On the subject of "do Quakers talk?", even though the question was about birds, it is worth noting that sometimes certain unprogrammed Quakers will sit in silence for long amounts of time. You can read about that here: quaker.org/silence-and-worship/
Having been to many of these Meetings, you sit in silence and meditate (for want of a better therm) then anyone can stand up and say whatever they feel compelled to, if they so desire!
Yes, I remember as a child we would have weekly family discussions where all sides were meant to have an opinion so we would begin it (even though we had nothing to do with Quakers concerning faith) with: Quaker meeting has begun No more laughing no more fun If you show your teeth or tongue You'll have to pay a forfeit. That is - when it's your turn you talk, if not, don't talk and don't interrupt anyone when they're talking...
The Quakers are thought on with particular fondness in Ireland, due to their compassion and charitable works during the Great Famine. It wouldn't be unusual in Ireland to hear "they fed us during the Hunger" when referring to Quakers.
As a Liberal (unprogrammed) Quaker (from Pennsylvania, in Poland) I must thank you for your balanced and accurate summary of the Quaker movement. (I enjoyed your humour too!)
I recall a joke told by a Quaker some time ago regarding the difference between "Eastern" and "Western" Friends. (Admittedly, those terms would take a bit to explain.) The Western Friend said to an Eastern Friend: "I heard some shocking things about Eastern Friends. Some of their members drink and smoke." The Eastern Friend responded, "Aye, that's true. But I have heard even more shocking things about Western Friends." "Oh really? What is that?" The Eastern Friend answered, "I have heard that some Western Friends let their sons go off to war."
“Are Quakers still a thing?” Yes. One is typing this reply RIGHT NOW. I find it humorous when people find out I’m a Quaker and are confused because I don’t wear simple dress, drive a car, speak like a regular person, etc. I appreciate this video. It’s a good representation of Friends. It can be challenging describing Quakers to others since there is so much variety between Friends meetings (and even differences between Friends).
I'm a member of NEYM (New England Yearly Meeting of Friends (Quakers)) and the campus we have Sessions at every year serves us Quaker Oats. It's honestly kinda funny
Meanwhile when I became convinced and told my partner they confused us with holy roller Pentecostals and were extremely upset. It took me awhile to explain.
On the subject of "plain dress," I once heard an interesting story that occurred when some out-of-town Quakers attended a local meeting while on vacation. Their idea of "plain dress" was "cheap clothing," which happened to be bright and maybe a big garish. The meeting they attended interpreted it as "dark colors," but may have been made of high quality material of some expense, and so each took offense at what the other wore. I found it funny that people apparently were trying to outdo each other on who was more plainly dressed.
I have been thinking of suggesting this topic for a while now. As a Quaker, I love to see content creators talking about the RSF as there is not much info out there about us!
@@ReadyToHarvest I also really appreciate your care and open mindedness when speaking about our range of beliefs. I am a Christ-centered Friend, but I don't hold to the belief that one must know Jesus in order to live like Him and be saved by Him. So often online, we see some other Christians or other religious groups expressing concern at the fluidity and acceptance of beliefs in the Society. It is refreshing to see someone who I'm certain does not subscribe to the same theology and doctrine, cover the topic of Quakers with an open mind and neutral language! Thanks for that!
@@robertkay6470 I think at times he works hard to hide his disapproval. I'm not sure that's always true because he does a good job of hiding it so it's often hard to tell. But did you see the thumbnail picture on his video of the Jehovah's Witnesses? His facial expression sums it up. Also, he did a video outright stating "neutral point of view is wrong" seeming to imply he sees himself as wrong for being neutral. I'm not sure why he does it. I do, however, greatly appreciate his efforts at neutrality and his incredibly well researched content. His neutral tone is infinitely valuable, however he may be seething internally, and I watch almost every single one of his videos for the value of the content.
It is rare that I can see a chance to correct you, but the Quakers got their name from a sermon by George Fox where he told critics to "quake" at the word of the Lord. It is the Shakers who were named because they tended to "shake" during prayer
It is true that Fox claimed the first use of quaker was from something he said, but various sources don't always put that as the whole story. Encyclopedia Britannica says the following: "George Fox, founder of the Society of Friends in England, recorded that in 1650 “Justice Bennet of Derby first called us Quakers because we bid them tremble at the word of God.” It is likely that the name, originally derisive, was also used because many early Friends, like other religious enthusiasts, themselves trembled in their religious meetings and showed other physical manifestations of religious emotion. Despite early derisive use, Friends used the term of themselves in such phrases as “the people of God in scorn called Quakers.” No embarrassment is caused by using the term to or of Friends today. " www.britannica.com/topic/Quaker
@@ReadyToHarvest I thought the term came from "all men ought quake before God," but agree it became derisive. There was a story about a Quaker being told by a judge "I am (forgotten) and thou art the quaker."
I am a member of the Evangelical Friends Church denomination, and I studied Friends history in college. The first generation of Quakers, including George Fox and Robert Barclay, were explicitly Christian and had a very high Christology. Though it is fair to say that the early Friends were organizationally decentralized and deemphasized creeds and physical sacraments, they absolutely emphasized the deity and humanity of Christ as revealed in his life, death, and resurrection, as well as the ability of the believer to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Fox was exceedingly vocal about this in his journal and preaching, and Barclay developed a systemic Quaker theology that definitely falls within Christian orthodoxy. In fact, the Religious Society of Friends gets its name from the passage in John 15:9-17, in which Jesus calls those who obey him, his friends. Due to the Friends' emphasis on the "Light of Christ" (a reference to John 1:9) indwelling every person and personal revelation from the Holy Spirit, tensions arose among different groups of Quakers in the 19th century over whether Scripture or personal revelation took precedence whenever the two conflicted. One group, called the Hicksites, believed personal revelation took precedence. Predictably, the various modern "Quaker" groups descending from that split drifted ever theologically liberal, including the non-theist "Quakers" mentioned in the video. The vast majority of Quakers today, around 70%, descend from the Orthodox branch that held to the authority of Scripture, the divinity of Jesus Christ, and atonement for sin. These include the Conservative Friends (a loose association of Friends meetings that continue to practice unprogrammed worship), the Friends United Meeting (the largest Quaker denomination), and the Evangelical Friends Church (which is even more explicitly Evangelical, but retains close ties with FUM). I used scare quotes in reference to the non-Christian groups claiming to be Quakers because their fundamental beliefs entirely undermine the founding principles of the Friends movement, and it's incredibly annoying that they receive a disproportionate representation in scholarship and discussion.
"I used scare quotes in reference to the non-Christian groups claiming to be Quakers because their fundamental beliefs entirely undermine the founding principles of the Friends movement, and it's incredibly annoying that they receive a disproportionate representation in scholarship and discussion." This is becoming very common in modern theology, unfortunately.
I grew up Quaker. Thank you for the video, very informative. You could spend a year or more making videos on Quakers and our beliefs because we our so diverse, and there are many branches of Quakers.
Two of my college professors were Quakers, at a mostly Presbyterian school. They both attended a local Reformed church because they either married into that denomination or they liked the community, but they both still identified with their upbringing.
The funniest "Quaker" thing I ever saw was a sign at a neighboring town's high school football stadium. Their "mascot" was the "Quakers" and the sign said "Home of the Fighting Quakers" Now this was more than 40 years ago and there weren't things like cellphone cameras but I always wished I had taken a picture of that.
as a Quaker, ive been waiting for this video! i really hope you'll do a more indepth video on us. i think it would be helpful to explain the difference between programmed and unprogrammed worship in your next video, which is a large division amongst Quakers and was not mentioned here. God bless
Great comment! Quakers have so much to offer. It's one of the true "big tent" fellowships.....and i think we need more such. (i.e. We need fewer dividing lines.) Friends emphasis on the spiritual Word of God is refreshing. I look forward to the next installment.
I was happy to see that you gave Quakers some time. I find it interesting that you mentioned 1/3 are Friends United Meeting and 1/3 is Evangelical but didn't reference the beliefs of the Evangelical branch at all. I only noticed because I am an Evangelical Friend. Overall I think you gave us a fair representation. And believe me I have had to answer the oat and Amish questions nearly once a week. Love your channel keep up the interesting work.
