No, it is flattering. I don't mind, but its not easy. I'm not actually a Quaker, and Quakers are very specific about that. If you aren't officially a Quaker then you shouldn't say you are. I'm not officially a Quaker at all. There are no Quakers within 100 miles of me, so that is not likely to change. I'm in rural parts of MS, so I guess that isn't surprising. I think because of the Quaker Oatmeal fiasco they are very particular about who calls his/herself a Quaker. Quaker Oatmeal is not Quaker.
Do you think that true Christianity in our time would be found in only certain isolated localities? How were Jesus' disciples to preach 'in all the world' if they were only found in small geographical pockets? (Matthew 24:14) Do Quakers preach?
Here's their faith and practice page.
What Quakers Believe - Quaker.org
Thank you for the link, it was very informative. I had a rough idea of what they believe, but I was actually surprised to read that....
“Today, Quakers are a worldwide, global community of people who are diverse in every way, include what they believe and practice. There are a variety of Quaker Faith and Practices online that give a much deeper perspective on this question.”
Diversity of belief and practice is
not what the Bible indicates should be the case in genuine Christianity. (1 Corinthians 1:10) There was one set of beliefs and practices among first century Christians, and anyone who wanted to deviate from that and teach anything else was rebuked and rejected. (1 John 10-11) Deviation and introduced ideas is what fractured Christendom into thousands of sects......who can untangle that rabble?
As I said, it is easy to spot the counterfeits by comparing them with the original. All we know about the original is in our scripture, and if we follow what Jesus taught without adding or subtracting what we personally like or dislike, therein lies the truth. (IMO)
Jesus did however, warn that the devil would produce a counterfeit form of Christianity that would grow in the world like "weeds" and deceive a lot of people. (Matthew 13:24-30; 36-42; Matthew 7:13-14) But only certain people would be taken in by it....those who put their own preferences before God's. (Matthew 7:21-23; 2 Corinthians 4:3-4) These may call themselves "Christians" but they prefer to believe what appeals to them, rather than to search for the unalterable truth that Jesus said his disciples would disseminate to the whole world. (Matthew 24:14; Matthew 28:19-20)
I like their practiced discernment, nurture of the life of the spirit which I did participate in as a visitor when I lived near Quakers, direct encounter with God. On the testimony side I am not as close, but I do believe war is a bad idea. I grew up in a military area, and if you asked me whether we had to go to war I'd probably say yes sometimes. I think ultimately war is wrong, and we should never go to war.
So, there is much that resonates with you. I think that many people think of the Quakers as virtually the same as the Amish. But they are quite different apparently.
Some of the statements in your link are quite puzzling if Quakers see themselves as Christians.....
Such as:
“Direct Encounter with God – Quakers believe that they do not need a mediator, a priest, pastor, or physical elements like the Eucharist or water Baptism to interact with God. For Friends, all people have the possibility of direct access to God.”
Those are not a biblical teachings. (1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 13:17; Matthew 28:19; John 6:65)....does that bother you?
As far as war is concerned, the world alienated from the true God will always find excuses for bloodshed, but Jesus’ disciples were told NOT to be part of that world. (John 17:14) And they would be hated because of it. (John 15:18-21)
There is no excuse to shed blood for either religious or political reasons, because Christians are counseled to “love their enemies” and to "pray for them", (Matthew 5:43-45) so any “Christian” who is involved in bloodshed, is telling God that they are not really Christians at all. (John 17:15-17) So good on the Quakers for that at least.
I come from a very charismatic evangelical background and have by measures moved towards the Quaker points of view without any contact with them, but where they have influenced me is with their silent worship, their principle of simple speech (which I have not implemented but might), their opposition to war. I'd say most if not all of their practices I can find in the canon including their belief of Direct encounter.
Have you really checked the Quakers' beliefs against the scriptures? It seems as if they have teachings that appeal to you for your own reasons, but have you really investigated their beliefs to see if they align with what Christ taught? I have seen some glaring discrepancies already. How do you feel about that?
The reason why I ask is because when I left the church system, I too went “shopping” for a faith that sat well with my heart. My hypocrisy meter was set “high” because of my experiences with different denominations in Christendom, which I found to be all basically teaching the same lies under different banners. I explored outside of Christianity to see if there was something out there that I had neglected to examine, but it all left me spiritually 'empty'. Just when I began to believe God was not really interested in me, there was a knock at my door. And I like to think that God found me because he wasn't in any of the places I thought he would be. He was somewhere that I had been persuaded not to look. But there I found the answers to all my questions, straight from the Bible where I knew they had to be, but didn't know where to find them. Now I know, and the liberation is amazing!
I now understand what Jesus meant when he said....
"you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free".
How do you feel about what the Bible says as opposed to what people think it says? How do you discern the difference yourself? Who do you trust...and why?