posted August 14, 2006 09:39 PM         

Einstein on mystical truth

"The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of true art and true science. Whoever does not know it and can no longer wonder, no longer marvel, is as good as dead, and his eyes are dimmed. It was the experience of mystery -- even if mixed with fear -- that engendered religion. A knowledge of the existence of something we cannot penetrate, our perceptions of the profoundest reason and the most radiant beauty, which only in their most primitive forms are accessible to our minds: it is this knowledge and this emotion that constitute true religiosity. In this sense, and only this sense, I am a deeply religious man... I am satisfied with the mystery of life's eternity and with a knowledge, a sense, of the marvelous structure of existence -- as well as the humble attempt to understand even a tiny portion of the Reason that manifests itself in nature."

"I like the idea that it is the "knowledge of something we cannot penetrate" that connects us to the infinite. Some anthropologists of religion have named moments where this knowledge prevails: "liminal" experiences, coming from the Latin word "limen", meaning "threshold". In these experiences we flit across the threshold of our own consciousness or experience, usually before returning to Earth with a bump. It seems that liminal moments can be prompted by any circumstances whatsoever: a deeply satisfying conversation with a friend, an encounter with the majesty of nature (I will never forget my afternoon spent, long before I became a Quaker,in a vast and compelling silence here ). They can be experienced in the ephemeral sense of wonder and disbelief when some dream or another comes true; in even an ostensibly negative experience such as sheer terror, and its hoped-for counterpart, deliverance, we are lent, for an instant, an escape from our cramped and solitary consciousness as individuals. This can completely re-orient our lives, because liminal experiences yield a sort of unknowable Truth. But they are precious - they cannot be tapped at will, and the stupendous insight that they offer to each individual cannot be fully shared; language cannot completely encompass or describe them."

"I don't believe such moments are only a product of religious experience; they have been given a variety of names over time, and what once might have been labelled an awareness of the divine can sometimes be given other labels. Even the most committed atheists sometimes profess such awareness; Richard Dawkins, evolutionary biologist and presenter of a recent polemical TV documentary against religion, has spoken of his "profound respect for the mysteries of the universe".

"All this leads me towards an awareness of the constrictions of my own consciousness, and of the transcendent Truth/Light/Silence that snakes through and underpins all else that I see, hear, taste, feel, touch, say, and do. We are all open to liminal experiences, and conscious of their power to generate insight. Who has not some experience of a time when time itself seemed to stand still, when there was a chasm between that moment and the rest of the world? If one shared that time with others, who does not know the intense ties of brotherhood or sisterhood that it created?"

"One has to know how to use these moments, to harness that mysterious unknowing and bring it to bear on our everyday lives."

posted August 15, 2006 01:42 AM         

richard dawkins was born in 1941 and einstein died in 1955....

posted August 15, 2006 06:04 PM         

I liked what the whole thing said so it was not too important to me who said it all. I knew at least part of it was from Einstein and I used the name of the site article for this post.

Actually, though I have heard of Richard Dawkins, I am not too familiar with him so I wouldn't have known when he was born or what era he was from. Thanks for pointing that out, Petron. What threw me about the article being totally from Einstein's book is the sentence where it states, " before I became a Quaker," because to my knowledge Einstein was not a Quaker. Though he may have been for all I know.

At any rate I liked what it all contained and found it ALL interesting so I copied and pasted it just as it was written at the site.

Though after the first paragraph, because I was uncertain, I placed the quotation marks on each paragraph myself to indicate it was not my remarks but belonged to someone else. To do otherwise to me would have made it appear that I was making those comments and that, to me, would have been deceptive.

I think the words and the message contained in them are what is interesting rather than who said them all which was my intention for posting it here.

Perhaps it is my fault for not stating my confusion regarding it all being from Einstein or part of it from the site administrator when I posted it here. But there was no intention on my part to fool or deceive anyone regarding the article.

I just hope that you liked the message it ALL contained. Because just as Einstein in the first paragraph, I think the site administrator had a lot of intelligent and wise things to say as well.

Any comments on the article itself? Would be interested in hearing your thoughts about it.

posted August 15, 2006 10:07 PM         

On a synchronistic note,

I've been investigating Quakers
(or, as they call themselves,
"The Society of Friends") recently,
and what they believe in.

It seems I've always been a "Friend",
without having a name for it.

