Issue 15-10-2021
Featured story
Thought for the week: Nick Tyldesley’s beach of the peace
The city of Norwich is one of my favourite places. I once acted in Murder in the Cathedral there, in its cloisters. The roof beams carry wonderful medieval portraits. I also love The Plantation Garden – a Victorian walled garden hidden away in the city centre. Its rockeries remind those living...
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Animal instinct, part one: Nim Njuguna looks at the sheep and the wolves at COP26
The environmental crisis is an outward manifestation of a crisis of mind and spirit. There could be no greater misconception of its meaning than to believe it to be concerned only with endangered wildlife, human-made ugliness, and pollution. These are part of it, but, more importantly, the crisis is concerned...
Who wrote the fourth Gospel? Elaine Miles considers
When I read the commentaries of nineteenth and twentieth century scholars – even the more modern William Temple – it doesn’t seem to matter to them who wrote ‘John’s’ Gospel. They seem to find it of purely academic importance: here are the names, put them in a hat and draw...
On the safe side: Simon Webbe on the IICSA report
There is someone who has a record of abusing children, sexually. They attach themselves to a religious organisation that has children’s groups. Surely there will be an impenetrable barrier between this person and the group’s children?
Menwith Hill report reveals US drone bombings
A major report claiming that RAF Menwith Hill has provided intelligence for US drone bombing campaigns in the Middle East was launched at Harrogate Meeting House this month.
The long grass
The grass will grow, green and tall our children fade from sight the grass will blow to yellow dust all children hold the light
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Police bill will ‘break’ prison system, says Friend
A Quaker expert in criminal justice has highlighted a piece of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill that she feels has been left ‘under the radar’.
Covid digital worship opened up religious life
Digital worship during the pandemic has paved the way for long-term changes, according to a new study into religious life during the pandemic.
Call not to ‘politicise’ new chair of Charity Commission
Britain Yearly Meeting (BYM) has joined other civil society members in a move to ensure the appointment of a new chair of the Charity Commission is not politicised.
Meeting for Sufferings: COP26
October 2, afternoon session After a Covid-safe, individually-packaged vegan lunch, Meeting for Sufferings (MfS) representatives turned to the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) to be held next month in Glasgow. The Sustainability Monitoring Group will be offering a report at the next MfS in December, but this was the last opportunity...
Meeting for Sufferings: Quaker Concern for the Abolition of Torture
MfS received another Area Meeting Minute on the work of QPSW, which it forwarded to its central committee, and then heard from the trustees of Quaker Concern for the Abolition of Torture (Q-CAT). The organisation has been busy recently, gaining parliamentary support for an amendment to the Overseas Operations (Service...
Meeting for Sufferings: Yearly Meeting Gathering
There had been four minutes at Yearly Meeting Gathering (YMG) that were immediately relevant to MfS. Most of these related to the laying down of Quaker Stewardship Committee, making MfS responsible for such things as Area Meeting compliance. Another asked MfS to monitor the Society’s response to the key...
Living Presence: The Sufi path to mindfulness and the essential self, by Kabir Helminski
Over the years I have heard a number of Quakers comment that, while we are passionate about valuing and sharing silence, there is little substantial teaching on how to use and go deeply into it. There are of course various ‘enlightened’ spiritual teachers around, ancient and modern, who offer teaching...
Activism for Life, by Angie Zelter
Angie Zelter is a social change phenomenon. She is a dreamer of campaigns, creative strategist, meticulous researcher, persuasive negotiator, movement organiser, team-player and leader by example. She has an irrepressible vision of justice and peace and, naturally, a world free of nuclear weapons. Activism for Life recounts her story.
Letters - 15 October 2021
Plain speech Friends are currently focusing attention on inclusivity, rightly discerning its urgent importance in our troubled world. With this in mind, I think it might also be timely to consider the Quaker commitment to plain speech, which seems to have been forgotten in recent years. Language, of course,...