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Permalink Reply by Forrest Curo on 9th mo. 14, 2019 at 9:58am

Yes, it sounds like we've observed some of the same ways of unrelating in Meetings. I've heard of other instances since I wrote this. Not being directly involved with these, all I know is that they've been pretty hurtful to the people involved. 

I gather this sort of thing is considered bad practice in most all religious traditions -- but where silence is so prized, it can be very hard to know what people think.

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Permalink Reply by Forrest Curo on 10th mo. 1, 2019 at 10:27pm

Ideally we aren't silent merely to make our worship "Quaker."

To 'worship' means to respect, to hold worthy of respect. As human beings, our job is to know God in that light, in that sense.

Early Friends called what they were doing 'worship' because they felt it brought them face-to-face with God. Modern Friends tend to believe silence is a good thing in itself (as it often is!)

But like darkness, people can hide in it. Our purpose in doing that is generally to avoid a quarrel.

We know of many ways a quarrel can be fruitless and pointlessly upsetting. But risking it may sometimes be necessary.

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