I'm going to attend a "Meeting" this Sunday.

hsc

------------------
'Would you know your Lord's meaning in this thing? Know it well. Love was his meaning. Who showed it to you? Love. What did he show you? Love. Why did he show it? For love. Keep yourself therein and you shall know and understand more in the same. But you shall never know nor understand any other thing, forever.'
- Julian of Norwich

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f309/Alem7/chart1.gif

posted August 16, 2006 10:58 AM         

I don't know much about them so it would be interesting to find out more.

posted August 16, 2006 12:55 PM         

Quaker beliefs and practices

Quote:
"It's hard to love the questions when you live in a society obsessed with answers. A believer takes a great risk in affirming the questions and doubts of others because to be a good Christian is to have all the answers and to never admit you have any questions. Consequently, we have a lot of people living out a spirituality they can hardly claim to be their own. On the surface they look good. They can sing all the right hymns and say all the right prayers. They quote all the right verses and support all the appropriate groups. They have even overcome great tragedy and despair and give claim to a testimony of great victory. But deep within their being, they are torn apart by this 'spiritual schizophrenia.' They have doubts....But the Christian culture 'code of silence' has forced them on a journey of 'Jesus is the answer' without ever having been allowed to ask the questions." Scott Waggoner, (1993).

Beliefs:
As with all large denominations, individual Quakers are religiously diverse. Their beliefs range from Evangelical (conservative) to liberal.

The following beliefs are common to most Quakers:

Friends believe that there exists element of God's spirit in every human soul. Thus all persons have inherent worth, independent of their gender, race, age, nationality, religion, and sexual orientation. Their opposition to sexism, racism, religious intolerance, warfare and the death penalty comes from this belief.
Simplicity, pacifism, and inner revelation are long standing Quaker beliefs. Their religion does not consist of accepting specific beliefs or of engaging in certain practices; it involves each person's direct experience of God.
There is a strong mystical component to Quaker belief. In the moving words of one reviewer of this essay, "In Meeting for Worship, God is there. God is probably always there, but in Meeting, I am able to slow down enough to see God. The Light becomes tangible for me, a blanket of love, a hope made living."
They do not have a specific creed; however, many of the coordinating groups have created statements of faith. The statement by the largest Quaker body, the Friends United Meeting includes the beliefs in: true religion as a personal encounter with God, rather than ritual and ceremony
individual worth before God
worship as an act of seeking
the virtues of moral purity, integrity, honesty, simplicity and humility
Christian love and goodness
concern for the suffering and unfortunate
continuing revelation through the Holy Spirit

Many do not regard the Bible as the only source of belief and conduct. They rely upon their Inner Light to resolve what they perceive as the Bible's many contradictions. They also feel free to take advantage of scientific and philosophical findings from other sources.
Individual Quakers hold diverse views concerning life after death. Few believe in the eternal punishment of individuals in a Hell.
All aspects of life are sacramental; they do not differentiate between the secular and the religious. No one day or one place or one activity is any more spiritual than any other.
Quakers have had a tradition of opposing war. They have followed the beliefs of the early Christian movement which was strongly pacifist. Early Christians even refused to bring charges against others if there was a possibility of the death penalty being exercised. Together with the Amish, Church of the Brethren, and Mennonites, they made it possible for men to be classified as conscientious objectors.

posted August 16, 2006 01:02 PM         

Quote:
To find religion itself, you must look inside people and inside yourself. And there, if you find even the tiniest grain of true love, you may be on the right scent. Millions of people have it and don’t know what it is they have. God is their guest, but they haven’t the faintest idea that s/he is in the house. So you mustn’t only look where God is confessed and acknowledged. You must look everywhere to find the real religion... Living with God is not an apparition but a wordless and endless sureness. Like the silence of two friends together. Bernard Canter, (1962).

European history:
The movement was founded in England by George Fox (1624-1691), a nonconformist religious reformer. At the age of 19, he left home on a four year search, seeking answers to questions which had troubled him since his childhood. He sought guidance from a variety of the country's spiritual leaders. He gradually became disillusioned with those leaders and with the existing Christian denominations. At the age of 23, he heard a voice, saying "there is one, even Christ Jesus, who can speak to thy condition". He felt a direct call from God to become an itinerant preacher and promote the concept of the Inward Light, or Inner Voice. He believed that an element of God's spirit is implanted within every person's soul. He called this "the seed of Christ", or "the seed of Light". Thus, everyone has an innate inner capacity to comprehend the Word of God & express opinions on spiritual matters. The term comes from John 1:9 in the Christian Scriptures: "The true Light, that lighteth every man that cometh into the world." Logical consequences of this belief were:

that every man and woman has direct access to God; no priestly class or "steeple houses" (churches) are needed
that every person - male or female, slave or free is of equal worth
that there is no need in one's religious life for elaborate ceremonies, rituals, gowns, creeds, dogma, or other "empty forms."
Following the inward light would lead to spiritual development and towards individual perfection.

Fox taught his followers to worship in silence. At their meetings, people would speak only when they felt moved by the Holy Spirit. He promoted simple living, and the prohibition of alcohol. He spoke against holidays, sports, theater, wigs, jewelry, etc. They thought of themselves as friends of Jesus and referred to themselves as "Friends of Truth" (from John 15:15). Later, they became known simply as "Friends".

