Show STANDABEXAMINER SATURDAY NOVEMBER 24 1990 By MARTHA SAWYER ALLEN PaJ Star Tnbune There is a gentleness Mtfmeapoks St almost a shyness about the people who call themselves “Friends" But their shyness covers a steely determination to be witnesses to truth and challenge conventional culture Only 108000 people in the United States call themselves Friends — better known as Quakers Yet their influence particularly in liberal causes far outstrips their numbers A Quaker wrote the Equal Rights Amendment Quakers established Amnesty International took part in founding the NAACP the Boys Clubs of America Greenpeace Mothers for Peace and a host of antiwar organizations The model for the Peace Corps came from a Quaker work camp idea — and the list goes on and on Now they are moving out once again to the edges of American cultural tolerance They are embracing the gay and Friends hold immense influence lesbian population and working hard to get US society to recognize AIDS as a serious disease and to honor those who have died from it The nationally recognized NAMES Project’s AIDS Memorial Quilt project was started by a California Quaker The 11000-panquilt memorializes those who have died from AIDS and is used to increase public awareness of the disease and acceptance of its victims “We have been recognizing that our culture has been discriminatory and destructive to gay people” said Meredith (Mart) Walton general secretary of the Friends General Conference Then with the characteristic deference of her faith she added “Not all Friends are clear or el together on this in any way but a number of Quaker meetings have welcomed in membership gay and lesbian Friends and have supported committed relation- ships” John Martinson said “If you tap any Friend you’d hear a different story” He is director of Friends for a World a peace action organization based in Minneapolis “There is that of God in all persons" Martinson said “It’s simple but it has tremendous implications in that each human being carries the divine the potential whatever they call it Out of that grows a whole variety of things regarding war equality democracy” There is also the belief that revelation Non-Viole- nt continues which can be threatening for a Christian who believes that God's revelations have all come and they’re in the Bible — only Quakers essentially have no doctrine and no hierarchy Volunteers a few paid staff members and committees run things They come directly out of a Christian tradition and many consider themselves Christians But many more like Martinson embrace other theologies as aids in their personal spiritual journeys “I love to talk religion but it has little to do with spirituality It’s one of the tools but we get stuck there” he said is “A much richer kind of discussion our ‘How well goes your journey growing of oneness with God? " The Rev Martin Marty a nationally known church historian said “This is a hard cruel world and (Quakers are) so loving In any competition they’re going to be outstripped by the hardline See QUAKERS on Page 8 Utahns' quest is helpful peaceful coexistence in society By VARY LOU PHiPPEN Sian3ard trammer ctaf Utah Quakers like Quakers everywhere are usually in the forefront of peace movements said Jan Miller a spokesman from Salt Lake City Quakers Miler said believe that God is in each person so “we must treat even one fairly and with respect" no matter their persona! beliefs Just last week the group’s Sunday school children took food baskets to AIDS victims and in September a same-se- x wedding took place Miller said Quakers also called “Friends" don’t always agree on those controversial stands so discuss on groups are held and everyone gets a chance to have their say and “through the process of education and through the holy spirit” most of them come to an agreement “We can take no action on anything unless the group is unanimous” on any given event Miller said in some cases where agreement cannot be achieved there is a “stand aside” policy where a member can do just that — stand aside — and not stop the rest from doing what they feel is best Miller said durirg the 1960s Salt Lake Friends conducted draft counseling at the height of the Vietnam War T ben in the 1970s a lot of then moved away until membership was down to only a came to see that slavery was wrong and by 1776 long before the Civil War there were no more Friends who owned growth and now attendance has grown to about 50 adults plus a number of children “Others attend who have not applied for membership” she added The Salt Lake Society meets at 161 Second Ave on Sundajs at 10 a m For more information call the meeting 9 or Jan Miller at house at slaves few But in the 1980s there was a spurt in 359-150- 6 278-275- The Society of Friends has been around for 350 years Miller said and many of the faith settled in the South when they came over from the old country Slave owners at first they Clyde Milner a historian at Utah State University and a clerk for the Logan Society of Friends says “Friends" is the preferred reference to the group and that informal meetings were held in Utah in the 1940s and 1950s in Salt Lake City In Logan they began informal meetings in the 1950s in a private home Formal meetings began there in the 1960s and were well established by the 1970s See UTAH Schweitzer’s legacy relevant todayPage 3 on Page 8 |