pacifism

An Introduction
The Quaker commitment to nonviolence is one of the most public and distinctive manifestations of Quaker faith. We make a bold claim: not only that peace is a better way than war, but that it is possible, with God's transforming power, for the whole world. We commit ourselves to the vision of a world in which there is no violence between nations, between individuals, or within ourselves. We commit to an examination of how our relationships and our economic decisions-- all the mundane practices of our life-- may be contributing to the systems of war.

Despite the long history of what we now call the "peace testimony," there has never been uniformity in the belief or practice of pacifism in the Religious Society of Friends. Some Quakers have chosen to fight in every major war in the history of the United States, and were often (but not always) removed from membership in their meetings as a result. Other Friends protested, petitioned, did alternative or non-combatant service, and were sometimes jailed in opposition to those same wars. Even in our lack of unity, the idea of holistic peace-building and nonviolence continues to be one of the greatest challenges we offer, as a faith community, to ourselves and to the world.

This summary was written by Kody Hersh, who is a member of Miami Monthly Meeting and serves on the Youth Ministries Committee of FGC.

Katherine Fisher
The letter below is one that I sent to my friends and family in April 2007.  It describes an action that I have taken every year since then, which comes from my Quaker and pacifist beliefs.

Dear friends and family,

I am writing to let you know that I am not going to pay my taxes this year.  I have been considering this decision for several years, with help from friends and Beacon Hill Friends Meeting.  I have discovered that I am a conscientious objector to participation in war, and it violates my religious conscience to pay taxes that support military activity.  Rather than paying taxes, I will put my tax money in an escrow fund where it will be used for life-affirming purposes.

Participation in war violates my belief in the worth and dignity of every human being (the light within, as Friends call it).  I am certain that if I were being drafted into military service, I would refuse to go, because I could not participate in killing another human being.  Taxes are just one step further removed:  instead of the government conscripting my labor and using it for war, I voluntarily trade my labor for money, which the government then uses for war.

These two situations are morally very similar in my mind.

I recognize that this decision has consequences. The IRS may seize my money, and it may be financially burdensome if they seize my bank account or levy my wages.  There may be other financial difficulties with credit, obtaining loans, etc.  I voluntarily choose these consequences rather than violating my conscience.

I also know that it may be emotionally difficult if I am receiving threatening letters from the IRS or facing financial consequences.  I know that I have a wonderful community of friends and activists around me, who will support me as I make this journey.

Thank you so much for all your love and support thus far.

Sincerely,
Katherine Fisher


Katherine Fisher is a member of Beacon Hill Friends Meeting, and works as the office manager at the Cambridge office of the American Friends Service Committee.  She has also been involved with the local Catholic Worker house and the movement to close the School of the Americas.


Liz Oppenheimer
If you were to look at my Quaker resumé, you'd notice a huge gap in it:  no peace marches.  No war-tax resistance.  Not even a bumper sticker on my car.   But then, one week before this short essay was due, I read about preparations for the 13th annual Day of Silence that students across the U.S. observe.  It's a way to send a message that bullying, harassing, ridiculing, and assaulting fellow students based on their gender identity or sexual orientation, real or perceived, is NOT okay.  

The night before the Day of Silence, I feel that familiar *tweak* that tells me I have to participate somehow out of solidarity with the students.  I print a few quarter-sheet handouts to explain why I won't be talking, and I mentally prepare myself for the day to come.  I worry about the inconveniences I'll encounter in the grocery store, on mass transit, in restaurants.

That morning, almost immediately, I become aware of my own hurt and shame of having been ridiculed by classmates when I was in middle school and high school.  My own voice back then had been shut out and I never did anything about it.  

At lunch, I buy a cup of soup and hand my small sheet of paper to the cashier, explaining why I'm not speaking.  The cashier takes a dollar off my meal.  I feel awkward in being given an unwarranted discount, but I choose to keep the silence.  For the rest of the day, I live with not knowing what the cashier thought of me.  I leave another of my handouts on the table for whoever sits there next.

