Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Leslie Rodgers on 6th mo. 8, 2010 at 9:42pm

Rudy,
You have hit upon my sticking point in the Quaker world.....Practice vs Belief.

I attended Meeting for Worship for a few weeks several years ago, and felt completely at home with silent worship, with the ministry of those who rose to speak, with the warmth of the Friends.
I was first attracted to Quakerism from reading of the testimonies, which spoke straight to my heart. And having narrowly escaped from a "my way or the highway" religion I loved that Quakers were open to one's own experience of the Light. There was no one telling me "you have to believe this" or "you have to feel that".

Alas, a few weeks into my study of Quakerism there began to be talk in the meeting about how we should Get Back to Basics and Remember that Quakerism is Christian and should Focus on Jesus! This felt so narrow-minded and so opressively preachy to me that I simply stopped. I no longer made the drive to the city to attend Meetings, and when I moved to the city for college I didn't come to the Friend's meetinghouse anymore.

Now, 6 years later, I'm thinking if I had known more about Quakers back then I'd have talked it over with someone, or asked for clearness help, or at least hung in there and waited out this particular little storm.

Thank you for being here, for posting your thoughts which help me examine this issue.

Leslie

Permalink Reply by Forrest Curo on 11th mo. 17, 2010 at 1:57pm

This distinction is not the significant one. The questions for 'Early Friends' were not: "Hast thou been attending Meeting?" ("existentialist") or "Dost thou Believe in 'The Light'?" but rather along the lines of "Are you in The Truth? Dost know Him? What canst thou say [through immediate, intimate Knowing within you]?"

Permalink Reply by Rudy Zalesak on 5th mo. 21, 2011 at 8:01am

I've been away from QQ for a while and I'm sorry I didn't respond sooner.  Thank you for your thoughts, they opened me up to a different way to look at this. 

It's hard for me to know if I am "in the Truth", but it's easier to check my behavior against the testimonies, not whether I've been to Meeting, but whether my behavior has been nonviolent (no shouting at the kids), had integrity (honesty in small as well as large things), etc. That is probably not "existential" in the Kasulis' sense, just ritual, but hopefully arise from prayer, reflection, and going to Meeting too.

Permalink Reply by Rudy Zalesak on 5th mo. 21, 2011 at 8:04am

Mavis, I love that quote.  TV dwells on showing us the ocean of darkness (here in the US, anyway). It's hard to stay in touch with the ocean of light and love. Thank you.

Permalink Reply by Forrest Curo on 5th mo. 21, 2011 at 2:58pm

Maybe yet another way. Rather than inclusion/exclusion or "Am I good enough?" questions...

 

Is there a mode of relating to the universe (as much of it as you can conceive & at least speculatively credit) in which these questions look different? (ie "When the Great Tao was lost, people began talking of Benevolence and Righteousness.") What spiritual 'tide' has been moving you closer to Quakers, away again, maybe closer this time? How does that look?