The more I hear of Quakerism the more I feel it resonates with me. I maybe need to find some Friends of my own. Thank you for sharing, Jessica!

@tigerlily0190

5 жыл бұрын

I feel the exact same way.

@OverdramaticAngel

5 жыл бұрын

I feel the same way. Before I even watched, the comment I wrote briefly touched on some of the things she ended up saying, or a thought I'd had but didn't put in the comment. I had recently gotten into the habit of swearing (which is unusual for me, but I suspect it's due to the fact an over the counter medication I've been taking has been interfering in my REM sleep, and has been for a year now. I only just found out the medication had that side effect, which isn't _anywhere_ on the bottle or instructions) but was specifically being extra careful not to curse in any comment on her channel in the past couple days. It's not that I thought Jessica would be offended, but I know she doesn't swear and absolutely did not want to make her (or others) uncomfortable in any way. I didn't write that in my comment, but did have the thought.

@jaspriest1997

5 жыл бұрын

I feel the same way!

@tiredapplestar

5 жыл бұрын

Did you ever go? I’m looking into it as well, and was wondering what it’s like for newbies.

@jamiemewett9144

4 жыл бұрын

I felt a similar way

I’m an atheist and I absolutely want to pass on to my children that their kind acts should come from them really feeling they want to be kind and helpful and that for them it’s the right thing, and not to do kind acts because it is what a set of religious rules dictate they should do in order to gain a peaceful afterlife for themselves. Be kind because you feel it’s right, not for reward. I really love the Quaker viewpoints, especially respecting children and not speaking down to them

@DieAlteistwiederda

5 жыл бұрын

I grew up as an atheist too and most of the things Jessica talked about here happened in my household as well so I think that this religion is actually one of the most reasonable ones.

@isabelladurante8321

5 жыл бұрын

I agree! I was raised a weird mix of Anglican/Catholic, and now think of myself as agnostic, but Jessica’s videos on quakerism make it seem like the kind of religion I could really get behind.

@ang_131

5 жыл бұрын

​@@isabelladurante8321, ditto. Technically grew up Catholic but my mother was the only religious parent and she was Anglican. I don't follow any religion these days but ​after learning about Quakerism, I feel like it's the one religion I could believe in. I think in Jessica's original 'What is Quakerism' video she provides an example where Quakers don't actually have to believe in God as a spirit or person, they can just believe that 'God' is a name for the goodness that is inside every person. I liked that idea.

@WolfLykaios

5 жыл бұрын

The moment you do kind acts because you have to, and realize that doing them brings nothing, you stop making kind acts even when you want to. So, yes, better to start with the mindset of doing kind acts because you want to.

@sarapark7519

5 жыл бұрын

Same here! I'm an atheist but was raised a Christian and if there were any religion that I'd want to raise my children in it would be Quakerism. A lot of religions can hurt people directly and/or inadvertently but Quakerism just seems so truly peaceful and uplifting for everyone.

Wow a childhood where kids are listened to and valued? 😭💚 sounds like a dream. Minus the fact that they didn’t listen to you on medical issues

Only just started watching but I love the outfit, it looks like you're dressed for an afternoon of scoffing at misogyny and empowering the women of the land with scones at half past 2 😆

@sunflashfuturesailor

5 жыл бұрын

This comment is everything 😂

I am an atheist and I am really pleased to learn what Quakerism is. It sounds to me like what religion should be: faith for who wants/needs/feels it, openness and pacifism ^^

