Thomas Maxwell - I am a life long Friend, but I am certainly no Christian! blasphemy? hardly. Nowhere in my 61 years of experience with Friends have I ever heard the proposition that we are Friends "of his"(Jesus), but Friends of the Light, Friends of the Truth. The real genius of the Society of Friends is continuing revelation. The truth for me has been revealed in other places than Christianity which, now, I see as so mixed up with legend and allegory it cannot not be taken literally. If one does take it literally, they miss the value and the point entirely. So much of the bible, including the new testament, is made up of inaccurate linguistic interpretation, astrology, legend, morphing historical stories handed down through generations when no written text could exist that taken literally it loses it's value. Christianity was taken over by those in power in the 4th c. and used as a means of political control for centuries. Little of it's history can be trusted to have much to do with any of the intent of the prophets and spiritual leaders through time.
By scary I mean it was difficult for me to grasp how one can call oneself a Friend and deny our christian roots. To say I am an agnostic with atheist leanings and then say I am a Friend is for me blasphemy... I believe if Jesus were to walk amongst many of us who call ourselves "Friends" of His , He would be like He was when He chased the money changers from the Temple! Thee spoke of thy fears of the evangelical strand of Quakerism. Well, Friend I agree with thee also many of their ways have gone too far from our original Friends testimonies. I guess what I am trying to say is the state of The Society of Friends today is sad and scary we have forgotten the message and it makes me weep.....
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