TwoSides to Every Story

Just a few minutes ago, I read an essay from Friend's Journal which debunked the William Penn "Carry the Sword" anedote. The author (and I apologize that I lost the e-mail when I went back to find the author's name) reminds us of the zealous belief of early Friends and how George Fox would have felt the need to take a more zealous stand in regard to the non-violence doctrine when with William Penn. And speaking of 'doctrines' the essay went further to take a more nuanced look at the Hicksite/Orthodox split which I have never really understood, but of which I now have a somewhat clearer picture. Apparently in the "free thinking" Hicksite meetings which were heavily on the side of the individual conscience and individual understanding of the voice of God speaking from within, things were said that Orthodox Friends found both "UnFriendlike" and insupportable and so they veered more towards an old style Friends approach, more self-contained, more orthodox, more in line with the religion as it had evolved. What surprised me was that they had gone so far as to "strike-off" those in each side who disagreed with the other side.

It strikes me as particularly interesting in this age when our nation is so clearly, evenly, and deeply divided by values and passions. Whether or not the episode ever happened in regard to George Fox admonishing William Penn to"Carry the Sword as long as you can," the anecdote is still a useful one in explaining the tolerance in allowing people to follow their own conscience but it is also true that the effort at persuasion, or intervention must not be neglected.

Lately there is a new movement in regard to coping with loved ones experiencing alcoholism. It used to be said that you had to let them "Hit bottom." Then they would have to rescue themselves. Many family members found this a hard and cold choice to make. New theories say you could lose your loved one to death before they hit bottom and that on the way to the bottom they often take everyone with them, and that intervention is a better plan. But what kind of intervention? Loving persuasion, patient support, provision of useful support strategies, phone numbers, connections and so on, are suggested. This seems to me a kinder approach, a kind of Hicksite approach.

This also reminded me of the diary of Anne Whitall which I transcribed from a typed copy onto the computer so people could access it. She was often criticized as a complainer and a strict zealot and indeed she had complaints which to the modern mind seem nagging and trivial. But we take her out of context. She did believe as she had been taught to believe, in hell and damnation and the personal struggle to live a righteous and pious life. She struggled with it with herself and she struggled to intervene and remind her loved ones of this necessity as well. Anne would have been an Orthodox Friend.

It is interesting how as the saying by Faulkner goes, "The Past is never dead, it's not even past"

Happy Trails, Jo Ann wrightj45@yahoo.com