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What makes you think Quakers do not believe in sex?
Especially since the only known Quaker who now posts on this forum has announced she is pregnant with her third child.
One of the historical sites in my county is the home and mill of an early Quaker family who in fact were loyal to the Crown at the time of the Revolution. They certainly had children, generations of them, the last one still running the mill into the early 20th century.
I think you are confusing them with the Shakers, who did not reproduce, but adopted children. I don't know if they still exist.
The Shakers do, or at least did, some lovely poetry.
There is an obelisk in the local cemetery here beneath which is buried a young lady who died at age 21 in the 1830s. It simply and eloquently states her name, the words DEEPLY MOURNED and a beautiful Shaker poem. i should probably write it down sometime.
She was married, and it is significant that the obelisk stands alone ... no other family members to "keep her company" these last 200 years, no husband who ultimately was laid to rest beside her (truth be told he probably remarried anyway, in that era, quite possibly more than once).
It is a kind of poignantly lonely resting-place. I often wonder what her story was, but she died in a small town a hundred miles West of here, and her name is way too common to Google up anything.
That's interesting, I didn't know that you used to be Pentecostal. To me, the proselytizing and prophesying are no different than claiming to be a psychic. None of it is real. Of course I would say that, I'm an atheist. But seriously, that person I talked about in another thread who was so crazy.....she wanted to tell me how she had been prophesied over as a child. How cruel to do that to a child. That's when I waved the atheist flag and put an end to it.
I don't know about you, but I think I learned to read people when I was child. I was painfully shy, backward and had never been socialized until I went to Kindergarten. I guess I learned to read people's faces, body language, written language and how things are phrased. I don't know if you ever saw the movie "Nell" but that's how I view myself growing up. Speechless. Haha I'm not now.
Also, I feel like "ye shall know them by their fruits' is just plain old goat herder common sense. It applies to everyone who is kind and generous, religious or not.
Yea, I saw Nell, in fact, I seen way too much of Nell you cant unsee, hideous lol. I doubt there was ever a child more prophesied to, people put hands on me and prophesied over me at least once a month as far back as I can remember, but the thing was, this happened in multiple churches, prayer meetings before I could talk and continuously throughout my life, prophesy from very many different people, but the prophesy was always the same, always said the same things over and over from strangers to friends, always the same, 50 to 100 times.
Yea, I saw Nell, in fact, I seen way too much of Nell you cant unsee, hideous lol. I doubt there was ever a child more prophesied to, people put hands on me and prophesied over me at least once a month as far back as I can remember, but the thing was, this happened in multiple churches, prayer meetings before I could talk and continuously throughout my life, prophesy from very many different people, but the prophesy was always the same, always said the same things over and over from strangers to friends, always the same, 50 to 100 times.
Me too, I do remember being prophesied over as a child many times, but I wasn't paying much attention so I don't remember what was said. I was always so confused by the church members and their little prophesying parties, I just sat there and looked bewildered.
There was one "party" that took place at someone's house where I was being coerced, no, forced to speak in tongues. Didn't work. Once again, I felt like nothing but a big disappointment because I couldn't do it. I was seven. OH my goodness, you're right about the repetitiveness. Same mantras, same prayers, same "encouraging words", same fake speaking in tongues, over and over again. No wonder I wanted to scream.
I know you still believe Hannibal. I don't, but apparently that doesn't matter to either one of us.
I think it would be interesting to apply this measure to religious groups/denominations/traditions. Which faiths do you see having a real observable positive influence in the world, while doing minimal harm?
(Please note that I don't intend this thread to discuss the reverse - traditions with a predominantly harmful influence - there's enough negativity on this forum already.)
Of course, wherever there are humans there will be some problems, but are there specific belief systems that actually consistently inspire people to be kinder, more generous, make ethical choices, etc?
My first thought is the Quakers (Society of Friends). For a relatively small movement (compared to other major Christian denominations) they've had a disproportionately strong influence on abolition, education, poverty relief, human rights, etc. And it seems to me that it's very unusual for Quakers as individuals or as a congregation to be involved in exploitative or violent activities.
What faiths have you observed as bearing "good fruits"?
Good fruits are not of a human kind. Good fruits are done with words that are good. The only good word or words are God’s word. That is why the son came to be. To serve the Father.
The reason I was born and came into the world is to testify the truth. God’s word is truth.
Good fruits are not of a human kind. Good fruits are done with words that are good. The only good word or words are God’s word. That is why the son came to be. To serve the Father.
What ARE you on about?
Do you actually think that empty words constitute good, regardless of actions?
One does not believe what people say, rather, one believes what they DO.
And it appears you are attempting to disparage humans as even having the ability to evaluate whether outcomes are good or not. That's a really convenient gambit for people who want the freedom to be bad actors with impunity. Just come up with some religious or spiritualized redefinition of "good" as per what some old scrolls decided millennia ago were "good" -- put your own interpretation on it -- and -- Voila! -- you have carte blanche!
Good fruits are not of a human kind. Good fruits are done with words that are good. The only good word or words are God’s word. That is why the son came to be. To serve the Father.
The reason I was born and came into the world is to testify the truth. God’s word is truth.
The bold is correct! Unfortunately, most Christians think the BIBLE is God's Word, but the ONE AND ONLY Word of God (Logos) is JESUS!! It is a major and tragic misunderstanding that has produced division, discord, and confusion within Christianity for over two millennia and counting!!
The bold is correct! Unfortunately, most Christians think the BIBLE is God's Word, but the ONE AND ONLY Word of God (Logos) is JESUS!! It is a major and tragic misunderstanding that has produced division, discord, and confusion within Christianity for over two millennia and counting!!
You can state that as a fact in the Christian forum, but here, it's only one belief. For many, the One and Only Word of G-d, is G-d's word alone. Jesus has nothing to do with it.
ETA: I'm not a fan of "ALL CAPS". It doesn't add a thing to the meaning of the phrase.
Last edited by Bungalove; 08-29-2023 at 02:08 PM..
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