Fun Quaker history fact! Quakers were also involved in setting up Dispensaries as forms of medical care (started around the 1750s I think). At the time patients had to apply to hospitals, they were expensive (sometimes you needed a wealthy 'sponsor' to even be considered) and hospitals would pick the people they thought were most likely to live - because at the end of the year they could report how many of their patients they'd 'cured' and would likely get more money for having a high rate, so they picked patients more likely to live in the first place. Dispensaries, however, were completely free and placed a lot of emphasis on treating people who had terminal conditions (or 'likely terminal') and making sure that patients could be seen at home rather than being confined to a hospital. Many dispensaries stopped being solely Quaker run by about the 1820s, but the ethos stayed the same (lots of doctors who worked for dispensaries worked for free and had a private practice on the side to make a living) and because of being able to treat more people dispensaries were where a lot of medical advancements took place (like the first proper trials of using a stethoscope in the UK!) I was raised in a Reform Jewish household. Our opinions were also considered as important as the adults (but I don't know if that was Judaism or my parents) and I went on really great camps and weekends away - made some of my absolute closest friends there! So one big things was the sense of community and belonging that I got from the religious community I was raised in (though sadly it's not guaranteed that someone would get that just from a community, it has to be something that is worked towards by the whole community). There was always (at camp and at home) a really strong emphasis on 'informed decision making'. Your decision would be respected on the assumption that you had educated yourself and thought a lot about whatever choice you were making. I'd very much like to instil that in any future children, and let them know that their thoughts and opinions are important. We also have a principle called Tikkun Olam (Repairing the World), and that could be broad global things like working against Climate Change or it could be much more personal like 'repairing' your relationship to your body if you have a chronic disability, or 'repairing' (in some cases repairing could be 'losing') relationships between friends and family. There was the idea of concentric circles - yourself, your household, your local community, your country, other countries, the whole world. For me the emphasis on trying to make all of those things the best and kindest they could be through making informed decisions was something being raised with Judaism did for me, and I'd like to continue that with my children. Gosh this got long... can you tell my PhD thesis is medical history and that I'm procrastinating from it :P

@ellieoberstein4172

5 жыл бұрын

This is so cool and interesting! Best of luck with the PhD'ing (when you get back to it!) :D

@shalacarter6658

5 жыл бұрын

I think you should get class credit for this! :)

@klabeck1097

5 жыл бұрын

Yes, you can tell! Ha! But doesn't Dr. Caz Avery have a nice ring to it?! Best of luck & determination to you~

@OverdramaticAngel

5 жыл бұрын

It's an interesting subject and you did a good job writing it! Sometimes with longer comments my attention can wander, but it didn't with yours.

@meaganwallwork5395

5 жыл бұрын

I'm majoring in history as well and one of the things I'm most interested in is medical history (and the history of funeral practices) I wish you the best of luck!

I just want to say thank you. After I watched your Quaker wedding video I started looking further into friends and such. The next day I went to meeting, and I never looked back. If it wasn’t for your video I would have never known about Quakers and I would have never gone to meeting and started along that journey.

@ellieoberstein4172

5 жыл бұрын

I'd also like to say thank you! I followed a similar route to the original commentor. For along time I never thought I'd find a religion or even a community that aligned with my beliefs but then you, Jessica, beautifully explained Quakers and I discovered that for the most part I am already a Quaker (still mulling over a few things but I'm getting there and even I don't 'get there' I'm still very happy). I've been to two meetings so far and am soooo enjoying this free but guided path to help me untangle the mysteries of life xx Ellie

@manymuses6442

5 жыл бұрын

Ellie Oberstein that sounds so much like my story! I kind of renounced religion because I couldn’t find anything that fit me. But then meetings happen. I suggest reading “advice from a bad Quaker “” it really helped me with my journey

@mindibriar

5 жыл бұрын

Adding my thanks here too! I had been struggling with several aspects of my old religion (a Christian home church fellowship) and wanted to leave but didn't know anything else that was better than what I was leaving. After I saw your video, I realized that I had sort of been a Quaker all along, and God was gently moving me to stop trying to force myself into a mold I just didn't fit in. I've been going to Quaker meetings in my town for 3 months and I feel so much closer to God for it. Your videos are the best kind of ministry, because you don't tell anyone what to believe, you simply tell them what you believe, and let others judge what's right for themselves. I'm glad I subscribed!

@zanahorialove9026

5 жыл бұрын

oh now i am jealous! I wanted to do the same but here in Vienna there is no really active Quaker group.

@manymuses6442

5 жыл бұрын

Zanahoria Love from a quick google search it looks like Vienna (Austria) does have a Quaker meeting every 1st and 3rd Sunday

Quakerism is a really interesting approach to Christianity. I’m Catholic, I’ve grown up Catholic and feel like it’s the right path for me, but it’s incredibly interesting to see other people talk about their religious backgrounds.

@maryr94

5 жыл бұрын

Agreed 😊

@tabster.E30

4 жыл бұрын

Couldn't agree more

@frostyskeletons8950

3 жыл бұрын

It’s not necessary a version of Christianity FYI. Jessica discusses the diversity of identity within Quakerism in another video. She personally doesn’t relate it to Christianity as far as I’m aware of

I'm a Wiccan and many of your beliefs are similar to mine.

