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" The Stewarts " <stews9

 

Saturday, February 15, 2003 2:35 AM

Response

 

The reason that Pixy hasn't really discussed dogma is because Quakers aren't

big on it. We have no creeds or dogmas and that is why it causes people

headaches when one tries to explain Quakerism to them.

 

'...Quakers are individualistic and have no authoritative creed or standard

of action, no statement can be true of all Quakers, in all meetings, in all

parts of the world. Yet there are, naturally, some common norms...'

 

> And then you go on to contradict that no, don't you?

 

Where did she contradict the lack of " must " in a liberal Quaker setting?

What she said was that it would seem pretty pointless to want to be a Quaker

unless one believed that all are equal - that doesn't mean that one couldn't

mount a case for membership and it doesn't mean that one would be turned

away. I would come close to calling it a " must " , but it isn't, really.

 

If you are wondering what God may be,

Looking for a purpose in life,

Craving company or seeking solitude,

Come to our Meeting for Worship!

We shall not ask you to speak or sing,

We shall not ask you what you believe,

We shall, simply offer you our friendship

And a chance to sit quietly and think;

And perhaps somebody will speak,

And perhaps somebody will read,

And perhaps somebody will pray;

And perhaps you will find here

That which you are seeking ...

- - - - -

We are not saints,

We are not cranks,

We are not different ----

Except that we believe That God's light is in all persons Waiting to be

discovered.

 

> Strictly, pagan simply means rural, meaning not in town; it was applied to

> non-stains essentially by Roman slobs and it means unsophisticated rubes

> who didn't know any better.

 

So what? You know, I suspect, that she was talking about a modern

understanding of Paganism.

 

> Rosicrucians and other esoteric groups also speak of the light, and in

> fact that's one of the meanings of the phrase " the Christ " .

 

Again, so what?

 

> This is appealing but one wonders why they have meeting houses

 

Because it makes it easier for people to congregate in one place. Meeting

doesn't have to be held in a meeting house and can just as easily be held

outside or in a private home. However, having a meeting house means that

people can know where there will be a Quaker meeting and can get there

without having to be " in the know " so much. It is just for convenience. I

have been to meetings in private homes, in God's own chapel (I.em. outside)

and in a couple of different meeting houses. A meeting isn't about the

building, it is about the people and the spirit of God within them.

 

and why the

> " quaking " is a standard feature.

 

*laugh* *chortle*

 

Quaking is not a " standard feature " .

 

'In its earliest days the Society of Friends was subject to persecution

because of its dissent from the established church. During one court trial

George Fox, the movement's leader, told the judge that he feared no temporal

punishments but did quake and tremble lest he failed to obey God's commands,

The judge's terming of Fox and his followers as " Quakers " was taken up by

the group ...'

 

Lee-Gwen

 

http://www.quakercapecod.org/quakerintro.htm

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?

I received this post offlist directly to me, with a time stamp one hour

prior to this one, and with a totally different subject line~ so I am

rather confused as to why it is here.

 

I already responded offlist, and wont go into all the detail as to my

original response~ but suffice it to say that I did not contradict

myself, as the operative word in the question was *must*.

 

Pixx

 

On 14 Feb 2003 at 9:35, The Stewarts wrote:

 

> On Friday, February 14, 2003, at 12:28 AM, Pixx wrote:

>

> *must*?? Given that word, and a liberal Meeting, I would say no.

>

> And then you go on to contradict that no, don't you?

>

> But unless one felt that *all* are equal, I would think one would feel

> it pointless to be there.

>

> There's one.

>

> The Quakers were integral to the Underground Railroad freeing

> many slaves, and to women's rights.

>

> I know this.

>

> Quakers were the first

> primarily Christian organization [and still one of only few] to accept

> same sex relationships as being valid.

>

> Yes indeed, and admirable. There's two: Christian.

>

> Quakers are 'behind the

> scenes' every day in areas and situations where people are not

> being treated equally.

>

> As are Rosicrucians and other esoteric organizations, yes. Good

> advertizing for Quakers but not pertinent to the question of dogma.

>

>

> What difference than anyone else? To draw on my own

> experience....There have been much time when it has been too

> great a distance for me to be in a Friends Meeting, and I have

> spent time in many different churches and religious circles. I have

> been a complete misfit in all of them. I am too open minded for most

> christians, and my reverence for nature and animals tends to 'scare'

> many by thinking I am pagan.

