What does the Quaker religion believe about sex? Su Penn offers one possible answer: “Quakers are uniquely qualified to transform how we deal with sex and sexuality in our culture and make it healthy and wholesome.”
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Read Su Penn’s wildly popular Friends Journal article, “We Think He Might Be A Boy”: http://www.friendsjournal.org/we-think-he-might-be-a-boy/
Watch Su Penn’s talk “Let Love Be the First Motion” at the 2014 Friends General Conference Gathering: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6C38ZwQBtHQ#t=3259
More on educating young people about sexuality in a Quaker school from Al Vernacchio in a Friends Journal interview: http://fdsj.nl/al-vernacchio
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Transcript:
The communion that people have during sex is also a communion with God, and it can be—at its best, when it is full of that love and trust—that shared vulnerability which means that you’re taking care of each other, that you’re making it safe for each other to be vulnerable. I think of it as opening little spaces where God can come in, and I think that sex is one of the ways that we open that space. So I also think, then, that sex is one of the ways that we can experience the presence of God.
Quakers and Sex: A Call to Embrace Sexual Diversity
I’m Su Penn, and I live in mid-MIchigan, near Lansing. My primary worship group is the Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Concerns.
Quakers are uniquely qualified to transform how we deal with sex and sexuality in our culture and make it healthy and wholesome. I think that we’re uniquely qualified to do this because we believe in differences among individuals. We believe in individual leadings and, at the same time, we believe in accountability to the faith community.
So we have a lot of practice in our history of helping a person—helping people—to express themselves, their leadings, their personalities, whatever, within the context of a community that is both a support of that and a check on it, in the sense of helping to make sure that what the person is doing is healthy for them, healthy for the community, ideally comes from God, and helps to unite the individual, the community, and God.
Embracing Sexual Diversity
I think that this is exactly what we need around sex, is an openness to all the individual varieties of ways that people practice sex, explore sexually, and that everything from a person who spoke to me the other day who identifies as asexual and wishes people could hear that and not automatically assume that he’s broken somehow (he wishes that people would understand that for him, understanding himself as an asexual person actually is a healthy self-understanding and its a self-acceptance) all the way to people for whom sex is like a vocation (in the good way of being a vocation, something that they put a lot of effort into in their lives and really nurture) and even to people who practice kinds of sex that seem scary or dangerous to a lot of people.
“Sorting out the multitude of right answers”
Having 3 partners in a year, 3 sexual partners in a year, that can be a healthy choice for one person and an unhealthy one for another. And that’s where discernment comes in. That’s why we don’t get to make rules. That’s why we don’t get to say, “No more than one a year! No more than one a decade. More than two in your lifetime is bad.” We don’t get to do that!
We understand that the same answer is not the right answer for everybody. We have a lot of practice at sorting out the multitude of right answers and we have a lot of practice at really really deep listening with open hearts, and I think that those things put together have the power to transform the messed-up way our culture deals with sexuality.
Transcript: http://QuakerSpeak.com/quakers-and-sex-a-call-to-embrace-sexual-diversity
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when i have sex? im a fucking animal. fuck my ancestors I AM monke
as a relatively new Friend who was worried about being welcomed into the community (being that i am trans) as i have found scorn from other religious communities, this is such a lovely and welcoming persepective that makes me feel very in tune with the light inside myself and others. Thank you for sharing!
Su, so Jesus and his disciples, who truly loved each other, could have had sex with each other? That's your reasoning.
I guess in quackerism everything is permitted.
A man and man joining in sex does not represent the communion of God. That's like saying bestiality
As long as you don't touch children, and you/the other person/people are safe..
And sex is wanted by all involved and consent is totally 100% there. Sex should be free to take part in, enjoyed, and seen as that incredible connection of people, the sharing of energy and gods light, especially through true passionate sex.
unsubscribed…(respectfully). This is a slippery slope from what the Bible and Jesus taught. I'm just learning about Quakers and saw an amazing documentary called "That of God in Everyone" on the Quaker history with America's foundation on the "Vision Video" channel, and was very inspired by the Quaker community so I found this channel and enjoyed other content from you, but this isn't it… (respectfully) much love tho!
I could listen to you all day Su
This is so beautiful, thank you as a fellow Quaker for speaking so succinctly. As Quakers we see The Spirit in all & understand that all spirits add to the universal understanding xxx
as a very gay quaker, this hits home.
We should be concerned with things eternal, not the zeitgeist. This is modernity finding it's way into worship. How can promiscuity be in-line with the Divine Light? This is utter nonsense and irresponsible. Pure relativism.
to all the people saying she can't say these things and believe in god but have you ever considered the god she believes in is different from your god? the Quaker beliefs are very much having a god that is beneficial to creating a healthy life for you. you can also be atheist or another religion and also be a quaker so I highly doubt one could assume her god is the christian god and even if it is that she thinks you must follow the bible. she is clearly a Quaker because normal christianity that does follow the bible does not speak to her. I hope more people understand what she says in that having sex no matter how much or how little or who with is wonderful as long as it is safe, consensual adults and they're doing it in a way that makes them happy and comfortable.
comments here are so weird. Like if you don't agree with a religious group why are you watching their videos and leaving negative comments in the first place?
