I think I'm a Quaker.

[ConstanceFelicity]

I have been reading up on it, and it somehow matches me. I thought that I was a bit of a spiritual floozy, believing what I wanted to, but now I think that maybe that's how it should be.

Any Quakers out there or anyone interested in a Quaker interest thread?

Hi I"m not a Quaker but attend a meeting occasionally - the silence is wonderfully uplifting.
Have you started going to meeting yet? If not, do so. What I like about the Quakers is they just accept you as you are; you can be a Christian/ jewish/buddhist/aetheist quaker all are accepted.

I have not been to a meeting- Live in the middle of nowhere (it's lovelY0 but adore the idea of silent worship and that you have to create your own beliefs, challenge yourself, learn things instead of accepting them.

I think I have definite Quaker leanings. Although I find the ritual and music especially of the Anglican church very comforting/uplifting depending on the situation.

Haven't been to any meetings but do intend to one day

this is the BBC guide to Quakerism....and really interseting too!

Thanks Pan!
It's interesting that I feel so much more secure now that what I believe has a label... I wonder why that is?
And also, when do you start calling youself a Christian or a Muslim or a Quaker? When you feel the connection? When you go to meetings? What does it mean to be a part of a religion?

On browsing online yesterday, I was struck by a few things regarding the society of friends. One is that a lot of Quakers dress simply, speak simply, although the whole point of the movement is that you come to your own conclusions about things, and don't follow blindly. Which means that in theory, people have independently decided that to do those things are good and right.

My music teacher is a Quaker.

Hi, I'm a Quaker. Discovered it about five years ago and it's changed my life. I guess what I like best is that each week I practice being still and calm and quiet. I take that with me through the week.
There are some great clips on YouTube about Quaker ways. such as...

Thanks QuakerMum. Are there any forums?
Do you take your kids to meetings?

No, only discovered Quakers since my daughter is too old to hang out with me (!) But it has meant we can have more open conversations about god now that i have explored more about what I believe. Love and light and connnectedness- all things that an idealistic young adult can relate to.

Cities often have more than one meeting so that each meeting stays quite small, and the kids/families tend to congregate in one or two of the central meetings. I'm in Leeds and there are seven meetings, I prefer to go to a small one that doesn't have any children at the moment. Every now and then I attend the large city meeting with all the liveliness that goes with it. I suppose that way you get the choice.

Also worth looking at is "Advices and Queries" produced by the Quakers. It is simply 'advice and queries" and is really wonderful and is full of v powerful advice which is really worth meditating on.. It's available online or in a pdf format.
Also Have a look at the Quaker website and it'll all make sense. You can also order a guide to Quakers for newbies! (Not sure of the correct title!)

Hope this helps. Enjoy the journey

Thank you.

Next question-
Would you say that having a Christian basis is an integral part of being a Quaker? I have read the Bible, and I find most of it inspirational, as I do the Qu'ran. But I wouldn't call myself a Christian, or rather I'd call myself a Christian, a Buddhist, a Hindu, a Muslim, etc etc...

I think I've scared myself a bit by reading a US Quaker talkboard. Seems to me that the whole point is to decide for yourself and by your own yardstick what is right and good, but there seems to be a lot of debate on plain dress/ speech etc...

Constance I amde a similar decision a while back for similar reasons. I have a broadly Christian ethos (not entirely cultural, raised strict Atheist LOL) but the whole 'Big Church' thing falls far short of my own faith.

I don;t get to go to meetings though, due to the boys. I try and live my life by my principles though and they do seem Quaker led.

For me, it's alregely about finding my inspiration through peace rather than dogma. A lot of what I believe is summed up by writers such as Vivekananda, and it's a sort of meditative process.

WRT to plain dress etc I don;t exactly wear sackcloth or even shop with 'Quaker' in mind, but I try hard not to set store by appearances as well. I think it's about not living by what ohters think and having space for faith. If I see a pretty frock I may well save for it; but I won;t spend all weekend (as many of my friends do) trying to find 'the' dress either.

Brilliant post SantasMooningArse (the fabbest of names!), I really didn't get the dress thing till you explained it to me. Thank you.

yes, the more I read of Quakers, the more I am attracted. I am an iconoclast by nature, so the images that I am provided with by other religions are a no no instinctively.

Having said that..I also desire some structure - the invitation from Quakerism seems to say "if it's ok by you, it's ok." I know this isn't its totality but perhaps it's just me wanting my cake and eating it!

am still searching the retreats websites!!

I thibnk most Quakers I know share a similar sense of fiath, but differ in expression and interpretation somewhat.

I, for example, dance. A lot, indeed I perform. I see no issue with that at all.

