(Note: I know this is somewhat tangential to Quakerism, but I haven't posted a thing here for several days.)



A local Marxist organization hosted a panel discussion on Marxism vs. Anarchism. As someone with sympathies with both philosophies, I wanted to see if I would learn anything new by listening to what each side had to say. The panelists were all younger folks than myself, so I thought… Continue

(My intent here is to do a series of blogs on human suffering, each highlighting a specific sort of suffering. This may sound morbid and dreary, but I find that recognizing human suffering forms a core part of my sense of calling in the world.)



Starvation is a terrible way to die. I have been terribly ill, with my stomach in knots, feverish and sweating, dry mouth, and throbbing headache. Starvation is much, much… Continue

"Existence is Suffering." Buddha's First Noble Truth



If everything suffers, is all suffering?



No, I find joy in existence as well.



Then, our life is a quest for joy amidst suffering, a struggle against suffering towards joy.



Is suffering private? I see suffering in others, suffering is shared. The struggle against suffering towards joy is also shared.



The starting-point for an ethically engaged search for the truth is to recognize that we… Continue

This is in response to Simon Heywood's blog on David Boulton's book The Trouble with God posted here.



As a nontheist Quaker, I will begin by saying that while I do not agree with everything that David Boulton writes in TTwG*, I do not consider him anti-Quaker. Far from it, I consider him a respectable Friend with whom I have co-clerked a workshop and more than a few… Continue