Re: Re there is no such thing as Quakerism

Ian Davis wrote,

> ijd: On the issue of semantics I think Marshall's rigor here
> : justified, for he fears that if the qualification that
> : Quakers be official members of meetings be removed that
> : the term Quaker will loose its legitimacy, just as the
> : term husband and wife would loose its legitimacy if such
> : terms were permitted those not married.

Ian, I appreciate that your intentions are good, but you misrepresent
me here.

I do not fear anything. I merely point out that the established
definition of the term "Quaker" is "member of the Religious Society of
Friends", a fact that anyone here can verify simply by looking at a
dictionary. Those on this list who quarrel with that definition are
not quarreling with me, they are quarreling with standard, established
usage. If Ian Johnston cannot accept the reality of that standard,
established meaning of "Quaker", that is not my problem but his. I
myself am doing just fine with the reality.



> ijd: Ultimately I think Marshalls emphasis on the importance of
> : being Quaker, not misplaced but perhaps over emphasised.
> : I personally think it more important to emphasise what a
> : Quaker should rightly be, than to emphasise who may and
> : who may not call themselves Quaker.
> :
> : Having the right to call oneself Quaker is to my mind
> : worthless if one is not also Quakerly.

Actually I agree. Hence my pointing out, in my previous posting, of
the original meaning of "Quaker".

It doesn't seem to me to be such a bad idea to ask that any
person who wants to call herself a "Quaker" should first be convinced
of God's standards of righteousness and of her own need to be
profoundly changed in God's image, even to the point of quaking with
the intensity of that experience of convincement. This would, I
suspect, make for humbler and less self-righteous Quakers -- for
Quakers who worked harder at hearing other points of view and learning
from them -- for Quakers who worked harder at being gentle and kind,
and at abstaining from acts that are unjust or hurtful -- for Quakers
who could not help but be more powerfully positive transformative
influences on all around them.

All the best,
Marshall Massey <mmassey@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Re there is no such thing as Quakerism
    ... >Ian, I appreciate that your intentions are good, but you misrepresent ... >established meaning of "Quaker", that is not my problem but his. ... My apologies for using the word "fear" in a context where it might be ... I personally think it more important to emphasise what a ...
    (soc.religion.quaker)
  • Re: Reclaiming SRQ
    ... Do you still worry obsessively about muffins? ... Ian should know the answers to these questions already, ... gentle readers whether Ian is walking the path of Quaker honesty here, ... desire to see conscientious objectors perceived not as cowards, ...
    (soc.religion.quaker)
  • Re: Thanks to Ian
    ... The Quaker faith seems to me as much about practice and experience as it is ... has an article entitled "Dual Lights: On Being a Jew and a Quaker". ... Ian. ...
    (soc.religion.quaker)
  • Re: Lebanon
    ... Quaker, leave me wondering if they have forgotten what that term means. ... Ian, if you don't get the idea of belief active ... I too listen to an inner voice. ... I see it as seeking to shame when people behave in shameful ways. ...
    (soc.religion.quaker)
  • Re: Lebanon
    ... War is bad if as a consequence of war it causes the universe to assume a ... Ian someone posted gibberish and put your name ... doubts during the application process can probably become a quaker. ... both agree that merely saying that someone is a Quaker because of membership ...
    (soc.religion.quaker)