2

the Friend INDEPENDENT QUAKER JOURNALISM SINCE 1843

CONTENTS VOL 170 NO 8

3 Thought for the Week:

Minimum pricing of alcohol Helena Chambers and Tim James 4-5 News 6 Marginalising religious education Jan Pawson 7 What is the Society for? Bob Johnson 8-9 Letters 10-11 Marriage equality? Symon Hill 12-13 Quakers and creation:

Quakers and the Green Bible Stuart Masters 14-15 The pilgrimage paradox Rowena Loverance 16 q-eye: a look at the Quaker world 17 Friends & Meetings

Cover image: Wedding ring. Photo: CubanRefugee / flickr CC. See pages 10-11.

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Roya courtesy the

Photo

Joan Mary Fry is one of the ‘Britons of Distinction’ featured in a set of ten stamps released on 23 February. The British Philatelic Bulletin reads: ‘Born into a rich Quaker family in London, Joan Mary Fry grew up to become a Quaker relief worker and social reformer who exercised a lifelong commitment to pacifism and social justice… On the outbreak of world war one, Fry became a prison chaplain. She supported and befriended many conscientious objectors and championed them at tribunals and court martials. Straight after the war she took the bold move of visiting the defeated Germany with other Quakers, despite initial opposition at home. They set up food-distribution networks, in recognition of which the University of Tuebingen awarded her an honorary doctorate. In the 1920s Fry worked in the coalfields of South Wales, where she established food centres for the children of unemployed miners. She also advocated vegetarianism and took up the cause of The Friends Allotment Committee, which allowed people to grow their own food on unused land without losing unemployment benefit.’

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Editorial

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the Friend 173 Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ Tel: 020 7663 1010 Fax: 020 7663 1182 www.thefriend.org Editor: Ian Kirk-Smith editorial@thefriend.org • Sub-editor: Trish Carn trishc@thefriend.org • Production editor: Elinor Smallman production@ thefriend.org • News reporter: Symon Hill news@thefriend.org • Arts editor: Rowena Loverance arts@thefriend.org • Environment editor: Laurie Michaelis green@thefriend.org • Subscriptions officer: Penny Dunn subs@thefriend.org Tel: 020 7663 1178 • Advertisement manager: George Penaluna, Ad department, 54a Main Street, Cononley, Keighley BD20 8LL Tel: 01535 630230 ads@thefriend.org • Clerk of the trustees: Janet Scott • ISSN: 0016-1268 The Friend Publications Limited is a registered charity, number 211649 • Printed by Headley Bros Ltd, Queens Road, Ashford, Kent TN24 8HH

the Friend, 24 February 2012