Pax Ahimsa Gethen
1 min readFeb 14, 2023

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It's true that there are differences between liberal, conservative, and evangelical Quaker meetings, but It's a bit more nuanced than you describe. At the San Francisco Friends Meeting I've been attending, we do use phrases like "Please hold Joe in the light" during the sharing of joys and sorrows. But when individuals give ministry during silent waiting (or worship), some of them do reference God and/or Jesus. Words like Light and Spirit aren't meant to be euphemisms, but different ways of talking about the divine.

I'm still getting used to some of the specifically Christian language, but I accept it as Quakers have no creed, and my meeting accepts me as an openly queer trans atheist. However, Quaker meetings in the evangelical tradition, in Africa and some parts of the U.S., would not be welcoming to someone like myself. And those Quakers outnumber liberal Friends, with more in Kenya than the rest of the world combined. So I'm mindful of that as I decide whether or not I want to apply for formal membership in a Friends meeting.

P.S. Some Friends do have evening meetings, so if that's the only thing stopping you from returning, you might see if there's another local meeting or try attending one over Zoom.

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Pax Ahimsa Gethen
Pax Ahimsa Gethen

Written by Pax Ahimsa Gethen

Queer agender trans male. Black vegan atheist, pacifist. funcrunch.org, patreon.com/funcrunch

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