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Hello thread :)

R

romana03

Member
Hello :)

I'm Romana, I'm currently living in Adelaide, South Australia, but I grew up in Bristol in the UK.

My family are determinedly atheist, although my Mum went through an evangelical Christian phase while she was at music college. I slowly came to an understanding of my faith during my 20s and about 5 years ago now, found out that what I had come to understand tied in awfully well with (traditional) Quaker approaches to faith, thought and ways of living.

I would now describe myself as Quaker, but I am not a Christian and do not approach the bible as the word of God.

I found this forum through a link from a page about what Quakers believe, while reading about programmed meetings and think this place looks fun :)

So yeah. Hello!

Romana
 
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Onkara

Well-Known Member
Hello Romana
That's great, I would like to learn more about Quakers and Quakerism :) Please share your experiences :)
 
R

romana03

Member
Thank you for the welcomes :)

Magog, many are and Quakerism has a Christian background, but you don't have to be. As I understand it, American Quakers and Quakers whose meetings have come from the American tradition are likely to be closer to a traditional protestant Christian model than Quakers from a UK background.

Onkara, did you have any specific things you'd like to know?
 
O

Onkara

Well-Known Member
romana03 said:
Onkara, did you have any specific things you'd like to know?
Click to expand...
Hi
I am aware that Quakers meet in silence, but do they also have other social or community events where they share ideas and talk about things as well?

If so I wonder what is it like, because there must be some diverse ideas and opinions? I guess there is a sense of acceptance between the members even if their views don't align?
 
Secret Chief

Secret Chief

Vetted Member
Ok thanks romana. Quakers have been to the Buddhist temple on past occasions (I live in the UK). I've also been to Quaker Meeting Houses for Buddhist meetings.
 
R

romana03

Member
Onkara said:
Hi
I am aware that Quakers meet in silence, but do they also have other social or community events where they share ideas and talk about things as well?
Click to expand...

Yes :) In my experience (of unprogrammed worship) we generally have tea and nattering after meeting for worship and also separate social and community events. For example, a 'bring and share' lunch where we discussed the sources of the food we shared and the ethical/social/environmental impact of our choices.

If so I wonder what is it like, because there must be some diverse ideas and opinions? I guess there is a sense of acceptance between the members even if their views don't align?
Click to expand...

Definitely :) Quaker worship and business meetings are about loving acceptance of everyone's contributions. The consensus model means meeting for business can be slow, but it is important that everyone is heard and decisions are not purely majority driven. In my experience, this is definitely also a part of Quaker community in general - it's not just about meeting, but about how you approach life in general.

Not sure about the others, but certainly in the UK Faith and Practice, there is a collection of testimonies on various subjects and the fact that they include a variety of experiences and viewpoints was part of what appealed to me when I first investigated Quaker beliefs.
 
R

romana03

Member
Magog said:
Ok thanks romana. Quakers have been to the Buddhist temple on past occasions (I live in the UK). I've also been to Quaker Meeting Houses for Buddhist meetings.
Click to expand...

There's quite a lot of crossover between Buddhist teachings and Quaker beliefs :)
 
Revoltingest

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
romana03 said:
Hello :)
I'm Romana, I'm currently living in Adelaide, South Australia, but I grew up in Bristol in the UK.
My family are determinedly atheist, although my Mum went through an evangelical Christian phase while she was at music college. I slowly came to an understanding of my faith during my 20s and about 5 years ago now, found out that what I had come to understand tied in awfully well with (traditional) Quaker approaches to faith, thought and ways of living.
I would now describe myself as Quaker, but I am not a Christian and do not approach the bible as the word of God.
I found this forum through a link from a page about what Quakers believe, while reading about programmed meetings and think this place looks fun :)
So yeah. Hello!
Click to expand...
Greetings!
I practice quackery, but I'm not a Xian either.
 
O

Onkara

Well-Known Member
romana03 said:
...
Not sure about the others, but certainly in the UK Faith and Practice, there is a collection of testimonies on various subjects and the fact that they include a variety of experiences and viewpoints was part of what appealed to me when I first investigated Quaker beliefs.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the reply Romana
It has always appealed to me too, I once saw the Quakers sat in silence in London and have been intrigued ever since.

Why do you like the Quakers, what keeps you going to the meetings and events?

Shuddhasattva said:
Wow! Have nothing to say aside from how wonderful that is.
Click to expand...
Yes, isn't it :)
 
R

romana03

Member
This is a really welcoming place, thanks again, all :)

Shuddhasattva said:
Wow! Have nothing to say aside from how wonderful that is.
Click to expand...

It was really nice to be able to talk with other people who cared about stuff that we normally just thought about for ourselves.

Onkara said:
Why do you like the Quakers, what keeps you going to the meetings and events?
Click to expand...

I have honestly never felt so at home anywhere as I do when I am sitting in meeting, it's an incredible feeling, sometimes peaceful, sometimes sad, sometimes incredibly happy, but always right. That probably sounds silly!

Also, I am used to people saying I take everything too seriously, and I think about things too much. That doesn't happen to me with other Quakers, which is really nice! :D
 
O

Onkara

Well-Known Member
romana03 said:
I have honestly never felt so at home anywhere as I do when I am sitting in meeting, it's an incredible feeling, sometimes peaceful, sometimes sad, sometimes incredibly happy, but always right. That probably sounds silly!

Also, I am used to people saying I take everything too seriously, and I think about things too much. That doesn't happen to me with other Quakers, which is really nice! :D
Click to expand...

Hi Romana
Do you mean that it can differ between Quaker groups? So it is important to choose the right group somehow?
 
9Westy9

9Westy9

Sceptic, Libertarian, Egalitarian
Premium Member
romana03 said:
Hello :)

I'm Romana, I'm currently living in Adelaide, South Australia, but I grew up in Bristol in the UK.

My family are determinedly atheist, although my Mum went through an evangelical Christian phase while she was at music college. I slowly came to an understanding of my faith during my 20s and about 5 years ago now, found out that what I had come to understand tied in awfully well with (traditional) Quaker approaches to faith, thought and ways of living.

I would now describe myself as Quaker, but I am not a Christian and do not approach the bible as the word of God.

I found this forum through a link from a page about what Quakers believe, while reading about programmed meetings and think this place looks fun :)

So yeah. Hello!

Romana
Click to expand...

Welcome to the forums :D. I was born in Bristol but grew up in Yatton
 
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