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Original poster

Does anyone know anything about The Quakers?

42 replies

Rhubarb · 19/03/2007 21:57

Just thinking of popping into one of their meetings purely out of interest. They sound fascinating. Does anyone know more about them?

OP posts:
MrsBadger · 19/03/2007 21:59

the only ones I've ever known have been very nice indeed
like their philosophy too
though a friend went to a school with 'a Quaker ethos' and said they were barking

webcrone · 19/03/2007 22:00

What do you want to know? I attend Quaker meetings on occasion - you'll be made very welcome if you do pop in.

Twinklemegan · 19/03/2007 22:00

One of my colleagues attends their meetings and she's pretty normal.

Rantum · 19/03/2007 22:01

Yeah I had a friend at a Quaker school and she did say that the experience was a bit mad (but that it was also very nice in many ways - pro-peace and very egalitarian)

TooTicky · 19/03/2007 22:04

Do go. Quakers are lovely - for the most part friendly, open-minded and of course peaceful. Are you aiming on taking your dc/s? Make sure you go to one with an active children's group - it's a great place to make friends, but some meetings have more children than others.

Gizmo · 19/03/2007 22:09

I went to a Quaker school!

Didn't seem particularly mad to me, I must say (which may be more of a reflection on the rest of my upbringing ). Actually, on reflection, they were extremely cool - apart from excellent teaching and some very interesting extracurricular stuff, they were like a good church school without dogmatic adherence to one school of thought: tolerance of diversity was absolutely fundamental.

So I have a huge amount of respect for Quakers and if I had the time, I would certainly go back to meetings. It is surprisingly refreshing to sit and contemplate spiritual life through long periods of silence...

cat64 · 19/03/2007 22:12

This reply has been deleted

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Original poster
Rhubarb · 19/03/2007 22:18

I don't do silence very well, I tend to get a fit of giggles and of course you can hear bodily noises too which just set me off!

I'm just interested really. I know they have no set beliefs but I take it that they do believe in Jesus as they describe themselves as Christian. The idea of everyone being equal appeals to me as I'm a hater of authority. And that you need your own personal experience of God, I think that would suit dh as he hasn't had this and finds the catholic church very restrictive and not very spiritual.

Although I'm not planning to convert! But yes I will be taking the children. One of the things I want to do is to take them to lots of different services in different churches/temples to give them a broader perspective on religion and belief. I am bringing them up in the catholic faith but I want them to know all about the other religions out there too. I don't want them to feel afraid to question and explore.

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roisin · 19/03/2007 22:20

I went to a Quaker School too (GtA. which did you go to Gizmo?). I have recently attended meetings several times over the past couple of years, including with kids, and we were made very welcome.

They have a very user-friendly website, which has lots of background information about Quakers too.

roisin · 19/03/2007 22:21

There is certainly a big meeting somewhere up towards you in the north of the county, with a thriving children's meeting.

CAT me if you want to know more.

Rx

roisin · 19/03/2007 22:22

My boys didn't really like it btw, but they could just about cope with the first ten minutes, then went out to a philosophy group.

TooTicky · 19/03/2007 22:22

The children are present for either the very beginning or the end of the meeting. I remember some desperate giggles occasions, especially the day somebody had hiccoughs.

Original poster
Rhubarb · 19/03/2007 22:22

I was just on that Roisin.

Hope they're not over-friendly though. We like to just be able to sit at the back and choose whether or not to approach people. I get put off when they are "in yer face" so to speak. I like my private bubble!

I think I will make the effort to go to the local meeting house though.

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zippitippitoes · 19/03/2007 22:23

ds went to a quaker school..not barking at all

webcrone · 19/03/2007 22:26

Welcoming without being at all intrusive has been my experience of meetings, in half a dozen or so different places. I go along now and again just to be with others in silent worship.

roisin · 19/03/2007 22:27

Which one Zippi?

Donk · 19/03/2007 22:27

Link to website here
Many Quakers are Christians - and all would AI think acknowledge that we come from the Christian tradition - but you might nowadays find Buddhist Quakers, and even Humanist Quakers and non-theist quakers.
What do you want to know?
(By the way British Yearly Meeting and the Yearly Meetings in the NE US are the quiet meetings - the rest are much more like 'normal' churches from the evangelical wing with 'programmed meetings' (ie services) and 'pastors')

Original poster
Rhubarb · 19/03/2007 22:28

Do they expect the kids to do 'silent worship' too?

tbh I think the silence thing would really put me off, although I'll go anyway just out of curiosity. Do they mind people rolling around the floor red faced with a hankie in their mouths trying to stifle the giggles?

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TooTicky · 19/03/2007 22:29

Programmed meetings? Since when?

Original poster
Rhubarb · 19/03/2007 22:30

I don't have specific questions as such, I'm just interested in all of it.

Do they have charities? Do they do much in their local communities? Do they have any kind of a moral code? Do they campaign against things they think are wrong?

Did I just say I didn't have any specific questions?

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TooTicky · 19/03/2007 22:31

The kids only do a bit of the silence. There is usually a rota for people to do activities with the children.

TooTicky · 19/03/2007 22:32

They are involved with charity work and campaigns, but peacefully of course.

webcrone · 19/03/2007 22:32

In those I've been to, the kids are expected to sit 'quietly' through the first 15-20 mins or so, though only as quietly as is possible for their age! Quite usual for there to be baby and small child noises. Other meetings may do it differently. Never taken my kids, and they're old enough to choose for themselves now.

Original poster
Rhubarb · 19/03/2007 22:32

So what activities do they do with kids? What do they teach them?

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Gizmo · 19/03/2007 22:32

Oh I remember quite a bit of barely muffled hysterical giggles (that's what happens when you put 20 teenage girls - educated in an all girls school - in close proximity to 20 farting teenage boys - in silence). They were rather loftily ignored .

Roisin, I went to the girls school in York: I expect you know the one I mean...