The two by twos/cooneyites also call each other "the friends". The two by twos (who are anabaptist) are somewhat more conservative minded than many Quakers, but they both share a somewhat pacifist mindset historically and a multi ethnic acceptance. Which isn't surprising because the Bible teaches that all are one in Christ.
When I was in the Tenth Grade (1972-1973), our Spanish teacher was a Quaker. She mentioned that Richard Nixon was also a Quaker, but was “read out of meeting” (excommunicated) when he joined the U.S. Navy during the Second World War. She also told us that, at one time, the law did not recognize the validity of Quaker marriages. Under the Quaker procedure, the couple would show up at the meeting and announce that they were moved by the Spirit to be married to each other. The rest of the congregation would congratulate them, and that was that. At least one state (Florida) has a special statute validating Quaker marriages. See Fla. Stat. § 741.07(2). Herbert Hoover was also a Quaker. His wife, Lou Henry, was an Episcopalian, who converted to Quakerism when she married him. Since there was no Quaker meeting house nearby, they were married by a Roman Catholic priest acting in a civil capacity.
@@GerardPerry True. The option to affirm, instead of swear, was not developed for atheists, but to accommodate Quakers and others who take Matthew 5:36-37 literally.
Under Quaker procedure, a couple intending marriage would have to bring their intention before the monthly business meeting, which would name a committee to investigate the fitness of the proposed marriage on a number of criteria. The couple could be turned down, or the process could take several months before everything was cleared and the couple was allowed to proceed with the marriage.
This is great! You could also trace the many fracture lines within Quakerism if you want to dig deeper. Some of the conflicts you listed are conflicts among branches rather than general chaos.
My great grandmother, died in 2015, was a member of the Friends Church in Maine and but attended a Methodist church in Florida because she said it was closest to the Friends Church that she belonged to.
Interesting, one of my ancestors, who was a Quaker also became methodist. I believe he was the last Quaker in the family tree. I heard the Quaker communities may have ended, splintered or migrated at some point for some reason and that caused the change in denomination for some
I grew up in Free Methodist and then we started going to Nazarene. Found out recently that my family was originally Quaker. I'd love to attend a Quaker service.
I find your presentations to be very enlightening and informative. No opinion, no judgment, neither for nor against. Just facts. I like that. I really enjoy your videos and hope you can continue these.
@@Panzerjäger_23 Hi Delta. So, when I read your comment, initially I was a little annoyed. But I'm pleased you wrote it now as, along with some other promptings, it got me thinking. I've been needing and wanting 'more' than I've been getting from lovely Quaker silent meetings, so have been attending a brilliant Baptist Church (here in England) - and, yes, I believe that I will be baptised in the next few months...... 🙏✝️🙂
Seems like a pretty good summary to me. Good to use those quotes from various Quaker organizations. We're pretty good at trying to be as truthful and clear as possible, and I'm impressed by how well the statements you quoted fit with my understanding. The mysterious UA-cam algorithm has given me 3 of your videos so far, and I find them pretty fascinating.
I live outside of Philadelphia and their meeting houses and schools are everywhere. Lots of people enroll their kids in Quaker schools because they have a great reputation for excellent education. There is a boarding school near me where many celebrity kids have gone.
I will never forget my first visits to a FRIENDS FLUSHING NY meeting house circa 1967--1968. I was about 11 years old....I was presented with teaching of "inward light" and the need of quiet worship.
Founded in 1887, the Friends' School, Hobart Tasmania still going today with 1300 students. Upholds Quaker values, I believe it is is the largest Quaker school in the world. I went to school in Hobart (not at the Friends School) some 30 years ago and remember 'Friends School' as having the highest academic and social standards at that time.
Pennsylvania is sometimes called the Quaker State because the first proprietor of the colony, Willaim Penn, was a member. The list of historic Friends includes two US Presidents: Herbert Hoover, and Richard Nixon.
This is a very balanced discussion of Quakerism. However, you could have discussed how some Quaker meetings meet in silence, while others have meetings that will include singing and a sermon by a pastor. The silent meetings have no pastor, just a clerk.
Quakers, all Quakers believe in the SPICES. Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality, and Stewardship. This includes nontheist and liberal Quakers. Unitarian Universalists are vague about what their philosophy is and even when Quakerism is vague about that, you always have those SPICES to go back to. UU’s don’t, explicitly or implicitly.
Quakers have no leader who tells everyone else what to do. Nobody preaches at the Quaker meeting I go to. We talk to each other, enjoy silence and eat together.
I was in Quaker ministry in Indiana for about ten years and I have many good memories of it. At the same time, the subjectivity and relativism of doctrine and “the Light” were so frustrating that I am glad to be out of the RSF. Your video is excellent and presents Quakers as they are. Thanks for the information and for the reminder of why I left.
@@prayunceasingly2029 part 1) Yes, I became pastor in a small, nondenominational church; part 2) George Fox’s teaching on the Light predate JWs by a couple centuries.Fox tended to spiritualize everything in reaction to the ritualism and religious conflicts of the English Reformation. Fox and other early Quakers clearly identified the Light as Jesus Christ (as the New Testament does). They also took the Lamb as a major representation of Christ (as in the “Lamb’s War”). In the late 1700s and early 1800s, universalism took hold and the Light became more ambiguous. Major divisions occurred in the early 19th century between Wilburite (traditionalist), Gurneyite (Orthodox) and Hicksite (universalist) factions.
I went to Quaker funeral couple years, and it was full of joy and people recounting fond memories of the person's life. There were tears, but there was also laughter
Thanks again for your explanation of a denomination I wondered about Quakers and you answered the questions I had. I didn’t know you could be so funny. Keep up the good work
There have been Quakers in Perquimans County, NC USA since the 16th century. Up River Friends Meeting is still going strong. My wife's grandfather was likely the only Republican in an elected office in NC since Quakers were abolitionists.
You have again been informative, interesting and helpful but today you went much further by being entertaining as well. I am so very blessed that I did not ruin my laptop by snorting my iced tea all over it when you observed that it would not be necessary to go into the mating habits of the quakers.
As a Quaker I was glad to see this video. I would say I was disappointed in that most of your current sources were liberal/nontheist Friends sources. While they are a definite part of current Friends Meetings, I would not say they are in the majority as this video perhaps portrayed. I think this may be in part due to a Quaker teaching of simplicity though, in that many liberal Meetings do not ascribe to this idea and therefore have a greater internet presence or voice than the more conservative Meetings. Many Quakers are very much Christian, like our Meeting, and the roots of all Quakers are in Protestantism.
Man this is gonna sound controversial, but the problem is most Quakers who identify strongly with Christianity do TOO much. They have PASTORS, they sing worship hymns, they jumped right into Gurneyite theology and forgot our roots. Anyone left who can balance our unprogrammed worship, the inner light, as well as Christ’s divinity is a Conservative Friend, of whom there are only 3,000 left.
@@frogtownroad9104 Quakers of Friends are revolutionary in theological fields, I was wondering does the Liberal and Conservative Quakers ever get to debate openly with each other🤔💭.
@@magnuscritikaleak5045 Unfortunately no. Conservative or Wilburite Quakerism is very small, about 3,000. Liberal or Hicksite Quakers have a very very very open theology, so open they make an Episcopalian look fundamentalist. Frankly, the branches of Quakerism recognize one another as Quakers, but are sick of one another. Hicksites are very concerned with defining Quakerism as a universal religion where religious practice and philosophical traditions are more important than theological traditions. Gurneyites want to be accepted into evangelical Protestant Christianity, seeing theology as more necessary than practice and willing to compromise practice as much as long as it puts people in the pews. Conservatives are rejected as either primitive or unaccepting. This is despite the fact Conservatives are closest in practice, philosophy, and theology to the original Quakers. Long story short, not really. Liberal Quakers and Evangelical Quakers have more dialogue because some part of the Quaker tradition has more or less been abandoned.
It seemed like most of the answers here were from a Hicksite perspective. I think a lot of what people know about Quakers neglects the movements created by the Gurneyite schism.
In England these days, many non-conformists and Anglicans are less than certain about many of the things you mention here, such as was the Ascension physical, even whether God exists in any traditional sense. This is why I queried your placing Anglicans so close to Roman Catholics on your video dealing with that.
