What is a religious society of friends?
In the family of Christian movements, religious society of friends is an example of a group of people who have decided to embark on a less traveled path when faith and social events occurred. Friends are often referred to as quakers, found in many countries around the world, and in fact enjoy creating new local choirs or meetings in the United States. Here are several backgrounds about the religious society of friends and the current state of quakerism today. Fox decided to associate with them with the traditions of Christian faith, and turned to the canon of the script, which he used for inspiration for Protestant Christianity. From his studies, Fox had several religious experiences that led him to declare that God was immediately accessible to all mankind without any need for any church mediator. This fox was possible because in every and the Holy Spirit could touch and communicate with this spark in every person, provided the individual was willing to cancel earth concerns and open bThe presence is.
When Fox declared its newly discovered understanding, others responded and the movement began to connect. This new group of Christians, originally referred to as the seekers of the truth, began to be referred to as friends because of the passage of the New Testament that recorded Jesus as referring to those who followed his teachings as friends. While many plunged into a new movement, Fox also angry many in religious devices. As a result, many adherents were imprisoned and some killed. As religious tolerance grew in the UK, the religious society of friends began to establish as a basic system for worshiping the entrepreneurship that many friends use today.
The origin of the nickname "Quaker" is usually attributed to two different scenarios. In the first, Quaker was the deadline of mockery that referred to the way in which many believers would seem to meet emotions during a meeting of friends. Another instance concerns a judge who told Fox that he was soon struggling before the law, and Fox would say that he would make a living in front of anyone, only before God.
Quaker teachings concerning the nature of God and the biblical canon were generally in line with the Christianity of the mainstream. However, several beliefs made them unique. The light inside refers to the divine spark in all persons and tended to lead friends to the rejection of the concepts of corruption that claimed Calvinism. The testimony of Quaker Peace has determined the long -term belief that he bears weapons, and calls for friends not to create a war with anyone, even if the testimony of peace does not prevent friends in the war unit. Traditionally, friends are less likely to be depicted in their understanding of Scriptures, although there is one part of a religious society of friends that places great emphasis on the use of fonts.
Traditional worship between friends was and is still simple and can take place in almost any environment. Friends would be gatheredDili for worship, which did not include the minister or the designated speaker, and did not include anthem or pre -planned voice prayers. The feeling of service was the impression of the upcoming waiting, where everyone would settle in a quiet state waiting for the spirit of God to speak to the group through one of the persons present. A meeting for worship would end if one friend perceived that it was time, so it would mean by connecting the hands with the person sitting next to him. In this way, all people slowly joined the hand and the meeting would be officially over.
Quaker balance between listening to light inside the structure and relying on the written word Scripture has always been difficult to maintain. At the beginning of the 19th century, the Quakers, who held the inner light as the final authority, and those who claimed that the script was necessary to control individual and congregation spiritual lines, they went separately.
Further division later in the century further divided the scricaters into two groups, one of the groups of SEIt has become more evangelical in its interpretation of quakerism and accepted the use of full -time pastors and modified worship to more resemble a typical Protestant service. Even later in the 20th century, this group of evangelicals was divided again, one group maintained a milder doctrinal attitude and the other leaned further into evangelical thinking and practice.
Religious Society of Friends today has several smaller groups in this frame. The General Conference of Friends presents friends who tend to be a more liberal religious underline and who practices the traditional worship of Quaker. Friends United Meeting (Fum) uses a style of worship, which usually includes a quiet meeting and the rest earmarked with sermons and voice music. Fum has an extensive missionary reach in Africa, where most of its membership is found.
Evangelical Friends International (EFI) confirms the traditional Quaker understanding, but with a clear emphasis on Scripture. EFI QUakerism is currently expandinge in South American countries. Conservative friends try to maintain a balance between inner light and letters, and also between them, who still practice simple speech and ordinary dress. Today, British Quakerism continues mainly in traditional quiet worship, and the doctrinal approach is a similar general conference of friends. In the United States, there are a number of independent meetings of Quaker who work with other friends in a common cause, but have decided not to connect to any specific Frienorganization of DS.
As a religious society movement, friends contributed to human rights and social reform far beyond its about 350,000 members. Prison reform, peace initiatives and community planning are only three areas where friends have contributed to the well -being of the world in general. Although their number can be relatively small, religious society of friends still quietly change many lives and in many places.