That's for me to decide though I think; i ahve formed my understanding of the nature of God / love / energy / Btahma / whatever title one might use, and work around that.

I'm not good with ritual though; lack of suits me immensely. I have a very straightforward nature and lighting candles / iconography / responses etc bore me rigid.

it's my own personal belief that most faiths have a shared central consciousness (a sort of idea of explanation of love and humnan energy and uniqueness) but that different peoples needed different ways to express that. I see Quakerism as an alternative to ritualistic and dogmatic church set ups for people like me- plain janes who lack a need for social hierarchy and leaders- whereas CofE / catholics ? Islam / Buddhists etc- same thing, different members (OK so tehre's no God in Buddhism (some say, but then again the boddhisattvas and jesus come pretty near each other) but YKWIM.

Pan - the Quakers have some retreat centres:
Charney Manor in Oxfordshire:
Woodcroft Centre- Birmingham

Also the Glenthorne Quaker Guest house in Grasmere runs courses on all sorts of different things.
Its worth trawling their websites.....

Here's a link to the Quaker's Advices and Queries booklet.-- I find it incredibly useful as a guide to how we should live our lives.

qfp.quakerweb.org.uk/qfp1-02.html

Here's a quote from Advices which I really like:
" Attend to what love requires of you, which may not be great busyness."
Try meditating / focusing on that !

As for a Quaker dress code / ie: plain dress - I've never really noticed one. I guess Quakers would rather buy fairtrade / vintage / second hand. I don't think Quakers do Prada or Jimmy Choos but I may be wrong......

That's good, I don't get the designer label thingy :)
Meetings are held here every fortnight, so I'll be going a week on Sunday. I'm fascinated and a bit nervous, but looking forward too.
Looking forward to the journey :)

Ooo, interesting thread. I am pagan but have been considering more and more going to a Meeting. I have contact with my local Meeting House but am not quite sure if I should go or not. They did send me all their blurb (Advices and Queries) which is fascinating to read

I am thinking of going to a meeting. I like the fact that the Quakers were the good employers in the 'bad old days'-they seemed to be the ones who wanted to make a difference. I also loke the thought of silence.

I got my advies and queries through last saturday, have read it. Was fab. Still feel it fits. :)

Am planning on going to my first meeting on Sunday, but I'm a bit nervous. An hour is a lot of silence when you have 2 DSs! :o
Also, what if I want to laugh? I always do in inappropriate situations!

Silly worries, I know. I'll let you know how it goes.

Please post back-I keep thinking of it and then finding an excuse to say 'not this week'. I would love to know how you find it.

I've been to Quaker meeting a few times as a child (have a parent who is a fellow -traveller). It's peaceful and there is quite a community feeling. It isn't always completely silent. If the spirit moves you then you speak, so people get up and talk about all kinds of things.

At out meeting we children were in another room doing activities and only joined the adult, silent meeting for the last half hour or twenty minutes. All I can say is that even as a child it didn't seem very odd or comic. Do try it.

I've been lurking on this thread and have read the BBC Guide. All I can say is "Wow". I think that I might have found a place where I'm comfortable......

You do have to admire a religious group that calls itself 'the Society of Friends'. While I'm not a Quaker (am atheist, am not pacifist) I would not generally be entirely happy to find myself on the opposite side of any argument to them. Asking 'What would the Quakers do?' is a pretty good way to guide yourself through life.

Hi all :)

Well, I went. And I have to say, I have never come across a more pleasant or friendlier bunch of people. I arrived through the snow, and there were about ten others there, all far older than me, and every single one came to say hello before we sat down. One of the elders came to say hello, and explained that it would all start when we all sat down, and at the end the elders would shake hands and that notified then end of the period of silence.

No-one said a word for the hour. It is very difficult to empty your mind, and I wasn't sure if that's what I was meant to do, so I decided to think of all the wonderful things that were in my life, and what I have learnt from the not-so-wonderful things. It sound so simple, but it really made a difference to me- As soon as I got in the car afterwards, I wrote down some of my thoughts.

After the meeting we all had a chat and a cup of tea, and everyone was so kind. I spoke to a few people about the impossibility of explaining what being a Quaker means, and that I wasn't sure about Christianity, just that Jesus was a good man. They smiled and said "yes, a lot of us feel like that- Some Quakers are Christian, some are Buddhist, some are even atheist." This was a great relief to me.

One of the things I didn't expect was the lack of pressure that I should come back. They said they hoped I had a rewarding time, and that they'd see me again, but "only if you want to". I will be going back- It has given me a lot of perspective, and has made me feel thankful and happy and, the best word I can use is contented.

So thank you all that replied to my OP