Quakers are famous for setting up factories in Victorian Britain. In my town Huntley and Palmer were a Quaker partnership who ran a biscuit factory. Sadly they closed about thirty to forty years ago. They were paternalist employers, although they did not pay high wages.
Fry's chocolate 🍫 I'm a descendant of Emily Fry and Joseph Fry ✌️ If only Quaker's were more powerful today.. The world would be a safer and very fair world..
I stumbled across your channel today. Interesting stuff. Quakers were not what brought me to your channel, but after finding you, I wanted to see what you had on Friends, mind you I am an evangelical Friends Pastor. You are not wrong in what you presented here about Friends, but you have only presented a portion the story and theological range, almost all your sources cited are representative of the Friends United Meeting, which has decidedly different theological positions from Evangelical Friends and Conservative/Orthodox Friends. I appreciate what you presented and am hoping you will also present the other branches of Quakerism as well.
@@frogtownroad9104 No problem! This is one of the confusing parts of Evangelical Friends. We certainly believe in the priesthood of all believers. And certainly we do not advocate a hierarchy of authority where one is greater and one is lesser. But in Evangelical Friends there are hired pastors.
One thing I don't think was necessarily made clear here is that Quakerism is a family of denominations, not a single denomination. There was a TV preacher back in the 1970's & 1980's whose first name was Stan, but I forget his last name. He was from Ohio--I'm not sure if he was nationally prominent or only famous regionally. Anyhow, I was surprised when he once stated on one of his TV shows that he belonged to a denomination called "Evangelical Friends." I later found out that one of the deacons in my Baptist church had gone to some conference where Stan was a speaker. From what the deacon told me, it seemed clear that Stan believed in the Trinity. From watching his TV show, I never would've guessed that Stan was anything other than your standard Evangelical. From what I understand, the conservative Quakers of today were strongly influenced by the Methodists in the 1800's.
There is a difference between evangelical Friends and conservative Friends. Evangelical Friends were influenced by Methodists and other Protestants in the 1800's. Conservative Friends resisted those Protestant influences and maintained the practices of earlier times.
Im an ASL interpreter- theres plenty of nouns that are fingerspelled bc they lack a widely agreed sign (for one of a few reasons) but the sign for Quaker was something i learned in my ASL 1 class. Im pretty sure its in The Joy of Signing. The best way I can describe the sign is placing your hands together and twiddling your thumbs.
@@ronanderson7598 Not totally off topic. HWA was born into a family of Friends that belonged to a branch that was drifting away from earlier Quaker practice. Then HWA got involved with an offshoot of the Adventist movement and went off into what most would regard as completely crazy. I don't know of any Quakers who would hold to British-Isrealism.
I suspect that the reason that the question of whether Quakers are Anabaptists/Mennonites springs from the fact that William Penn, who was probably the best known historical Quaker, had cousins in what is now northwestern Germany who were Mennonites. Many of them joined him when he founded the British colony of Pennsylvania, and founded a settlement called Germantown. Although they were very different from each other in terms of theology, Anabaptists and Quakers tended to be closely allied in world-related matters because they were all subject to severe persecution from both Catholics and Protestants.
@@albertito77 You’re both right. Due to Penn’s cousins being Mennonites, a boat called the “Invitation” took Quakers, Mennonites, and the Amish from Europe to Pennsylvania. Amish and Mennonites looked “plain” in Germany, but not in the new world or England, so they took some idea from Quaker plain dress. If you look closely at Amish and Old Order Mennonites, you will start to see a revert back to that German look; straw hats, lederhosen, and bright blue colors.
@@frogtownroad9104: We wear a lot more than bright blue, although blue is the most common color of dress worn to weddings. I’d like you to please tell me, where you have seen any of us wearing lederhosen? I would love to find that place!
Anabaptists and Quakers are among the original Historic Peace Churches. Our people refused to obey the government by baptizing our babies, or by going to war. We were considered disobedient subjects, and often were prisoners of conscience. When Pennsylvania was opened to our ancestors as a refuge, we considered it an answer to prayer. Many who belonged to liturgical churches didn’t understand the differences among us, and just called all of us “Plain People.”
I was born into an evangelical Quaker family and church. The church services were primarily structured, but we often times had silent meetings. In my opinion, the evangelical side of Quakerism scared people into accepting Christ as their savior, so they wouldn’t burn in hell for all of eternity. And unfortunately the wealthiest people, and perhaps most evangelical, in our church had the most power. My family was very poor and not respected. They stayed in the church because they felt the calling of Christ. My grandmother often told me that Christians also make mistakes. I did not feel the spirit in our evangelical meetings. I preferred the silent meetings. I connected with the spirit and others in meetings and believed/believe there is that of God in everyone and every living thing. I believe the Bible teaches stories about good and evil and that’s how I live my life. I believe that Jesus was a wonderful teacher of the times but not that he is the son of a God in a heaven. The Quakers set out to reform religion and have continued to evolve. Listening to someone who has a different opinion should be considered an opportunity for growth. We have different minds from those who lived 2000 years ago. We should be allowed to grow as individuals and as groups. Some might use the diversity in Quakerism as an opportunity to judge. I see it as an opportunity to bring peace and kindness into a world where people have the means to connect in ways that were not available even in the 60s when I grew up. I liked the video very much, and would like to add that simplicity is very important to me. I’ve been to many different religious services throughout my life, and have been overwhelmed by those that embrace worldly goods, symbols and declarations and use them in their services. I don’t judge those leaders and those who follow them. I am, however, confounded by what I feel is a heavy burden they carry. I feel my spirit refill simply by connecting with others in a silent spirit-led meeting or out in nature, amongst other living things.
To the account manager: do you have a video on the Unitarian Church, the Unity Church? In not, then could you produce one? because there’s a Unity church near my house, but I do not know what they believe.
The blues singer and guitarist Bonnie Raitt once said, "I was raised Quaker, so when I was young, my family attended a lot of Joan Baez concerts." Things that make you say WHAT?!
I'm not an expert on the Shakers, by any means, but I do know a bit about them. They started off as a sect that split off from the Quakers in the 1700s and were known as the "Shaking Quakers" due to their practice of frenzied dancing and physical motions, which they believed were the expression of messages sent to them by the Holy Spirit. One of their members, Ann Lee, claimed to be the second coming of Christ and became the leader of the group in the 1770s. Due to intense persecution in England, they fled to America just before the American Revolution. They founded collectivist settlements in various states, but they were never very numerous due to their extremely unorthodox and very demanding beliefs, including primarily, but not exclusively, female leadership as well as absolute celibacy. As there were no children born to them, they could only gain new members by adopting orphans or recruiting new members from outside. The changing of adoption laws in the early to mid 20th Century stopped them from adopting any new children into their movement, and they are functionally extinct, although 2 or 3 of them are still around, living in their last community in Maine.
@@DamonNomad82 There had been quite a presence in the Albany NY area I think until mid century. There is still a Shaker Heritage society and Albany Shaker Road named for them.
While always a very small minority, the Quakers were instrumental in the early Temperance Movement in Norway. Yes, the Temperance Movement was the first truly ecumenical movement in our country. The bulk of the membership in the main Temperance body was State Church Lutherans, but Quakers, Methodists and Baptists held most of the leading positions. It did normalise the idea of Christians of different denominations working together on social issues.
Whoa! In the good ol' days of Quaker Philadelphia, someone wanting to vote had to declare their belief in the Trinity. What you talked about might be the fallout of the "Hicksite" Quakers who pulled the movement away from the Bible and emphasized the "inner light." What turned Philadelphia Meeting against slavery was the Declaration of Independence, and after the war they freed their slaves. This spread across the river to South Jersey and is how some Black communities originated (best example, Lawnside, founded by slaves freed by Haddonfield Quakers). Going against alcohol i was told was 2nd Great Awakening. In earlier years Quakers owned the taverns and made the alcohol. Quakers evangelized the Native Peoples and were respected by them because they kept their word. They were also known for starting volunteer fire companies (Mt. Holly, Haddonfield, Burlington in South Jersey). Quakers from South Jersey started Shreveport (La), eventually Zanesville (OH), and perhaps Cooperstown (NY). Bell & Evans Chickens were started by 2 Quaker families in Bellmawr, South Jersey.
