Fact 1: The Religious
Society of Friends (Quakers) in Britain (BYM) is a religious
society.
Fact 2: The word
'religion' and hence 'religious' means what the dictionaries say it
means.
(The definition includes
the word 'god'.)
Fact 3: The words
'god' and 'God' mean what the dictionaries say they mean.
(The definition includes
the words 'supernatural' and the word 'Being'.)
Fact 4: BYM is an
active, leading member of the Christian faith and the Bristish
ecumenical movement.
Fact 5: British
Quakerism is inclusive and non-credal; there is no requirement for
individual members to accept any set of beliefs.
Fact 6: The word
'non-theistic' means lacking a belief in the existence of any 'God'
(noting Fact 3). It is not the same as 'agnostic'.
Fact 7: Within British
Quakerism there is an increasing proportion of non-theistic Friends,
some of whom are assertive, demanding that our Society accepts their
position.
Fact 8: It is not
unusual, and usually harmless, for the aims of some members of an
organisation to differ from the aims of the organisation. Thus BYM
can remain a Christian religious organisation despite including many
non-religious (as defined in 2 above) Friends.
CONCERN
That when we come to
revise “Quaker Faith and Practice” in a few years from
now the demands of assertive non-theistic Friends might be extremely
divisive. For the sake of the Society, and indeed wider society,
this should be avoided. One way to achieve this would be to inform
all Friends of the facts and to persuade non-theistic Friends not to
try to change them.
SUGGESTIONS
1.
That all Friends and Attenders be made aware that Quaker Faith and
Practice is up-to-date and relevant. (This could be in association
with the publication of a new edition.)
2.
That all Friends and Attenders be made aware of Facts 1 to 5 above,
and of Quaker Faith and Practice 1.01, and Advice 1. (Perhaps by
means of a letter to all Friends and Attenders.)
3. That Quaker Life
should:
a. cease to encourage
the growth of non-theism;
b. nurture our religious
faith, as expressed in Quaker Faith and Practice;
c. take positive,
effective action to implement Suggestions 1 and 2.
4. That it be accepted
that our trustees have an obligation to ensure that our charitable
organisation acts only within its agreed religious object.
