Hello lovely people!
If you’ve never seen me before, hello, my name is Jessica, I make YouTube videos about
overcoming adversity and living a happy, positive life with disabilities and chronic illness.
Along with cute gay stuff.
And puppies!
-but I’m also a Quaker and make videos about my religion.
In my last video on Quakerism I asked what topic you would like me to cover next and
the Quaker view of the bible was very high on that list.
In this video I’m going to briefly cover exactly what Quakers are, for any of you who
are freshly joining us, whether Quakers in general believe in the Bible and also whether
I personally do.
If that sounds like something you’re interested in then please keep watching, remember to
like the video and subscribe if you’re new here!
We love open and intelligent conversations on this channel but kindness always comes
first so please stay respectful in the comments and remember that we all have different life
experiences and no two people are the same- even if they classify themselves as being
part of the same religion.
Also: gay is okay.
If you start copy/pasting bible verses about stoning people I will pop you into the spam
wood chopper.
Yes, I see your fingers poised to type.
So, what are Quakers?
If you would like a more in-depth look I suggest you look at the first video I made on Quakerism,
which you can find linked in the description and also in a card above.
This is just a brief look.
Quakerism is a religion with Christian roots that began in England in the 1650s.
Our formal title is actually ‘the Religious Society of Friends’.
Some suggest that ‘Quakers’ derives from our founder, George Fox, telling a magistrate
that he would only quake at the presence and name of God.
Although others suggest that the name derives from the physical shaking that sometimes went
with Quaker religious experiences.
We are very emotive people… sometimes we get really into it.
The ‘Friends’ part comes from Jesus’ remark “You are my friends if you do what
I command you" (John 15:14).
Quakers believe that there is a direct relationship between God and each believer, we all contain
something of God within us and thus regard all human beings as equal and equally worthy
of respect.
We welcome diversity and do not accept value judgements based on race, ethnicity, gender
or sexuality.
You don’t have to be a Quaker to be treated well by a Quaker as we believe each human
being is of unique worth.
As such, we oppose anything that may harm or threaten any human being.
Even those that society looks down upon like prisoners or addicts.
Because we all have an individual connection with God and have that light within us, the
basis of our morality is not what we’ve been told or taught but our own conscience.
This, of course, means that there is a lot of variation within Quakerism as what I think
of as acceptable for the planet- ‘eating fish’ for example- the Quaker next to me
will not.
But, since we’re Quakers, we don’t argue about it.
Because we don’t argue about anything.
Ever.
According to my wife that can be frustrating.
If I disagree with you I’ll simply state that I disagree with you and you’re welcome
to hold your position but if you would like to know more about where I stand I’m very
happy to explain how I arrived at this conclusion.
But if not, that's ok.
I’m not going to argue with you that you that you’re wrong.
Eg: We emphasise direct experience of God rather than ritual and ceremony which to Quakers
are considered an unnecessary obstruction between the believer and God… but we’re
not going to tell you that your religion is wrong for having them.
I mean, not gonna be like: 'Christmas, how dare you?!'
No, we quite like Christmas. It's nice
I enjoy having a tree in my house.
Some religions are based around going to church or doing various ceremonial practices throughout
the day in order to be a ‘good’ member of the religion but instead Quakers integrate religion
and everyday life.
It’s more about how you live your life every minute of every day rather than for just an
hour or so a week.
That sounds like a lot of pressure.
And it is! [cymbal noise]
I’m totally kidding!
It doesn’t feel that way.
If you’re thinking of becoming a Quaker, it’s probably because you’re that type
of person anyway.
The type who questions your own moral quandries constantly and just wants to be a good person
and save the world and not hurt anyone ever and oh my goodness all humans are wonderful
but also planet Earth is so special and we need to look after it but without taking away
anyone’s rights and also injustice is so sad. [deep breath]
Basically, it’s the living of your life that is important but not because you should
live well in order to get into the kingdom of Heaven.
That wonder is to be experienced now, in this world.
But what does that mean when it comes to the bible?
Do Quakers believe in the Bible...?
Well…
[Hesitating]
There is no creed or formal set of beliefs that you have to hold to be a Quaker.
This is because we believe that adopting a creed is taking on belief at second hand.
If you’re learning about God through a book or the teachings of another person, how can
you say you have your own personal relationship with God?
Right?
Faith is something personal that develops through time, experience and a shared search
for the truth with other Quakers.
Which is where we come to this book: ‘Quaker Faith and Practice’ (although each different
Yearly Meeting- basically ‘group of Quakers’ calls it something different.
Which can be confusing).
It would be wrong to say it’s the ‘Quaker Bible’ but that’s probably the best way
to explain what it is… except that’s what it isn’t!
It’s a collection of writings that explain a Quaker viewpoint on a range of topics.
However, since faith is something that is constantly developing and not frozen in a
particular time period in history it isn’t really something that can be captured and
written down as a fixed code of belief and as such the book is constantly being rewritten.
The contents of the books is agreed on by seeking unity among members at a gathering
that happens yearly.
Funnily enough it’s called Yearly Meeting.
Rather than voting, which is more to do with the will of people as individuals, the Meeting
attempts to gain a sense of God's will for the community.
By listening to their inner voice…
Which may be in conflict with what you WANT but them’s the breaks.
