Posted by Nontheist Friends on Apr 10 2006 | Tagged as: Blog Posts
Nontheistfriends.org presents the work of Friends (Quakers) who are more concerned with the natural than the supernatural. Some of us understand “God” as a symbol of human values and some of us avoid the concept while accepting it as significant to others. We differ greatly in our religious experience and in the meaning we give religious terms.
Posted by James Riemermann on Jul 27 2008 | Tagged as: Blog Posts, Definitions, History, On Other Sites
A Friend on the nontheist Friends e-mail discussion list at some point challenged us to seriously study early Quaker history, and not just dip into it, “to develop our knowledge of and insights into the origins and development of the tradition or movement we have committed to.” Good advice, no question. And yet I felt [...]
Posted by Zach Alexander on Jul 17 2008 | Tagged as: Blog Posts, Books, Events, Personal Journeys, Reports
At Friends General Conference earlier this month, in addition to Robin Alpern and David Boulton’s workshop on nontheist Friends and discernment (previously posted here), there were a number of one-off scheduled events at the “Nontheist Friends Center,” on topics like nontheistic spirituality and theological diversity.
And in addition to those, three or four more events were arranged on-site to meet what seemed like a demand for them. I might be forgetting any that happened earlier in the week before I arrived, but Wednesday afternoon there was a meeting for worship, followed by a screening of a film about Gerrard Winstanley, who according to some was the first Quaker nontheist.
And on Thursday, Chuck Fager arranged the following debate conversation between himself and David Boulton, complete with lurid posters billing it “The Theist-Nontheist Conversational Smackdown of 2008″ and promising “thrills, chills and (nonviolent) spills,” if memory serves.
The questions they discussed were “Are Quakers a chosen people?” and “Is David Boulton a closet theist?” Thanks perhaps to the posters, it took place before a packed-out room of about 110 people, with a number of (un-chosen?) people listening in the hall.
Click the green “play” arrow below to hear my recording of the event, or click here to download the mp3 file, and look under the cut for another photo and a thought.
(By the way, David’s opening joke refers to the poster, which described the participants as Chuck “Without Apology” Fager and David “The Trouble with God” Boulton.)
Posted by James Riemermann on Mar 15 2008 | Tagged as: Events
Friends General Conference Gathering will take place at Johnstown, PA from June 28-July 5, with 63 week-long workshops, including one explicitly for nontheist Friends, and others that seek to bring nontheist and theist Friends together.
Please let me know if there are workshops that meet this description beyond those I have linked to below.
Nontheist Friends and [...]
Posted by Nontheist Friends on Feb 02 2008 | Tagged as: Definitions
Posted by Nontheist Friends on Dec 06 2007 | Tagged as: Events
Friends General Conference (FGC) 2008 Gathering of Friends
Johnstown, Pennsylvania
June 28 - July 5, 2008
Posted by Zach Alexander on Aug 09 2007 | Tagged as: Reports
There was a moment at one point where the “interested theist” Friend expressed some misgivings about his certainty of God’s existence, but then said that he was in his nineties, and without much time to engage in speculation — and he won’t have to wait long to find out firsthand anyway. He ended by saying, “I wouldn’t be surprised either way.”
“One way it’s hard to be surprised,” joked another, and we had a little laugh. …
Posted by James Riemermann on May 10 2007 | Tagged as: Blog Posts
1. Circle 1 = God
2. Circle 2 = the natural world
3. Circle 1 minus Circle 2 = the supernatural world
Posted by James Riemermann on Apr 08 2007 | Tagged as: Blog Posts
A Friend on the nontheist Friends email list asked what the basis for membership might be, or more specifically, what a basis might be for turning someone down for membership. The question was not specifically about belief/disbelief in God, so I did not particularly address that. I suppose, by not addressing such belief/disbelief, I am [...]
Posted by Robin Alpern on Mar 30 2007 | Tagged as: Reports
In 1996, Bowen Alpern, Glenn Mallison and I designed and presented a workshop called “Nontheism Among Friends” at the Friends General Conference Gathering. Since then, various people have led the workshop and offshoots from it. I have led seven so far. This year, I was particularly aware of [...]