Life for the individual comes down to what they are truly in alignment with and what will serve them in becoming their own best version. As you mentioned, what one is in alignment with can be a disaster for one who isn't in alignment which results in a fragmented being rather than an authentic one. Divine consciousness is more challenging to reach when there is an element of fragmentation within the self.
Why would young people want to join something that mimics the ugly, sinful world around them. We Christians are called to ‘come out’ from this corrupt world. Have Quakers given up on Christianity….a disappointed Mennonite’s view here of a fellow ‘peace church’.
It's too bad we have to figure out what's best by experimentation. If only God had given us some hints. Maybe a book or something.
It's one thing to sin, but it's another to become complacent with or even celebrate the sin. Very disappointing and I expected a higher degree of psychological and emotional intelligence out of the Quaker community to understand that this is indeed persuading and encouraging the weak (children, young adults, those without fully formed identities) to commit such sins. Either the Quakers are in the business of political propaganda or they are logically challenged.
An example of someone creating God in their own image. Overt relativism, no objective standards. No understanding of the real God. I realize God very much rejects this kind of perspective, but God does love this person, even thought her beliefs are contrary to the nature of God. God loves you with a love that you could never understand, but your beliefs causes God to grieve.
I hope you will and seek the true God, Your creator. You will find that he is nothing like your imaginations of Him.
DZ
You have got to be kidding me right!! This has nothing to do with the word of GOD. It's the complete opposite. Y'all need to accept JESUS CHRIST as your lord and savior and repent of your sins and turn from your wicked ways. The only way to the kingdom of GOD is through JESUS CHRIST!!!
hmmmmm? these quakers beliefs quakes my mind…better eat quaker oats. i think i'll find more peace than that than believing in these strange belief. it's like quakers believe in God, but doesn't choose to believe any of His laws, rather than what they think…so to assume things. quakeroatism is believing that they are god themselves and what they think is the right thing. hmmmmm? so that's why gays and lesbians are mostly the members…now i know why it sounds appealing for them.
Evangelical Friends are firm in the conviction that the Scriptures make abundantly clear the sinfulness of all homosexual and deviant sexual acts (Leviticus 18; Romans 1:18-32; I Corinthians 6:9-20). We believe that homosexual tendencies may be
overcome by the grace of God. We also believe that forgiveness for deviant acts may be obtained by sincere repentance and
faith in Christ (Romans 3:22-24; Titus 3:4-7; I John 1:9). http://www.quakerinfo.com/efcerfandp2007.pdf
First, I want to thank you for this video but also have a question if i may ask. My father is quaker, I am Transgender and have transitioned. I haven't seen him in a long time and haven't told him. Not sure if I should because of possible disownment. I don't know much about the religion but I am wondering, Is this religion tolerant to All people, including trans?
I guess all denominations "evolve"
Swingers ?
So do Quakers completely reject Jesus? They need to believe Gods word, not mans word.
I am in the process of learning about Quakerism and I've learned that as much as they would like to be united unfortunately there are two divisions of them. Those divisions are of those who include the Bible and of those who disregard it. I am very attracted to the idea of egalitarianism in the faith as well as being led by the Holy Spirit and acknowledging the A to B communication within that relationship. I like the absence of creeds and the foundation of individuality. However, if there is no rules at all how does any of this have construct to exist. What prevents me from being entirely obnoxious and disruptive at a meeting and claiming it to be the inspiration of God? What keeps me from murder or rape or any other heinous thing? What is the authority which counters my arbitrary stirring and then belief I am acting in God's will? The answer is knowledge that the thing is heinous and that knowledge comes from the Word of God. We ask where our faith aligns with counsel and mostly the Bible to receive right direction. So, then, I would like to know if we agree on as much how I can agree that God's word regarding one thing can be truth while another isn't. To believe that would be to believe that God is not even capable of imparting truth because He has already gotten part of it wrong, or, it is outdated or for some other reason not valid. At some point one has to surrender will or hold fast. We can't reach an opposing wall while refusing to release the doorknob.
Wow…I didn't realize Quakers practice moral relativism..I also didn't realize they don't believe in the word of God.
This video was really inspirational, and I'm definitely moved to comment here to congratulate the work you guys are doing with these resources. I have tried to make some Quaker videos myself on my channel but this database is unrivalled.
As a homoromantic asexual and a Quaker this video is astoundingly affirming and just makes me so PROUD to identify with a faith that preaches this kind of message but also with a faith that can continuously broaden my mind and teach me new ways of viewing and changing the world <3
To have and help make a space in which our sexual practices may be openly spoken of, questioned, affirmed, and held sacred….not easy to do, and Su has taken those first very public steps….in her FGC 2014 plenary and here. thank you Su and Jon Watts!
Is this serious?