Quakers to allow gay marriage

Wow! (http://uk.news.yahoo.com/21/20090731/tuk-quakers-agree-to-allow-gay-weddings-6323e80.html)

[kittyboy]

Wow - for those who want to get married to their same sex partner..that is good news.

Wow -- GF and I , I think agree on something.

GF - Thanks for the post.

Love their oatmeal.

[kittyboy]

Love their oatmeal.

They needed money for a few barn raisings and sold out to Pepsi years ago.

It is another good sign of the greater acceptance of gays and lesbians.

[Khor tose]

Wow! (http://uk.news.yahoo.com/21/20090731/tuk-quakers-agree-to-allow-gay-weddings-6323e80.html)

Yes, it is a tremendous thing. The Quakers only reach a decision after the entire congregation comes to an agreement. They take years and years with one man/women speaking at a time. In between speakers on the subject they pray. No consensus then the subject is broached another day. When one congregations reaches consensus they report to the national and when the vast majority of the congregations reach consensus then the National announces their church's new position. It is quit a long drawn out process, but it is democracy at its purest.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consensus_decision-making

I hadn't realised that, Kt. The most surprising thing, to me, is that one of the supposed most conservative Christian sects should be one of the first to be so forward looking, and that makes it all the more surprising....and all done without lobbying, marches, protests or banner waving, just plain common sense. How refreshing.

[Khor tose]

I hadn't realised that, Kt. The most surprising thing, to me, is that one of the supposed most conservative Christian sects should be one of the first to be so forward looking, and that makes it all the more surprising....and all done without lobbying, marches, protests or banner waving, just plain common sense. How refreshing.

You need to google the Quakers. Religious yes, but not conservative when it comes to social issues. The Unitarians, The United Church of Christ and the Quakers are the most socially progressive churches in America. However, the Church of Christ accepted gay marriage in the 1990's and the Unitarians were one year behind them, In took the Quakers another 15 years to reach consensus, even though, the majority favored it for years.

[Brad the Impala]

Although welcome, it isn't that surprising, as Quakers have frequently been at the forefront of social activism. They were involved in the early days of homosexual and women's rights. They are conservative in their attitude to promiscuity, but not in their attitude to what constitutes a marriage.

As to this being achieved without lobbying or campaigning, I think that Quakers could hardly have been unaware of the campaigns and progress of gay rights. In addition there was a specific Gay and Lesbian Quaker group, formed thirty years ago, that worked within the Quaker movement to extend awareness of the issues.

I don't think that the Quakers, any more than any other religous group, woke up one morning and decided to legalise same sex marriage. This is the result of decades of discussion.

Hey, even Albania is now considering legalising gay marriage! Celebrate the progress, but don't ignore and belittle the work, or the achievments, of gay rights campaigners.