Manasquan Minutes

We, the members of Manasquan Monthly Meeting, present this minute on the issue of discrimination whitin the Friends United Meeting (FUM).

Our commandment from God is to love God and to love one another, a personal policy that discriminates against people on the basis of their sexual orientation ignores the Light of God found equally within all loving persons and their relationships.

Manasquan Meeting is troubled by the personnel policy of FUM. We find it to be contrary to Friend's testimony as to that of God in every person.

Our commitment to Quaker values of integrity and equality leads us to encourage continued and prayerful dialog between New York Yearly Meeting and FUM.

 

Manasquan Friends Meeting is saddened by the need to draft a minute condemning torture by the U.S. government. We as Friends reaffirm our belief of that of God in everyone and abhor the torture and abuse of any people, for any reason and in any place. We join other Meetings in support for Friends’ active witness in the effort to end the use of torture.

We believe torture can never be justified as a means of control or of extracting information from those deemed enemies. Torture demeans the humanity of the torturer, the tortured and all the others who are associated, directly or indirectly.  It degrades the moral authority of governments that pursue it.

Our government agencies and military must not train, must not order, and must not allow anyone to inflict pain or humiliation on any prisoner.

The Quaker Initiative to End Torture (QUIT) is a step toward the end of torture as policy.  Manasquan Meeting will hold this Initiative in the Light.