Issue 13-04-2012
Featured story
Thought for the Week: When non means yes!
We Friends are often perceived as a negative lot. Asked what we believe, we tend to reply with a string of negatives. We are against credal formulations, against doctrinal dogmas as conditions of membership, against priestly hierarchy, against a professional ministry (at least here in Britain), against specific sacraments, against...
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Just Peace?
The world’s last known combat veteran of the first world war died last year. He was aged 110. Claude Choules was born in Worcestershire, in March 1901, and lied about his age to join the Royal Navy at fifteen. He was a sailor on HMS Revenge. He witnessed the scuttling of...
Quakers in the World (Asia and the West Pacific): Unity of Spirit
‘We believe in a Quakerism of love and peace. We believe in a Quakerism which respects life’. Boon Yi Kwak, of Seoul Monthly Meeting, sums up his faith in a few words. They are words that have prompted a Quaker witness for love and peace on the beautiful South Korean...
Arms debt irony
The British government are still claiming repayment from Argentina for money that was borrowed to buy weapons that were later used in the invasion of the Falklands. The revelation has given an ironic twist to the thirtieth anniversary of the Falklands War.
Quaker protester sentenced
Scottish Quaker Janet Fenton has been sentenced to 120 hours of community service for protesting against what she regarded as an unfair trial. Her fellow defendant, Barbara Dowling, has been sent to prison for three months for the same protest.
All fall down
In Sally Nicholls’ two previous books (Ways to Live Forever and Season of Secrets) the leading characters faced death, loss and terror. But both books had a lightness of touch that encouraged young readers to enjoy them, with laughter seasoning the serious issues. Her new novel has a different tone.
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Hexham challenges tax havens
Challenging tax havens must be a priority for people campaigning for economic justice. That was the message from John Christensen of the Tax Justice Network, who gave the opening talk at the latest Hexham Debate.
Pilgrimage for Justice
Quakers are expected to be among the pilgrims walking from London to Canterbury in an initiative launched by religious supporters of the Occupy movement. They have announced plans for a ‘Pilgrimage for Justice’ from 7 to 19 June, followed by a three-day conference at the University of Kent.
Friends Peace Teams in Asia
US-based Friends’ Peace Teams have considerably expanded their work in south-east Asia.
‘Live below the line’ in London
A Quaker has brought together seven faith leaders to share a simple meal in solidarity with the world’s poorest people.
Speaking truth amidst power
Early on the morning of 27 March, twelve of us met for worship in Friends House. In the stillness, one person spoke of her deep sense of belonging and responsibility for the day ahead. We were Quakers from Scotland, Wales and England, representing Britain Yearly Meeting to present an address to...
Your money and/or your life?
Many of us are aware that quality of life, whatever part of the planet we happen to inhabit, is intimately related to economic justice – a huge question and one that, over the past months, has driven the Occupy movement to take to the streets and squares of towns and cities...
Eye - 13 April 2012
Peering through the pages What were Friends debating in the 1860s? How did British Quakerism develop in the nineteenth century? Were there ripples that can still be felt today? A forthcoming Quaker History Meeting at the Quaker Centre in Friends House will shed light on these questions by peering...
Letters - 13 April 2012
Costing not less than everything Our national debt of trillions of pounds – due to us living far beyond our means – surely represents an appalling abuse of the earth’s resources, quite apart from the immorality of stealing money from tomorrow.