<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">I may be sending this out a second time; I'm not sure. In any case, it is important that the committee members see it, to get a sense of NOD's response to my letter.<div><br></div><div>David G.<br><div apple-content-edited="true"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Palatino; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0; "><div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></div><div><br></div></span></div><div><div>Begin forwarded message:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="5" color="#000000" style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>From: </b></font><font face="Helvetica" size="5" style="font: 18.0px Helvetica">David Gilmartin <<a href="mailto:davidgil@comcast.net">davidgil@comcast.net</a>></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="5" color="#000000" style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>Date: </b></font><font face="Helvetica" size="5" style="font: 18.0px Helvetica">June 14, 2008 12:38:23 AM PDT</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="5" color="#000000" style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>To: </b></font><font face="Helvetica" size="5" style="font: 18.0px Helvetica">Thornburgh Ginny <<a href="mailto:religion@nod.org">religion@nod.org</a>></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="5" color="#000000" style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>Subject: </b></font><font face="Helvetica" size="5" style="font: 18.0px Helvetica"><b>Accessible Congregations Campaign</b></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div> </div><div>Dear Ms. Ginny Thornburgh,<br><br><br>I am writing on behalf of the Accessibility Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Eugene (Oregon) to inquire about the Accessible Congregations Campaign.<br><br>The committee has had several discussions on this subject, and has the following concern:<br><br>The Commitment Form states, as one of the principles being committed to, "In our congregation, people with disabilities are valued as individuals, having been created in the image of God."<br><br>Unitarian Universalists hold a variety of beliefs about God, and some of our members, we think, would likely object to this phraseology.<br><br>An alternate rendering more likely to gain acceptance by Unitarian Universalists might draw from the principles of member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association and read something like this:<br><br>"In our congregation, which covenants to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person, people with disabilities are valued as individuals."<br><br>If our commitment to this principle is stated in this or a similar way, on our Commitment Form, the Accessibility Committee wishes to know if this would present any difficulties to our congregation's acceptance as an accessible congregation.<br><br>I look forward to receiving your response to this question.<br><br><br>Sincerely,<br><br><br>David Gilmartin<br><br></div></blockquote></div><br></div></body></html>