Quaker Thought FRIENDS and Life OURNAL Today
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August 1992 Quaker Thought FRIENDS and Life OURNAL Today SHIPS, HUNGER, CARDBOARD, BREAD, AND FIRE REDISCOVERING SIMPLICITY ECCLESIASTES: SKEPTIC OR SPIRITUAL MASTER? Among Friends Edltor-Meneger Vinton Deming .Assoclete Editor Melissa Kay Ell ion ''Light in a Dark Time'' Art Director Barbara Benton Advertising Meneger red Phelps, Sr., is making quit~ a name for himself in Kansas. By Catherine Frost comparison, he makes David Duke look like a champion of human rights Clrculetlon end Promotion and race relations. Consider, if you will, this account of recent political Nagendran Gulendran F ~pesettlng Services doings in America's Heartland. James Rice and Susan J ordhamo Phelps, active with a primitive Baptist church in Topeka, has mounted, in recent Secreterlel Services Edward Sargent years, a vitriolic campaign against gay people in his home state. Tactics have Bookkeeper included regular demonstrations in Topeka's Gage Park. Phelps and a small, vocal James Neveil Edltorlel .Asslstent band of followers, have toted placards with slogans such as "God Hates Gays" Timothy Drake and "Gays Deserve Death." They have taken their shouts and signs as well to the Volunteers Jane Burgess, Anders Hansen, Emily Conlon homes and places of business of individuals whom Phelps terms " militant Boerd of Menegers sodomites. '' 1989-1992: Jennie Allen (Secretary), Richard To bring things to a full boil, Phelps and his crew have traveled across the state Eldridge (Assistant Clerk), Bernard Haviland, Eric Larsen, Marcia Mason, Janet Norton, to disrupt funerals and memorial services for individuals who have died of AIDS. David Samuel, Carolyn Sprogell , Wilmer Tjossem, Alice Wiser These actions have created such a stir that the state's legislature recently passed a 1990-1993: Clement Alexandre, Marguerite bill outlawing such conduct. Phelps, however, seems undeterred. He stands Clark, Lee Neff, Mary Ellen Singsen 1991- 1994: Frank Bjornsgaard, Emily Conlon, committed to continued protest and disruption. He is also running for the Senate, Nancy Cocks Culleton, Barbara Dinhofer, Sam hoping to oppose, as the state's Democratic candidate, Bob Dole's reelection. Legg (Clerk), Parry Jones, Richard Moses (Treasurer), Harry Scon, Larry Spears, Robert In the face of such turmoil, what is an appropriate Quaker response? Though Sunon, Carolyn Terrell small in number, Topeka Friends Meeting has addressed this question with Honorery Menegers Eleanor Stabler C larke, Mildred Binns Young directness and honesty. In February, the meeting prepared an epistle and circulated it to Topeka's religious community. In part, the epistle said: FRI ENDS JOURNAL (ISSN 0016-1322) was established in 1955 as the successor to The Friend (1827- 1955) and Friends lntelligencer We are especially concerned about the effect of this message on young people . ... We (1844- 1955). It is associated with the Religious Society of Friends. believe that a ll children deserve to grow up in a community where people are respected and ° FRIENDS JOURNAL is published monthly by violence is rejected .... Friends Publishing Corporation, 1501 Cherry St., Philadelphia, PA 19102-1 497. Telephone (215) 241-7277. Accepted as second-class postage at We believe that the Light of God is present in all people, and that God hates no one, and no Philadelphia, Pa. and additional mailing offices. one deserves to be attacked or to die for their sexual orientation or public opinions. Our • Subscriptions: one year $18, two years $34. faith, like many others, is based on a premise of love, not hate, and forgiveness, not Add $6 per year for postage to countries outside the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Individual copies condemnation. We believe that people should lead their lives so as to create and support a $2 each. just and loving community. • Information on and assistance with advertising is available on request. Appearance of any advertisement does not imply The epistle has brought mostly positive results. It has been reprinted in church endorsement by FRIENDS JoURNAL. newsletters, used in discussion groups, and has served as a point of constructive • Postmaster: send address changes to FRIENDS JOURNAL, 1501 Cherry St., dialogue in the city. Philadelphia, PA 19102-1497 Individual Friends also have participated in "Sundays in the Park Without • Copyright © 1992 by Friends Publishing Corporation. Reprints of articles available at Fred," times for individuals of good will to come together to picnic and join in a nominal cost. Permission should be received before reprinting excerpts longer than 200 spirit of tolerance and community. words. Available in microfilm from University We commend Topeka Friends for their willingness to speak out for justice in Microfilms International. their community. May others of us find ways to witness as effectively in our own. PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER (With thanks to the FLGC Newsletter for publicizing this story, and to Topeka Friends for their update.) Moving? Let us update your subscription and address. Write or call: FRIENDS JouRNAL, 1501 Cherry St., Philadelphia, PA 19102-1497 (215) 241-7277; Fax (215) 568-1377 2 August 1992 FRIENDS Jou RNAL August 1992 FRIENDS Volume 38, No.8 JOURNAL Features Departments 7 Rediscovering Simplicity 2 Among Friends Ed Dodson We don't have to live meagerly to live simply. 