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Family Planning

• Authored by:
• Sister Alegría del Señor

Dear Editor: When I saw Friend Richard Grossman’s letter to the editor on reproduction (Nov-Dec 2014), my heart leapt for joy. I am a contemplative Methodist-Quaker nun living on the north coast of Honduras, and I volunteer once a week at the Public Health Clinic in Limón, Colón. My experiences as a pediatrician are typical of any part-time health care provider in rural Honduras.

On Reconciliation (January 2015)

Snowflakes

• Authored by:
• Molly Wingate

“I don’t want to think about that stuff and I’m not going to write about it either.” John grabbed his backpack and stalked out the door.  I had pushed too hard. It had happened in a moment, and he was gone.

On Insight (March 2017)

Hybrid and/or Embodied Worship (5)

• Authored by:
• Julie Peyton

[This letter was abridged from a longer original, which you can find at: https://westernfriend.org/letters-marchapril-2022]

On Alternatives (March 2022)

Gun Control and/or Civil War?

• Authored by:
• Timothy Jarvis

It is currently popular to call for “gun control” in the United States, especially in the wake of senseless mass shootings that have rocked the nation. However, most proposed “gun control” legislation has at its center the punishment of blameless people for the violent acts of a few. That is, these measures restrict or prohibit gun availability to citizens who have broken no laws, have harmed no one, and have merely exercised their rights under the Constitution to buy and own weapons. Promoters of strict “gun control” often seem to vilify gun owners as a sub-class of humans who do not merit recognition, rights, or respect. This polarizing attitude makes effective communication almost impossible.

On Weapons (January 2019)

Extra Extra Western Friend

John Woolman’s Remedies for a Disease

• Authored by:
• Sister Confianza del Señor

Until a century ago, the term “consumption” referred to the disease we now call tuberculosis (TB). The understanding was that the illness consumed the lungs, which was why people got a persistent cough and eventually coughed up blood. “Consumptive” people were often sent to sanatoriums in the hope of healing and to prevent the spread of the disease to others, but most died. There was no effective medical treatment until the mid-twentieth century. TB is now rare in the United States though it is still a problem in many poorer countries, including Honduras, where I live. At the same time, another type of disease called “consumption” has fully infected wealthy countries like the U.S. and is quickly spreading to other parts of the world. This is the disease of consuming too many products. I am afraid that, without adequate treatment, this illness will continue to consume individuals and societies until all good qualities in our cultures die.

On Wealth (May 2020)

Zoom Fog

• Authored by:
• Nichoe Lichen

Friends who had yearned for the quiet, human-centered, mystical experience from before the pandemic had to tolerate audiovisual equipment.

On Tech (July 2024)

Western Friend Podcast

Guidelines for Indoor Gatherings

Dmitri Mihalas