinator for Field Services, Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, New York, NY Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie, President, Union for Reform Judaism, New York, NY Rev. Diana Jordan Allende, Auburn, AL Rev. Dr. Kharma R. Amos, Fairfax, VA Rev. Mark E. Asman, Santa Barbara, CA Rachel Barenblat, Lanesboro, VT Fr. Luis Barrios, New York, NY Rev. Wendy Bartel Rev. Margaret L. Beard, Augusta, GA Rev. Margaret Beckman, Pittsfield, ME Rabbi Haim Dov Beliak, Washington, DC Rev. James Boline, Santa Monica, CA Rev. Kathy Seitz Bortner, York, PA Rev. Anita L. Bradshaw, PhD, Minneapolis, MN Rev. Dr. David Breeden, Mukwonago, WI Rev. Roger Brewing, Hobart, IN Jeff Briere, Chattanooga, TN Rev. Carolyn Brown Rev. Dr. Ken Brown Rev. Rachelle Brown, Chicago, IL Rev. David Bryce, Hastings‐on‐Hudson, NY Rev. Daniel Budd, Shaker Heights, OH Rev. John Buehrens, Needham, MA Rev. Cynthia S. Bumb, St. Louis, MO Rev. Laurie Bushbaum Frank Carpenter, Cincinnati, OH Rev. Molly Casteel, Louisville, KY Rev. Dorothy Chaney, Miami, FL Brent Childers Rev. Nina Churchman Rev. Shannon Clarkson, New Haven, CT Rev. Richard D. Clewell Rabbi Howard A. Cohen Jill Cowie Rev. Dr. Beverly Dale, Philadelphia, PA Rev. Dr. Scott Daniels Rev. Audrey deCoursey Rev. William A. DeWolfe, Augusta, ME Rev. Elizabeth Dilley, Red Oak, IA Rev. Kristen M. Dunn, New Haven, CT Rev. Sandra Ellis‐Killian Rev. Janet E. Eggleston, Hoopeston, IL Rev. Dr. Dorothy May Emerson, Billerica, MA Rabbi Dr. Andrew Vogel Ettin, Pfafftown, NC Rabbi Zev‐Hayyim Feyer, Clarmont, CA Priestess Patricia Kevena Fili Rev. Emily Gage Lynn Gardner Rabbi Gail Glicksman Rabbi Linda Henry Goodman, Brooklyn, NY Rev. Dr. Paula J. Gravelle Rabbi Fred Guttman, Greensboro, NC Rabbi Shoshana Hantman, Somers, NY Rev. Dr. Jennifer Harvey, Des Moines, IA Rev. Ann Hayman, Santa Monica, CA Rev. Laura Horton‐Ludwig, Stockton, CA Rabbi Naomi Mara Hyman, Easton, MD Rabbi Steven Jacobs Rev. Tomi Jacobs, Syracuse, NY Rev. Jill Jarvis, Lawrence, KS Rev. Jay Emerson Johnson, PhD, Berkeley, CA Jonalu Johnstone, Oklahoma City, OK Rabbi Laura Duhan Kaplan, Vancouver, BC Jim Kenney Rev. Elizabeth Ketcham Rev. Dan King Rev. Sue Kingman, Sanford, ME Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum, New York, NY Rev. Kathleen Korb, Naples, FL Rev. Dr. Ken Brooker Langston Rev. Paul Langston‐Daley, Glendale, AZ Dale E. Lantz, Baltimore, MD Rev. Maria LaSala, New Haven, CT Rev. R. Vincent Lavieri Rev. Kristen J. Leslie, PhD, New Haven, CT Josh Lesser Rev. Dr. Bill Levering, Schenectady, NY Rev. Jim Lewis Dr. Pamela R. Lightsey Tera Little Dr. Cynthia Moe‐Lobeda, Seattle, WA Rev. Marguerite D. Lovett, Long Beach, CA Rabbi Bonnie Margulis, Madison, WI Rev. Stephen J. Mather, Coronado, CA Rev. David L. Maxwell, Louisville, KY Rev. Rebecca McCulloh Rev. Carol McKinley Rev. Laurie McKnight, Heuvelton, NY