>

> Strictly, pagan simply means rural, meaning not in town; it was

> applied to non-xtians essentially by Roman slobs and it means

> unsophisticated rubes who didn't know any better.

>

> pagan circles don't want me

> because I am Christian.

>

> As you may know, the Gospel of Thomas, expunged from the Roman

> Catholic books at the Council of Nicea, gives the directly quoted

> sayings of Jesus,

> and interestingly these sayings are anti-clerical,

> anti-hierarchical,

> anti-church, and decidedly pagan. Constantine had to suppress them in

> order to preserve the Roman Caesars through the papal succession.

> Thus Ancient Rome lives on in the Vatican.

>

> Other's worship in ways and to individuals

> that I am uncomfortable with for myself. In Quaker settings all are

> equal. No matter who you are or what you believe. That of The Light

> in everyone.

>

> Rosicrucians and other esoteric groups also speak of the light, and in

> fact that's one of hte meanings of the phrase " the Christ " . Trace it

> back to Prometheus and Odin / Woden and so on; amazingly parallel

> myths.

>

> I am also drawn to the style of worship. Quiet Contemplation. No one

> particular person giving a 20-40 minute sermon. But all actively

> participating in what one might describe as a meditative state. Each

> speaking their thoughts as he or she is lead.

>

> This is appealing but one wonders why they have meeting houses and why

> the " quaking " is a standard feature.

>

> If I were to say what *should* one believe before considering the

> Quaker faith:..........That all are equal.

>

> Freedom, Equality, Brotherhood -- the French national motto -- stems

> directly from the same basic set of principles that buttress the

> Quakers and the Rosicrucians, etc.

>

> Interesting stuff; thanks for writing.

>

> Gassho.

>

> --Gene Stewart

> www.genestewart.com

>

> Pixx

>

> On 13 Feb 2003 at 12:20, The Stewarts wrote:

>

> Are there any items of faith one must believe to be a Quaker?

>

> If so, what?

>

> If not, then what difference between a Quaker and anyone else?

>

>

>

>

> “Doubt of the real facts, as I must reveal them, is inevitable; yet if

> I suppressed what will seem extravagant and incredible there would be

> nothing left.” —H. P. Lovecraft, “At the Mountains of Madness”

>

>

>

>

> " We are mystics and believers and children to our dying day. "

> --Rod Serling in " The Messiah on Mott Street " , a NIGHT GALLERY episode

> starring Edward G. Robinson, Yaphet Kotto, and Tony Roberts.

>

>

>

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Thank you Lee-Gwen. Much of that was in my offline post, but you

put it so eloquently! ;~)

Pixx

 

On 15 Feb 2003 at 8:19, Lady Sappho wrote:

 

> -

> The reason that Pixy hasn't really discussed dogma is because Quakers

> aren't big on it. We have no creeds or dogmas and that is why it

> causes people headaches when one tries to explain Quakerism to them.

>

> '...Quakers are individualistic and have no authoritative creed or

> standard of action, no statement can be true of all Quakers, in all

> meetings, in all parts of the world. Yet there are, naturally, some

> common norms...'

>

> > And then you go on to contradict that no, don't you?

>

> Where did she contradict the lack of " must " in a liberal Quaker

> setting?

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-

Pixx

 

> Thank you Lee-Gwen. Much of that was in my offline post, but you

> put it so eloquently! ;~)

> Pixx

 

Thank you! I haven't been to Meeting for years now, but I am a Quaker at

heart and trying to explain it to people is one of those things I do ...

 

Oh, sorry about calling you Pixy - my spell checker insisted.

 

Lee-Gwen

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> The reason that Pixy hasn't really discussed dogma is because Quakers aren't

> big on it. We have no creeds or dogmas and that is why it causes people

> headaches when one tries to explain Quakerism to them.

>

 

Hi - I just want to say that explaining quakerism to nonquakers is

probably pointless. That's probably not the reason why quakers don't

proselytize ;=) but it certainly goes a long way to explaining why there

aren't more quakers. To the world's loss. I am not myself a quaker -

guess i'd fall into the category of secular humanist if I were keen on

labels - but I have the highest admiration for quakers as a group. Why

anyone would start picking at quakers and quakerism, even for the sake

of an argument, is totally beyond me.

A little respect goes a long way.

