Quakers

The other day I was reading a book that mentioned the Stillwater "sect/religion/church" founded by Tasha Tudor. The book said it was a mixture of Quakers, Shakers & Amish beliefs... I blithely went searching on the internet for more information and came up with pretty much nothing... But I did get interested in seeing what some of the other groups believe...

The Amish I know a little bit... they pretty much reject all modern conveniences and still have horses and buggies...

The Shakers made some cool furniture and houses... there aren't that many of them today... and they seem to have been an offshoot of the Quakers...

The Quakers... Well, I thought that they dressed funny and ate a lot of oatmeal! Turns out that my story about them is just that... a story! I did a bit of research... and I like what I read! Quakers basically believe that each person can have a direct, unmediated relationship with God. Their weekly meetings are held in silence and if the Spirit moves someone to speak, then they speak. They don't have a heirarchy at all... They don't believe that scripture is the last word, but that there is ongoing revelation.  They believe that each of us has the Inner Light, which should be a primary source of guidance. They are pacifists. They believe that all are equal before God. They are mystical, but it's not an individual mysticism but a group mysticism. So, revelations from the Inner Light or Inner Voice can be tested by the group...  The inward journey to communion with God is coupled necessarily with an outward manifestation, in the way one lives one's life. They are open to other religions and the wisdom contained therein. Few Quakers believe in the eternal punishment of individuals in hell. They don't have sacraments but see the entire word as sacramental and revelatory. The Quakers run the gamut from conservative to liberal and don't have a creed per se... This is just an overview... and given that the Quakers are quite diverse... not necessarily true for all of them! What I find interesting, is that I can agree with pretty much everything that I read... Mind you, given that they don't practice baptism, technically the Catholic Church would not see them as "Christian"... interesting...

http://www.religioustolerance.org/quaker2.htm

http://www.quaker.org/friends.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/subdivisions/quakers_1.shtml