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#Post#: 9404--------------------------------------------------
Quakerism: The Silent Witness
By: coldwar Date: October 24, 2014, 8:29 am
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I just attended my first Quaker meeting yesterday. In my little
town of 2500 people (4500 when University students arrive),
there is a little Quaker group of about 8 people. It is a
traditional silent group, and I had to leave 20 minutes early
due to another commitment, but the beginning starts immediately
with silence. Only 4 people including myself. I'm sure there
must've been some conversation or announcements at the end, and
I would've been introduced as the newbie. I didn't find it
difficult to get into the spirit of it, as I practice "just
sitting" (shikantaza) on my own occasionally, but there was
something special about "just sitting" with a group of
like-minded believers - that's the beauty of Quakerism - no
doctrine, no creed, no sacraments. Just silence and whatever
service to others, which they call "witness" flows from that.
I may have found my spiritual home - I hope so.
#Post#: 9405--------------------------------------------------
Re: Quakerism: The Silent Witness
By: Kerry Date: October 24, 2014, 9:29 am
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That's interesting. I wonder when Holland will return? He
leans towards Quakerism too.
Have you ever heard of the Eastern State Penitentiary
HTML http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_State_Penitentiary
in
Philadelphia? My understanding is that the Quakers thought the
prisoners would benefit by silence. Instead it seemed to have
driven some of them half-crazy.
I believe the first penitentiary was the older Walnut Street
Jail
HTML http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walnut_Street_Jail
which started
off as a regular punitive jail but was converted to a
penitentiary later.
So far as I can tell though, the idea that prisons should help
prisoners instead of merely punish them originated with the
Quakers. There are facilities today called penitentiaries but
they often don't live up to the name.
#Post#: 9406--------------------------------------------------
Re: Quakerism: The Silent Witness
By: coldwar Date: October 24, 2014, 11:00 am
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Yes - penitentiaries and Quakerism go hand-in-glove. Every
prison in Canada is called a Penitentiary. Unfortunately, our
present government is stubbornly turning the clock back 100
years and calling it "prison reform". I'm seeing the results of
this weekly as I go into
HTML http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorchester_Penitentiary
-
educational and employment programs have been reduced
drastically, and even the inmates meager "salaries" have been
cut in half, with no thought that their families outside are
meant to benefit from the money (a portion of which is sent
directly to a family member, if there is one, I believe). Canada
is no longer interested in rehabilitating prisoners, only in
punishing them.
I can see how silence could drive some of them crazy - so many
who have committed crimes have an "unquiet mind" - I've earned
to recognize it when I see it. A good specific kind of cognitive
therapy would work better on these ones than silence would.
Sitting in silence is how they're punished in "solitary" - and
anyone with this unquiet mind would simply have the noise within
them amplified because of the silence.
Joan Baez is a Quaker and Social Activist - here's a great song
of hers regarding prison reform, to help people think about the
person behind the crime -
HTML http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXrJE1iDhh8
#Post#: 9407--------------------------------------------------
Re: Quakerism: The Silent Witness
By: Kerry Date: October 24, 2014, 11:43 am
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[quote author=coldwar link=topic=896.msg9406#msg9406
date=1414166434]
Yes - penitentiaries and Quakerism go hand-in-glove. Every
prison in Canada is called a Penitentiary. Unfortunately, our
present government is stubbornly turning the clock back 100
years and calling it "prison reform". I'm seeing the results of
this weekly as I go into
HTML http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorchester_Penitentiary
-
educational and employment programs have been reduced
drastically, and even the inmates meager "salaries" have been
cut in half, with no thought that their families outside are
meant to benefit from the money (a portion of which is sent
directly to a family member, if there is one, I believe). Canada
is no longer interested in rehabilitating prisoners, only in
punishing them.[/quote]It makes me wonder if this attitude is a
factor in the rise of violent crimes? I found it of interest
that the shooter in Ottawa had a record of petty crime. It
sounded to me as if he was mentally ill and had not gotten help.
Drug problems, assault and robbery could be signs of someone
who needs mental help. His mother also said he felt he never
fitted in. Is the real answer increasing security at all the
government's buildings? Is it? I doubt it. If you ask me,
the tougher the government gets, the more it makes troubled
people hate the police and other authority figures.
Most mental health facilities here in the USA have closed. The
police are now expected to deal with the mentally ill; and it's
estimated that half the people who get killed by the police in
confrontations are mentally ill.
The city of San Antonio in Texas developed a program
HTML http://kaiserhealthnews.org/news/san-antonio-police-treat-mental-health/<br
/>where instead of locking up people for minor infractions, ofte
n
the cops get them mental help if that's what they need. They
have to spend money on the mental health program; but it's saved
them over $50 million in the last five years. The punitive
system is inhumane and doesn't save money.