 

best,

pat sant

--

SANTBROWN

townhounds/

http://www.angelfire.com/art/pendragon/

----------

* " Until he extends the circle of compassion to all living things, man

will not himself find peace. " - Albert Schweitzer

 

* " The time will come when men such as I will look upon the murder of

animals as they now look upon the murder of men " - Leonardo da Vinci

 

* " The animals of the world exist for their own reasons. They were not

made for humans any more than black people were made for white, or women

created for men. " - Alice Walker

----------

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-

pat

 

> Hi - I just want to say that explaining quakerism to nonquakers is

> probably pointless.

 

*grin* You may be right there. It's funny, because I see it absolutely as a

religion for this age, for all its perceived " quaintness " .

 

My history teacher, at a Catholic school, once turned a class into a

question/answer session about Quakerism (for the life of me, I can't think

why) and the other girls had real trouble understanding what I was saying.

" Who tells you what to do? " was a question I remember quite clearly. They

really couldn't grasp that there is no " on high " authority who decrees

stuff. In other conversations, I have been told that Quakers are clearly

hedonists (hmmm - that would come as a shock to many of the Quakers I know)

and people have got bogged down in how the decision making process works or

the whole question of discerning the movement of the Spirit without grasping

the whole and I don't think that Quakerism can easily be dissected that way.

 

That's probably not the reason why quakers don't

> proselytise ;=) but it certainly goes a long way to explaining why there

> aren't more quakers.

 

I think you may be onto something here. Hard to proselytise when there are

no set creeds or dogmas *laugh*. However, I think that Quakers tend to

respect other people's paths as being right for them (okay, I am a

Universalist Quaker at heart, but I think it applies to many Liberal Quakers

whether they consider themselves Universalist or not) and so the idea of

preaching just doesn't seem right. They also tend to be more practical than

spiritual - more Margaret Fell than George Fox, for those who know their

Quaker history - and much more interested in deeds than words.

 

> but I have the highest admiration for quakers as a group.

 

I find that is a very common reaction from people who know anything about

Quakers - and those who don't confuse them with Shakers or the Amish

*laugh*.

 

Why

> anyone would start picking at quakers and quakerism, even for the sake

> of an argument, is totally beyond me.

 

*grin*

 

Lee-Gwen (the verbose ...)

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An off-list email showed up on-list??

 

Most of the time when I do an off-list response I Add " ***OFF-LIST*** " to

the subject line of the private message. Doing this makes it immediately

clear to the receiver what's happening, and the chance of it them going

" back " onto the list is not likely by accident.

 

Just another one of those " pesky " rules/protocols that makes life a bit

easier.

 

DaveO

 

 

 

 

Pixx [lists]

 

?

I received this post offlist directly to me, with a time stamp one hour

prior to this one, and with a totally different subject line~ so I am

rather confused as to why it is here.

 

I already responded offlist, and wont go into all the detail as to my

original response~ but suffice it to say that I did not contradict

myself, as the operative word in the question was *must*.

 

Pixx

 

On 14 Feb 2003 at 9:35, The Stewarts wrote:

 

> On Friday, February 14, 2003, at 12:28 AM, Pixx wrote:

>

> *must*?? Given that word, and a liberal Meeting, I would say no.

>

> And then you go on to contradict that no, don't you?

-----clipped-----

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I am not sure as to what the intentions were....... I received it both

on list and off list, with two *different* subject lines.

 

I usually add " off list " as well, when I take something offlist.

Pixx

 

On 15 Feb 2003 at 7:30, daveo wrote:

 

>

> An off-list email showed up on-list??

>

> Most of the time when I do an off-list response I Add " ***OFF-LIST***

> " to the subject line of the private message. Doing this makes it

> immediately clear to the receiver what's happening, and the chance of

> it them going " back " onto the list is not likely by accident.

>

> Just another one of those " pesky " rules/protocols that makes life a

> bit easier.

>

> DaveO

>

>

>

>

> Pixx [lists]

>

> ?

> I received this post offlist directly to me, with a time stamp one

> hour prior to this one, and with a totally different subject line~ so

> I am rather confused as to why it is here.

>

> I already responded offlist, and wont go into all the detail as to my

> original response~ but suffice it to say that I did not contradict

> myself, as the operative word in the question was *must*.

>

> Pixx

>

> On 14 Feb 2003 at 9:35, The Stewarts wrote:

>

> > On Friday, February 14, 2003, at 12:28 AM, Pixx wrote:

> >

> > *must*?? Given that word, and a liberal Meeting, I would say no.

> >

> > And then you go on to contradict that no, don't you?

