Quakers believe that there is something of God in everybody and that each human being is of unique worth. This is why Quakers value all people equally, and oppose anything that may harm or threaten them. They seek religious truth in inner experience, and place great reliance on conscience as the basis of morality.
They emphasise direct experience of God rather than ritual and ceremony. They believe that priests and rituals are an unnecessary obstruction between the believer and God. They integrate religion and everyday life. They believe God can be found in the middle of everyday life and human relationships, as much as during a meeting for worship.
Among key Quaker beliefs are:
Quakers work actively to make this a better world. They are particularly concerned with:
Most Quakers regard The Bible as a very great inspirational book but they don't see it as the only one, and so they read other books that can guide their lives. Holy Days Quakers do not celebrate Christian festivals such as Easter and Christmas. Worship Quaker communal worship consists of silent waiting, with participants contributing as the spirit moves them. Are Quakers Christian? Although outsiders usually regard the movement as a Christian denomination, not all Quakers see themselves as Christians; some regard themselves as members of a universal religion that (for historical reasons) has many Christian elements.
Tolerance is part of the Quaker approach to life, so Quakers are willing to learn from all other faiths and churches.
"Quakers," (actual name: Society of Friends) stood for extreme simplicity in worship and conduct, eschewing ritual, music, titles and elaborate courtesies. Over the years, Quakers have come more to resemble mainstream Christians (they no longer address each other as "thee") but some distinctions remain in their nomenclature. For example, instead of "priest or minister" they have "clerk"; for "church," "meeting house"; for "Sunday," "First Day"; for "congregation," "meeting."
It's widely believed that Quakers must be pacifist, and certainly many have been, but the real emphasis is acting on conscience and the inspiration of God. Quakers number only about 300,000, but have done social good all out of proportion to that small number.
They believe in decisions by consensus, oppose prisons and war. They support social justice and development--the American Friends Service Committee is a Quaker organization.
They believe in equality of all members; make decisions by consensus; oppose prisons and war.
Yes, both the Puritans and the Quakers believed in educating their children. They emphasized the importance of literacy in order to read religious texts and also to understand and interpret scripture for themselves. Education was seen as essential for spiritual growth and for preparing individuals to contribute to their communities.
Quakers did not believe in war.
They did not believe in the other religions
yes they did
The Quakers are Christians, and they believe in the Bible.
No they aren't. I believe they are Christians.
yes
Because they were pacifists, meaning that they opposed war.
During the 1600s, Pennsylvania was primarily settled by Quakers who followed the religion of the Religious Society of Friends. William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania, established the colony as a safe haven for Quakers and other religious minorities seeking freedom of worship.
Quakers believe that it is trough silence that the Holy Spirit is heard and is given the chance to speak.
Quakers thought it was a sin for a human being to own another human being.
They believed in nonviolence and equality.