Interesting video : I do consider myself to be with the Society of Friends ideas on many things it all began when i decided to study the Greek Patrology and the Philokalia :the views of this first writings are all around the Guarding of the heart and Quakers have understand it the most accurately we have now ! I am Portuguese and i feel a lot alone but with the real Spirit who can be alone ?
@@prayunceasingly2029 Probably. People from modern diverse denominations still like to read material from early church history though, which means reading writers who were either Catholic or Orthodox.
As someone with Quaker affiliation, I found this to be a rather informative video, as there were a few things I didn't know before. One of the main things I like about them is broad range of beliefs and their acceptance of many interpretations. If anyone finds themselves in London, a visit to Friends House is well worth it...
@@Mick116I'm from Queensland also and a descendant of the founders of the Frys chocolate Quaker family.. We need so much more Quaker's in Australia and the world 🌏
We are a people separate, but a part of society. Quakerism is less a single religious practice and more a way of life and a shared language to express our experiences with the divine.
There is a small but radiant group of Shakers still gathered and living in community at Sabbathday Lake, Maine. The history and terrain of Shaker theology, faith, and practice [related in early years to an early 18th century strain of British Quakerism] is extraordinarily beautiful in its own right.
Quakers are like the Jedi's in the Star Wars universe for how they help the world in a positive light 🕯️+ Wisdom.. But today they're almost in hiding like the Jedi's after the Star Wars episode 3..
Don't go to Moorestown, New Jersey, a friend in the liquor store business says it pays him to have an unmarked station wagon to deliver to Quaker homes.
Friends or Quakers came out of England and settled Pennsylvania. Their form of worship started in silence, but was very dynamic as those individuals who were gifted with preaching were expected to stand and preach for hours. This form of worship is based on direct experience of the Christ Spirit. Eventually, later generations settled into a silent worship where various individuals would stand and give shorter sermons. Early Friends emphasized direct revelation of the Christ Spirit (see Robert Barclay's Apology 1676) which would not waiver from the Bible. However, their first major split in 1820s was over the primacy of Scripture versus the primacy of the Spirit. Those Quakers that kept closer to the Bible were eventually influenced by other Christian denominations (such as Methodists) and would hire a minister (frequently non-Quaker) to lead the Meeting/Church. For these Quakers, the Bible and Jesus are foundations for the Spirit-led life. The Quakers who emphasized the Spirit alone kept the silent form of worship and after many, many decades jettisoned the Christian theology and as stated in the video placed direct inspiration with the "Spirit" over the Bible or preachers. Their emphasis is on exploring the old Quaker Testimonies of Peace, Equality, Simplicity, Truth, and Community in modern society. There also is a small group of Conservative Friends who kept both the Christian theology and silent worship along with some plain speak and plain dress. The largest group of Friends would be those in the missionary field such as Kenya or Bolivia which were started in the early 1900s. These Quakers have an Evangelical Christian practice with preachers and are very Bible oriented. In the 1940s a group of American Evangelical Quakers broke away from the more moderate Bible-oriented Friends and they appear as ordinary bible-based, born-again Christians with congregations led by preachers.
I have recently found that my great grandfather to the 11th came from England in 1681 with 2 sons and landed in New Jersey. They belonged to Mount Laurel friends monthly meeting. (Quakers).The generations after moved west. My Maternal grandfather did not have a denominational belief. What he passed on to us was the nature to help anyone in need. Neighbors and family. So i can see that the nature of giving and helping everyone, could have been passed down. My dad was a Corporal in Korean war as a medic. Didn't want to kill anyone. I have been digging a little to understand their beliefs.
Your presentation is a bit hit and miss. You left out one of the key areas: worship. Two of the three main types of Friends worship like many types of Protestants--singing and sermon headed by a pastor. The third type sit for an hour in silence and if someone feels called by the Spirit to speak, they stand and speak their insight. I have seen the whole hour stay silent but usually several feel "called to speak." This worship is the most traditional among Friends, but interestingly, this group of Friends tends to be the most progressive politically and open theologically.
Regards Puritans I think it might have been good to comment that George Fox was raised Puritan. He split on religious regards but kept the all black garb. EDIT: I am a liberal, unprogrammed (Friends General Conference) Friend. I consider myself an agnostic Christian insofar as I am not concerned with orthodoxy in any way, don't worry about things like how the Trinity works and though I take the existence of God I subscribe to the philosophical view that it is not provable.
On the subject of "do Quakers talk?", even though the question was about birds, it is worth noting that sometimes certain unprogrammed Quakers will sit in silence for long amounts of time. You can read about that here: quaker.org/silence-and-worship/
Having been to many of these Meetings, you sit in silence and meditate (for want of a better therm) then anyone can stand up and say whatever they feel compelled to, if they so desire!
I just appreciated the bird jokes 🐦
@@TestifyApologetics that section did puzzle me, for just a moment, lol.
Yes, I remember as a child we would have weekly family discussions where all sides were meant to have an opinion so we would begin it (even though we had nothing to do with Quakers concerning faith) with:
Quaker meeting has begun
No more laughing no more fun
If you show your teeth or tongue
You'll have to pay a forfeit.
That is - when it's your turn you talk, if not, don't talk and don't interrupt anyone when they're talking...
🤣
The Quakers are thought on with particular fondness in Ireland, due to their compassion and charitable works during the Great Famine. It wouldn't be unusual in Ireland to hear "they fed us during the Hunger" when referring to Quakers.
I'm descended on my mother's side from Irish Quakers who migrated to the USA. The town the Quakers lived in participated in the underground railroad.
I often also say "Quakers fed us during the hunger" when making a bowl of oatmeal.
Quakers saved many jewish families to escape. I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for them.
I'm a direct descendant of the Quaker Fry chocolate 🍫 family from Bristol in England.
👍🙌
As a Liberal (unprogrammed) Quaker (from Pennsylvania, in Poland) I must thank you for your balanced and accurate summary of the Quaker movement. (I enjoyed your humour too!)
That bird tangent was hilarious 😂
In Peru instead of asking "I want an oatmeal " we say "I want a quaker" because that was the first brand we knew :)
Neat, lol
Jajaja! Y es buenaso!
Same in the Philippines. Instead of Quaker we pronounce it as Quacker.
Same here in Suriname. And that goes for many other things here.
I recall a joke told by a Quaker some time ago regarding the difference between "Eastern" and "Western" Friends. (Admittedly, those terms would take a bit to explain.) The Western Friend said to an Eastern Friend: "I heard some shocking things about Eastern Friends. Some of their members drink and smoke." The Eastern Friend responded, "Aye, that's true. But I have heard even more shocking things about Western Friends." "Oh really? What is that?" The Eastern Friend answered, "I have heard that some Western Friends let their sons go off to war."
Well said. Far more shocking.
“Are Quakers still a thing?” Yes. One is typing this reply RIGHT NOW.
I find it humorous when people find out I’m a Quaker and are confused because I don’t wear simple dress, drive a car, speak like a regular person, etc.
I appreciate this video. It’s a good representation of Friends. It can be challenging describing Quakers to others since there is so much variety between Friends meetings (and even differences between Friends).
Still think when I became Convinced that I should have gotten a large black hat and a lifetime supply of cereal. #culturalAppropriation
I'm a member of NEYM (New England Yearly Meeting of Friends (Quakers)) and the campus we have Sessions at every year serves us Quaker Oats. It's honestly kinda funny
Meanwhile when I became convinced and told my partner they confused us with holy roller Pentecostals and were extremely upset. It took me awhile to explain.
On the subject of "plain dress," I once heard an interesting story that occurred when some out-of-town Quakers attended a local meeting while on vacation. Their idea of "plain dress" was "cheap clothing," which happened to be bright and maybe a big garish. The meeting they attended interpreted it as "dark colors," but may have been made of high quality material of some expense, and so each took offense at what the other wore. I found it funny that people apparently were trying to outdo each other on who was more plainly dressed.
when youre not focused on Christ...youll focus on meaningless things
I have been thinking of suggesting this topic for a while now. As a Quaker, I love to see content creators talking about the RSF as there is not much info out there about us!
More coming in the new year too!
@@ReadyToHarvest
I also really appreciate your care and open mindedness when speaking about our range of beliefs. I am a Christ-centered Friend, but I don't hold to the belief that one must know Jesus in order to live like Him and be saved by Him.