@lily-hazy8823

4 жыл бұрын

I was raised Quaker and still consider myself quake in that I view it as a lifestyle more than a religion, similar to Buddhism, and now I am Wiccan as well!!! It's dope.

@Quizzicalsystem

4 жыл бұрын

I say I'm wiccan, as it's the closest to my beliefs. I was raised Wiccan, but also went to a christian youth group as I found it through many friends going. I've come to accept that my beliefs is an amalgamation of many. One core thing my mother did for me, was she kept her religion out of my growing up for the most part, unless I showed interest in a specific thing. (i.e. the drum circles that were hosted in my mothers livingroom) There was no forced participation, and she told me that if I want to say I'm part of a religion I need to study it, and/or go to a service/worship/ritual and see if I feel 100% safe there, and comfortable with what they were talking about, and if it made sense to me. There was like..... 5 different types of churches I went to with different family friends, and when I asked why my mom didn't go, she explained how important sacred places are to people of any religion, and if she wasn't going in support of a friends event (maybe first choir show, baptism, ect.) she felt it wasn't right for her to go in as she had no reason. "Religion is as important as underwear. Some people wear different kinds for different reason and some people don't like any, and some will tell you about it. That doesn't mean you can go through their underwear drawer when you go to their house."

@charmaineparsley7921

3 жыл бұрын

@@Quizzicalsystem That's so neat! Props to your mom and the rest of the Wicca community. Put more love into the world than you receive, so there'll be a surplus for everyone. You never know who needs it. :)

When she is a parent i can't wait to see her videos!!!!

@astrum376

5 жыл бұрын

Me too! Jessica and Claudia would be such good mothers!

@jessedrawsstuff1402

5 жыл бұрын

i kinda hope they don’t put their kids on social media because they deserve to choose whether or not to be in videos, i don’t think vloggers should have their kids online because they might grow up and not want that

@astrum376

5 жыл бұрын

@@jessedrawsstuff1402 Yes but the children would probably want to because Jessica makes such amazing videos and she would inspire them. ❤❤

@jessedrawsstuff1402

5 жыл бұрын

Puppy Lover yeah but that would take quite a few years for them to be able to make that decision

@astrum376

5 жыл бұрын

@@jessedrawsstuff1402 Yes they said they r not ready yet so maybe next year?😚

Yes, I was raised very religious. I have my own belief system now, but even as a small child I did not embrace my mother's belief system fully. Over the decades, my belief system has evolved and morphed dramatically.

quakerism as you present it is rly quacking (ha!) my lil conflicted catholic soul, mrs jessica. everything i hate about my own religion--awful history of past colonialism and imperialism, ongoing sexism, stuffy hierarchy, rigid conservatism, to name a few--not only seem to not be present in quakerism, but here people seem to genuinely believe in equality and justice for all, even before it was cool to do so! the way children are deemed equal with the adults! the sheer determination to always do good, and the actual history of quakers fighting for the good of the people! its amazing. sure, i have to study more about this, but everything ive heard about it from you is so... fascinating. especially for me, a citizen of indonesia where religion and conservatism are being used as justification for unjust practices and divide between people. my view of religion hasnt been so good ever since i grew out from adolescence, learning about the sad truths about these religions, but learning there is a religion out there who has been this progressive since this long ago is really pleasantly surprising. sadly there are no quaker community in here as far as i know... i really want to see how the meeting goes. im kinda jealous of your upbringing, maam :"

@HolaSoyJillian

5 жыл бұрын

alifia ! I couldn’t have said it better myself! I hope you can keep exploring until something suits you!

Y'all the Kellgren-Fozard club is SO WORTH the five-ish dollars/pounds per month. You get a lot of cool things, and you also get to support a fantastic KZreadr. Glad to be a supporter. Thanks for the video Jessica. The more you talk about Quakerism the more I feel like it matches with what I feel like I believe. I am inspired to learn more!

@lifeonlowbatteries8153

5 жыл бұрын

Also can we just talk about how that FANTASTIC red makes lipreading so much more awesome?!

@chloew968

5 жыл бұрын

Candice Hickerson totally agree but what do you mean by that? What are you paying for? Sorry that’s probably a dumb question but I genuinely don’t know 😂

@krischeney6793

5 жыл бұрын

@@chloew968 the Kellgren-Fozard Club! Where it says join under the title!

