Welcome to the blog for the Manhattan, Kansas meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)!
This blog is connected to our meeting's web site and serves as a place for members and attenders to post news, organize meeting events, and generally coordinate things having to do with the meeting or its community activities.
This is also a place for visitors or potential visitors to post questions for the members, and we hope that they will feel very free to do so! Post away!
Manhattan Friends Meeting
War is Not the Answer!
4 comments:
Hello,
I was curious about your understanding of sacrament. What is the liberal Quaker view? Another question I have is if a person considers themself to be Quaker, but feels as if the "inner light" is calling them to military service or that it is ok to drink moderately, how does that effect the group? I would think it would be ok since there is no set dogma or belief, but I was just curious. Thanks for your time.
Peace,
Curious
Hello Curious,
Of course I cannot speak for all liberal Quakers, but I can give you my understanding of the general consensus.
My sense is that the liberal Quaker consensus rejects outward sacraments as practiced in Roman Catholicism and some Protestant denominations (baptism, the Eucharist, etc.). This is not a rejection of the notion of the close presence of God in our lives, but rather comes from our testimony that every day and every act in life can be equally sacred. From this perspective, many Quakers also choose not to celebrate religious holidays.
On the issue of individuals diverging from some of the traditional consensus points (or testimonies) of Quakers over time, there is no problem at all. We are a society of friends seeking to follow our Inner Light, which most of us believe comes from God. While nearly all Quakers are led to a rejection of all violence, personal and institutional, no one is any less a Quaker if their conscience does not so lead them. In fact, such differences allow us to evolve over time, reflecting the ongoing revelation of God's will in the world.
See, for example, the life of John Woolman, who advocated the abolition of slavery before the Revolution even occurred. He not only had to convince non-Quakers, but Quakers as well. His disagreement with the majority created an opportunity for other Quakers to respond to the revelation of God's will.
As for the moderate consumption of alcohol, there is not a strong consensus on this issue among Quakers. In my experience, many choose not to drink, but this is not a core concern compared to the testimonies of equality, simplicity, peace, and integrity that we seek to live out in our lives.
Stephen (co-clerk)
This is Curious again.
I find the Quaker understanding of God, with its pantheistic tendencies to give more of an accurate view of who or what God is about. I also find the Quaker values and testamonies very, very attractive way of living. I was curious to how you guys educate the youth, specifically how you guys do that in the Manhattan area? Do you have a set cirruculum or something else? I see that their are summer camps. Also, are most of your members in your group in Manhattan coming from the Christian perspective or are is it varied? I would appreciate your response.
Peace, Curious
Curious,
Many Quaker meetings have First Days, the equivalent of Sunday school, to help children learn about the Quaker way, but our meeting has no young children at the current time. We have had a children's program in the past, though, and have many materials that would be appropriate. Also, QuakerBooks.com has a wide variety of books for seekers, convinced Quakers, and children.
At the current time, our group varies. Some members see themselves as Christians, either in the protestant sense of salvation or in the moral teacher view. Others are undecided, but believers in God, and others are agnostic or atheistic. Quakerism is a big tent, and happily so.
If you are interested in visiting the meeeting, please feel free. On the first Sunday of each month, we meet at the UFM building on Manhattan Avenue. The other weeks are in members' houses, and we can provide directions if you email us. Or, if you would just like to chat with a few of us over coffee sometime, let us know.
Of course, the blog is also always open and we try to respond quickly.
Stephen
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