So often online, we see some other Christians or other religious groups expressing concern at the fluidity and acceptance of beliefs in the Society.
It is refreshing to see someone who I'm certain does not subscribe to the same theology and doctrine, cover the topic of Quakers with an open mind and neutral language!
Thanks for that!
@@robertkay6470 I think at times he works hard to hide his disapproval. I'm not sure that's always true because he does a good job of hiding it so it's often hard to tell. But did you see the thumbnail picture on his video of the Jehovah's Witnesses? His facial expression sums it up. Also, he did a video outright stating "neutral point of view is wrong" seeming to imply he sees himself as wrong for being neutral. I'm not sure why he does it. I do, however, greatly appreciate his efforts at neutrality and his incredibly well researched content. His neutral tone is infinitely valuable, however he may be seething internally, and I watch almost every single one of his videos for the value of the content.
@@watcherwlc53 what denomination is the maker of this video from?
As a Quaker I am very happy to see this video.
It is rare that I can see a chance to correct you, but the Quakers got their name from a sermon by George Fox where he told critics to "quake" at the word of the Lord. It is the Shakers who were named because they tended to "shake" during prayer
It is true that Fox claimed the first use of quaker was from something he said, but various sources don't always put that as the whole story. Encyclopedia Britannica says the following:
"George Fox, founder of the Society of Friends in England, recorded that in 1650 “Justice Bennet of Derby first called us Quakers because we bid them tremble at the word of God.” It is likely that the name, originally derisive, was also used because many early Friends, like other religious enthusiasts, themselves trembled in their religious meetings and showed other physical manifestations of religious emotion. Despite early derisive use, Friends used the term of themselves in such phrases as “the people of God in scorn called Quakers.” No embarrassment is caused by using the term to or of Friends today. "
www.britannica.com/topic/Quaker
@@ReadyToHarvest I thought the term came from "all men ought quake before God," but agree it became derisive. There was a story about a Quaker being told by a judge "I am (forgotten) and thou art the quaker."
I am a member of the Evangelical Friends Church denomination, and I studied Friends history in college.
The first generation of Quakers, including George Fox and Robert Barclay, were explicitly Christian and had a very high Christology. Though it is fair to say that the early Friends were organizationally decentralized and deemphasized creeds and physical sacraments, they absolutely emphasized the deity and humanity of Christ as revealed in his life, death, and resurrection, as well as the ability of the believer to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Fox was exceedingly vocal about this in his journal and preaching, and Barclay developed a systemic Quaker theology that definitely falls within Christian orthodoxy. In fact, the Religious Society of Friends gets its name from the passage in John 15:9-17, in which Jesus calls those who obey him, his friends.
Due to the Friends' emphasis on the "Light of Christ" (a reference to John 1:9) indwelling every person and personal revelation from the Holy Spirit, tensions arose among different groups of Quakers in the 19th century over whether Scripture or personal revelation took precedence whenever the two conflicted.
One group, called the Hicksites, believed personal revelation took precedence. Predictably, the various modern "Quaker" groups descending from that split drifted ever theologically liberal, including the non-theist "Quakers" mentioned in the video.
The vast majority of Quakers today, around 70%, descend from the Orthodox branch that held to the authority of Scripture, the divinity of Jesus Christ, and atonement for sin. These include the Conservative Friends (a loose association of Friends meetings that continue to practice unprogrammed worship), the Friends United Meeting (the largest Quaker denomination), and the Evangelical Friends Church (which is even more explicitly Evangelical, but retains close ties with FUM).
I used scare quotes in reference to the non-Christian groups claiming to be Quakers because their fundamental beliefs entirely undermine the founding principles of the Friends movement, and it's incredibly annoying that they receive a disproportionate representation in scholarship and discussion.
"I used scare quotes in reference to the non-Christian groups claiming to be Quakers because their fundamental beliefs entirely undermine the founding principles of the Friends movement, and it's incredibly annoying that they receive a disproportionate representation in scholarship and discussion."
This is becoming very common in modern theology, unfortunately.
I grew up Quaker. Thank you for the video, very informative. You could spend a year or more making videos on Quakers and our beliefs because we our so diverse, and there are many branches of Quakers.
Two of my college professors were Quakers, at a mostly Presbyterian school. They both attended a local Reformed church because they either married into that denomination or they liked the community, but they both still identified with their upbringing.
It was a sin, to marry out of Society of Friends. You would be kicked out of the Meeting.
There are loads of Friend's Churches in Indiana.
The funniest "Quaker" thing I ever saw was a sign at a neighboring town's high school football stadium. Their "mascot" was the "Quakers" and the sign said "Home of the Fighting Quakers" Now this was more than 40 years ago and there weren't things like cellphone cameras but I always wished I had taken a picture of that.
as a Quaker, ive been waiting for this video! i really hope you'll do a more indepth video on us. i think it would be helpful to explain the difference between programmed and unprogrammed worship in your next video, which is a large division amongst Quakers and was not mentioned here. God bless
An upcoming video is about one branch of the Quaker tree. It will have a lot more detail. But even then there will be more to say in the future...
Great comment! Quakers have so much to offer. It's one of the true "big tent" fellowships.....and i think we need more such. (i.e. We need fewer dividing lines.) Friends emphasis on the spiritual Word of God is refreshing. I look forward to the next installment.
@@PUAlum ecumenism with heresy cannot exist. Become Lutheran and repent
@@redacted7989 oh i was raised in a Lutheran congregation. it was "Saint Martha, Martha", I think. happy new year!
I was happy to see that you gave Quakers some time. I find it interesting that you mentioned 1/3 are Friends United Meeting and 1/3 is Evangelical but didn't reference the beliefs of the Evangelical branch at all.
I only noticed because I am an Evangelical Friend.
Overall I think you gave us a fair representation. And believe me I have had to answer the oat and Amish questions nearly once a week. Love your channel keep up the interesting work.
Video on Evangelical friends church coming in May.
The two by twos/cooneyites also call each other "the friends". The two by twos (who are anabaptist) are somewhat more conservative minded than many Quakers, but they both share a somewhat pacifist mindset historically and a multi ethnic acceptance. Which isn't surprising because the Bible teaches that all are one in Christ.
When I was in the Tenth Grade (1972-1973), our Spanish teacher was a Quaker. She mentioned that Richard Nixon was also a Quaker, but was “read out of meeting” (excommunicated) when he joined the U.S. Navy during the Second World War. She also told us that, at one time, the law did not recognize the validity of Quaker marriages. Under the Quaker procedure, the couple would show up at the meeting and announce that they were moved by the Spirit to be married to each other. The rest of the congregation would congratulate them, and that was that. At least one state (Florida) has a special statute validating Quaker marriages. See Fla. Stat. § 741.07(2).
Herbert Hoover was also a Quaker. His wife, Lou Henry, was an Episcopalian, who converted to Quakerism when she married him. Since there was no Quaker meeting house nearby, they were married by a Roman Catholic priest acting in a civil capacity.
There's a great rom-com, Quaker Oaths , which revolves around a road trip intended to disannul a marriage undertaken in a Quaker wedding ceremony.
Pennsylvania, named for Quaker William Penn, also recognises them.
@@Perririri Yes. Pennsylvania = Penn's Woods.
@@GerardPerry True. The option to affirm, instead of swear, was not developed for atheists, but to accommodate Quakers and others who take Matthew 5:36-37 literally.
Under Quaker procedure, a couple intending marriage would have to bring their intention before the monthly business meeting, which would name a committee to investigate the fitness of the proposed marriage on a number of criteria. The couple could be turned down, or the process could take several months before everything was cleared and the couple was allowed to proceed with the marriage.
This is great! You could also trace the many fracture lines within Quakerism if you want to dig deeper. Some of the conflicts you listed are conflicts among branches rather than general chaos.
True
Can you tell more about some of the fractures? I'm trying to research but it's hard to find stuff about this in my language (Portuguese)
My great grandmother, died in 2015, was a member of the Friends Church in Maine and but attended a Methodist church in Florida because she said it was closest to the Friends Church that she belonged to.
Interesting, one of my ancestors, who was a Quaker also became methodist. I believe he was the last Quaker in the family tree. I heard the Quaker communities may have ended, splintered or migrated at some point for some reason and that caused the change in denomination for some
I grew up in Free Methodist and then we started going to Nazarene. Found out recently that my family was originally Quaker. I'd love to attend a Quaker service.
