Page 14 - SPRING 2024 News and Views

My Quaker Creed Stephen Feltham

One of the cherished characteristics of Quakerism is that we are a mystical society. We have no priests,
no spiritual hierarchy and no creed. Put any two quakers together and one will never get less than three
points of view!We often face a dilemma when asked ‘What do Quakers Believe?’ There have been as
many different answers as there have been people asking and answering. I must admit to being
inconsistent myself on several occasions and I put that down to the fact that I am human and subject to
the variabilities of the times and even the weather,

I do not propose a change to the rather fuzzy status quo regarding what we believe. (Why upset a happy
state of disorder?), We do have our testimonies and these are often adopted and adapted to suit current
objectives and causes. This often leads to confusion on what we actually believe, especially in the detail. I
feel that sometimes a little consistency, without being too pedantic, would be useful and so I penned
some words for myself recently because it helps me and so I thought it may be nice to share them with
other Friends.

MY QUAKER CREED.

I believe in peace.
Peace is a consequence of non-violence. Non-violence is expressed firstly in thought, then in
words and finally in deeds. The avoidance of violence is the fostering of happiness and happiness
is a path to the alleviation of suffering.

I believe in honesty and integrity.
Honesty without integrity can compromise truth. Many deceptions begin with the
misrepresentation of simple truths. The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth ignores
context, limits understanding and compromises discernment which promotes a risk of violent
thought.

I believe in simplicity.
Simplicity avoids complexity because complexity confounds and confuses. The degree of my
cleverness extends only to simple things. The lack of simplicity promotes busyness leading to
complication and then confusion which debauches integrity.

I believe in equality.
All people are deserving of equal dignity, respect, right to their beliefs and sustenance according
to their needs. All people are equally entitled to compassion as occasion arises. Natural law
ensures a system which may not be comprised of equal measures, but does ensure a balance of
nature, for are we not all part of nature? Our obligation to nature and those who depend upon it
therefore, is not to consume in such measure as to disrupt its balance.

14