Question about quakers

[c a s t i n c r o w n s]

I just would like to know if anyone on here is a quaker and could sort-of explain what they believe. I am in reading about quakers in school and most of my class mates are at the age where they could care less about what people believe and why but I am really interested. If a quaker could reply or a non-quaker who knows about the beliefs of quakers could reply I would be greatful. Thank you!

:+:Lexi:+:

 

[seebs]

I'm a pseudo-Quaker; I attend meetings, and I mostly believe the right sorts of things, but I'm not a formal member.

The reason it's hard to find out what Quakers believe is the aggressive rejection of creeds as necessarily a distraction from the truth. Words can be misunderstood. Would it be a good and moral thing to exclude someone from fellowship, not because his beliefs were wrong, but because he used words a little differently, so he couldn't affirm the words you used for the creed, even though he actually believed the same things you did? How would you even know?

There are several major branches of Quakers. I recommend http://www.quaker.org/ as a good starting point for general information. I personally go to meetings of Twin Cities Friends Meeting[/i].

I can tell you what I personally believe; I can't promise that other people will agree with me. Quakers do not place a great deal of emphasis on doctrinal unity, believing that a certain amount of disagreement is conducive to learning.

One thing I've noticed is that Quakers are by and large much stricter about their personal behavior than most other Christians, but much more reluctant to condemn behavior in others.

Typical beliefs include a VERY strong belief in total equality of all people, commitment to integrity, and a strong tradition of pacifism. Not all Quakers are pure pacifists, but the tendency is very strong, and many would doubt the sincerity of a "Quaker" who promoted war as a solution to a problem.

Famous quirks: Refusing to swear oaths. There's a clear and unambiguous prohibition in the Bible against swearing oaths, which most groups tend to ignore. Quakers tend to take it very seriously, and further observe that, for instance, if you can't trust me to tell the truth unless I've sworn that I'm telling the truth, how do you know I wasn't lying about swearing to tell the truth too? The implication that there are two standards of honesty - a low one for everyday use and a high one for special occasions - is likewise unacceptable.

If you want to ask questions, feel free; you can PM me if you have questions you don't feel like sharing on the board.

 

[Cary.Melvin]

Richard Nixon was a Quaker.

 

[seebs]

I think a lot of people would prefer to forget Nixon's affiliation.

 

[Arnold_Philips]

I attend a meetinghouse here in Austin, and also one in Houston. What do you need to know? I recently wrote 10 pages on George Fox for my Peace & Conflict class if you'd like that, too.


And I think the coolest Quakers were either Thomas Paine (raised as one) or John Dalton (of Dalton's atomic theory).

 

[Word of Peace]

I am not officially a Quaker, but I totally agree with most or all of the orthodox/evangelical Quaker doctrine, and I consider myself to be one. (Incidentally, I've been told by people before who didn't know of my interest in Quakerism, "You must be a member of the Friends.".) Anyway, here's a short description of the Quakers (written by me) - hope it helps.

Quakers

Individual Quakers often differ from each other quite a bit in what they believe, as they rely on their consciences and inner light, rather than a creed, to guide their convictions. However, there are a number of areas where Quakers all agree:

• pacifism - Most Quakers are very much opposed to violence of any kind.
• equality and tolerance - Everyone has equal inherent value in God's eyes, regardless of age, gender, creed, religion, or social status. Quakers were some of the strongest early supporters of the abolition movement.
• compassion - Concern for the suffering and unfortunate. Quakers are generally actively involved in physical aid and social reform.
• We can and should have an intimate and personal relationship with God. God speaks to everyone, and we hear Him to the degree that we listen to His voice. This is a very important concept in Quaker doctrine.
• simplicity - There is no need for elaborate ceremonies, dress, rituals, or dogma - only a life lived for God, and a personal knowledge of and relationship with Him.
• integrity - Quakers value integrity very highly, and strive to be scrupulously honest. Many Quakers refuse to swear oaths - they feel that it indicates a double standard - a higher standard for official conduct, and a lower one for everyday dealings. (While I wouldn't hesitate to swear an oath if the need arose, I agree with this.)
• unity - Quakers go to great lengths to strive for unity and harmony between all members of the community.
• All aspects of life are sacramental - dedicated to God - because one's whole life is dedicated to Him.

Quakers differ between groups and individuals on many areas, such as:

• Abortion: Many liberal Quakers think abortion is OK, but all told, I would say that probably the majority are against it.
• Origin of Life: the majority of Quakers believe in the literal interpretation of Genesis - YEC - but there are also quite a few who believe in OEC or TE.
• Existance of Hell: Most orthodox Quakers usually believe in the existance of Hell, but a lot of liberal Quakers and some orthodox Quakers say that it does not exist or that it is only for the devil and his angels.
• Worship services: Many Quaker meetings are mostly unprogrammed - they fellowship together or sit in silence and commune with God, and only speak when they feel called to do so, and there are no planned sermons, readings, or prayers. However, there are also many meetings that are programmed, similarly to mainline Protestant meetings.

There are 3 main Quaker groups in the USA:

• Friends United Meeting: about 100,000 members worldwide (40,000+ in the US)
• Friends General Conference: about 33,000 members in the US and Canada
• Evangelical Friends Alliance: over 140,000 members in 24 countries.
  

Most of the orthodox/evangelical Quakers have the same basic theological doctrine that mainline Protestants have (areas like original sin, salvation, the nature of God, etc).

A common misconception is that the Quakers are strictly old-fashioned like the old-order Amish - that is, that they reject modern technology and dress in special clothing. This may be true of a few groups, but most have embraced technology, and, while the orthodox Quakers usually dress conservatively, they do not have a strict dress code.

 

[seebs]

Yeah. I'm from one of the "more liberal" Quaker groups. As a general rule, Quakers tend towards treating moral issues as personal; thus, I know a few Quakers who are personally pro-life, but vote pro-choice, wishing to leave these moral questions in the hands of people who are confronted with them.

One common belief, common enough to be called "Quaker universalism", is not that "everyone" is saved, but that some people who don't obviously show Christian faith may nonetheless be saved.

In the FGC groups, I think it's mostly OEC's and TE's. The evangelicals are the most "conservative" group. The FGC groups are often more "liberal".

But... That doesn't necessarily mean they behave all that much differently, but rather, that they differ in what behaviors they expect of others.

 

[kiwimac]

I'm a liberal Quaker. More than happy to answer questions and recommend some reading material!

Kiwimac

 

[c a s t i n c r o w n s]

thanks all u guys for makin me better informed now i can know what im talking about in history! thanks bunches! :+:Lexi:+:

 

[eldermike]

One of my favorite authors is a Quaker. Richard Fosters book, Celebration of Discipline should be the standard reference book for Spirtual Disciplines. Any of you read it?

Mike

 

[Crazy Liz]

One of my favorite authors is a Quaker. Richard Fosters book, Celebration of Discipline should be the standard reference book for Spirtual Disciplines. Any of you read it?

Mike

About 25 years ago!

I also highly recommend his more recent Streams of Living Water, also.