To Friends everywhere:
Greetings from thirty-seven British and American Friends gathered at Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre on January 9th to 11th, 2004, for a workshop titled, “Beyond Universalism: The Experience and Understanding of Nontheism in Contemporary Quakerism.”
During deep and fruitful sessions of worship and discussion we found a great variety in the paths that have brought us here, and the religious views we hold. We sought greater clarity about our beliefs and our relations with other Friends.
Amid this diversity of experience and belief we found unity in our support for any Friends who may be in difficulty because their views differ from those of other Friends.
With joy we affirm that people can live wonderful Quaker lives while holding a variety of religious views, and that we find this diversity is no bar to unity in the meeting community and that it can be a source of strength.
We commit ourselves to learning to live in harmony with all those who share the Quaker way and with all other seekers.
In Friendship,
David Boulton, David Rush, and Kitty Rush
for thirty-seven Friends gathered at the
Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre
Birmingham, England
January 11, 2004
I hadn’t realised that this pre-cursor to ‘Godless for God’s sake and the Nontheist Friends Network (UK) which began (‘convened’ by David Boulton and others) in York and then at Woodbrooke in 2011-12 had taken place at Woodbrooke seven years earlier.
I will add a link to this soon to the NFN website in recognition of our history and the evolution from the Quaker Universalist Group (still going strong in the UK) and ‘Sea of Faith’ (ditto).
Fancy that, a comment after 21 years and 8 months!