@karinasoitu5159

5 жыл бұрын

@@chloew968 ​ Chloe _ There is this thing that KZread implemented a few moths ago called membership to support the content maker with just 5 dollar or pounds per month. Sadly, not all countries have acces to this feature, including mine and maybe yours too if you can't see the join button :( It would have been great because I really wanted to join the Kellgren-Fozard Club but it will take a few more time for KZread to develop in all countries

@chloew968

5 жыл бұрын

Kris Cheney Thank you! Stupidly, I didn’t watch the video before I commented so I didn’t know.

Something you sort of said but didnt name as a Quaker thing is teaching by example when it comes to your children and having no double standards; which i think is very much the ‘let your life speak’ part of quakerism.

You look beautiful in that outfit and hat! Also I'm an atheist because of the way Christianity was forced upon me as a child. Growing up in the deep southern US it was like there was no other way to be. But man if I'd met a Quaker family I probably would have become one. I feel the same way you do about peer pressure and morals etc, naturally. Its crazy talk to many Christians here when I try to tell them I don't need their beliefs to be a good person. Many love to exclaim that Atheism=bad and immoral so many Ive encountered won't open up to the idea that. I choose who I want to be and how I act, its not up to a preacher or outside source.

Okay, there's puns specifically for this religion!? I'm in.

I was raised in a rather traditional Christian household. My mother believed that the woman tends to the children, cooks, cleans, does whatever she is supposed to to make her husband/family happy. My dad worked and played as head of the household. Since I was raised in such a way, homosexuality, tattoos, intercourse, and various other "sins" were heavily frowned upon. No one in my family supports any of the decisions I have made for myself. For me, religion is the most toxic thing I have ever encountered. I believe in The Most High but I feel like now I may have to choose Him or the life I want to live. It's sad, really, and so exhausting. I live with guilt every day for who I am and what I wanted for my future. I can only hope to be so at peace with myself as you are.

@maryr94

5 жыл бұрын

A lot of those beliefs are from the Old Testament which is based on beliefs before the creation of Christianity. Christians follow Christ and Christ said to treat neighbours as yourself. Therefore we should be kind to everyone. God loves everyone equally.

@skydreamer4246

5 жыл бұрын

I personally had to divorce myself from religion to help my sanity, due to the hypocrisy and hateful messages therein. It is possible to be moral without adhering to external ideas of right and wrong. Do your research on issues and do what feels right personally... Do your best to be empathetic of others. Beware of manipulation, and steer yourself toward what is effective, rather than toward that which is dogmatic and traditional.

@passport3763

5 жыл бұрын

Victoria Locklear yeah I get what you mean. Maybe you’re just spiritual but not religious. How about instead instead of using religious beliefs and guidelines for making moral choices, you make them yourself? Morality comes from our own understanding of good and evil,do what you believe in. I’m sure that an Almighty God that sees everything will see you and your intentions and understand you aren’t trying to hurt others or sin. TLDR: Just be a loving person and you’ll receive the love you give back somehow.

I grew up with very religious parents, who while absolutely trying their best to connect and understand my situations were very limited by their religion in doing so. When I came out as queer my mother did support me the best she could, but in the end when I looked at her and asked her if she thought my queerness, which had brought me the best things in my life, was a sin and something that was wrong with me, she couldn't give me the answer I needed to hear. When I was young my father died, and the comfort for that was limited instead of facilitated by the religious community around me. I was told that in heaven humans loved everyone equally, which my contrarian mind immediately translated into: if you love everyone in the same way, it isn't really love, as I was sure that each person not only should be loved in different ways but if they weren't it would be denying their identity. My father would then no longer love me like his daughter but in the exact same way that he loved everyone. When I brought this concern forward, it was confirmed, and when I expressed doubt to the religious leader he told my mother who then lectured me. That was the beginning of the end I think. Soon I decided I couldn't reconcile the religion I had been raised in with who I was and what I believed to be true, so I became an atheist. It caused a huge rift in my family and is still something that we haven't fully repaired from. As I grew up I lost the atheistic certainty my teenage rebellion taught me, and have moved into a much more nebulous space. My faith lies in myself, and my instincts, and I trust that there is some order to how things are made, but I also know that it isn't my job to understand that order. I find a lot of religions align in part with that belief system, and am very casually dipping my toe into many of them, but I am not sure I could ever become a part of a religious group again. I try to learn lessons from the ones that exist, but at this point, I trust myself much more than I can trust any unified group. That may change, but it is what it is for now. I'm sure I am oversharing at this point, but yeah, I just thought I would share anyways. I hope when I have a child I can use my fluidity in faith to avoid the mistakes my own parents made, to give my child grace and space wherever they need it, but I worry about them connecting deeply to a religion that hates me because there are so many that do. I don't want to limit them, so I guess all I can do is teach love and embracing of differences the best I can, but I still worry. I suppose my desire to give my child freedom has to come with a cost just like my parent's desire to have me follow their path had.

