Quakers
I've always been interested in religions. I love to read the scriptures and holy texts of the world.
I often get fascinated by a particular practice and study it for a while.
After some discussions on some of my "issues" with the LDS church, many people have told me to look into "The Society of Friends" aka Quakers.
Here are some of their standard beliefs that I agree with. They call them testimonies. (I found these from the "Religious Tolerance" link on the right.)
I have not yet attended a Quaker meeting, but I plan to.
Disclaimer: I am not looking for a replacement for my LDS practice, as much as I am continuing my search. I doubt the search will ever stop. I can't remember who it was, but I believe it is a Buddhist saying that goes along the lines of "the only ones you should be skeptical of are those who claim to know." I don't believe knowledge is stagnant.
I often get fascinated by a particular practice and study it for a while.
After some discussions on some of my "issues" with the LDS church, many people have told me to look into "The Society of Friends" aka Quakers.
Here are some of their standard beliefs that I agree with. They call them testimonies. (I found these from the "Religious Tolerance" link on the right.)
| "Every man and woman has direct access to God; no priestly class or "steeple houses" (churches) are needed" *Not to say there is no value in gathering together and meeting as a community. Also, there is no preacher "in charge" of what happens at their gatherings. Each individual acts "as guided by the spirit." | |
| "Every person - male or female, slave or free is of equal worth" *Regardless of race, sexuality, intelligence, etc. Every person deserves equal dignity. | |
| "There is no need in one's religious life for elaborate ceremonies, rituals, gowns, creeds, dogma, or other "empty forms." *One of my original "issues" with the church. An absolute NEED to go through a ritual to gain Eternal Life doesn't make logical sense to me. At the same time, I do see beauty in ritual, just not necessity. | |
| " | Following the inward light would lead to spiritual development and towards individual perfection." *It our own journey. |
I have not yet attended a Quaker meeting, but I plan to.
Disclaimer: I am not looking for a replacement for my LDS practice, as much as I am continuing my search. I doubt the search will ever stop. I can't remember who it was, but I believe it is a Buddhist saying that goes along the lines of "the only ones you should be skeptical of are those who claim to know." I don't believe knowledge is stagnant.
posted by Amberlynn at 1:13 PM
8 Comments:
No, indeed, knowledge is not stagnant. If you find a meeting, let me know, and I'll come with you!
I think the question about the necessity of rituals is a fascinating one. In my personal life I often find myself blowing off formalities whenever possible, yet I see some pretty strong arguments for the necessity of ritual.
Essentially, I think a ritual is a form of communication. Performing a religious ritual can be seen as an attempt to communicate something to God and other members of His community. If we have a strong sentiment, is it necessary that we communicate it?
Let us suppose for a moment that everyone who has both a certain state of mind and the physical ability (and/or understanding) will communicate their state of mind in a certain way. Clearly, if we are of the wrong state of mind we are not worthy of the blessings associated with completing the ritual communication. However, is it possible that some people either don't have the ability or understanding of the form of the ritual necessary to complete it?
For example, you might be of another culture that expresses a desire to make a covenant with God in a way other than baptism. If God is all knowing, can't he get the message without requiring the same physical act from everyone?
One way to look at it is that granting the physical ability, or cultural understanding, necessary to complete a ritual is God's responsibility, while acquiring the desired sentiment that needs to be communicated through the ritual is our responsibility.
Then it would be is as if we needed to send a written request in order to get into heaven, but we can only send it after God sends us a self addressed, stamped envelope.
So why would God choose this form? It is clear to most people that getting into heaven (or attaining any eternal blessing) should require some level of desire or worthiness on our part. But have we considered fully the fact that it also requires God to outstretch His hand?
When a ritual becomes available to us, both physically and culturally, this is a sign that we have recieved an invitation to communicate our worthiness.
mike
i think ritual is as much for us and our spirits as it is for God.
I am thinking of the funeral when my grandmother died. It was necessary to locate a very precise moment in time, and declare that she had passed onto the next plane, and to accept that. From that moment on, there was a new understanding and situation. It gave me peace and comfort to educate my body through the ritual of the funeral. Our minds are multi-dimensional and sometimes in different planes and times and places, but our bodies are physical and concrete. I can time travel in my mind, and be in 1987 if I choose. but my body stays in the same place and time. So a ritual catches our bodies up with our minds, like a marriage ceremony, there is a distinct moment that we make that intangible shift from single to connected tangible. We make the intangible tangible through ceremony and root it in time and place and concrete reality. we give birth to it in a way, we give it a body and a form and a date and place and we witness it. It becomes true, when we create it in this way. Baptism is a physical manifestation in time and space of a spiritual promise and connection. It is a marker to reference and to show as evidence.
The sacrament is a marker. I think that it is possible that God does need these things too, he needs a ritual and a time and a place and a way to recognize and sort who has and who hasn't. I think if he has to actually take on the task of doing this great work, that he utilizes his own system of recording and noting and knowing, and because he is perfect, what he has chosen is what works the best.
Again, let me state that I believe ritual is beautiful - even good, but not NECESSARY.
To enter Heaven: Pure heart? Check. Good Works (the manifestations of a pure heart)? Check. Being dunked in water... why? As Mike mentions in his comment, different cultures have different rituals. Why not personalize a ritual, if you feel it a necessary, or even just good communication with God? Why not differing rituals for different cultures.
I think a ritual like marraige is MUCH more meaningful when personalized - and not subjected to subscribed traditions unless those traditions are ones that have personal meaning to you.
I actually think it makes sense to have standardized rituals. Why would different cultures have different rituals? Because the differences are a result of the differences between men. But if the ideas I expressed earlier have any credence, in order for a ritual be fully meaningful it needs to represent the outstretched hand, or invitation, from God. Therefore, it should not originate in men nor represent their differences. When we yearn to come closer to God, our yearnings will take different forms because we are different. But when God extends a formal invitation to us, it is reasonable that our acceptance should be standardized.
For more information on all world religions search this site.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
But when God communicates to individuals, he does so in a language they understand. Even in visitations he will speak in the language of their culture. It seems to make as much sense to have the communication in both directions one in which the heart of the communicator can connect to.
Does God speak in a specific language of a culture? I don't think that he does. I think his words are spoken just understood by the listener in their language...I don't think he speaks a specific language...just to our hearts and we hear it in a language.
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