Comment by DianeReynolds on 7th mo. 6, 2010 at 7:00pm

Javaughn,

Thanks for starting this thread. I don't think we need a meeting for sufferings. I wasn't trying to express pain in my post, though I can see why it could be read that way, and at one time I was in pain. Now I am happily with the Conservative Friends in Ohio. I simply wanted to supply some specifics to explain why some Christian Friends might feel alienated by Liberal Quaker meetings. I think, in general, it's a matter of consciousness-raising on both sides, but in terms of Liberal Friends, it is a matter of, as with the early woman's movement, understanding that words that "shouldn't" hurt ("eg, I am paying you, a 40 yo woman, a compliment when I call you a 'girl;' what's wrong with YOU that you're offended?) do hurt--and accepting that certain words do hurt without blaming the messenger. I also understand that Quakers on the "other" side say hurtful things to Liberal Friends, but I don't know why this is always brought up. Is one supposed to cancel out the other? Do I --or other Christian Friends--"deserve" to be denigrated?

Comment by Bill Samuel on 7th mo. 6, 2010 at 9:04pm

Of course, originally the sufferings were imposed by those outside Friends. Don't think early Friends would have had any idea that the idea might be used for Friends causing other Friends suffering. But then Friends really were a group, albeit not monolithic. Now the Society of Friends really is united by nothing other than some common history and a common name. Definitely not one in faith.

Comment by Rosemary Gould on 7th mo. 7, 2010 at 8:02am

I gather that Javaughn would like to end this thread, but I really wanted to point out the rather lovely thing that happened over the course of it. Linda, who, I assume, is a Liberal Friend, invited Conservatives to visit her meeting. Paula, who attends a Liberal Meeting, was so moved by the graciousness of Linda's invitation that she decided to visit a Conservative Meeting, and Friends offered many attractive possibilities that made me inclined to visit a Conservative Meeting if I'm ever able. God will knit us together if we're willing to be knitted.

Comment by Paula Roberts on 7th mo. 7, 2010 at 8:43am

I disagree with thee's conclusions, Bill. I do believe Friends are one in faith. As you say, they were not monolithic then, and we are not monolithic now. It may just be a matter of degrees.

Thanks for all the great info on the Lancaster/Bird in Hand Meeting, and the Capitol Friends Meeting both in this forum and private email. I would love to see the Lampeter Meetinghouse and I see from the Lancaster Friends that there is a Meeting on 7-25. I would love to attend that. This weekend would not work for me even though it's their Quarterly Meeting since I missed my own meeting last weekend (car making expensive broken noise) and would not like to miss 2 in a row.

Comment by Javaughn Fernanders on 7th mo. 8, 2010 at 8:53am

@ Rosemary, you caught me :) It's only because I have my question answered. I'll try to see how I can move this to a discussion.

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