posted
**Thinking that if I was a Quaker, I would be stepping out this thread very quickly and very quietly.**
Posts: 4344 | Registered: Mar 2003
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posted
One of my best friends is a Quaker, and I considered joining the Quakers back when I was "searching," myself. It's a fairly neat religion, as religions go.
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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Most of my ancestors on my dad's side are Quaker (Society of Friends) and I had an uncle who was a Friends pastor. My son attends Friends University (founded by the Friends church, although no longer officially affiliated with them).
So while I am NOT a Quaker, I might be able to answer any specific questions you have, or at least find the answer among my relatives.
posted
I've been interested in the history of Quakers, and I think the meetings would be as healthy a communal spirituality as I could hope to find.
I know Madison has a group with meetings on Sunday and Thursday. Would it be okay to just show up, or would that be weird?
Posts: 14017 | Registered: May 2000
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While I have never personally known of anyone who wanted to just "drop in" without having known someone else personally there, I don't see it as a problem. As long as you have read up on service enough that you know what to expect -- it is very unlike church services of other denominations. I'm assuming you have already browsed their Web Site since you feel it would be helpful to you.
I also think there are some differences between how different meetings in different areas of the country are handled. But I wouldn't expect musical instruments in any of them. And expect quite a bit of silence.
posted
That's what I expected. I can do silence. Hmmmm. Well, it's worth a try. I'll think on it a bit, and if the spirit moves me, I'll either write them via the website or just go. Thanks, Farmgirl. (I'll let you know how it turns out.)
posted
I went to a Quaker High school. We had to go to meeting once a week, on Wednesdays. It was...interesting at first, but like many things, with repetition it became more of a ritual to be performed.
It was almost like theater in a way. Mostly the same group of people would speak. Often they would talk about relatives who were sick, things that they had realized about themselves and the world. Stuff like that. Sometimes people would relate funny anecdotes and then everybody would laugh. If you got a reputation for saying stupid and pointless things, it could be extremely damaging.
I remember at least one freshman girl, my last year there, that had a strange and remarkable talent for saying things in a way that was extremely offensive and just annoying. A lot of people really hated her. Another one of my classmates told long rambling stories that were always hilarious. People would grin and a ripple of murmurs and grins would fill the meetinghouse whenever he stood to speak.
I'm sorry if I have rambled on too long. I just got to thinking about Quakers and meetings and it all started to come back. I too would like to hear how it goes. Good luck!
Posts: 218 | Registered: Nov 2001
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posted
CT, the reason I never became a Quaker is because I didn't particularly see the point. If you live a decent life and do your best to listen to the world around you, you're pretty much a Quaker anyway, minus some of the weird anachronisms (like the beard thing.)
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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Actually, Dave already HAS a beard, so a much longer beard probably isn't that much of a change. Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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posted
Ahem. I, myself, have ditched the idea of dreds (they actually are more work than they sound like at first) in favor of a renewable coronet of braids. As for the beard, well, all who saw my Wenchcon pictures know I can beard it with the best of them. No problem.
Dave's likely to stay in his firmly atheistic, secular humanistic, sociological seat. But me, I'm not sure.
I understand your point, Tom, and it's a good one. But what am I missing from not being part of a community? Perhaps I should be making more of an effort to shake myself out of lazy thinking and just try harder to understand the big picture. Probably something I have to decide for myself.
And I know that any community of people is still just a bunch of people -- faults, quirks, oddities, sins, and annoying habits all come with the territory. But I'm consdering whether sitting in a room twice a week with generally decent people, being quiet, and concentrating really hard might help.
Posts: 14017 | Registered: May 2000
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posted
Sara, I don't think you CAN actually join the Society of Friends without having Dave join. They take the whole "religion is a family decision" thing VERY seriously, and I think their official position is that you can't be fully committed to a faith if your life-partner isn't equally committed.
You might want to consider the Unitarians, if Dave's not willing to make the same plunge; as far as I know, the Unitarians don't have any of the same restrictions.
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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posted
It's still worth looking into; I'd give the local chapter a call and see what their position is -- or, if you'd rather, I can E-mail Noah and ask him about how things are done in Bloomington.