Kaye McSpadden, West Lafayette, IN Rev. Diane Miller, Carlisle, MA Rev. Melanie Miller, White Plains, NY Rev. Barbara Molfese, Boulder, CO Dr. Virginia Ramey Mollenkott Rev. Deb Morra Leslie Moughty Rev. Deniray Mueller, Worthington, OH Rev. Paul E. Mullins, San Francisco, CA Rev. Hartshorn Murphy, Santa Monica, CA Rev. Dr. Roberta M. Nelson, Bethesda, MD Rev. Jane Newall, Yakima, WA Rev. Rosemarie Newberry, Shrewsbury, NJ Rev. Marty Newman, Kalamazoo, MI Rev. Theresa Novak, Ogden, UT Rabbi Leah Novick, Carmel, CA Rev. Richard A. Nugent, Washington, DC Rev. Lyn Oglesby, PhD, Baltimore, MD Rev. Dr. Claudene F. Oliva, Evansville, IN Rev. Damaris E. Ortega Rev. Clare Overlander Shelley Page Rev. Carolyn Patierno, New London, CT Melanie Phillips Joseph W. Pickle, Colorado Springs, CO Rev. Patti Pomerantz, Portland, OR Rev. Lois M. Powell, Cleveland, OH Rev. David P. Proctor, Providence, RI Donna Quinn, O.P. Rabbi TziPi Radonsky, West Palm Beach, FL Rev. Dr. Susan Veronica Rak, East Brunswick, NJ Rev. Wilma J. Reichard Rev. Dana F. Reynolds III, Minneapolis, MN Rev. Paul B. Robinson, Medford, OR Rev. Ann Romanczuk, St. Paul, MN Rev. Dr. Dan Rosemergy, Nashville, TN Michal Rubin Rabbi Sarah Niebuhr Rubin, Keane, NH Le Sadlacek, La Crosse, WI Lee Marie Sanchez, Anaheim, CA Rev. Elizabeth Sheuerman, Meadville, PA Rev. Gilbert Schroerlucke, Louisville, KY Rev. Craig D. Schwalenberg, Milwaukee, WI Dr. Carolyn J. Sharp, New Haven, CT Rev. Martha M. Shiverick, Cleveland Heights, OH Rev. Dr. Robert Shore‐Goss, North Hollywood, CA Dr. Brent A. Smith, Grand Rapids, MI Rev. Dan Smith, Los Angeles, CA Dr. C. Melissa Snarr, Nashville, TN Rabbi Naomi Steinberg, Carlotta, CA Dr. Laura Stivers, Misenheimer, NC Charles Stephens, Titusville, NJ Dr. Edwin L. Stickney, M.D., Billings, MT Krishna Stone, New York, NY Msgr. John W. Sweeley, ThD Rev. Dr. Neil G. Thomas, Los Angeles, CA Rev. Ed Thompson, Westport, CT Rev. Michael Torphy, Fresno, CA Rev. Archene Turner, Washington, DC Rev. Joan Van Becelaere, St. Clairsville, OH Richard Venus, Dayton, OH Professor Katharina von Kellenbach Rev. Dr. Marlene R. Walker, Lafayette, CO Rev. Lisa Ward Rev. Dave Weissbard Dr. Michael White, Guilford, CT Rev. Jim Wickman, Pasco, WA Rev. Stephen J.C. Williams Rev. Georgette Wonders, Kenosha, WI Rev. Carole Robinson Yorke, Stuart, FL Lynn Young, Colorado Springs, CO Lina Zerbarini, New Haven, CT Rev. Jacqueline Ann Ziegler (List in formation) * * * The Religious Institute on Sexual Morality, Justice, and Healing, based in Westport, CT, is a nonprofit, multifaith organization dedicated to advocating for sexual health, education and justice in faith communities and society. More than 4,400 clergy, seminary presidents and deans, theologians, scholars and religious leaders representing more than 50 faith traditions are part of the Religious Institute’s national network.