> -----clipped-----

>

>

>

>

>

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And, may I say, it takes a lot of courage to get out there and protest

against a popular war. But Friends I met, first, back in the

'sixties/'seventies were patiently (and some not so patiently ;=)) doing

their bit against an unjust war - at great risk to themselves. That's

really and literally putting one's money where one's mouth is. But I'm

escalating here, and I don't really mean to. It's just that I've just

been watching the news, and . . .

 

Anyway, if I had a belief in a supreme being, I'd probably see you at

meeting. As it is, I meet you here and extend warmest feelings without

prejudice, as the lawyers like to say.

 

best,

 

pat sant

 

> pat

>

> > Hi - I just want to say that explaining quakerism to nonquakers is

> > probably pointless.

>

> *grin* You may be right there. It's funny, because I see it absolutely as a

> religion for this age, for all its perceived " quaintness " .

>

> My history teacher, at a Catholic school, once turned a class into a

> question/answer session about Quakerism (for the life of me, I can't think

> why) and the other girls had real trouble understanding what I was saying.

> " Who tells you what to do? " was a question I remember quite clearly. They

> really couldn't grasp that there is no " on high " authority who decrees

> stuff. In other conversations, I have been told that Quakers are clearly

> hedonists (hmmm - that would come as a shock to many of the Quakers I know)

> and people have got bogged down in how the decision making process works or

> the whole question of discerning the movement of the Spirit without grasping

> the whole and I don't think that Quakerism can easily be dissected that way.

>

> That's probably not the reason why quakers don't

> > proselytise ;=) but it certainly goes a long way to explaining why there

> > aren't more quakers.

>

> I think you may be onto something here. Hard to proselytise when there are

> no set creeds or dogmas *laugh*. However, I think that Quakers tend to

> respect other people's paths as being right for them (okay, I am a

> Universalist Quaker at heart, but I think it applies to many Liberal Quakers

> whether they consider themselves Universalist or not) and so the idea of

> preaching just doesn't seem right. They also tend to be more practical than

> spiritual - more Margaret Fell than George Fox, for those who know their

> Quaker history - and much more interested in deeds than words.

>

> > but I have the highest admiration for quakers as a group.

>

> I find that is a very common reaction from people who know anything about

> Quakers - and those who don't confuse them with Shakers or the Amish

> *laugh*.

>

> Why

> > anyone would start picking at quakers and quakerism, even for the sake

> > of an argument, is totally beyond me.

>

> *grin*

>

 

 

 

--

SANTBROWN

townhounds/

http://www.angelfire.com/art/pendragon/

----------

* " Until he extends the circle of compassion to all living things, man

will not himself find peace. " - Albert Schweitzer

 

* " The time will come when men such as I will look upon the murder of

animals as they now look upon the murder of men " - Leonardo da Vinci

 

* " The animals of the world exist for their own reasons. They were not

made for humans any more than black people were made for white, or women

created for men. " - Alice Walker

----------

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, " Pixx " <lists@p...> wrote:

> I am not sure as to what the intentions were....... I received it both

> on list and off list, with two *different* subject lines.

 

Perhaps it was to give you the option of how or where you might

feel more comfortable in responding or not? Just a thought.

 

> I usually add " off list " as well, when I take something offlist.

> Pixx

 

That is a good idea. I think I will adopt it. :)

 

~ PT ~

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  • 4 years later...
Guest guest

Good luck with the response article. I hope they run it. I'm sorry so

many believe everything they read in the NYT, making a response so

necessary.

 

LVX,

 

Corry

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Guest guest

Yes true .. but I doubt they will print any , but I have found boycotts very effective in the past against many wrongs .. I plan to boycott the times and get anyone I can to do the same .. everyone counts ..Good luck to you too ..Corry <apocalypse888 wrote: Good luck with the response article. I hope they run it. I'm sorry so many believe everything they read in the NYT, making a response so necessary.LVX,Corry

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Guest guest

hi everyone,

 

thanks for all the advice,

I did sent my letter after making some of the changes.

I doubt they will print it, but I hope that they

print someone elses vegan viewpoint :)

 

Dr. Magdougalls's at least!

 

 

, connie bell <caromiotk wrote:

>

> Yes true .. but I doubt they will print any , but I have found

boycotts very effective in the past against many wrongs .. I plan to

boycott the times and get anyone I can to do the same .. everyone

counts ..Good luck to you too ..

>

> Corry <apocalypse888 wrote: Good luck with the

response article. I hope they run it. I'm sorry so

> many believe everything they read in the NYT, making a response so

> necessary.

>

> LVX,

>

> Corry

>

>

>

>

>

>

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