tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-811783783637553570.post5189153858788370797..comments2023-06-02T08:11:38.183-04:00Comments on Valiant for the Truth: Ohio Yearly Meeting's Conservative Friends GatheringMicah Baleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06849915973708989620noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-811783783637553570.post-47732172503502061992008-06-26T14:22:00.000-04:002008-06-26T14:22:00.000-04:00I am posting a comment from Marshall Massey, which...I am posting a comment from Marshall Massey, which he was unable to post due to restrictions on blogspot. I believe that those restrictions have now been removed, and anyone should be able to post.<BR/><BR/>From Marshall: <BR/><BR/>Dear Micah —<BR/><BR/>Your new blog doesn't allow me to post a comment without a Google, Blogger, LiveJournal, WordPress, TypePad or AIM account. Since I have none of those, I am compelled to write you privately. (Not that I really mind!)<BR/><BR/>I had to chuckle when I read your comment about how "Conservative Friends seem to preserve to a greater degree the tradition developed during the Quietist period." To Conservatives, there is no such thing as a "Quietest period". There was Quietism among the Seekers whose communities received George Fox into their midst in the 1640s and gave birth to Quakerism, and from then to now, Quietism has never ended among the faithful. So when, exactly, was this "period"? When Friends from other branches speak of a "Quietist period", they are speaking not objectively but subjectively; they are speaking of what has happened to themselves.<BR/><BR/>That said, though: No, the Gathering you attended is not terribly representative of Conservative Friends, and Conservative Friends should not be judged by it. The Gathering consists largely of folks who have embraced the Conservative testimonies out of conviction; our three yearly meetings, and even more, the monthly meetings of which those yearly meetings are composed, consist largely of folks who have joined themselves to the Conservative people out of community. The difference is not absolute; there are folks in the Gathering who are there out of community, and folks in monthly meetings who are there out of conviction. But the folks in monthly meetings are practicing the difficult business of community week after week, while the folks who are isolated, doing plain dress and plain speech, are practicing the quite different difficult business of being strong alone, and being a thorn in worldly society's side. It makes for a different feeling in the people.<BR/><BR/>It's also worth bearing in mind that no one Conservative yearly meeting is representative of all three. The three have had different histories; they broke with the Gurneyites over quite different issues, and the different reasons for their separations from the Gurneyites are mirrored in different emphases in their practice. I think you'll see this as your tour proceeds, and you talk in more depth with Friends from each of the three communities.<BR/><BR/>Consider yourself hugged! I look forward to seeing you in Iowa.Micah Baleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06849915973708989620noreply@blogger.com