Merion Friends Meeting
HELP US PRESERVE MERION FRIENDS MEETING FOR THE NEXT 300 YEARS
"What I Want You to Know"
Film Screening on Sunday, 11/10/24, at 1 pm
live at Radnor Meeting 610 Conestoga Rd, Villanova, PA 19085
(also available
over ZOOM at this link.)
Join us at Radnor Friends Meeting on Sunday, November 10, 2024, at 1 pm, for a special Veterans Day-Themed event, with a focus on peace and reflection. In collaboration with Merion Meeting, we are screening the film What I Want You to Know, a heartfelt and thought-provoking documentary exploring the profound experiences of veterans and the often unspoken realities of their journeys. Through candid interviews and personal stories, the film raises important questions about war, peace, and the human spirit, making it particularly resonant with Quaker values, especially the Peace Testimony. Note the Film is not suitable for audiences younger than high school juniors/seniors.
The Rev. Dr. Antal is a Unitarian Universalist clergyman whose brief stint as an Army chaplain in Afghanistan came to an abrupt end after he preached a controversial Veterans Day sermon in 2012. Chaplain Antal resigned his officer commission in a public letter protesting US policy. Since 2015 Chaplain Antal has been providing spiritual care to Veterans at the Philadelphia VA hospital, where he has led a community intervention for military moral injury. Following the film Rev Antal will guide the community in theological reflection using the four questions of practical theology: What is going on? Why is it going on? What ought to be going on? What should I/we do next? Quakers attending will reflect on how the film's themes intersect with the Quaker Peace Testimony. This gathering will offer a meaningful chance to reflect, share, and engage in conversation about war, peace, and the veteran experience within the context of Quaker values. Participate over ZOOM at this link.
Also, a Community Healing Ceremony shepherded by Rev. Antal will be available on Nov 21. Event information and registration is available at this link.
Friends Counselling Service is also a resource for Quakers and their families.
Minute Approved by Merion Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends
Merion, Pennsylvania June 9, 2024
Quakers believe that all people have that of God within them. Concordant with this, Merion Friends Meeting calls on the U.S. President and all members of the United States House of Representatives and Senate, to demand an immediate and permanent cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war, along with the return of all hostages and war prisoners.
We further call for the cessation of all further shipments of offensive weapons to the region, and for the redirection of arms funding to the purpose of emergency relief to the people and the rebuilding of civic infrastructure that has been damaged.
The use of violence to resolve conflicts is always wrong: it only begets further hatred and violence in response. What is needed now is a non-violent approach to conflict resolution, including reconciliation and negotiation leading to peace and the well-being of all inhabitants of Israel and Palestine. To this end, we endorse the peace plan put forward by President Biden and call on all our representatives, the government of Israel, the elected representatives of the Palestinian people, and the people of Israel and Palestine to implement and improve upon it expeditiously.
We reaffirm the 1660 Declaration of the first generation of Quakers:
“We…utterly deny all outward wars and strife and fighting with outward (physical) weapons for any end or under any pretense whatsoever; this is our testimony to the whole world.”
615 Montgomery Avenue (Activities Building)
653 Montgomery Avenue (Meeting House)
Merion Station, PA 19066