The Quakers - An Introduction
Better known as the Quakers,
the Society of Friends follows the doctrine of the Inner Light, which
holds that God is ever present within every human being, and that he can
be approached and experienced directly by anyone who sincerely seeks him.
The emphasis is placed on personal experience with God and not so much
on theories or practices. Quakers live simple, ascetic lives and are extreme
pacifists.
The Society of Friends is a relatively small church. This puritanical group is descended from the Church of England. Its founder, George Fox, was considered a rebel because he did not believe in showing observance to anyone but God; he forbade his followers to doff their hats to the king. For maintaining such beliefs and attitudes, the Quakers were persecuted, so in 1671 Fox sailed to America and started settlements in Maryland, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania. This church remains relatively small and concentrated in the eastern United States.
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