As someone newly identifying with quakerism, and adore your content in general (as I'm also a huge nerd), this is a fantastic video!
Hello, I’m also a new Quaker! :)
I find your presentations to be very enlightening and informative. No opinion, no judgment, neither for nor against. Just facts. I like that. I really enjoy your videos and hope you can continue these.
This is brilliant, thank you.
Being a Quaker makes so much sense. ❤🙏 🙂
No it doesn’t, because they don’t baptist people & Jesus commanded us in Matthew 28 to do so.
@@Panzerjäger_23 Hi Delta. So, when I read your comment, initially I was a little annoyed. But I'm pleased you wrote it now as, along with some other promptings, it got me thinking. I've been needing and wanting 'more' than I've been getting from lovely Quaker silent meetings, so have been attending a brilliant Baptist Church (here in England) - and, yes, I believe that I will be baptised in the next few months...... 🙏✝️🙂
@@Daniel-G-P that’s Brilliant, I’m part of a baptist church & I’m going to get baptised next week!
Seems like a pretty good summary to me. Good to use those quotes from various Quaker organizations. We're pretty good at trying to be as truthful and clear as possible, and I'm impressed by how well the statements you quoted fit with my understanding. The mysterious UA-cam algorithm has given me 3 of your videos so far, and I find them pretty fascinating.
I live outside of Philadelphia and their meeting houses and schools are everywhere. Lots of people enroll their kids in Quaker schools because they have a great reputation for excellent education. There is a boarding school near me where many celebrity kids have gone.
This video is a perfect example of Joshua’s dry sense of humor and PERFECT deadpan. Hysterically funny.
I like this format of video
I will never forget my first visits to a FRIENDS FLUSHING NY meeting house circa 1967--1968. I was about 11 years old....I was presented with teaching of "inward light" and the need of quiet worship.
oh i WANTED SO MUCH FOR YOU TO GIVE US THE STORY OF THE QUAKERS .Thanks for posting
Loved loved loved your humor on the birds. Thanks! ❤️
I've learned so much about denominations from you and I am so appreciative!
Thank you, glad it was helpful (and funny!)
Founded in 1887, the Friends' School, Hobart Tasmania still going today with 1300 students.
Upholds Quaker values, I believe it is is the largest Quaker school in the world.
I went to school in Hobart (not at the Friends School) some 30 years ago and remember 'Friends School' as having the highest academic and social standards at that time.
Pennsylvania is sometimes called the Quaker State because the first proprietor of the colony, Willaim Penn, was a member. The list of historic Friends includes two US Presidents: Herbert Hoover, and Richard Nixon.
This is a very balanced discussion of Quakerism. However, you could have discussed how some Quaker meetings meet in silence, while others have meetings that will include singing and a sermon by a pastor. The silent meetings have no pastor, just a clerk.
I would like to see a discussion on the differences between Quakers and Unitarian/Universalists.
Quakers, all Quakers believe in the SPICES. Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality, and Stewardship. This includes nontheist and liberal Quakers. Unitarian Universalists are vague about what their philosophy is and even when Quakerism is vague about that, you always have those SPICES to go back to. UU’s don’t, explicitly or implicitly.
They seem to have a fair bit in common.
Quakers have no leader who tells everyone else what to do. Nobody preaches at the Quaker meeting I go to. We talk to each other, enjoy silence and eat together.
I was in Quaker ministry in Indiana for about ten years and I have many good memories of it. At the same time, the subjectivity and relativism of doctrine and “the Light” were so frustrating that I am glad to be out of the RSF. Your video is excellent and presents Quakers as they are. Thanks for the information and for the reminder of why I left.
Did you join a different Christian group?
Is "the light" similar to JW'S "new light" and "old light" ideas? Where old light was no longer accepted and is replaced by "new light"?
@@prayunceasingly2029 part 1) Yes, I became pastor in a small, nondenominational church; part 2) George Fox’s teaching on the Light predate JWs by a couple centuries.Fox tended to spiritualize everything in reaction to the ritualism and religious conflicts of the English Reformation. Fox and other early Quakers clearly identified the Light as Jesus Christ (as the New Testament does). They also took the Lamb as a major representation of Christ (as in the “Lamb’s War”). In the late 1700s and early 1800s, universalism took hold and the Light became more ambiguous. Major divisions occurred in the early 19th century between Wilburite (traditionalist), Gurneyite (Orthodox) and Hicksite (universalist) factions.
@@barefootinroann
Very interesting!
Thanks for sharing your knowledge on this topic.
@@barefootinroann
Some of my moms ancestors were Quakers.
My grandmother had a Quaker Funeral. I was a child. An hour in a full meeting room, crying people. No service. Just silence. It was awful.
Not to mock your grandmother’s death because there is nothing funny or amusing about that, but you missed the point.
I went to Quaker funeral couple years, and it was full of joy and people recounting fond memories of the person's life. There were tears, but there was also laughter
Thanks again for your explanation of a denomination I wondered about Quakers and you answered the questions I had. I didn’t know you could be so funny. Keep up the good work
Just came in and gave a thumbs up because of the Adventist video
Thank you so much for this video, and all your videos! I love learning about Christianity and have become particularly in the Quakers :))
Thanx, Joshua, for continued good presentations. 🌹🌲🌹
There have been Quakers in Perquimans County, NC USA since the 16th century. Up River Friends Meeting is still going strong. My wife's grandfather was likely the only Republican in an elected office in NC since Quakers were abolitionists.
Excellent overview. Thank you.
You have again been informative, interesting and helpful but today you went much further by being entertaining as well.
I am so very blessed that I did not ruin my laptop by snorting my iced tea all over it when you observed that it would not be necessary to go into the mating habits of the quakers.
Do one on the puritans next please!!?
That would be interesting!
As a Quaker I was glad to see this video. I would say I was disappointed in that most of your current sources were liberal/nontheist Friends sources. While they are a definite part of current Friends Meetings, I would not say they are in the majority as this video perhaps portrayed. I think this may be in part due to a Quaker teaching of simplicity though, in that many liberal Meetings do not ascribe to this idea and therefore have a greater internet presence or voice than the more conservative Meetings. Many Quakers are very much Christian, like our Meeting, and the roots of all Quakers are in Protestantism.
Man this is gonna sound controversial, but the problem is most Quakers who identify strongly with Christianity do TOO much. They have PASTORS, they sing worship hymns, they jumped right into Gurneyite theology and forgot our roots. Anyone left who can balance our unprogrammed worship, the inner light, as well as Christ’s divinity is a Conservative Friend, of whom there are only 3,000 left.
@@frogtownroad9104 Quakers of Friends are revolutionary in theological fields, I was wondering does the Liberal and Conservative Quakers ever get to debate openly with each other🤔💭.
@@magnuscritikaleak5045 Unfortunately no. Conservative or Wilburite Quakerism is very small, about 3,000. Liberal or Hicksite Quakers have a very very very open theology, so open they make an Episcopalian look fundamentalist. Frankly, the branches of Quakerism recognize one another as Quakers, but are sick of one another. Hicksites are very concerned with defining Quakerism as a universal religion where religious practice and philosophical traditions are more important than theological traditions. Gurneyites want to be accepted into evangelical Protestant Christianity, seeing theology as more necessary than practice and willing to compromise practice as much as long as it puts people in the pews. Conservatives are rejected as either primitive or unaccepting. This is despite the fact Conservatives are closest in practice, philosophy, and theology to the original Quakers.
Long story short, not really. Liberal Quakers and Evangelical Quakers have more dialogue because some part of the Quaker tradition has more or less been abandoned.
Thx for this video. You can also make a video about the quaker Hicksite movement.
It seemed like most of the answers here were from a Hicksite perspective. I think a lot of what people know about Quakers neglects the movements created by the Gurneyite schism.
@@garrettordner8524 I meant like making video only about that movement, when it started and so on 😃
I have a cousin who is a Quaker. She joined the quakers when she moved to Ohio. Her particular group are evangelical Quaker’s.
Programmed or unprogrammed?
@@tintinismybelgian😂
@@paulfri1569 Why does that make you laugh? Some Quakers have services that are programmed, and others have unprogrammed gatherings.
