Comments for Quakerly quackings.

Comment on Hearts aflame with protest. by jez

jez — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 15:37:59 +0000

thanks for the invite to put my disquiet to good use!

I sometimes let mine get out in petty ways instead of fighting the good fight. Sometimes it can be hard to work out the right way to direct it, especially when I feel God silent on it.

Comment on On being a Birthright Friend. by Julia

Julia — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:37:00 +0000

I have only skimmed your entry, which I ran across while looking for references to the term “birthright Quaker” to compose a few sentences of explanation for the Richmond (Virginia) Friends Meeting newsletter. Our family was members of North Carolina Yearly Meeting (Conservative). The Book of Discipline for NCYM(C) states that “Persons may become members of a Monthly Meeting in this Yearly Meeting by application, by birth, or by transfer from another Monthly Meeting.” Further, “Children born of parents who are both members of Monthly Meeting shall also be members of the Meeting, and their births shall be recorded in the minutes of Monthly Meeting.” I suspect the practice is dying out, even within this small yearly meeting. Two of our sons, still members of NCYM(C), but married to non-members, turned down the opportunity to have their own sons minuted as “birthright Friends,” believing it would be important to the child later to make their own decision. It wasn’t my choice or I would have had them minuted. Being “birthright Friends” was important to my father and his brother. It gave a sense of belonging that brought them back to the meeting, my father only in death (a Quaker cemetery), my uncle in choosing to join and support a monthly meeting late in life.

Comment on “What canst thou say?” – A new blog. by mrspurpleduck

mrspurpleduck — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 06:41:21 +0000

Hi QuakerMomma!

I like the idea of Baptist Waffles. Quaker Oats used our name because they wanted to get across that idea of trustworthiness and honesty that te society has. If you google ‘quaker jokes’ you’ll eventually find the real conversation between quaker oats and a Friend’s family run business, ‘quaker oaks’. It’s a giggle and well worth perusal!

Comment on “What canst thou say?” – A new blog. by QuakerMomma

QuakerMomma — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 17:39:10 +0000

Hi Purpleduck! Wonderful to meet other Friends online.

I am a “Persuaded” Friend (my family joined when I was a toddler), but consider my sons to be Birthright. I was surprised to hear these terms have gone out of usage, as I do hear them still used (In the States of Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New York).

Like you, I am SOOOOO sick of people asking me if I eat oatmeal (well…yeah, but not that garbage sold under the Quaker Oats name), or if I wear the hat, or whatever. I think the whole Quaker Oats thing is a bit insulting, frankly. I mean, there aren’t any Catholic Beans, or Jewish Wheaty-O’s or even Baptist Waffles. I’ve been considering writing Pepsi and asking them to a) change the name of the Quaker products, or b) at least update the image. I doubt that would work, but one never knows! On the other hand…well, at least it gives us a platform for starting to educate others about Quakerism, should we be so inclined.

Kate – I know many Atheist and Agnostic Friends. You would be very welcome!

Comment on So who’s writing all this, anyway? by mrspurpleduck

mrspurpleduck — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 08:14:52 +0000

Hello, Yankee! Lovely to ’see’ you!

Comment on Hearts aflame with protest. by Mona

Mona — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 02:47:08 +0000

Interesting insight – I’d like to add that I’ve found it helpful looking back at my own life experiences, everything happens for a reason, even if it ‘only’ serves to make you stronger. I’ve also found that this perspective can only come after the event and often quite some time after. There are certainly things we may experience, which we would rather not, and feels very unfair, and we would be completely entitled to ask why and or be angry with the Deity or person or organisation etc, we feel is responsible. This brings on the question of faith, naturally, do you believe the Deity is allpowerful and infallible? Maybe, in the rephrased words of Bruce Allmighty – God was on vacation? Hope to be able to discuss this with you in person, as the written word is often not enough to explain fully and without misunderstanding, what you intend to mean

Comment on So who’s writing all this, anyway? by adlyankee

adlyankee — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 23:13:19 +0000

Hi Purpleduck,

It’s just yankee from adl, writing to say, hey, I was raised Quaker too! I’m lapsed now, but it was nice to wander over to your blog, from Open Letters V2, I think, and see this connection.

Cheers,
Yankee

Comment on Hearts aflame with protest. by mrspurpleduck

mrspurpleduck — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 21:10:34 +0000

Thank you! I’m glad someone found it useful.
You’re right. And I find it heart breaking that so many have been encouraged to view God/the divine as some huge guy with a massive lightning bolt who’s going to GET YOU if you say anything mean. He/She/It’s a big Boy/Girl/Deity/Other, and they can take it.

Comment on Hearts aflame with protest. by songquake

songquake — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 19:08:05 +0000

thank you for this.

one of the things i emphasize with many of my patients is that, like a parent, God would rather we yell and scream and throw tantrums about how it’s NOT FAIR than run away from home. God wants us to keep talking.

and then we find that, even when God doesn’t take away the pain, we find ways to survive it. we find ways to love, even when the world seems set against allowing us that option.

and that, i think, is the greatest miracle of all.

Comment on Not A Cult no. 30729. by mrspurpleduck

mrspurpleduck — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 17:13:41 +0000

Hmmm, No, I can’t be that open minded Some cults are cults. They’re differentiated from religions for good reason.