4 Forum 8 Ships, Hunger, Cardboard, Bread, 5 VIewpoint and Fire 27 Reports John Lampen The Bread and Puppet Theater comes to Ireland. 29 Life of the Meeting 11 A MaHer of Conscience 30 AFSC Notes Vinton Deming and Melissa Kay Elliott 31 Parents' Corner The Peace Tax Fund Bill gets a hearing in Washington, D. C. 32 News of Friends 14 Queries on the Peace Testimony John Webster Gastil 34 Bulletin Board Now is the time to fire up our spiritual forges. 35 Calendar 16 Ecclesiastes: Skeptic or Spiritual 36 Books Master? 39 Milestones Arthur Rifkin This book of the Bible is short on optimism, but long on the 41 ClassHied abundance of life. 42 Meetings 21 Listening for God's Timer Mary Link Poetry How do we tell when meeting is "done" ? 19 Haiku of Hiroshima 22 The Dance Yasuhiko Shigemoto Dale Roberts A letter of thanks to a young man with Down syndrome. 20 For Mildred Scott Olmsted 24 The New UghtlOid Ught Conflict Roberta Spivek T. Noel Stern This conflict among Massachusetts Friends in the early 1800s ~2J is an example of how not to act. * ~ Cover woodcut by Bonnie Acker FRIEN DS JOURNAL August 1992 3 Forum Wildness, not wilderness down on small animals and birds for its 10025. At the moment the only Quaker food. It flies about slowly and steadily, group in A Directory of Environmental I enjoyed very much Joseph E. feeding off the bounty of the land. Activities and Resources in the North Fasciani's beautifully written piece on the The Quaker dove, through the American Religious Community is natural world (FJ June). However, at the American Friends Service Committee and Friends Committee on Unity with Nature. risk of seeming fussy, I would like to several other organizations, has been correct a word, used twice, in the quote flying from one place to another, in both Bob Cory from Gerard Manley Hopkins. It should this country and around the world, Washington, D.C. read thus, with the changed word in helping people with their environmental italics: and other problems. The Quaker dove, however, often feels discouraged and as What would the world be, once bereft if its work counts for nothing at all. Decisions about death Of wet and wildness? Let them be left, Now, wouldn't it be wonderful if the The article by Larry Spears and Rich 0 let them be left, wildness and wet; American eagle, especially the female, Van Dellen ("Friends and Decisions Long live the weeds and the wilderness with her keen vision and great strength, about Death," FJ May) reiterates a yet! would join forces with the patient, loving subject all Friends meetings-and all wisdom of the Quaker dove? What a prudent F/ friends-should have studied (Note that in the last line, wilderness is combination that would be for the long ago. Left out of the listing was the correct.) human race! In time, we might even subject of living trusts, a topic often I am certain that Hopkins used these develop a true global consciousness. Shall purposefully ignored by those who profit words not only for their meaning but for we try? from the probate process. While even the sound of the lines. He has often been Elizabeth Gibbs small estates can profit from living trusts, misquoted, because wilderness is a more Newtown, Pa. Friends who are flush can avoid probate familiar word. as well as federal taxes on estates up to Elizabeth Helfman $1,200,000. In addition to the hassle and Medford, N.J. Environmental action costs of probate, living trusts provide privacy and prompt settlement, make I had the unexpected challenges next to impossible, can easily privilege of participating in be changed or cancelled-all with no loss the two-day meeting of the Joint Appeal of control-and have a host of benefits by Religion and Science for the too detailed to list here. And the money Environment initiated by Carl Sagan, saved can well be passed on to one's James Parks Morton, and Senator Gore. meeting. The project brought well-known scientists Two other comments: Meetings that and theologians from across the country. take the article seriously might well Maurice Strong of the UNCED secre obtain a copy of Planning Ahead, written tariat gave the opening speech. a nd published by Honolulu (Hawaii) The second day was one of Meeting, 2436 Oahu Ave., Honolulu, HI congressional visits and hearings. I took 96882. Those to whom the article is part in group meetings with Senator addressed should dispose of the myriad Hatfield and with leaders Mitchell and of accumulations their administrator or Dole.