| Photo: The Clearing in Autumn by Dave Clark |
Quaker Beliefs
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Quakers have beliefs, but not creeds or dogma. To Quakers (or Friends) the primary source of spiritual inspiration, and the central belief, is that each individual is endowed with a measure of the divine, called the 'Inner Light', or 'that of God'. Quakers hold that each person can experience the Inner Light in their daily lives without the need for formal creeds, theologies, or doctrines. Seeking this measure of the divine is at the heart of Quaker worship and life. The concept of the Inner Light, or 'that of God', is central to Quaker beliefs. This measure of the divine is part of an individual's soul or inner being, and was inspired in part by the Biblical passage (John 1:9) referring to the "true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world". What individuals do with this Inner Light is in large part left to their free will and choice. Quakers recognize that there is the potential for good and evil in all of us, but believe that we can turn to this light, choosing to become 'children of God' or 'children of the Light'. Believing in the possibility of a direct experience with the divine is not unique to Quakers, but Quakers are unique among Christian religions in the importance they place on the importance and availability of this experience. Quakers hold this direct experience as the primary source of religion, de-emphasizing other sources such as books, set prayers, and rituals, which are considered 'empty forms' of religion. Although Friends believe in the value of the Christian bible as a source of inspiration and a guide, they do not believe it should have the final say, or that it is infallible. |
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Quaker Beliefs
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These are some of the questions people ask of us: Q. Why are you called Quakers? A. Early members of the Religious Society of Friends called themselves children of the light or friends of the truth. The nickname Quakers was given us by others, who said that Friends sometimes trembled or quaked with religious zeal. In fact, a good sign for whether or not friends are really moved to deliver a spoken message during meeting for worship is whether or not the suppressing of that message would cause minor physical trembling, i.e. quaking. The formal name of the Quakers is now "The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)". Q. How do you react to the suicide attacks of September 11 against the World Trade Center and the Pentagon? A. Midlothian Friends has drafted a public statement in response to the events of September 11. Q. Aren't Quakers pacifists? Would Quakers defend themselves if attacked? A. The word pacifist implies inaction and inactivity, which are not part of Quaker beliefs. We believe that we can be active in promoting truth, peace, and love to all peoples. We also believe that the Christian commandment that "thou shalt not kill" means just that, and that we should avoid, to the highest degree we can, killing or maiming our fellow human beings. Q. What do Quakers believe in? A. Quakers believe in many things, but the primary belief is that there is 'that of God in everyone'. This is an expression that means that Quakers believe that there is a measure of the divine in each human being, a spark or inner voice that we can attend to. Our mode of silent worship is based on listening for that inner voice to manifest itself, and thus lead and guide our lives. |
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| Midlothian Friends Meeting P.O. Box 1003, Midlothian, VA 23113 (804) 598-1676 |