Ken Comfort a member of out DQ class e-mailed me this commentary on the class.
We are test driving this material, and I am not sure we really got our point across on Wednesday. but Ken's comments really thoughtful so they appear here. with his permission - Pp


Fox or the other early Friends were not quiet people but were rather outspoken on issues pertaining to truth. The position you gave us about accepting everyone’s truth, in other words “I’m OK, You’re OK” leads to the age of quietism and keeps us there.

Jesus did not walk away from the truth but spoke obediently to it. True prophets obediently speak the truth that God speaks to them regardless if it will offend the recipient. The messenger is God's vessel to be used as God sees fit. Jesus gave us this example recorded in John 12:49,50: “I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me gave me his own instructions as to what I should say. And I know his instructions lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells me to say!” This is the core Quaker value of communicating God's word and God's truth!!

Dangerous Quakers are people who are in tune with God and God's purposes. Dangerous Quakers are not afraid of what someone might do to their physical body because they stand for this truth. Dangerous Quakers are willing to suffer for the gospel and for the truth that God speaks. Speaking out can have many forms such as; quiet protest, not conforming to senseless practices, and even prophetic exhortation. Speaking out takes on many forms - except backing down from the truth that God instructs.

It is important to remember that it is God's Word heard directly (I do not necessarily mean the Bible), that we are to pass on to those who need to hear. This truth has a check in that it does not contradict the ageless truth that God spoke to the prophets in ages past. Dangerous Quakers read and meditate on the scriptures because through them they learn to distinguish God's truth from human perceived truth. Only through the undeniable recognition of the voice of God can we also say; “I say whatever the Father tells me to say!”

Ken