April2002 Quaker Thought FRIENDS and Life OURNAL Today Spirituality andOldAge A Quaker Family in Afghanistan, 1949-51 ((Render unto Caesar)): A Text for Tax Refusers An Among Friends independent magazine serving the Religious The Way Forward Society of Friends . M y own monthly meeting, Green Street, in Philadelphia, is not talkative during worship, and it is not uncommon for meeting to proceed in wholly Editorial uninterrupted silence-except for the happy noises when children enter Susan Corson-Finnerty (Publisher and Executive Editor}, Robert Dockhorn (Senior Editor), Lisa the room, about 45 minutes into our time together. That changed after the deeply Rand (Acting Assistant Editor), Judith Brown unsettling attacks of September 11 . In the following weeks we experienced an increase (Poetry Editor), Ellen Michaud (Book Review Editor), J. Brent Bill (Assistant Book Review Editor), both in the numbers attending and in the amount of vocal ministry. After a month or Joan Overman (Book Review Assistant}, Christine so, however, we resumed our normal pattern of collective, deep silence-listening to Rusch (Milestones Editor), Julie Gochenour, Robert Marks, Cameron McWhirter (News Editors), Kara the ministry of our creaking benches, the crackling of our fireplace, a few city noises, Newell (Columnist), Marjorie Schier (Copyeditor), and only an occasional but heartfelt offering of vocal ministry. Nara T. Alves (Intern} One would be mistaken, however, to assume that this has been a period of stasis Production Barbara Benton (Art Director), Alia Podolsky for us. I, for one, feel a new clarity. It's not that the sense of urgency is new; for a long (Assistant Art Director), Martin Kelley (Web time it has been apparent that we on this planet are in deep trouble on a number of Manager) fronts, from rising environmental chaos to widening economic disparities. But after Advertising, Circulation, Development Nagendran Gulendran (Advertising Manager), September 11, there is a heightened, gut-level sense of urgency everywhere, and in Nicole Hackel (Circulation Assistant), Pamela this new reality, the silence has been especially important for me. In it, I have felt Nelson (Development Assistant}, Kay Bacon, Ruth Peterson, Robert Sutton (Volunteers) reassurance that even in this crisis there is a calm, deliberate, and loving-in short, a Administration spiritual- way forward. Marianne De Lange (Office Manager), Tom McPeak The culture around us has focused on a retaliatory response to the new threats­ (Accounting Services), Tom Hartmann (Volunteer) Board of Trustees on "good" people winning out over "evil" people. In the face of this seductive Barbara Andrews, Lucinda Antrim, TylaAnn thought, it has been especially important for me to dwell on the simple message that Burger (Treasurer), Katharine Clark, Linda Coffin, John Darnell, William Deutsch, Maty Ann there is "that of God in every one." Or as Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn put it, somewhat Downey, Walter Evans, Marsha Green (Recording differently: the line between good and evil runs through the center of every human Clerk), Dan Hewin, Linda Lyman, Larty Miller, Julian O'Reilley, Ruth Peterson, David Runkel, heart. This is a vital truth. Our hope lies not in vanquishing others, but in working Jonathan Tamez, Wilmer Tjossem, Elizabeth with all the people on Earth including our "enemies" to expose the root causes of our Yeats (Clerk), Anne-Marie Zilliacus conflicts, and thereby to find a way forward that we could not have found in FRIENDS JouRNAL (ISSN 0016-1322) was es tablished in 1955 as the successor to The Friend (1827-1955) isolation. and Friends lntelligencer (1844--1955). Here at FRIENDS j OURNAL, since last November-the first issue that we assembled • FRIENDS jOURNAL is published monthly by Friends Publishing Corporation, 1216 Arch Street, after 9/11-we have brought you each month the perspectives of various authors on 2A, Philadelphia, PA 19107-2835. Telephone the new crisis. No doubt, future issues will continue this focus, but now, in April, we (215) 563-8629. E-mail [email protected]. lay before you a somewhat different mix. Most of the articles in this issue don't have a Periodicals posrage paid at Philadelphia, Pa., and additional mailing offices. direct connection to the "War on Terrorism" (the exception being Os Cresson's • Subscriptions: one year $29, rwo years $54. Add offering of family letters from Afghanistan, albeit a half-century ago). In the spiritual $6 per year for postage to countries outside the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Individual copies $3 each. realm, however, everything is related; often it is the little change, close to horne, that is • Advertising informacion and assistance is available the most radical and the most relevant. The break from our focus on the immediate