[quote]I can see how silence could drive some of them crazy - so
many who have committed crimes have an "unquiet mind" - I've
earned to recognize it when I see it. A good specific kind of
cognitive therapy would work better on these ones than silence
would. Sitting in silence is how they're punished in "solitary"
- and anyone with this unquiet mind would simply have the noise
within them amplified because of the silence.[/quote]
You're right. The inner demons just get louder. They could be
eased out of that, yes, probably by cognitive therapy.
[quote]Joan Baez is a Quaker and Social Activist - here's a
great song of hers regarding prison reform, to help people think
about the person behind the crime -[/quote]I did not know she
was a Quaker. In all my life, I've gone to only one real
concert -- and that was when Baez came to Philadelphia. The
song I remember most was this one. She had a guitarist from
Nashville with her that night, and I'm not sure but maybe she
introduced him during this song.
HTML https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_ksYL26lZE
#Post#: 9408--------------------------------------------------
Re: Quakerism: The Silent Witness
By: coldwar Date: October 24, 2014, 12:27 pm
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Great song - one of my favourites to play. It was actually
written by Toronto's Robbie Robertson, and first performed by
"The Band", for whom Robertson was the lead guitarist. I prefer
Joan's version - much smoother.
HTML http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jREUrbGGrgM
#Post#: 9412--------------------------------------------------
Re: Quakerism: The Silent Witness
By: Kerry Date: October 24, 2014, 1:17 pm
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Yes, I've heard The Band's version a lot more. I never knew who
wrote that song. I always figured it was someone from the South
since it was about Dixie. How curious that it was a Canadian!
#Post#: 9414--------------------------------------------------
Re: Quakerism: The Silent Witness
By: coldwar Date: October 24, 2014, 1:33 pm
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In a Documentary about The Band (one of many), Robertson says he
wrote the song after taking a trip to the South and met
(drummer) Levon Helm's Dad, Helm, BTW was the only American in
The Band - the rest were all Canadian, and originally backed
Ronnie Hawkins (from Arkansas) as "Ronnie and The Hawkes", until
they took their most famous position as Bob Dylan's backup band
after Dylan "went electric". Anyway, Levon's Dad took Robbie
aside, knowing he was their main songwriter and said "Son, The
South will rise again". He claims this became his sole
inspiration in writing the song. It's so cool how a good
songwriter can take a topic so outside himself, and still write
about it. I could also mention that Robertson is half Cree
Indian.
Perhaps some reincarnation influence going on here? ;D
#Post#: 9415--------------------------------------------------
Re: Quakerism: The Silent Witness
By: Kerry Date: October 24, 2014, 3:08 pm
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Interesting. Things make you wonder.
Also interesting is now I'm get ads about Joan Baez for a
concert on November 14.
(I'm also getting ads for Garret Graves for Congress ever since
I visited his website. Google ads must think I'm from
Louisiana. Stranger yet, I am still getting ads from Walmart
about lawnmowers -- and that's after I bought one. Their
computer program must not be the brightest.)
The town I live in has a Quaker Meetinghouse, and it also has a
street called Meetinghouse Road; but the meetinghouse isn't on
the road! The meetinghouse is on "A Street
HTML https://www.quakercloud.org/cloud/carlisle-friends-meeting."
That's several blocks away from the road. It's a part of local
history I never got straightened out. My guess is there had
been an older meetinghouse on that road and that's how it got
the name.
The Quakers do interest me. I went to the University of
Pennsylvania. That was started originally by Ben Franklin as a
Quaker school. Its team is still called the Quakers. Their
hospital is the oldest hospital in the US. It was also started
by Franklin and a Dr. Bond whom I don't know much about.
How they affected the politics of the state is interesting too.
Not many states allowed religious freedom. I think there was
one other. I doubt Pennsylvania would have joined the union if
there had been an official state religion. The whole scheme to
form a federal union would have collapsed -- that's the reason
for the nickname the Keystone State. The ideal of religious
freedom now taking hold in many other countries by many seems to
have had some roots in the Quakers first in Philadelphia, then
the state of Pennsylvania, the the USA and it is now spreading
across the world.
#Post#: 9418--------------------------------------------------
Re: Quakerism: The Silent Witness
By: coldwar Date: October 24, 2014, 5:22 pm
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Thanks - great info. I knew there was a strong connection with
Pennsylvania & Ben Franklin.
I felt strongly it was what I wanted, and totally surprised when
I looked on a Canadian Quakers' Website and found there was a
small group right in my town. Not only that, I've known the lady
who heads it up for a brief time, from another context.
#Post#: 9430--------------------------------------------------
Re: Quakerism: The Silent Witness
By: HOLLAND Date: October 27, 2014, 6:05 am
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Hi Everyone!
As a Friend (Quaker), I hope that all is well with you in your
spiritual walk. Prayer and looking within in the Spirit shall
lead to the awakening that we must experience as we live this
life. If the Quaker path is a good one for you, may it be well
for you, but as God wills and by his grace.
I haven't posted much. Still not connected to the internet but
will do so. I am hoping for November to come on again and be a
regular poster.
In the silence the Spirit's speaking shall emerge.
Peace be with you all!
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