Comparison with Quakers
It is instructive to observe IofC’s similarities with the other group with which I’m also much involved. ‘Quakers’ also have a strong Christian foundation, in their case from several centuries ago. Likewise, the ethos and message has evolved more universally. For some, the Christian roots and beliefs are primary. The fact that others are following a more non-theistic journey has caused disquiet.
One perspective I found helpful was from a booklet by Brian Holley: ‘Why silence? Revisiting the foundations of Quaker worship’. In it he refers to a deeper encounter with silence, as ‘soul-silence’. He writes:
“It is better to leave the mystery as a mystery without definition, without labels. Clearly, George Fox (the Quaker’s founder) had been seeking something within a Christian context and, having found it he interpreted it in a Christian context. But we now have evidence, which he did not, that the experience is common to humans of every religion, as well as those who have none, so the context is not important. Whether you are a theist, non-theist, agnostic or atheist need not affect your experience of ‘soul-silence’. However, if we want to label it, there is a danger that it may diminish our experience of it. By labelling it we will only ever be able to think of it within the confines of our label, which is perhaps why, once belief in traditional Christianity began to wane among Quakers, the experience did too. The experience had been too closely associated with the label.”
This points to, what I believe to be, a more convincing moral and spiritual worldview, based on a heart thing rather than a head thing. As one of my friends says, “I am committed to action not words, to beloving not believing.” Indeed, the hearts of the vast majority of us go out to present-day refugees, who are the victims of conflict. We deeply sympathise too with the terrible experiences of people caught up in natural disasters like recent earthquakes, floods and droughts. This compassion seems to be embedded in our hearts, because we are human beings, irrespective of our religious or other beliefs.
‘Faith’ can be thought of from two perspectives. I was struck some years ago listening to Jonathan Sacks (former Chief Rabbi), quoting Timothy Ferris who wrote in ‘The Whole Shebang’: ‘All who genuinely seek to learn, whether atheist or believer, scientist or mystic, are united in having not a faith, but faith itself.’ That puts emphasis on the 'trust' aspect rather than the 'belief' aspect of faith. With this understanding, faith is something that transcends religions and other belief allegiances.
So, is it the ‘human experience’ that a Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, agnostic or atheist more basically and naturally resonates with rather than doctrinal beliefs? Should we, therefore, more fruitfully explore ‘human experience’ (Shared Humanity) as a uniting factor rather than focusing on beliefs? I sense that this has been the deeper uniting force of IofC anyway.