@kpwxx

5 жыл бұрын

When I was little I remember getting really upset because at a church summer school, they told me God loves me more than my parents. I was so distressed at the idea that my parents didn't love me as much as they could. I ended up writing it off I think, I guess it joined the file of things that eventually tipped me into atheism (reading part of the Bible that talked about gay men being the main turning point). A lot of the time I don't think adults in religious settings think about how something really might come across to a child. You sound like you're doing a great job of exploring and recognising your own beliefs and ideas; it sounds like a great quality to bring to being a parent :)

....I just realised I may well have been a Quaker my whole life..... at last a diagnosis ... makes so much sence as to why I just could not sit well with the religious religiosity of religion ...rather the black sheep than a blind sheep. Powerful stuff you're putting out into the ethers. Thank you Jessica....

I'd also love to see an episode about the history of activism in Quakerism

Cute vintage outfit Jessica!💚

"The glass is more than half full, because the other half is just the potential to be full." --mic drop. Just perfect; thank you so much, Jessica.

I was raised catholic and by the time i realised i had the freedom to be who i am no matter the church's teachings, the damage to how i viewed myself was already done😅😅 my parents are agnostist and atheist but they followed the tradition of our community by sending us to catholic schools... lots of hatred disguised as 'following the teachings of god'.. as a child you were to be seen and not heard lmao

I was raised in the Baptist, Christian Church. When I got a little older, I lived right around the corner from my church. So I would walk to church ever Sunday and Wendsday. A lot of things factored into me becoming the person I am today, but I think going to church was a big part of that. I learned to be almost selfless and to be generous and kind. I definitely think I will incorporate religion into my children's upbringing, if I have any.

Now that the, "one day when you have a child " has come, I'd be fascinated hearing about how you work through the various challenges of child rearing from a Quaker perspective and approach. If that is something you both feel comfortable sharing of course. Best wishes!

i grew up evangelical protestant (the religion of Greg Laurie) and i think one of the core things that affected me most deeply in my upbringing is the inherent shame we're instilled with from a very young age over anything that we feel that happens to not align with the teachings of the Bible perfectly. i've brought that shame into my adulthood and often feel abhorrent of any kind of criticism i get now, to the point of being obsessed with following "rules" of society. later finding out that i'm autistic and ADHD, it makes sense why i was so severely depressed all throughout my teens and early 20s. i'm slowly unlearning the shame while i recover with the help of meds and therapy, and i have to say that quitting evangelism and exploring other avenues of spiritual fulfillment has helped me immensely. i can now find some confidence in my gut feelings and brush off erroneous criticisms that make no real sense to worry about. i already follow almost all of the guidelines to quakerism that you talked about here because i came to these conclusions on my own. to me it just seems like the obvious way to live your life, regardless of whether you believe in a god.

There was an ad for a hearing aid before the video!

@meaganwallwork5395

5 жыл бұрын

Maybe it's a regional thing, but whenever I see ads for audiologists and hearing aids there's never subtitles on them, that doesn't make any sense to me. Love the ace flag by the way! :D

Is Quakerism talked about much in media? Religion always seemed more about controlling people through fear and hostility, in some case getting yelled at for not understanding because I don't have the best hearing, what someone told me. Quakerism n the other hand sounds positively delightful.

