God, gods and Quakerism

Thoughts about God, gods and Quakerism.

By Stephen Petter, 16 June 2023

What is wind? We cannot see the wind, only its effects – litter swirling, trees bending, wind-mills turning, clothes being dried, etc. etc. Unless one is scientific, we only know that wind is air that is moving. We do not know what is the composition of air, nor do we understand why it moves. Where is this air coming from and going to? What’s pushing or pulling it? 

I accept that arguing by analogy is dangerous, but I contend that gods are much the same; we see their effects but we do not know what they are nor why or how these effects are produced. So we invent explanations. We might believe that wind is the result of a giant god blowing. The gods are much like people but they have magical, supernatural powers which they may use to affect us and our world in. If there’s a drought, we pray to the rain god, make sacrifices, maybe do a rain dance, hoping the god will relent. If rain comes we praise him and are convinced of the efficacy of our prayers. But if the drought persists we assume our prayers and sacrifices were insufficient. 

Priests, shamans, witch doctors, etc. are people who seem especially wise and spiritual. Maybe they are good at herbal medicine, or astronomy. They offer the most convincing leadership in our relations with the gods and we need them to lead our rites of passage ceremonies. They can wield power over us but they must be careful not to threaten or antagonise civic leaders. 

I accept that this is a rather cynical view of religion. But what I’ve said does not preclude the possibility that gods do exist. After all, there is something which causes wind. 

Our Christian, Abrahamic culture accepted the concept that there is only one god. Although some of the Abrahamic religions refuse to name that god, others gave it a name. Confusingly, it’s “God”. (Sadly, we don’t have a similar nice short word which means the nature and causes of the wind.)

We live in a rational, scientific age, and we hesitate to believe in anything which cannot be proven. We cannot prove that gods or God exists. So I suggest we should apply the term “God” only to the effects which we witness. 

Quakerism asserts that virtues such a love and truth are “the leadings of God”. They also assert that their peculiar form of worship “allows God to teach and transform” them. The founder of Quakerism said “this I know experimentally.” (Today we would say “experientially”.) We see the effects of the wind but we do not know and need not know what caused that air movement. (Don’t be too pedantic! Yes, the wind is caused by pressure differentials, and they are caused by heating and cooling, and the earth spinning comes into it somewhere. But we don’t need to know all that in order to sail a yacht.)

My next question is: what effects or virtues, do we attribute to God? Honesty, truth, love, alms-giving, foreverness, strength, bravery, heroism in battle, strength to take tough decisions such as cutting welfare benefits in order to reduce inflation? Saving the lives of embryos by banning abortion? Here’s where religion does not help. The priesthood, backing and backed by the state, interpret their understanding of their god’s leadings with pragmatism.

Quakers sidestepped some of these difficulties, first by not having a priesthood, second by rejecting many of the demands of the state. They defied social conventions such as tipping one’s hat to one’s seniors on the ground that we are all equal before God. They got into a lot of trouble by refusing to pay certain taxes or to swear loyalty to the king because Christ said, “Swear not at all”. They decided which virtues were most important by reference to the reported teachings and example of Jesus and by discerning the leadings of the Spirit. 

The Spirit (aka the Holy Ghost) is an aspect or attribute or function of God which informs, inspires and sustains one. Quakers say, “We have found corporately that the Spirit, if rightly followed, will lead us to truth, unity and love.” Jesus said, “God is Spirit and those who follow him must do so in spirit and in truth”. 

How? Quakers commit themselves to a form of worship which they say allows God to teach and transform them. That form of worship is incredibly simple. No church steeples, bells, incense, creeds, prayers, robes, decorations, statues nor even processions. Just simply sitting together quietly in a bare room and letting one’s mind perceive “the promptings of love and truth” in their hearts. It may sound too simple to be true. But the proof is in the pudding – Quakers have achieved successes in peacemaking, social justice and the alleviation of suffering to an extent far beyond what their comparatively few number would suggest was possible. Quakers won a Nobel Peace Prize for their relief work after World War II. And though many actual Quakers no longer accept the fundamentals of Quakerism to which I have alluded – still today the Society has a highly regarded reputation. Even though Quakerism rejects most of the common practices of Christianity, “Churches Together in Britain and Ireland” amended their constitution in order to persuade Quakers to join them. Having done so Quakers have held and still hold leading positions in Churches Together. Quakerism is seen as closer to primative Christianity because it is guided by God’s Spirit rather than by a priesthood’s interpretation of God’s will.

[END]

Postscript: Why did “wind” occur to me as a suitable analogy of God? I thought it was only because I looked up while thinking about it, and saw the wind buffeting the bushes and trees outside. But maybe there was a subconscious prompting: “The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” (Job 33.4)

P.P.S. The idea for this essay came to me while I was in meditation earlier today. 

I have another idea about God, somewhat contradictory to this, which I shall share sometime soon.

P.P.P.S. I earnestly hope for feedback – either supportive or to show me where I am mistaken.