Comments on: Interim media statement on same-sex marriages

By: lizz

lizz — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 09:53:38 +0000

Take heed, dear Friends, to the promptings of love and truth in your hearts. Trust them as the leadings of god, whose light shows us our darkness and brings us to new life. (advices and queries 1)

One of the extraordinary dimensions of the Quaker way is that we allow ourselves to come together, encouraged to come with heart and mind prepared, to discern corporately what love requires of us right here and right now. this lays a discipline on those present to uphold faithfully meeting for worship for business. This discipline also involves the wider Quaker community both in upholding the process of the gathered Meeting and in uniting and trusting its outcomes as expressed in the minute.

Since our earliest days Quakers have been committed to the theological and living idea of conitnuing revelation; that experience, community, evolving tradtion and a sense of co-creation with the inspiring spirit is part of our prophetic witness in today’s world.

YMG in York is part of this process, this path – embedded in the joyful possibility that we are invited always to be ready to be open to new light from wherever it might come.

By: mike butler

mike butler — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 09:29:30 +0000

This is not about “equality” and people should be careful about using that word in the name of changing the meaning of something well established in an attempt to mean something else. Not everything is equal under the sun and some things will never be . Quakers speak of celebrating difference we even put up posters about it . accept the difference.

By: mike butler

mike butler — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 09:24:26 +0000

The issue of same sex marriage is such a hugh issue that I am surprised that Quaker yearly meeting did not circulate the proposal to treat same sex partnership registries as a marriage entry to the whole organization prior to yearly meeting.
It appears to be totally insensitive not to do so.
I have seen several interpretations on the web as to what the proposal means so there is already confusion as to what is being proposed. If it was implemented I would leave Quakers not that anyone would mind. . The interpretation of what “marriage” is and what it was instituted for has been used by some far too loosely and misinterpreted so as to fit with the notions of the moment, and seems to be being used as part of the ongoing clamour for rights which is in fact destroying well established meaning in society.

I believe that George Fox and others who founded this organisation are weeping in heaven at the desecration of the organisation they were led to set up and for which they worked so hard and went through so many privations.. No wonder it only has 25000 members and those numbers are falling

By: Nick P

Nick P — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 08:40:03 +0000

I’m not at YGM, but have enjoyed hearing about what is going on via various channels. This morning, I have heard by a new route – in that our discussions on recognising same-sex relationships is amongst the top stories on the BBC website this morning. Whilst media coverage is not an achievement in itself, and no doubt we will get mangled descriptions of both our process and our decision, it is neverthless encouraging to see Quaker’s commitment to equality being recognised and demonstrated in a wider sphere. May the light illuminate your deliberations this morning.