One of the impact of Quakers on the general evangelical community is the book "Celebration of Discipline" which I would recommend to any Christian...
In England these days, many non-conformists and Anglicans are less than certain about many of the things you mention here, such as was the Ascension physical, even whether God exists in any traditional sense. This is why I queried your placing Anglicans so close to Roman Catholics on your video dealing with that.
Quakers are famous for setting up factories in Victorian Britain. In my town Huntley and Palmer were a Quaker partnership who ran a biscuit factory. Sadly they closed about thirty to forty years ago. They were paternalist employers, although they did not pay high wages.
Fry's chocolate 🍫 I'm a descendant of Emily Fry and Joseph Fry ✌️ If only Quaker's were more powerful today.. The world would be a safer and very fair world..
I stumbled across your channel today. Interesting stuff. Quakers were not what brought me to your channel, but after finding you, I wanted to see what you had on Friends, mind you I am an evangelical Friends Pastor. You are not wrong in what you presented here about Friends, but you have only presented a portion the story and theological range, almost all your sources cited are representative of the Friends United Meeting, which has decidedly different theological positions from Evangelical Friends and Conservative/Orthodox Friends. I appreciate what you presented and am hoping you will also present the other branches of Quakerism as well.
Yes, video on Evangelical friends already made and will be out in a month or two.
Okay, I need your help here. How can you be a pastor and a Quaker? I thought we believe ALL believers are pastors.
@@frogtownroad9104 No problem! This is one of the confusing parts of Evangelical Friends. We certainly believe in the priesthood of all believers. And certainly we do not advocate a hierarchy of authority where one is greater and one is lesser. But in Evangelical Friends there are hired pastors.
@@joshgwalker So the SPICES still hold some significance?
wow i cant believe u caught the very spirit of quakersm in 4 seconds 0:34-0:38 😂
I've met one Quaker in my life, and I've been to a Friends church building for a community event.
Great video, thank you.
Love the humor in this one! 🤣
You read my mind on the topic of this video. Such an interesting group.
I went to a Quaker camp, and later as a case worker then social worker with the homeless, I worked with the Quakers.
I'm a quaker... Kinda. Used to attend a monthly meeting outside Philly. Good ole fashioned quakers are basically awesome.
One thing I don't think was necessarily made clear here is that Quakerism is a family of denominations, not a single denomination. There was a TV preacher back in the 1970's & 1980's whose first name was Stan, but I forget his last name. He was from Ohio--I'm not sure if he was nationally prominent or only famous regionally. Anyhow, I was surprised when he once stated on one of his TV shows that he belonged to a denomination called "Evangelical Friends." I later found out that one of the deacons in my Baptist church had gone to some conference where Stan was a speaker. From what the deacon told me, it seemed clear that Stan believed in the Trinity. From watching his TV show, I never would've guessed that Stan was anything other than your standard Evangelical. From what I understand, the conservative Quakers of today were strongly influenced by the Methodists in the 1800's.
There is a difference between evangelical Friends and conservative Friends. Evangelical Friends were influenced by Methodists and other Protestants in the 1800's. Conservative Friends resisted those Protestant influences and maintained the practices of earlier times.
There was an overlap at some point I think in the early 1900s between the Holiness movement and the Quakers
Im an ASL interpreter- theres plenty of nouns that are fingerspelled bc they lack a widely agreed sign (for one of a few reasons) but the sign for Quaker was something i learned in my ASL 1 class. Im pretty sure its in The Joy of Signing.
The best way I can describe the sign is placing your hands together and twiddling your thumbs.
Fascinating as always. On a different subject is British-Isrealism influential? I recall it was a key part of Herbert W Armstrong’s preaching..
It was but I'd be surprised if the Quakers were influenced by it much.
@@watcherwlc53 another ADHD moment.
@@ronanderson7598 Not totally off topic. HWA was born into a family of Friends that belonged to a branch that was drifting away from earlier Quaker practice. Then HWA got involved with an offshoot of the Adventist movement and went off into what most would regard as completely crazy. I don't know of any Quakers who would hold to British-Isrealism.
@@ronanderson7598 ADHD movement? How does that diagnosis intersect with the denominations?
@@wendyleeconnelly2939 simply the way I make connections to what seemingly is isolated events.
Very interesting!
there are many Quakers in my area .They dont make a lot of fuss ,they just go about their business and stay on top of things
The ultimate Quiet achievers 🎉
man I had no idea that many quakers were not even theists
It’s a very small minority who are not theist.
I suspect that the reason that the question of whether Quakers are Anabaptists/Mennonites springs from the fact that William Penn, who was probably the best known historical Quaker, had cousins in what is now northwestern Germany who were Mennonites. Many of them joined him when he founded the British colony of Pennsylvania, and founded a settlement called Germantown. Although they were very different from each other in terms of theology, Anabaptists and Quakers tended to be closely allied in world-related matters because they were all subject to severe persecution from both Catholics and Protestants.
I think it is the early use of plain dress that gets them mistakened
@@albertito77 You’re both right. Due to Penn’s cousins being Mennonites, a boat called the “Invitation” took Quakers, Mennonites, and the Amish from Europe to Pennsylvania. Amish and Mennonites looked “plain” in Germany, but not in the new world or England, so they took some idea from Quaker plain dress. If you look closely at Amish and Old Order Mennonites, you will start to see a revert back to that German look; straw hats, lederhosen, and bright blue colors.
@@frogtownroad9104: We wear a lot more than bright blue, although blue is the most common color of dress worn to weddings. I’d like you to please tell me, where you have seen any of us wearing lederhosen? I would love to find that place!
Anabaptists and Quakers are among the original Historic Peace Churches. Our people refused to obey the government by baptizing our babies, or by going to war. We were considered disobedient subjects, and often were prisoners of conscience. When Pennsylvania was opened to our ancestors as a refuge, we considered it an answer to prayer. Many who belonged to liturgical churches didn’t understand the differences among us, and just called all of us “Plain People.”
I was born into an evangelical Quaker family and church. The church services were primarily structured, but we often times had silent meetings. In my opinion, the evangelical side of Quakerism scared people into accepting Christ as their savior, so they wouldn’t burn in hell for all of eternity. And unfortunately the wealthiest people, and perhaps most evangelical, in our church had the most power. My family was very poor and not respected. They stayed in the church because they felt the calling of Christ. My grandmother often told me that Christians also make mistakes.
I did not feel the spirit in our evangelical meetings. I preferred the silent meetings. I connected with the spirit and others in meetings and believed/believe there is that of God in everyone and every living thing. I believe the Bible teaches stories about good and evil and that’s how I live my life. I believe that Jesus was a wonderful teacher of the times but not that he is the son of a God in a heaven. The Quakers set out to reform religion and have continued to evolve. Listening to someone who has a different opinion should be considered an opportunity for growth. We have different minds from those who lived 2000 years ago. We should be allowed to grow as individuals and as groups. Some might use the diversity in Quakerism as an opportunity to judge. I see it as an opportunity to bring peace and kindness into a world where people have the means to connect in ways that were not available even in the 60s when I grew up. I liked the video very much, and would like to add that simplicity is very important to me. I’ve been to many different religious services throughout my life, and have been overwhelmed by those that embrace worldly goods, symbols and declarations and use them in their services. I don’t judge those leaders and those who follow them. I am, however, confounded by what I feel is a heavy burden they carry. I feel my spirit refill simply by connecting with others in a silent spirit-led meeting or out in nature, amongst other living things.
The oatmeal line was hilarious...
Do a video on the Unitarian Universalists. I know they aren't currently considered Christian but both denominations were at one point.
He does many on non Christian sects, this one for instance.
@@slamdancer1720 Most Quakers are Christian.
i live in a quaker city--high point, nc. there are several friends meeting houses here.
To the account manager: do you have a video on the Unitarian Church, the Unity Church? In not, then could you produce one? because there’s a Unity church near my house, but I do not know what they believe.
I’m not a Quaker but I enjoy their oats!
Made by a company with no Quaker links: a cynical act of cultural appropriation for commercial porpoises.
@@timamor915 Commercial porpoises? Shame on them! They should have done it for nobler reasons, like charitable dolphins!
Oh no! Now you're going to tell me Quaker State oil isn't really Quaker!
