Nontheism among Friends at Powell House – report

“If you think Richard Dawkins is too easy on religion, go down to that end of the room,” I said, indicating the steps up to the bookstore. “And if you…”

“Careful…” someone said.

And I was. There were several believers-in-God present – the exact number depending on your definition – and I didn’t want to make a joke that might be taken the wrong way.

“If you’re, uh… very theistic, go down to the other end,” I finished, indicating the fireplace. “And if you’re somewhere in between, go somewhere in between.”

Learning to love and accept “Quatheists” (Nontheist Friends) at Powell House

For three days I have been at the beautiful Powell House Quaker retreat center, up in Old Chatham, New York. I have been attending a workshop on “nontheist Quakers” led by Robin Alpern and Zach Alexander with about 16 other Quakers from around the northeast area.

Nontheism Among Friends – Workshop at Powell House

Facilitated by Robin Alpern and Zach Alexander January 2-4, 2009 Please join us as we explore the faith and practice of Quaker nontheists and the richness of a spiritual life not necessarily dependent on belief in God. Friends have become increasingly aware of the theological diversity of our Religious Society–a large proportion of our Society … Read more

A poem

In the Secular Night

In the secular night you wander around
alone in your house. It’s two-thirty.
Everyone has deserted you,
or this is your story;
you remember it from being sixteen,
when the others were out somewhere, having a good time,
or so you suspected,
and you had to baby-sit. […]

Two cheers for Quaker history

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 … Read more

Friends General Conference Gathering, June 28-July 5, 2008

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 … Read more

What some folks at Wikipedia think a nontheist Friend is

“Nontheist Quakers (also known as nontheist Friends) are those who engage in Quaker practices and processes, but who do not necessarily believe in a theistic God or Supreme Being, the divine, the soul or the supernatural. Like traditional Quakers, also known as Friends, nontheist Friends are interested in realizing peace, simplicity, integrity, community, equality, and social justice in the Society of Friends and beyond. …” Read more on Wikipedia here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nontheist_Quakers

Report on the Nontheist Friends interest group at New England Yearly Meeting

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. …

Skip to content