From: dan@ees1a0.engr.ccny.cuny.edu (Dan Schlitt)
Subject: Re: Some questions about Quakerism
Organization: City College of New York
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 18:00:10 GMT

In article <1993Jan11.192547.8033@ryn.mro4.dec.com> bloom@tarkin.enet.dec.com (ELBERT Bloom) writes:
>
>
>   I am  not  a  member  of  the Society of Friends.  However, I have been
>   following this news conference now for several weeks.  I have also been
>   reading articles written by Quakers, including George Fox, etc.
>
>   From my  understanding  most Quakers consider themselves Christian, but
>   do  not  adhere  to any fixed creed.  I would like to hear from some of
>   you Quakers regarding what your beliefs do encompass such as:
>
>   1) Do you believe the Bible to be the invarient "Word of God"? Are
>      there any exceptions to the rule?

Some do and some don't.

>
>   2) Do different Quakers have differing opinions on the meanings
>      of the Bible?

You bet!   (Although most Friends wouldn't wager and thus would not
use that expression.)

>
>      I.E. Trinity Doctrine vs Non-Trinity Doctrine
>           Who goes to Heaven? Is there a Hell? Who goes there?
>           Is there any concept such as eternal life here on earth?
>           Will non-Christians who live a proper life also reap a
>              Heavenly reward?

Unlike most Judeo-christian traditions, Friends are more centered on
what happens in this world rather than what happens in the next.

>
>   3) Is it even important what one's view of the Bible is so long as
>      he/she obeys the one commandment; that is to Love God and your
>      neighbor with all your heart, soul ...... etc.

You probably would find wide assent to that.

>
>   4) What is the Quaker view on smoking? on drinking?

Temperance (a word that frequently is spelled "abstinence") is the
position that is urged in the quiries and advices of most yearly
meetings.

>
>   5) Are all Quakers pacifists?

Not by any means.  The legendary comment of Fox to Wm. Penn about
Penn's sword -- "Wear it as long as you can."  is probably normative.

>
>   6) Can one be a Quaker, but not necessarily conform to all the tenets
>      of the faith?

Quakers by and large have a congregational form of church governance.
Membership is in a monthly meeting.  Thus one can be a member of the
Society of Friends if their monthly meeting takes them into
membership.  This leads to lots of interesting situations.  Transfer
of membership some times becomes complex.  My memory says that there
was a long contoversy over the transfer of membership of Kenneth
Boulding from one yearly meeting to another.

>
An earlier article referred to Conservative Friends.  It is an example
of how a good word "conservative" has been corrupted.  Conservative
means to conserve (usually the old ways).  After the Orthodox-Hicksite
separation the Orthodox split again.  (This is a simplification but
the whole story is much too complex for here.)  This was a split
between Conservative and Progressive.  Conservative Friends conserved
the old way of worship, dress and speech.  Progressive Friends had
pastors and sang hymns.  In most places where Americans use the term
"conservative" it would be more appropriate to use "right-wing".

Dan Schlitt