April 3, 2005
I love the Quakers!
I've recently been reading everything I can get my hands on that has to do with Quakers. I find their beliefs uncannily aligned with my own. The basic idea is "there is a direct relationship between God and the individual, and that each person is therefore uniquely precious." They "cherish the belief that there is that of God in each person, leading us to respect the worth and dignity of all....[They] seek and trust the power of the Spirit to guide the individual and collective search for truth and practical action." [more]
The Quakers are very activist. They were among the first (if not the first) religious group to oppose slavery and they are still active in the struggles for race and gender equality. They oppose the death penalty and war. They truly believe in the equality of people. They value simplicity and straightforwardness. They are gentle and loving. I can't find anything NOT to like about the Quakers.
The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) has been a strong anti-war organization since 1917. Their site has some great resources on Iraq including their Current News in Context page and the Iraq Resource Guide.
If your son or daughter is approaching draft age, I strongly recommend you get information on the AFSC's Youth and Militarism Program.
I'd also like to plug Mary Ellen McNish's article "A Budget Bereft of Compassion":
Our moral values call us to "speak up, judge righteously, champion the poor and the needy" (Proverbs 31:9). Unfortunately, the federal budget President Bush wants Congress to approve champions those who have the most in our society at the expense of those who have the least.
Communities of faith must speak loud and clear: A federal budget that champions tax cuts for our nation's richest people while shredding the safety net for our nation's poorest people is not a moral budget. [more]
I'm sure you'll be hearing more about Quakers from me....
Posted by Lori at 6:50 PM | Permalink