We then listen to what other people feel led to say and try to honestly discern whether
what we believe we have heard from our inner light to be the truth or whether what the
other person has said is the truth and we were just a bit confused.
It’s not about who is right or who is ‘winning’, it’s about working together to discover
the best path.
Not even the ‘correct’ path I suppose.
Because Quakers are non-judgemental.
About everything.
You do you, Friend.
I have no intention of judging you.
Which is great (!)
Really great (!)
Until you’ve been sat there for three hours and you can’t form a consensus!
Because these meetings aren’t debates, they’re Meeting for Worship, where we sit in silence
and then speak one at a time.
Not in like any regular order.
It can be incredibly tedious.
Uy!...
But it’s worth it!
By doing this yearly we make sure that Quakerism can grow and change with the times.
Quakers in the 1800s didn’t write anything about how best to handle online bullying because-
shocker- not something they really had to worry about.
Likewise, our view on things can change with time and more information.
Fun fact: all Quakers used to dress like this-
These are ‘plain clothes’, the type worn by Amish people.
The colour choices were white, black and grey and ornamentation of any type was frowned
upon.
… clearly that’s changed.
Actually most other Quakers I grew up with wore jeans and rainbow tie-dye t-shirts.
Quakers are really into rainbows now.
So, Quaker Faith and Practice reflects the current view of the Religious Society of Friends.
If you find anything I say about Quakerism interesting I suggest you pick one up.
They’re available on Amazon and I’ll leave a link in the description.
That’s not me telling you to try Quakerism FYI.
It’s not a religion one can push on another person, it’s just very interesting and maybe
something you’ll find within yourself.
The writings are not intended to represent strict rules which followers must agree with
or adhere to, but may be used as a source of guidance or discipline.
And bringing it back to the Bible… told you we’d get there eventually!
Quakers do not regard any book as being the actual 'word of God'.
Whilst many Quakers do read the bible and see it as a very inspirational book they don’t
see it as the only one.
BUT.
Like I just said: There is no creed or formal set of beliefs that you have to hold to be
a Quaker.
So some Quakers, particularly in England, regard the bible as being just another religious
text, SOME Quakers, particularly in Kenya and America, see the bible as integral.
And while outsiders usually regard Quakerism as a Christian denomination, not all Quakers
see themselves as Christians; some regard themselves as members of a universal religion
that (for historical reasons) has many Christian elements but...
Generally, Quakers acknowledge that words are not up to the job of precisely defining
belief for a whole group of people.
It’s down to individuals to take personal responsibility for their understanding of
faith rather than just buying into a package deal.
We all have a responsibility to develop ourselves spiritually and, if you follow a Quaker path,
that is done by melding together religious life and secular life.
Political and social work to improve this world is vitally important, rather than just
thinking about accruing enough points to get into a better place.
Every action should be informed by your spirituality and lived in the spirit.
Equally, the mundane can inspire the spirit.
Oh, but also some Quakers feel that any kind of written list of beliefs is inappropriate
because people should follow their 'inner light' rather than external rules.
So really…
Can we even say what Quaker is written down?
Helpful(!)
Can be confusing.
For those Quakers who believe in God as a separate entity, rather than just the light
within us all, they see a God who grows and changes with his creation and believe that
God continues to tell human beings what they should do.
And thus the Bible may have been the word of God at one point but is now outdated.
Yes, many things within it still apply and the moral lessons have a point at their core
but…
We shouldn’t stone people.
God doesn’t like that anymore OK guys?.
And we shouldn’t kill unbelievers.
That’s not great either.
Tolerance is part of the Quaker approach to life, so Quakers are willing to learn from
all other faiths and churches, as well as people with real lived experience of the issues
we’re discussing.
Considering a Gay issue?
Ask some gay people!
Considering a disability issue?
Ask some disabled people!
Considering a trans issue?
Ask some trans people!
I mean let’s be honest if wokeness was a religion…
Much like the early days of the religion, some Quakers are still suspicious of theology
and believe that experience is a better teacher.
Their reasons for disliking theology include:
- Theological ideas come from the teachings of churches that had distorted the original
Christian teachings - Theology uses such difficult language that
it hides God's truth from ordinary people - Theology distracts people from looking for
their own 'inner light' and responding to it
- Theological teachings are used to control people
- It would be better to spend time believing and living a good life.
I personally try every single day to live my life in the best way possible and being,
what I feel in my heart, is a good person.
There is both light and shade within each person and our choice between them is important-
I think to say that it’s the Devil bringing darkness from outside is both get-out clause
and at the same time shifts blame. It invalidates the real work people do
have to do to be good.
I believe that God is the light within each of us and that the spirit continues to talk
to people today.
My conscience is the guide to my conduct but my doubt in discerning that is a valuable
tool for growth.
I need to puzzle sometimes over what the ‘right’ thing to do is in order to grow spiritually.
If I just followed what someone else told me to feel and didn’t work it out myself
how would I develop as a spiritual person?
So, do I believe in the Bible…?
I believe some people wrote what they interpreted to be what God had told them at the time and
I have no ability to judge whether that was correctly deciphered.
I also believe that it was written a long time ago and doesn’t necessarily apply to
today’s world.
It’s a religious text.
A. Religious text.
The end.
Well done for watching this far!
Yeah...
I know it was a little thick and heavy in the middle.
If you made it this far leave me a star emoji in the comments and I will be impressed with you
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I shall see you next time!
[kiss]