Friday, January IS, 1971
Quakerism: A Process
by Jeanette Ebel
"Quakerism is more a process
than a belief--a way of seeking
truth rather than a truth. For
Quakers, it's not a doctrine, it's
the way you live your life."
This description of the
religion of the founders of
Guilford College was delivered
by Dr. Cyril Harvey to a group
of Quakers and non-Quakers
gathered in an English Hall rap
session to discuss the religion.
Special guests as the session
were, in addition to Cyril
Harvey, Mrs. Mary Feagins, Dr.
Carroll Feagins, Dr. Ann
Deagon, and Dr. Grimsley
Hobbs, all members of the
Society of Friends.
Carroll Feagins explained
that Friends subscribe to no
creed and that the one belief
that all Quakers share is "the
presence of the divine holy
spirit." "In other words," he
said, "you don't have to get
clearance from the scripture to
respond to the leading of the
spirit of God."
Corporate Worship
Several participants asked the
Quaker delegation to explain
the difference between
meditation, which is part of
most religions, and the uniquely
Quaker silent corporate
worship.
Mary Feagins answered that
compared to worship,
meditation often seems
"circular" and added "I'm not
sure I'm getting beyond myself.
When with a group in
fellowship you are aware of
the fact that it can't be a
circular thing because you are
aware that everyone is seeking
the same thing."
"During worship you become
sensitive to the presence of
others and to your
j
photo by Willson
Dancer Nancy Brock presented a lecture and dance class last week
ijpß
A less weighty Friend
responsibility," Carroll Feagins
added. "The most vital religious
experiences occur when you
don't delgate the responsibility
and you are in a group that
doesn't delegate responsibility.
You realize that if you are
moved you have a responsibility
to share."
Nirvana Selfish
"I don't want to go off into a
corner with God," Ann
Deagon said defending the
corporate worship experience.
"1 feel joy at hearing a fellow
human speak."
The sharing of the worship
experience means more than
attaining "salvation or
Nirvana " Ann Deagon said and
Cyril Harvey agreed. "1 was
eleven years old before 1 heard
the word 'saved.' I remember
THE GUILFORDIAN
thinking that it sounded very
selfish."
Cyril Harvey explained the
format of the "Meeting for
Worship" for those who had
never attended one or had never
realized that the meeting has a
definite form
The meeting usually lasts an
hour, he said, although some
groups hold longer meetings.
Tire exact length of the meeting
is set by the member designated
to break the meeting with the
traditional handshake which is
passed around the group at the
close of each meeting.
Worshipers gather and sit in
silence. Seldom does anyone
speak in the first ten minutes,
Cyril Harvey explained.
Although individual
contributions are customarily
surrounded with silence, the
short speeches taken as a gestalt
form a meeting with continuity.
"An idea developes and
becomes alive."
The Peace Testemony
Carroll Feagins spoke of the
"peace testimony" for which
Quakers are well known.
Passivity "does not have the
status of doctrine," he
explained. Individuals are
encouraged to reach a decision
concerning their personal
attitudes toward violence and
war in the knowledge that their
meetings "must support them
for their sincerity."
The Friends explained that
the Society of Friends is
evangelical only in the sense
that they are willing to share
their worship experience s with
all. The group expressed that
Friends never ask "seekers" to
become "members" of a
meeting so that each individual
might make a decision to join
the Society of Friends
individually.
Anyone is welcome at any
Friends meeting for worship,
theyexplained, and invited all
to attend the Friendship
Meeting which meets for
worship each Sunday at I I a.m.
Caps and
Gowns
continued from page 2
How can the educational
environment of Guilford
campus sparkle even more with
the electricity of ideas and
understandings which come
from around the world?
USE the money normally
allotted for caps and gowns at
graduation for aid to foreign
students! They need the aid
because America is the most
expensive country in the world!
It takes three hours of work
here in Finland to buy one loaf
of bread in America. That
money is on hand; itt's not
essential for preservation of
world peace, for hate and war
don't remember to look at
graduation photos before they
strike.
Here is one small
opportunity for all the seniors
to demonstrate by deeds and
not just words, that they truly
are trying to be a
part of the solution.
