Religious Society of Friends
From Conservapedia
The Religious Society of Friends, colloquially Quakers, is a religious denomination founded by George Fox in the 1650s. There are approximately 300,000 Quakers today worldwide.
George Fox described himself as Christian and so do many, but not necessarily all, Quakers.
Quakers believe in direct revelation, often referred to as the inner light or, in Fox's words, "that of God in everyone." Traditional Quaker meetings take place mostly in silence, with individual members standing up to speak when they believe they are moved to do so by God. Margaret Fell wrote that Fox had said
- the Scriptures were the Prophet's words, and Christ's and the Apostle's words, and what, as they spoke, they enjoyed and possessed, and had it from the Lord and said, then what had any to do with the Scriptures, but as they came to the Spirit, which gave them forth. You will say, Christ says this, and the Apostles say this but what can thou say? Are thou a child of Light, and have walked in the Light, and that thou speaks, is it inwardly from God?
Quakers are traditionally pacifists, the Society of Friends being, along with the Mennonites and the Plymouth Brethren one of the historic peace churches.
Historically, Quakers were a nonconformist body. In the early twentieth century, many Quakers began to drop traditional Quaker folkways such as plain Quaker dress ("Quaker grey") and "plain speech" (particularly the use of "thee" and "thou") and replace them with modern interpretations such as not "dressing up" to attend meeting for worship.
A series of divisions has resulted in Quakers being organized into four branches. The Friends General Conference is theologically liberal, sometimes seeking truths from non-Christian sources. They practice “unprogrammed” worship: meetings are conducted in silence, without clergy. Friends United Meeting is more avowedly Christian. They generally practice “programmed” worship: meetings are guided by clergy, with or without a silent component. Evangelical Friends International also practice programmed worship. They are similar to other evangelical Christians in their beliefs, although they generally do not observe the sacraments of communion or baptism. Conservative Friends are theologically conservative and Christ-centered, acknowledging the authority of Scripture. They practice unprogrammed worship, and many also practice traditional plain dress and speech.
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Testimonies
Quakers around the world hold a wide range of theological views, but value what are called Testimonies. These are often taught using the acronym SPICE, standing for Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, and Equality. Some friends also include other testimonies such as Compassion and Stewardship.
- The testimony of Simplicity concerns the adoption of an unostentatious life style and a restraint on conspicuous consumption. Quakers have been traditionally inclined to thrift and temperance, and unlikely to engage in gambling and financial speculation, though there have been very many successful businesses run by Quakers. Recently there has been a renewed emphasis on the dangers of smoking and the misuse of drugs.
- The Peace testimony is probably the best known. Friends usually refuse to support war as a means of settling disputes. Most oppose the arms trade, conscription, and the threat of nuclear war as a deterrent. They promote reconciliation, mediation and conflict resolution rather than revenge and retribution or the use of violence to achieve desired objectives.
- The testimony of Integrity requires strict honesty and truthfulness, mutual trust and fidelity in our relations with other people. Friends are greatly concerned about truth and integrity in public affairs. As part of this testimony, most Friends refuse to swear an oath, believing that their word should be equally truthful whether they are on oath or not. Friends normally affirm if required to give evidence in court. The testimony of Integrity also includes a testimony of Stewardship, which focuses on conservation of the environment as a concern for 'the integrity of creation'.
- The testimony of Community, along with the testament of Equality means that Quakers have generally been at the forefront of penal reform and opposition to capital punishment, emphasising the need for rehabilitation rather than retribution. Community also includes Compassion, which includes the traditional Quaker concern for the relief of suffering due to famine, natural disasters and war. More recently concern for situations nearer at home have emerged, especially for homeless, disadvantaged or elderly people and those who are particularly vulnerable, such as political prisoners, those with AIDS and those who are addicted to drugs. Compassion for animals has led to opposition to factory farming and other forms of cruelty.
- The testimony of Equality emphasises social equality and the need to accept every person individually, and not to regard anyone only as a member of a class or category. Friends oppose discrimination or exploitation on the grounds of creed, race, sex, sexual orientation, mental or physical ability, age or social status. This testimony also seeks a fairer distribution of wealth, and equal opportunities for employment and education, and in housing and health services.
These testimonies stretch back to the roots of Quaker history, but the way they are adopted by Quakers is as individual as Quakers themselves, as can be seen in a footnote to the Letter from the Elders Gathered at Balby, 1656 which says: "Dearly beloved Friends, these things we do not lay upon you as a rule or form to walk by, but that all, with the measure of the light which is pure and holy, maybe guided: and so in the light walking and abiding, these may be fulfilled in the Spirit, not from the letter, for the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life."
"Let us then try what Love will do"
William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania, was a well-known Quaker, who demonstrated Quaker principles in his dealings with the Indians. In 1693, in his "Fruits of Solitude" he wrote:
- "A good End cannot sanctifie evil Means; nor must we ever do Evil, that Good may come of it. ... It is as great Presumption to send our Passions upon God's Errands, as it is to palliate them with God's Name. ... We are too ready to retaliate, rather than forgive, or gain by Love and Information. And yet we could hurt no Man that we believe loves us. Let us then try what Love will do: For if Men did once see we Love them, we should soon find they would not harm us. Force may subdue, but Love gains: And he that forgives first, wins the Laurel."
Peace Work
The Religious Society of Friends has historically been respected by all sides as mediators, because of their commitment to peace. In 1947, the American Friends Service Committee was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Recently, the AFSC made a trip to Iran, which followed a meeting in September 2006 in New York City with other faith leaders and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of Iran. At that meeting, President Ahmadinejad issued an invitation for the dialogue to continue in Tehran.
Accordingly a delegation from AFSC, together with the Mennonite Central Committee, became the first official U.S. delegation to meet with an Iranian president in Tehran in almost thirty years.
Mary Ellen McNish, General Secretary of the AFSC, commented of this visit:
At that meeting, I realized just how important it was for us to establish lines of communication, of dialogue, of respect. If we cannot talk with those who oppose us, how can we ever find opportunities for improved relations and pave the road to peace?
Coming to the table does not mean that we agree on all or even fundamental issues. Dialogue is not a reward or validation of someone's position. It is a means to begin the process of reconciliation.