on request. Appearance of any advertisement does crisis will also continue in May, when you can look forward to an issue on Friends in not imply endorsement by FRIENDS jOURNAL. the Arts. • Postmaster: send address changes to FRIENDS JouRNAL, 1216Arch Street, 2A, Philadelphia, PA Susan Corson-Finnerty and I thank all the authors who keep sending us 19107-2835. submissions with their heartfelt offerings and who communicate with us so cheerfully • Copyright© 2002 by Friends Publishing Corporation. Permission should be received before as we prepare them for publication. She and I are always on the lookout for writing reprinting excerpts longer than 200 words. that takes the reader in useful and unexpected directions. If you feel led to write for Available on microfilm from Bell and Howell Information and Learning. us, even if you don't see yourself as a gifted writer (or artist), please pick up that pen PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER (or brush, or camera-or go to the keyboard), let your inspiration guide you, and Min. 20% post-consumer share the results with us. FRIENDS jOURNAL's readers will be grateful! Moving? Let us update your subscription and address. FRIENDS JouRNAL, 12I6 Arch Sr., 2A Philadelphia, PA 19107-2835 • (215) 563-8629 Fax: (215) 568-1377 • [email protected] Web: www.friendsjournal.org 2 Apri/2002 FRIENDS jOURNAL April2002 FRIENDS Volume 48, No. 4 JOURNAL Features Departments 7 Light through the Cracks 2 Among Friends Mary Ann Downey Imperfections have a vital role to play in our spiritual Lives. 4 Forum 8 A Quaker Family in Afghanistan, 5 Viewpoint 1949-51 Our contributions are vital even at the end Os Cresson 23 Quaker Profiles Three letters reveal the richness ofAJKhan Life 50 years ago. Mickey Edgerton 14 "Render unto Caesar'': A Text for 24 Witness Tax Refusers Prayer ofredemption Cliff Marrs There are defects in the common interpretation that jesus 25 Reflection supported paying all taxes. Can a Brazilian change the world? 16 Why I am Leaving Quakers 28 Books Jack Powelson 35 News An economist explains what drew him to Quakers and why he now feels unwelcome. 38 Bulletin Board 1 7 Spirituality and Old Age 40 Milestones Edward Hoare Spiritual needs change as we age, and so do the 43 Classified responsibilities ofmeetings toward us. 46 Meetings 20 A Tribute to Millicent Carey Mcintosh Jane C. Kronick A Quaker president ofBarnard was the key influence in the lives ofmany women. Poetry 19 Paean Earl Coleman Cover photo by Theodore Hetzel, Wetherill (right) and Os Cresson bargain for toys in an A./Khan 1964 market, 1950 F RIENDS JoURNAL April 2002 3 Forum or programs offered for patient referred to above, as one more Friend who End-of-life decisions must entenainment. For five years she lay there has weighed all the options and is be respected saying she was ready to die. Family and comfonable with the one she has chosen. friends visited her and she told them she had T he letter from Friends in retirement had a wonderful life and was ready to go. Doris H Darnell communities, headed "Healthcare at the Finally one family member in charge of her State College, Pa. End of Life" (F]Oct. 2001), touches on finances noticed she was billed for daily many points important to me. I applaud the doctor visits, and a nephew who was a signers for speaking out. doctor fl ew down to Florida to see her. She Let's take effective steps to In this area, I do not believe that Friends asked him why it was taking her so long to avoid further war must reach consensus. We need to address die. He asked to see all her medications, the inevitable in terms of our own went to her physician and asked about a Congress may be considering expansion convictions. I ask only that there be an cenain medication. The doctor said that of U.S. military aggression to Iraq and understanding of differences rather than without it she would die. Her nephew Somalia. I think of the scars our men and responses that attempt, out of deeply felt ordered it stopped and after five long years, women in uniform suffered from Gulf War beliefs, to convince others who differ, that she died. I believe her case was not an syndrome and during the failed Somali they are wrong. occupation of 1992-4; I hope that we don't It is easy for me to pinpoint the exact have to send them back there. time when I carne to realize that I wished Of course the U.S. government must passionately to be in charge of the end of work seriously to reduce weapons of mass my life. That was many years ago. It destruction and the training of terrorists followed the civilized decision on the part worldwide. Yet terrorism is committed by of an elderly couple, highly regarded in the individuals, not by entire nations. world of literature and academia, to choose Supponing the Rome Statute for an the time when they were ready to die.