The blues singer and guitarist Bonnie Raitt once said, "I was raised Quaker, so when I was young, my family attended a lot of Joan Baez concerts." Things that make you say WHAT?!
Joan Baez was a Quaker (Friend) also, so the answer to the question "Do Quakers sing?" would have to be "At least some of them".
I would also like to know about the Shakers too.
I'm not an expert on the Shakers, by any means, but I do know a bit about them. They started off as a sect that split off from the Quakers in the 1700s and were known as the "Shaking Quakers" due to their practice of frenzied dancing and physical motions, which they believed were the expression of messages sent to them by the Holy Spirit. One of their members, Ann Lee, claimed to be the second coming of Christ and became the leader of the group in the 1770s. Due to intense persecution in England, they fled to America just before the American Revolution. They founded collectivist settlements in various states, but they were never very numerous due to their extremely unorthodox and very demanding beliefs, including primarily, but not exclusively, female leadership as well as absolute celibacy. As there were no children born to them, they could only gain new members by adopting orphans or recruiting new members from outside. The changing of adoption laws in the early to mid 20th Century stopped them from adopting any new children into their movement, and they are functionally extinct, although 2 or 3 of them are still around, living in their last community in Maine.
@@DamonNomad82 There had been quite a presence in the Albany NY area I think until mid century. There is still a Shaker Heritage society and Albany Shaker Road named for them.
While always a very small minority, the Quakers were instrumental in the early Temperance Movement in Norway. Yes, the Temperance Movement was the first truly ecumenical movement in our country. The bulk of the membership in the main Temperance body was State Church Lutherans, but Quakers, Methodists and Baptists held most of the leading positions. It did normalise the idea of Christians of different denominations working together on social issues.
Whoa! In the good ol' days of Quaker Philadelphia, someone wanting to vote had to declare their belief in the Trinity. What you talked about might be the fallout of the "Hicksite" Quakers who pulled the movement away from the Bible and emphasized the "inner light." What turned Philadelphia Meeting against slavery was the Declaration of Independence, and after the war they freed their slaves. This spread across the river to South Jersey and is how some Black communities originated (best example, Lawnside, founded by slaves freed by Haddonfield Quakers). Going against alcohol i was told was 2nd Great Awakening. In earlier years Quakers owned the taverns and made the alcohol. Quakers evangelized the Native Peoples and were respected by them because they kept their word. They were also known for starting volunteer fire companies (Mt. Holly, Haddonfield, Burlington in South Jersey). Quakers from South Jersey started Shreveport (La), eventually Zanesville (OH), and perhaps Cooperstown (NY). Bell & Evans Chickens were started by 2 Quaker families in Bellmawr, South Jersey.
Interesting video : I do consider myself to be with the Society of Friends ideas on many things it all began when i decided to study the Greek Patrology and the Philokalia :the views of this first writings are all around the Guarding of the heart and Quakers have understand it the most accurately we have now ! I am Portuguese and i feel a lot alone but with the real Spirit who can be alone ?
Werent the Greeks who wrote the Philakolia eastern Orthodox?
@@prayunceasingly2029 Probably. People from modern diverse denominations still like to read material from early church history though, which means reading writers who were either Catholic or Orthodox.
As someone with Quaker affiliation, I found this to be a rather informative video, as there were a few things I didn't know before. One of the main things I like about them is broad range of beliefs and their acceptance of many interpretations.
If anyone finds themselves in London, a visit to Friends House is well worth it...
Greetings, Friend. I hail from the Queensland Regional Meeting.
@@Mick116 greetings! :-)
@@Mick116I'm from Queensland also and a descendant of the founders of the Frys chocolate Quaker family.. We need so much more Quaker's in Australia and the world 🌏
We are a people separate, but a part of society. Quakerism is less a single religious practice and more a way of life and a shared language to express our experiences with the divine.
There is a small but radiant group of Shakers still gathered and living in community at Sabbathday Lake, Maine. The history and terrain of Shaker theology, faith, and practice [related in early years to an early 18th century strain of British Quakerism] is extraordinarily beautiful in its own right.
I'm an atheist who thinks Quakers are wonderful. I wish all Christians listened to them.
I was raised a Quaker and still am a Friend.
Thanks!
Quakers are like the Jedi's in the Star Wars universe for how they help the world in a positive light 🕯️+ Wisdom.. But today they're almost in hiding like the Jedi's after the Star Wars episode 3..
The only Quaker I know is Joan Baez. The owners of the Pequod, Captain Ahab's ship in Moby Dick, were Quakers.
Don't go to Moorestown, New Jersey, a friend in the liquor store business says it pays him to have an unmarked station wagon to deliver to Quaker homes.
Perhaps my favorite denomination. I’ve worshipped with Friends before and it was amazing. Friends theology is also very rich and beautiful.
Friends or Quakers came out of England and settled Pennsylvania. Their form of worship started in silence, but was very dynamic as those individuals who were gifted with preaching were expected to stand and preach for hours. This form of worship is based on direct experience of the Christ Spirit. Eventually, later generations settled into a silent worship where various individuals would stand and give shorter sermons. Early Friends emphasized direct revelation of the Christ Spirit (see Robert Barclay's Apology 1676) which would not waiver from the Bible. However, their first major split in 1820s was over the primacy of Scripture versus the primacy of the Spirit. Those Quakers that kept closer to the Bible were eventually influenced by other Christian denominations (such as Methodists) and would hire a minister (frequently non-Quaker) to lead the Meeting/Church. For these Quakers, the Bible and Jesus are foundations for the Spirit-led life. The Quakers who emphasized the Spirit alone kept the silent form of worship and after many, many decades jettisoned the Christian theology and as stated in the video placed direct inspiration with the "Spirit" over the Bible or preachers. Their emphasis is on exploring the old Quaker Testimonies of Peace, Equality, Simplicity, Truth, and Community in modern society. There also is a small group of Conservative Friends who kept both the Christian theology and silent worship along with some plain speak and plain dress. The largest group of Friends would be those in the missionary field such as Kenya or Bolivia which were started in the early 1900s. These Quakers have an Evangelical Christian practice with preachers and are very Bible oriented. In the 1940s a group of American Evangelical Quakers broke away from the more moderate Bible-oriented Friends and they appear as ordinary bible-based, born-again Christians with congregations led by preachers.
John & Carol Wimber, one of the leaders of the Vineyard churches, first came out of the Yorba Linda Quaker Friends church, are very evangelical
Bizarre that you didn't even mention silent worship.
Oh so its not just an oatmeal brand, its also a religious movement. The mascot make sense now.
I hope that the quakers can discover the Church again.
I have recently found that my great grandfather to the 11th came from England in 1681 with 2 sons and landed in New Jersey. They belonged to Mount Laurel friends monthly meeting. (Quakers).The generations after moved west. My Maternal grandfather did not have a denominational belief. What he passed on to us was the nature to help anyone in need. Neighbors and family. So i can see that the nature of giving and helping everyone, could have been passed down. My dad was a Corporal in Korean war as a medic. Didn't want to kill anyone. I have been digging a little to understand their beliefs.
Your presentation is a bit hit and miss. You left out one of the key areas: worship. Two of the three main types of Friends worship like many types of Protestants--singing and sermon headed by a pastor. The third type sit for an hour in silence and if someone feels called by the Spirit to speak, they stand and speak their insight. I have seen the whole hour stay silent but usually several feel "called to speak." This worship is the most traditional among Friends, but interestingly, this group of Friends tends to be the most progressive politically and open theologically.
I was a member of a Quaker meeting - part of the reason I moved on was that I was told not to use the word God.
Hmm, they shouldn’t tell you how to express yourself. That’s the point of being a Quaker! (I am one)
My Grandfather was a Quaker
3:16 One third belong to Friend's United Meeting, another third are Evangelical. How are the remaining third categorized?
The sect where I grew up calls itself “friends and workers” and they also hold “meetings”. But I wonder where the word “workers” came from
Cool!
Regards Puritans I think it might have been good to comment that George Fox was raised Puritan. He split on religious regards but kept the all black garb.
EDIT: I am a liberal, unprogrammed (Friends General Conference) Friend. I consider myself an agnostic Christian insofar as I am not concerned with orthodoxy in any way, don't worry about things like how the Trinity works and though I take the existence of God I subscribe to the philosophical view that it is not provable.