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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posted
[By the way, I am no longer productive of colored bodily fluids from my face! Can I come over now?]
Posts: 14017 | Registered: May 2000
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No worries, I'll do some research. Good for me to think through things slowly.
The local group seems to be very environmentally active, and as it's Madison, who knows? They may be more concerned about my car usage as opposed to husband's principles.
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You could have come over even when you WERE oozing fluids, you know. I'm trying to get used to them.
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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Tom, you have no idea. Every time I tried to talk, I wheezed and hacked like a World War II veteran who'd chain-smoked his way through those long hours at the asbestos factory.
*shudder
I sounded worse than my 96-yr old grandfather did, and that's a pipe-breath raw-onion phlegm noise that will stay with me til the day I die. He was a great guy, but not one you really wanted to cuddle up with.
Maybe what I need is meditation. I'm not sure. I just am caught with the notion that I'm not pushing hard enough spiritually, that I've become lax.
Posts: 14017 | Registered: May 2000
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posted
I've been looking through the "Friends" website. I haven't yet seen anything that says that all members of a family *have* to be involved. It does appear that there are more liberal and conservative branches of Friends. It appears there has been a divide among them on the gay relationship issue. I would think if you found one affiliated with a liberal branch you should be find. This is the conservative wing here. http://www.evangelical-friends.org/about/history.html and it sort of describes the divisions.
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I'll pursue AJ's line of thought, but first: Quaker Science Fiction! ("Like Alvin Maker, but without the knacks. Or the plow. And more quiet-like." )
Posts: 14017 | Registered: May 2000
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Stephen -- I think you are mixing your religions. None of my Quaker-relatives have beards. I think perhaps you are picturing old-order Mennonite or Amish followers.
I confess to knowing next to nothing about the Quakers. I was reacting to the statement on beards made by TomDavidson in the post immediately prior to mine:
quote:If you live a decent life and do your best to listen to the world around you, you're pretty much a Quaker anyway, minus some of the weird anachronisms (like the beard thing.)
PS: I was thinking of starting an "Ask the agnostic" thread, but I figured people would get pretty bored when every answer to every question turned out to be variations on these:
"Beats the heck out of me." "I've been wondering about that myself." "You could be right." "Then again, you could be wrong."
posted
As I understand it, it is a tradition among most conservative Quaker circles -- which, of course, vary widely based on location -- that Quaker men stop shaving once they are married.
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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I just heard back from my friend on this one, and he says it's not at all uncommon for this to vary widely depending on region and tradition. The Quakers are relatively non-dogmatic, and consequently there's a wide range of practices accepted and traditions upheld in every circle. (This is apparently a small source of conflict, but "conflict" among Quakers generally involves a lot of not standing next to somebody, so it's not a huge deal.)
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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quote:This is apparently a small source of conflict, but "conflict" among Quakers generally involves a lot of not standing next to somebody, so it's not a huge deal.
posted
The Quaker wedding ceremony we went to for our friend was beautiful, by the way. I think they really know how to start of a marriage right. Friends and family pledging to support the couple and giving advice and memories.
I would be interested in attending a meeting with you if you decide to go.
Posts: 1777 | Registered: Jan 2003
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posted
I don't know if I could handle the extreme non-violence position they take. If this weren't one of their trademarks I could easily be a quaker too.
posted
I went to a Quaker church for quite some time. My parents attend one.
Sadly, the evil boyfriend also was a Quaker. Not the religion's fault, though.
There is a lot to respect in the Quaker faith. I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you dropped by for a visit and let them know you were a Seeker. I really liked the silent time, during which ANYONE could stand and share with the congregation. Whatever the Spirit moved you to say, or not say, as was often the case. It was very nice.
Posts: 3141 | Registered: Apr 2000
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posted
Tom He's the one that likes watching the War Channel. While I will watch movies like Saving Private Ryan, Blackhawk Down, We Were Soliders Once or Band of Brothers (I realize it is a mini series) once, I really don't have the stomach for watching them multiple times.
Yet he can watch them again and again.
I don't get it. Hm maybe I should post on the 21YOM thread.
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