The movement came into conflict both with Cromwell's Puritan government and later with the restored monarchy of Charles II, over a number of points: they refused to pay tithes to the state Church; to take oaths in court; to practice "hat honor" (doff their hats to the king or other persons in positions of power); or to engage in a combat role during wartime. They developed an intense concern for the disadvantaged, including slaves, prisoners and inmates of asylums. They agitated for an end to slavery, and for improvements in living conditions in penitentiaries and treatments in mental institutions.

Fox was greatly persecuted during his lifetime and imprisoned many times. Once, when he was hauled into court, he suggested that the judge "tremble at the word of the Lord". The judge sarcastically referred to Fox as a Quaker; the term stuck, and has become the popular name for the Religious Society of Friends. During the second half of the 17th century, over 3000 Quakers spent time in English jails for their religious beliefs; many hundreds died there. About 1660, a group of congregations were established, called preparative meetings. Once a month, these groups gathered together and held a monthly meeting. Four times a year, the latter groups would hold a quarterly meeting. Finally, all of the quarters would gather annually for a yearly meeting.

North American history:
The first Quakers to arrive in America were viewed as dangerous heretics in many of the colonies. They were deported as Witches, imprisoned or hung. They found a sanctuary in the Rhode Island colony, which had been founded on the principle of religious tolerance. William Penn (1644-1718) and other Quakers played a major role in the creation of the colonies of West Jersey (1675) and Pennsylvania (1682). These colonies were noted for their toleration of minority religious groups, like the Jews, Mennonites, Muslims and Quakers. In 1688, a group of Friends in Germantown PA took a public stand against slavery; this is believed to be the first stirrings within a religious organization of the abolitionist movement in America. Initial opposition towards Quakers eventually waned, particularly after the Toleration Act of 1689. Quakers became accepted as a denomination and many colonies' constitutions exempted them from giving oaths in court. Quakers distanced themselves from society through their simple clothing and plain language (e.g. the use of "thee" and "thou" in place of "you"). As a group, they became well respected for their industriousness and high moral character.

In the years leading up to the Revolutionary War, tensions between Britain and the colonies increased. The Quakers tried to remain neutral. During the war, most refused to pay military taxes or to fight. They became intensely disliked for their stand; some were exiled.

Following the war, a number of Quaker organizations were formed to promote social change in the areas of slavery, prison conditions, poverty, native American affairs, etc. Quakers played a major role in organizing and running the "Underground Railroad" - a system which aided runaway slaves to escape to freedom in the northern states and Canada.

Early in the 19th Century, tensions increased within the movement over doctrinal matters. Elias Hicks from Long Island began preaching the primacy of the "Christ within" and the relative unimportance of the virgin birth, the crucifixion, resurrection and other fundamental Biblical beliefs. In time the movement split between the Hicksite and Orthodox factions. A second schism occurred in the 1840's among the Orthodox group. The Philadelphia Yearly Meeting remained Orthodox, but the remaining Orthodox Meetings split between the more evangelical Gurneyites, and conservative Wilburites. By the early 20th century, the Quaker movement was divided into four groups:

"Hicksites: a liberal wing concentrated in the eastern US, who emphasized social reform.
"Gurneyites": the more progressive and evangelical Quakers who followed Joseph John Gurney, retained pastors, and were Bible centered.
"Wilburites": the traditionalists who were more devoted to individual spiritual inspiration, who followed John Wilbur. They were mostly from rural areas, and retained the traditional Quaker speech and dress.
"Orthodox": the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, a Christocentric group.

The first and second World Wars created a crisis for the movement. Until that time, the Society was a pacifist organization. Any Quaker who became a soldier was ejected from the community. However, during the two wars, some men were drawn up by the nationalistic fervor, and entered the armed forces. During World War II, many American Quakers joined the Friends Ambulance Unit, an unofficial body supported by British Quakers. This allowed Quakers to volunteer as medical and ambulance personnel on the battlefields of the Middle East, India, China, and northwestern Europe. 1,2 This was a particularly high risk assignment. All four branches of the faith joined together at the time of the first World War to create the American Friends Service Committee. This agency allowed many Quaker conscientious objectors to help alleviate suffering while avoiding conscription.

There are about 300,000 members worldwide, including a large group in Kenya. In fact, the greatest concentration of Quakers live in Kenya, where they follow an evangelical interpretation of Quakerism. There are 125,000 in North America. In the United States, they are concentrated in the Northeast and Midwest. Although many had settled in the South during the 19th century, almost all later left in protest over slavery.
http://www.religioustolerance.org/quaker1.htm

posted August 16, 2006 11:29 PM         

I often say Quaker because it is close and my ancestors(Grandparents, back) were Quakers on the Paternal side.

Get this though...
I get from these "form" fools...
"You don't look AMISH!"