4 Things We Can All Learn From One Of America's Oldest Religious Communities

[rug]

The Huffington Post | By Alena Hall
Posted: 06/18/2014 9:31 am EDT
Updated: 29 minutes ago

Sunlight pours into the plain, open room through its many windows. Men and women of all ages gather in rows of simple wooden benches all aligned to face the center of the room, facing one another. Together they sit in stillness and silence, actively waiting for inspiration to arrive.

For at least an hour each week, Quakers -- or more formally known as the Religious Society of Friends -- come together in this room for what is called a meeting for worship. While the structure varies from meetinghouse to meetinghouse and from perspective to perspective, this tradition (comparable to a church service) offers valuable insights into how one can live a mindful and fulfilling life -- with or without the religious context.

Quakerism and this accompanying practice emerged in mid-17th century England during a time of religious turmoil. George Fox founded this protestant society out of dissatisfaction with the Church of England, and a group of Friends brought it to the American Northeast in the late 1680s. Settled predominantly in Pennsylvania and Rhode Island, they aim to embody the values of pacifism, community, simplicity and equality throughout their daily lives, placing a special emphasis on these gatherings.

Many meetings for worship are not led by a minister, filled with hymns or guided by scripture readings. Instead, Friends sit together and wait silently and patiently to connect with the Divine spirit. Should they feel moved to share thoughts inspired by this spiritual connection, they simply stand and do so. If not, they continue to sit and search for guidance and direction peacefully. No two meetings for worship are the same. One day the room will remain silent throughout the entirety of the meeting, while another will be full voices sharing the messages they felt inspired to share.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/18/quaker-meeting-for-worship_n_5500022.html

[Twenty1first]

1. I liked your white church and your commune with all white draped,

and you dressed nice than any other person in the church....

I also liked your say hell with others. and Jesus coming to hate you if mama didn't give you money...

...and, and , and.....

good by Rev....

[cbayer]

2. I really like the way he draws parallels between Quakerism and Buddhism.

In the community where I lived during the Viet Nam protests, the Quakers were an important voice in the call for pacifism. I attended some meetings and although they did not speak to me, they were inspirational in other ways. They were also some of the kindest people I have ever met.

[rug]

3. I spent a lot of time at the Amrerican Friends Sevice Committe on Rutherford Place during the draft.

[cbayer]

4. I was in Chicago and they did draft counseling out of our church.

It was a great time to be an activist, wasn't it.

[cyberswede]

5. As an aside, the meeting house in the photo looks like the one at the Herbert Hoover museum. nt

[DreamGypsy]

6. Yes, the United States would be a much better place if we valued ...

... Silence, Community, Simplicity, and Equality...

but our culture is oriented toward Noise, Individuality, Complexity, and Superiority.

Not surprising that only .027% of the population is Quaker.

Kenya has half again as many Quakers as the U.S.

[AtheistCrusader]

7. I was impressed by something a while back.

A man had his wife and children in a buggy, and was rear ended by a car, going very fast, while the driver was texting. The driver was convicted of a crime, and did serve time for it.

But what got me was, the father wrote him a letter some months on. It was filled with concern for his well-being. Nothing more.


I'm not that big of a person. I don't think I could do that. I'm impressed when I meet believers that walk the talk. They are easy to spot.

[rug]

8. It sounds like the Amish.

Do you remember when five girls were killed in an Amish school some years ago?

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14900930

Absolutely stunning.

[AtheistCrusader]

9. I think you are right.

Normally, I take the alignment that was illustrated by Dostoyevsky, in the character Ivan; "I don't want the mother to embrace the oppressor who threw her son to the dogs! She dare not forgive him! Let her forgive him for herself, if she will, let her forgive the torturer for the immeasurable suffering of her mother's heart. But the sufferings of her tortured child she has no right to forgive; she dare not forgive the torturer, even if the child were to forgive him!"

But events like this give me pause. I wonder if it is 'good' for the people who do it, in that letting go of that hate helps them in some way. That it might be better for the survivors.

It's an interesting thought anyway.

[Leontius]

10. It is the simple and basic message of Christianity the core of the teaching of Christ

Do not hate, do not let hate infect your heart and spirit allow only love to enter. So simple and yet so difficult.