Olympia Friends Meeting Business

Olympia Friends Meeting feels the deepest sadness and grief for the victims of the catastrophe of September 11, and all the victims across the globe, of war, ethnic cleansing, exploitation, terrorism, unjust imprisonment, torture, and all other horrific acts of violence. They and those that mourn them are in our daily thoughts, prayers and meditations.

In our lives and work we feel deeply connected with our country, and seek a similar connection with every nation of the world. The daily suffering experienced worldwide due to hunger, injustice and terror renews our commitment to a right sharing of the Earth’s resources and the nonviolent resolution of conflicts.

We have living experience of the transforming power of nonviolent response to violence. We oppose war, believing it is the ultimate rejection of God’s creation. We believe that the sources of violence can be exposed and transformed through creative, courageous and unexpected acts that restore justice, heal human relationships and untangle the deep roots of this conflict.

We seek peace and justice through nonviolent means as God would have it for us all.

For 350 years the Religious Society of Friends has refrained from taking part in war.

Do we search for and honor that of God in everyone?

The Olympia Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quaker) affirms its opposition to the death penalty. We believe that every person is of value to God and is sacred. We uphold our historic testimony against the taking of human life, for any reason and under any circumstances. While our sympathies lie deeply with the victims, their families and friends, we also realize the suffering of the families and friends of the criminal. Executions restore no victim, brings no closure to families, and further numbs society to hatred and violence. We support efforts to find alternatives to execution, mindful of the sacredness of every life.

Olympia Friends Meeting affirms its willingness to take under its care the marriage of both opposite and same-sex couples using the traditional clearness process. People asking for marriage under the care of the Meeting should be members of the Meeting or long-term regular attenders. We are aware of the diversity of attitudes toward the term “marriage” and leave to the couple to characterize their relationship.

The Meeting regrets that the State does not recognize same-gender relationships as having the same legal and spiritual status as heterosexual relationships and commits itself to working to change the law so all marriages will be recognized both as spiritual and legal commitments.