Issue 02-05-2014
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Thought for the Week: That of God
In 2003 I spent over a year and a half making a film, for BBC Northern Ireland, about a working class Loyalist estate in west Belfast – Springmartin – half way up a mountain overlooking the city. The Catholic Ardoyne was a few hundred yards away. A sixteen-foot high wall separated the two...
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Seeking the light
I was brought up as a ‘High Church’ Anglican. I progressed from Sunday school to choir boy and on to being a ‘server at the altar’. Early in 1939 I volunteered for the territorial army. I had been eighteen for just four months when Britain declared war on Germany on 3...
The Beatitudes and the Ten Commandments
How do different faiths view the concepts of ‘commandment, beatitude and salvation’? I believe that we can move towards an understanding that can be helpful to Quakers. It has long been accepted that there are parallels between the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes along the following lines. Parallels ...
Enemies of Israel?
In April 2011 when Meeting for Sufferings endorsed a boycott of goods from the Israeli districts in the disputed territories, I was horrified at such a misguided and illiberal public statement. I hated being associated with it. My choice was either to resign my membership of forty-two years or to try...
A model life?
As thousands suffer and die every day and new life is born, often with scant hope of survival, it is each life and each death that is of inestimable value. An Easter letter has not been a feature of my life even though Good Friday and its truly remarkable sequel...
Living history?
Beccles Meeting Friday midday worship is followed by a picnic and forty-five minutes of discussion. We average seventeen, mainly new attenders. Outreach was our sense of ‘God’s will’ when we evolved into this pattern. We have stumbled upon an idea that is having far-reaching effects. We are all writing...
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Stories of COs to be celebrated
Quakers around the country are to launch a four-year project to tell the suppressed stories of world war one conscientious objectors on May 15, International Conscientious Objectors’ Day. The launch, at Friends House in London, will be hosted by writer and broadcaster Geoffrey Durham and Ruth Cadbury, prospective parliamentary candidate...
Bruce Kent campaigns against Trident at Darlington FMH
Bruce Kent, the veteran campaigner for peace and social justice issues, spoke at Darlington Friends Meeting House (FMH) on 23 April. It was part of his national speaking tour seeking to galvanise people to oppose spending £100 billion on renewing the Trident nuclear submarine programme.
Ireland YM public lecture
The idea of acting on principle rather than consequence was explored by Ian Kirk-Smith in this year’s public lecture at Ireland Yearly Meeting held at The King’s Hospital School in Dublin from 24 to 27 April. Ian, who is editor of the Friend, talked about his life as a...
Petition asks for end to Eurosatory
An online petition has been launch by a collective of concerned groups asking for the closure of the Eurosatory arms fair. The collective ‘No Eurosatory 2014’ includes Movement Quakers France, the International Fellowship of Reconciliation, the Network Franciscan Gubbio, Pax Christi and other pacifist groups. Eurosatory, scheduled to run from 16...
Sustainable security blog re-launched
The Oxford Research Group have re-launched its blog Sustainable.Security.org. The blog was initiated to create a space to develop a better understanding of modern insecurity within a ‘sustainable security’ framework. It emphasises the need for integrated and preventative approaches to the complex security challenges of today.
Antonine Legionary
I marched these hills not long ago, I travelled north in search of foe, Wild blue-faced tribes, encountered there, Barbaric people, caused such scare. We captured some, and sent them home, To slavery, in ancient Rome. Though I am Roman, not myself, A Syrian archer, trained in stealth.
Letters - 02 May 2014
Felt and real needs I have read the article by Derrick R Whitehouse (25 April) with great interest. It sums up the situation which is developing over the country. Many Meetings are finding themselves responsible for very old, listed buildings. They have neither the money nor the members to carry out...