One of the first questions people ask me when they know I am Quaker is whether or not Quakers believe in God. If we do this makes us technically a religion and our meetings quite genuinely for worship. If we do not believe in God this would make us in the eyes of other faith groups deficient in some way, more like a shared interest, lobbying, lifestyle or discussion group, a clear break with tradition, and with nothing clearly identifiable to worship. Lately, through a wish to be inclusive, there has been a growing emphasis upon the needs of "Non-Theist Friends" in our Meetings.
Since our Meetings are intended for all people at every stage of their spiritual journey, there is bound to be some variation. A strong emphasis upon honestly inevitably makes us much more open when it comes to expressing doubt. Since we aim to avoid hierarchies in a Meeting, there is now very little distinction between "Seekers after Truth" and Friends who have been "Convinced of the Truth" as there has been in the past. It is not at unusual for Quakers to move in both directions between these stages at various times in their lives. We have Attenders who have been coming and contributing to a Meeting for decades besides those who will stand up during their first visit to happily declare an insight that you had never previously considered and that they have found their spiritual home! In a Quaker meeting it is accepted that every starting point is different and that everyone has something to offer.
This challenge to accommodate so many different views of God need not necessarily drive us apart. It reminds me of a shop in our village which began by selling meat, then decided to stock frozen fish. When it began selling fruit and vegetables, I noticed a very convenient hook outside that might do for a lead, which made it an ideal dog-walking destination. Each time we visited my dog would look sadly at her owner since all the other customers came out with very interesting carrier bags whereas hers had so obviously missed to point of a butchers!
At some point the shop gained an opportunity to market locally produced jam, and for a similar reason shortly afterwards it gained a stock of herbs. Although it is extremely important that all these items are recognised for what they are and stored in the most appropriate location, our village shop is the ideal place to go if you wish to cook a meal from scratch. Some of the merchandise I wouldn't think to buy for myself. There are certain vegetables I have no idea how to prepare, brutally honest areas of the meat counter and little faces peering sadly out of the fish freezer which to my mind look a little scary! In coping with my local shop, I have to accept that the food I consciously choose to avoid might be absolutely ideal for someone else. Likewise I think that it would be very sad if the meat-eaters in my community made an arbitrary decision to ban vegetables. There are just so many different recipes about and every starting point is different.
Just as my local shop is a very good place for those who wish to plan a meal from scratch, it would seem to me that a Quaker Meeting is a very good place for those wishing to use unprocessed ingredients for religion. Our strong emphasis upon truth allows for strong foundations, and since there is no creed we are not going to coerce or exclude an honest enquirer through unrealistic expectations. Although there are so many different ways to sit in a room in silence, we provide a defining and crucial opportunity to worship.
For those Quakers who may feel threatened or undermined by the presence of different views within their Meeting, I think it is important to accept that the only person we can control in this issue is ourselves. We have a choice on how to express both our beliefs and our non-beliefs in Meeting. There is the option of being friendly, and one of being proud in our own convictions, cold and unwelcoming to others. Traditionally we only aim to be patterns, not persuaders. Those times when I struggle to accommodate non-theist ministry in Meeting, I now try to ask myself, "What sort of Quaker are you?"
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