Among the churches which practice "tithing" -- a kind of taxation a non-profit is allowed to impose in lieu of having the government do it ("separation of church and state" principle) -- the congregants or "flock" may be asked to "pony up" or leave the institution ("in shame" is the presumed threat, as in "excommunicated" or as in "God will not love you anymore").
Quakers were kicked out en masse when they refused to tithe and instead banded together as one of the first "tithe-less churches", changing the name to "meeting" in the process, precisely to get around the stereotypes and misguided notions of what "shared worship" was all about.
The Church of England was top-down in those days, as this short documentary about George Fox and his teachings will attest.
"But if you don't tithe, how can you afford to pay pastors?"
Answer: we don't. All our positions except maybe child care and a couple others of a routine nature are unpaid, volunteer positions. That's how we keep it open to newcomers and old timers alike. I've served on Oversight Committee a lot for example, above the Clerks by design (a supervisory function) and yet never got a dime for so doing, again by intentional design.
We call it "management by rotation" and it makes a world of difference. A typical church becomes top-heavy with administrators mighty fast, and once they control the check book, it's all over. Not so with Friends.
From Facebook this morning, quoting from Bad Quaker (a good web site):
"Some other interesting tidbits about Quakers: Titles of honor; Quakers refuse to use or acknowledge titles of honor. That is to say, titles given to men or women for the purpose of distinguishing them apart or above other men or women. "
My comment: That's all fine and good until they say you deserve a Nobel Peace
Prize. What Quaker is gonna turn that down?
But then who would be so immodest as to accept?
Solution: get the AFSC to do it. Spread the glory, and don't single anyone out as "too special" (the Catholics don't like uppity monks or nuns either).
What Quakers have to offer is not so much reparations, as an alternative to the top-heavy hierarchical organization types that have dominated humanity since Pharaoh and before.
We're not the only ones doing it (praise Allah) e.g. last night's AFSC Liaison Program conference call with Philadelphia was all about a Unitarian technology or format geared towards "non-punishing" forms of healing. We learn from others, they learn from us.
But then who would be so immodest as to accept?
Solution: get the AFSC to do it. Spread the glory, and don't single anyone out as "too special" (the Catholics don't like uppity monks or nuns either).
What Quakers have to offer is not so much reparations, as an alternative to the top-heavy hierarchical organization types that have dominated humanity since Pharaoh and before.
We're not the only ones doing it (praise Allah) e.g. last night's AFSC Liaison Program conference call with Philadelphia was all about a Unitarian technology or format geared towards "non-punishing" forms of healing. We learn from others, they learn from us.