At the organization where I volunteer, I smile and return the warm greetings of "Hello-how-are-you?" by handing the staff my piece of paper.  Two women will later seek me out and tell me they appreciate what I am doing.  One of them will tell me her son is also observing the Day of Silence at school and she wants to know more about it.

My brand of witness is a personal one.  My brand of pacifism is a personal witness that starts from an inward change and grows out of a motion of love, dignity, and care for all involved.  The smallest act of pacifism, even if it is carried out among kind souls and supportive friends, is important to do because I may be called on to carry out something even larger.  

Even if it's inconvenient.  

Liz Oppenheimer is a member of Twin Cities Friends Meeting (Northern Yearly Meeting) and is active in Laughing Waters Friends Worship Group (unaffiliated).  She carries a concern for how we convey our faith to others and she maintains the blog The Good Raised Up.

Zach AlexanderZach=second from left
Before we talk about pacifism, it's helpful to talk about Quakers and ethics in general. The Quaker approach starts with listening inwardly to the "promptings of love and truth" in our hearts, both as individuals and as communities. When it seems clear what those things are saying, we say we feel "led" or "called" to a course of action – and hopefully do it right away. But if those promptings are less clear, we say we have a "concern" about the matter, and we undergo "discernment," which involves more inward listening and listening to others, until we reach a feeling of clarity. And then we sometimes need a boost of courage to do what needs to be done.

What does this mean for Friends and peace? First, it means that most Friends who arrive at a pacifist position do so through a basic feeling of ethical compulsion more than philosophical arguments – from the heart more than the head. So if you want to understand Quaker pacifism, you should learn about Friends who have opposed war over the centuries, and empathetically enter into their lives – William Rotch sinking muskets into the Atlantic, or Irish Friends aiding the wounded on both sides of the Irish Revolution, or Tom Fox monitoring human rights abuses in Iraq at great personal cost.

And second, this language we use for small-scale decisions can also be used to talk about the Society of Friends as a whole. The simplistic picture is that all good Quakers must be pacifists, and some Friends treat this as a Quaker dogma. But the reality is more complex. We carry a concern about the horrors of war, and the injustices that cause it, and the threats that are used to justify it. But not all Friends feel led to oppose all war. And of those who do, not all have reached clarity about the next step. And of those who have, not all have summoned the courage to act.

And though we sometimes look down upon those who don't share our own leadings, it seems we no longer expel people for insufficient pacifism. And that is as it should be. A tiny community of Quakers, numbering in the mere thousands, will never bring down empires or end wars. But we might bring peace a little closer by bringing people into this process of listening.

Zach is a member of Friends Meeting at Cambridge, a post-bachelor student at Harvard University interested in neuroscience and philosophy, and a co-moderator of the local Humanist Small Group. He is co-leading a workshop on "Nontheism among Friends" at the Friends General Conference Gathering this summer.



What is Quaker Quest?
Quaker Quest is a program that explores how Quakerism is a simple, radical, and contemporary spiritual path for our time. Quaker Quest offers Friends an opportunity to articulate their faith, deepen relationships within their meeting/church, and share their spiritual stories with the larger community.

The public Quaker Quest sessions are structured gatherings for people interested in learning about Quakerism.  As part of the public Quaker Quest sessions, three people from a Quaker meeting share from the heart about their experiences on a particular topic.  These presentations are prepared in advance and include brief quotes from Faith and Practice or other resources.  Presenters mostly share stories that illuminate their journeys around the topic.   

How the blog series works
Each month from March until June, three Quakers write two to three paragraphs on a certain topic from their experiences as a Friend. Anyone is welcome to post their reflections or comments about the topic! If you have suggestions for future topics, please email Emily at emilys@fgcquaker.org

Schedule of topics
February- An introduction to Quaker Quest
March-Quakers and Equality
April- Quakers and God
May- Quakers and Pacifism
June- Quakers and Worship

For information on Quaker Quest, email quak..reveal email..@fgcquaker.org or call 215-561-1700. Quaker Quest in the US and Canada is a project of Friends General Conference http://www.fgcquaker.org/quakerquest/organizers.