Vicki Wyszynski
University of Tampere, Finland
Kissing: The Killer Deed
America is about to reach a
major crossroad in the highway
of life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness. We all know of the
rising tide of illegitimate births,
veneral disease, abortions, and
mononucleosis. We must get to
the root of this problem and dig
it out before it comes into full
blossom. This is the problem of
the kiss.
This seemingly innocent pro
position may be offered to you
by a "friendly" stranger, but
beware! In it lurks crime, in
sanity, and death.
Although kissing in itself may
be perfectly harmless, it is an
indisputable fact that it leads to
other things. Over c )B% of all the
illegitimate births in this country
were the result of getting turned
on by that first little kiss.
Concerning those people who
frequently indulge in kissing,
there is conclusive proof that
they become psychologically de
pendent on the act. In their
ecstacy, their guard is relaxed
and they overlook the imminent
hazards that they are toying
with. Some, in their insatiable
search for that elusive kiss, even
Africa This Summer
continued from pg. 1
for off-campus seminar
experience as well as I luce
hours for independent study if
it is arranged in advance with a
Guilford faculty member.
Second semester, Gilbert
Mbeo and Bennett Udoto will
be teaching program
participants basic Swahili. In
addition, there will be study
sessions on Kenyan culture.
During their first week in
Kenya, students will spend a
week in Nairobi attending
lectures and discussions on the
development of Kenya as a
nation.
The group will then
participate in a six-week work
project at a site approved by
the Kenyan government in
co-operation with the Friends
United Meeting, Kenya.
For three weeks () ' I ' lC
seminar students can pursue
their independent studies as
desired. Locations for this
study will be determined in
advance.
The Kenyan ambassador to
the U.N., Mr. Odcro-Jowi. will
visit the Guilford campus the
weekend of February sth. Mr.
David Scull, president of
Partnership for Productivity--a
volunteer program for training
Letter
The General
To the Lditor:
While pondering the recent
rise of affluence in certain areas
of the campus, we at Guilford
feel compelled to apply for any
discarded remains that might
have been seen as unsuitable for
further use by these areas. As
the new additions were credited
to the General Fund, we, being
of the General, would like to
collect our part of the Fund.
Hopefully yours,
Lynn White Sally Hay
Julie Jones .Judy Kinlaw
by David Musser
become apathetic and lose am
bition toward their health,
home, and job. This is Un
amerikan.
Stringent legislation must be
enacted if we don't want to see
our Amerikan dream go up in
smoke. Even first offenders,
usually those who kiss out of
curiosity, must be dealt with
severely (for their own protec
tion). We must make sure that
the first step is not taken. Most
offenders are between the ages
of 16 and 25. We must, above
all, protect these, our susceptible
youth. A conservative estimate is
that 50% of our college students
have tried kissing, and that at
least 30-40% of these students
may be considered "regular
users." The Pentagon says that
even our boys in Vietnam are
doing it. At many rock festivals,
public kissing was widespread
and authorities overlooked it
completely.
Not enough is known about
the long term effects of kissing,
but one thing is for sure-we had
better do something about it
quickly before our whole coun
try goes to pot.
Kenyans-will visit Guilford on
February Blh. Both men will
help finalize the project plans.
As the plans are now, the
group will leave the U.S. on
June 10 th and return on
August 25th. The minimum
cost is expected to be $750.
The project is still open to
interested, committed students.
For further information,
contact Robert Shaffer at
299-9953.
SUINY Peace
Corps- Dejjret
The State University of New
York, College at Brockport, is
looking for students who want
to earn college credit while
preparing to teach mathematics
and science as Peace Corps
volunteers in Latin America.
Peace Corps and college
officals announced today that
the unique Peace Corps/ College
Degree program at Brockport
will be extended with the
admission of a fifth group of
candidates in June, 1971.
The decison by the Peace
Corps to extend the
four-year-old program, was
made after a comp r,,,l " nviw 's
evaluation in which uraduates
of the program servin e as t'eace
Corps volunteers in Peru,
Colombia, Fl Salvador,
Honduras and the Dominican
Republic were interviewed
along with their host country
counterparts and overseas Peace
Corps staff.
The program is open to
students who are in good
standing at any accredited
college or university and who
will have completed their
sophomore or junior year by
June, 1971.
Applications must be made
to the Peace Corps/College
Dregree Program. State
University College at
Brockport, Brockport, New
York 14420 by March 1.
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