What are Quaker meetings like?

[Anonymous]

I'm a liberal AA woman. I was raised in a nondenominational Christian household, but I am curious about Quakerism. A friend of mine went to a couple of meetings in undergrad, so I do have some perspective. It seems as if people sit in silence and speak about the Bible or whatever dawns upon them. Am I correct? What else goes on during a meeting?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a liberal AA woman. I was raised in a nondenominational Christian household, but I am curious about Quakerism. A friend of mine went to a couple of meetings in undergrad, so I do have some perspective. It seems as if people sit in silence and speak about the Bible or whatever dawns upon them. Am I correct? What else goes on during a meeting?

Lots of oatmeal is served. Bring your own raisins.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a liberal AA woman. I was raised in a nondenominational Christian household, but I am curious about Quakerism. A friend of mine went to a couple of meetings in undergrad, so I do have some perspective. It seems as if people sit in silence and speak about the Bible or whatever dawns upon them. Am I correct? What else goes on during a meeting?

Lots of oatmeal is served. Bring your own raisins.

I went to one quaker meeting, with a quaker friend. It was lovely. Quite and reflective. No mention of Jesus or god that ai recall. Nice sincere people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a liberal AA woman. I was raised in a nondenominational Christian household, but I am curious about Quakerism. A friend of mine went to a couple of meetings in undergrad, so I do have some perspective. It seems as if people sit in silence and speak about the Bible or whatever dawns upon them. Am I correct? What else goes on during a meeting?

One can talk about the Bible. One can talk about anything they wish, within reason.

[Anonymous]

I have attended many meetings (family members are Friends) and this description is pretty accurate (see- What happens in Quaker worship—is it really silent?)

http://www.fgcquaker.org/explore/faqs-about-quakers#worship?

[Anonymous]

We attend the Friends Meeting Washington and have found it to be a wonderful place to explore our spirituality.

The meeting is unprogrammed which means that it is not led by a religious figure and that attendees worship in silence. When inspired to share a message with and for the community, an individual can rise and speak. During the hour worship, usually 3-6 people will speak for a cumulative 10-15 minutes. The remainder of the time, you sit in silence and draw inward. It's lovely and very welcoming.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We attend the Friends Meeting Washington and have found it to be a wonderful place to explore our spirituality.

The meeting is unprogrammed which means that it is not led by a religious figure and that attendees worship in silence. When inspired to share a message with and for the community, an individual can rise and speak. During the hour worship, usually 3-6 people will speak for a cumulative 10-15 minutes. The remainder of the time, you sit in silence and draw inward. It's lovely and very welcoming.

Sounds boring and selfish.

[Anonymous]

70 percent of this community is from folks who joined to avoid the Vietnam war draft. In truth, they have nothing to talk about in their meetings and so it's mostly babbling.

[Anonymous]

Friendly Persuasion

[Anonymous]

The hostility on this thread is offensive. I grew up as a member of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers was a derogatory nickname which over time has come into use by the community, but most I know Quakers refer to themselves as Friends). A core belief is that there is the light of God in everyone, and no one is closer to God than anyone else. Everyone's relationship is directly with God and should happen without mediation by a priest or minister. The emphasis is on simplicity and stripping out false ornamentation and distractions. It is Christian but quite different than other Christian denominations in the method of practice. Go visit! Visitors are always welcome.

[Anonymous]

I went to a Quaker school and can say that in middle school, meetings were rough. No one said anything, except the day we had a special meeting when the space shuttle blew up. But by high school, there were actually some pretty amazing meetings. People talking very thoughtfully about parent's deaths, not getting a job because of their race, really moving stuff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The hostility on this thread is offensive. I grew up as a member of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers was a derogatory nickname which over time has come into use by the community, but most I know Quakers refer to themselves as Friends). A core belief is that there is the light of God in everyone, and no one is closer to God than anyone else. Everyone's relationship is directly with God and should happen without mediation by a priest or minister. The emphasis is on simplicity and stripping out false ornamentation and distractions. It is Christian but quite different than other Christian denominations in the method of practice. Go visit! Visitors are always welcome.

This is a knowledgeable person. I also don't know why such hostility toward Quakers. Around this area most of the meetings are fairly liberal, so you will find people who are Christian Quaker, but also Jewish Quaker, or Agnostic Quaker or even Atheist Quaker. But I would say that some of those combinations are pretty small. Some meetings lean more Christian and some lean more Universalist. But they are not Universalist. Quakers believe that is that of God in every human (the light).

I went to Quaker High School, Quaker College, Quaker Camp and went to Quaker meeting for about 10 years. I do not currently go to meeting. Those meetings which belong to "Friends General Conference" are more liberal. Those meetings which belong to "Friends United Meeting" are more conservative and more Christian. Some meetings belong to both conferences and try to please everyone, but generally most of the congregation leans one way.

http://www.fgcquaker.org/explore I would say if you do a little reading before attending you will get more out of meeting and have more background in the process and the religion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The hostility on this thread is offensive. I grew up as a member of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers was a derogatory nickname which over time has come into use by the community, but most I know Quakers refer to themselves as Friends). A core belief is that there is the light of God in everyone, and no one is closer to God than anyone else. Everyone's relationship is directly with God and should happen without mediation by a priest or minister. The emphasis is on simplicity and stripping out false ornamentation and distractions. It is Christian but quite different than other Christian denominations in the method of practice. Go visit! Visitors are always welcome.

This is not Christian doctrine. Christians do not believe in god as "light," but in the flesh and blood personage of Jesus Christ. Also, I could never understand the statement that no one is closer to God than anyone else. Does this mean that ax murderers are just as close to God as, say, those that follow Christ and truly live out His way?

[Anonymous]

Draft dodgers the lot of them.

[Anonymous]

I also went to quaker school, quaker camp, was raised quaker. The poster who said there's a lot of old hippie draft dodgers is not very wrong... that had a lot to do with my parents becoming quakers. (Although my grandparents were pretty red, so not a huge stretch.)

At best, it's a very open, very accepting, very lovely set of values: who can argue with a doctrine that says the light of God is in everyone and you should treat them accordingly?

At worst, it is like a parody of every liberal cliche you can imagine: very, very overly ernest people, who are trying so hard to be accepting that they will bend over backwards to be so. Even in situations when it's not appropriate.

When I was a child there was a homeless guy who liked to come to our meeting and expose himself to us kids. We did, of course, complain to our parents. The Meeting formed a committee to discuss whether they could help him. Many people thought he should be allowed to continue to come to firstday worship. Since quakers only reach decisions by consensus... this all took some time. And I don't think they ever did get rid of the Sikh guy who liked to give us eleven. year old girls big hugs....

But that was the 70s. It is true to say it was a different time.