• Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
    • Access to private conversations with other members.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

Ask Me Anything-About the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)

Tigress

Working-Class W*nch.
The Religious Society of Friends is a religious sect that is often overlooked, or in some cases, completely unheard of, which is why I started this thread--'Ask Me Anything--About the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)'--inspired by the recent influx of 'Ask Me Anything' threads. I'm no scholar, but I'll try to answer your questions to the best of my knowledge, hopefully giving you a better idea of what we Quakers are all about. :)

(I do realize that Maize posted an overview, and that there is a link thread available, but maybe I can answer for you what they don't).
 

dbakerman76

God's Nephew
I have always had a curiosity about the Friends.

As far as your own practice goes, do you celebrate any holidays?

Also, do you consider yourself a Christian? I have heard of some modern Friends who no longer consider themselves Christian.

Just curious.
 

Halcyon

Lord of the Badgers
(Sorry, this is an aside, are you Quaker Tigress, you're profile says Universalist?)

Do Quakers actually still quake, or has this been phased out?

What do Quakers think of extra-biblical Christian texts, like the Gospel of Thomas?
 

Tigress

Working-Class W*nch.
dbakerman76 said:
As far as your own practice goes, do you celebrate any holidays?

Yes, I celebrate both Christmas and Easter with family, as well as Thanksgiving, all more out of family tradition, and just being able to be with family, than anything else. The Quaker tradition leaves matters of the holidays up to the individual Quaker. Sometimes I feel lead to observe other holidays, like
Hanukkah, for instance, simply for the experience. It can be very enlightening. :)

Also, do you consider yourself a Christian? I have heard of some modern Friends who no longer consider themselves Christian.

I do not consider myself [exclusively] Christian. The reason for this is my universalist beliefs, something not completely foreign amoung todays' Friends.


Halcyon said:
(Sorry, this is an aside, are you Quaker Tigress, you're profile says Universalist?)

Universalist Quaker. ;)

Do Quakers actually still quake, or has this been phased out?

Uhm, some individual Quakers may still quake. lol For those curious about the origins of the term 'Quaker,' here's an excerpt from pendle.net:

The term "Quaker" refers to a member of the Religious
Society of Friends, which is the proper name of the sect.
There are two reputed origins of the term, the first
refers to people "quaking" or trembling when feeling
moved by the Holy Spirit to speak in Meetings for
Worship. The other according to Elfrida Vipont Brown, is:

George Fox was arrested in Derby in October 1650 and

charged with blasphemy. The magistrates who tried him

were Gervase Bennett and Colonel Nathaniel Barton.

George Fox was questioned intermittently over an eight

hour period, during which at one point George Fox told

the magistrates "Tremble at the word of the Lord". It

was Justice Bennett who coined the name "Quakers" for

the followers of George Fox.

What do Quakers think of extra-biblical Christian texts, like the Gospel of Thomas?

Because Quakers have no set creed or dogma, it's difficult, if not impossible, to answer these kinds of questions for all Quakers, however, I do know of quite a few Quakers who've read the Apocrypha, and have found much wisdom to be had in them.
 

seeker69

Member
Hopefully you’re still reviewing this thread. I’ve been on a journey to find my spiritual home for some time now and have found a lot of appeal in the Quakers. I do have a few questions:
1. The Testimony of Simplicity, what exactly does that include now-a-days, obviously you’re allowed to use a computer, but what is, if anything, forbidden?
2. Social Justice: I’ve read in a few places that say Quakers advocate social justice, the concern I have for that is many time that leads to social welfare programs run by the State and paid for by taxes. Is that what the Friends advocate or is it voluntary service?
3. Is the goal/purpose of doing good works and living a Godly life salvation?
Thanks
 

Midnight Pete

Well-Known Member
Are Quakers called Quakers because they used to literally quake, like the Shakers used to shake?

This is actually a serious question.
 
Top