Comment by Forrest Curo on 9th mo. 1, 2011 at 12:47pm

For most of us, I think, "God" refers to the Entireity in which gods, goddesses, and we all Be.

 

Neither male nor female, then, but typically taking a male form in males and a female form in females. (This may not necessarily be the form our "image of" God takes-- But God lives in each; there is no other life in here! Personified forms, personalities, etc, sure. But that Livingness is Who be-s us!)

 

I'm like to invite you, by the way, to Friendly skripture study, not to 'convert' you to anything, but because we're working out some basic stuff, too, and can use interested folks!

Comment by James C Schultz on 9th mo. 1, 2011 at 5:04pm

the whole male/female thing is about procreation.  God doesn't need a partner to create.  Trying to pigeon hole God as a male/female has no effect on God and so long as it has an effect on you you are limited in what you can learn about God.  Good luck with your "call".

Comment by Jon on 9th mo. 1, 2011 at 11:41pm

I have had similar feelings in the past. My first exposures to Quakers was an attempt to reconcile my experience with church as a kid, the fundamentalist christians who insisted my version of christianity was wrong and my longing for path of action (when I was a youth, church was just sitting and listening). Through listening to podcasts from Rev Ed, (a Unity Minister who has a "radio" show talking about the Bible: http://www.unity.fm/program/BibleAlive ) my understanding of the Bible and God has shifted to a more open view then I grew up with. Thanks for the post.

Comment by Paula Deming on 9th mo. 2, 2011 at 8:54am

Hello, Angela,

Quaker Jane is a wonderful website! I have learned so much from Isabel. If you feel drawn to Quakerism by what you read on Quaker Jane, that's great.

But Quaker Jane is a website about plain and conservative Friends. She speaks the language of that branch of our Religious Society. As such, she doesn't capture the broad language used across the different branches. And it is not her intent to do so. She fills an important role online for conservative Quaker outreach, and I value everything she has to teach us.

Among liberal Friends, you are far less likely to find Paganism colliding with Christianity. No, I don't mean that liberal Friends are Pagan. Many liberal Friends use Christian language and share a belief in Christ Jesus. But there is tolerance for a wide range of beliefs, including Paganism and even atheism.

Our Society as a whole does not require you to believe in a male God. Indeed, many Christian Quakers are fully aware of God as both male and female, or neither. Jim Schultz and Forrest Curo have captured that perfectly.

Comment by Angela Kurkiewicz on 9th mo. 2, 2011 at 9:57am

Thank you for all the insight! Very helpful to say the least! I figure I need to just take a breath and relax a bit. I am of the firm belief that "all Gods are one God", and read pretty much any religious/spiritual text I can get my hands on. It's a subject I love, religion and faith in general. Just because I feel the need to read the Bible doesn't mean I have to suddenly convert. And seeming as how I feel that all Paths lead to the one Divine...conversion isn't really a factor.

 

Anyone have any good sources for Liberal Paganism around? I started reading Quaker Jane's site mainly for the Plain information, then got a little distracted by the reading material, hehe!

Comment by Paula Deming on 9th mo. 2, 2011 at 10:03am

Please don't stop reading Quaker Jane.

And Quakerism isn't about conversion but "convincement." And this happens experientially, not by making a head decision. ("Conversion" can be part of it too, but I experienced that much later as a deeper spiritual opening.)

Comment by Angela Kurkiewicz on 9th mo. 2, 2011 at 10:05am

Oh no I won't! She's fantastic.

That's one of the things I really like about the basics of this Path, the decision is left in my hands.

Comment by Beth Belch on 10th mo. 3, 2011 at 11:11am

Hi. I've was raised Christian(ran away screaming), have been Pagan, and a Humanist for a decade and a half. And now, well I don't have a really good label for myself- but yes I've been Quaker a long time without knowing it. I have found Quaker doctrine healing to the part of me that found the faith of my childhood too patriarchal. I don't think God was ever supposed to be male."He" was created by the culture. *I* feel that all representations of the Deity are created by humans to fill a need, from their understanding. So, the Goddess- or Athena etc, is as valid as God. And they are all the limited forms that the human mind can deal with!!

 

Comment by Beth Belch on 10th mo. 4, 2011 at 2:14am

Thank you Joseph. I know you said elsewhere that you grew up with a stricter definition of God, rather like I did. Just the idea that God could be both the masculine and the feminine( or the absence of either?) was amazing to me. I love that Quakerism is flexible enough to try to encompass the entirety of God, instead of pretending it already has all the answers!

 

Comment by Angela Kurkiewicz on 10th mo. 4, 2011 at 10:00am

Thank you Joseph for your words. I find them comforting in a fashion I can't quite explain. I know that within the Quaker community there is a wide range of belief. And I so chose I know I could "remain" a Pagan and still participate. The whole focal point of my "crisis" was the very fact that it wasn't just the ideals of Quakers I was drawn to, it was the actual Christianity. A lot has shifted in my thoughts and feelings over the last month and while I still honour the part of me and the years I spent practising my particular version of Paganism, I believe that for a time at least I immersing myself in Quaker based Christian thought and practice. It's not that odd in the grand scheme of things as I think on it now. I spent the first half of myself a very happy Christian, raised in the United Church. I spent the next half a very happy Pagan. So it's almost a "coming home" to return to Christianity at this point. It does not diminish my beliefs or years regarding Paganism, it's just another chapter in my life. I can't remember if I've posted an entry on why I left Christianity in the first place. I'll have to do that.

Thank you again to all the people who have commented. Your continued thoughts help me immensely on my journey.

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