I am an atheist who grew up in a very liberal Christian household. My dad was raised agnostic and as such his personal relationship with the church and god was very spiritual rather than indoctrinated and he was very accommodating. If I didn't feel like attending church functions I didn't have to or if I had very honest questions I wanted to be answered he answered them to the best of his knowledge. It never felt like I HAD to be a part of his faith, it was very much a choice. I know he was a little disappointed when I chose against it as a young adult but he was very accepting and understanding and it has never been brought up since and I am very appreciative of that as it made me feel secure that I am capable of making my own decisions. As a child, he was very real and honest with me and spoke to me like a person which I think is a big part of why I am the way I am as an adult. My personal issues with the church are a little long winded but the TL:DR version is there was far too much hypocrisy in the church and surrounding community and as I expanded my education things no longer made sense to me and it didn't feel right. I do however love and respect the idea of faith it just wasn't right for me. I am very intrigued by the idea of Quakerism and would love to learn more, I think I know enough to know it's not for me but I love learning about other religions and faiths and plan on raising my children to do the same so they can one day make a very informed decision about which one is right for them, if any at all. Thank you for sharing, I love the way you speak about things with such a positive light. It is very refreshing.

I grew up evangelical in the deep south. I was Delivered from spiritual oppression more than once. I was constantly told I was a 'problem' - the joys of ADHD! Classism, racism, sexism... all of it. All of it was subtle, and all of it was 'polite', and that's why it took me so long to see the damage. I'm still deep in the middle of spelunking through the abyss of that trauma, so we'll see where I end up,

I was raised in a Nazerene christian church but in high school I started feeling a disconnect with the church. Childrens services and sunday school were much more welcoming at a younger age, in high school it felt very isolating to be in a different public school district than the majority of the other members (the largest amount of people we had from my district was 5-7 in the middle/high school youth program, and one of them was my younger sister, another my little brother) and also not have time for small groups or other church activities outside of the regular sunday services. Because of medical issues and extremely overprotective parents, I never went to church camp (or any sleep-away summer camp) like everyone else and that was another rift between me and my peers. the congregation as a whole is huge, and often I would feel "lost in the crowd" which was more than a little terrifying. Nearly the entire youth program was children from the town's public school system and/or the homeschool group that went on social outings together, so they had built-in friendships. Most of the "young adult" (from college until you get married pretty much) program consists of students from Southern Nazerene University, the private college just across the street. The church sort of funnels members towards studying there (30/40 graduates from the local high school that participated in senior sunday were accepted into SNU). The Nazerenes also believe that gays should go to hell, so that's another point against them. :/

I find these videos on Quakerism absolutely facinating. I don't think there is any way I could believe in any kind of god but it's amazing hearing about a religious group that so closely matches my sense of morality and my ideals for a community. I never had much of an upbringing. Both of my parents had miserable home lives as children and to this day haven't worked through all the trauma of it. They had no idea what a functional family would be like, so at best they left me and my sister to find our own ways, and at worst they behaved just as badly as their parents had. I felt alone, unlovable and scared for most of my childhood. It was only through my friends' families that I started to understand why I had so many problems with everything to do with social life. It was a slow progress that still takes me by surprise sometimes (like a couple of days while waiting for a doctors appointment when I brought myself to tears with the shame of wasting someone elses time with my problems). Both of my parents are very anti religion, having been abused by parents that were (by Finnish standards) devout christians. I was a rebellious, self sufficient child, masking my insecurities with agression and bravado. I felt like my whole self worth was tied up in my independence and having to ask for any kind of help felt like the worst humiliation possible. I could go on recounting my childhood for ages. Talking about it at anyone who will listen has become a bad habit. My apologies for rambling. When it comes to raising children of my own, I think it would be a very bad idea and I'm grateful that I have no desire to have kids. I see so much of both my parents in me and I know I would fall into the same behaviour patterns from time to time. So if "the biological clock" starts ticking at some point I will adopt another pet.

I was raised Unitarian Universalist, which I believe taught me to be kind and open minded. I actually find that UU and Quakerism have a lot in common in that we believe that everyone has a personal connection to their spirituality, children are equal to adults, and that kindness, open mindedness and justice are key components to life. We are less of a formal religion and more of a gathering of like minded individuals to practice their spirituality the way they want to with a set of 7 guiding principles. Meaning that while we have a base, anyone from any religion, background or belief can come and practice UU (for example, we have Muslim UU’s, Christian UU’s and everything in between). I would list our 7 principles here but it would be very long, so I encourage anyone reading this to look them up, and I’ll leave you with the first phrase we ever learn being a part of the church (I omitted my city name for safety ahaha): “we are the Unitarian Universalist Church (of my city). We are the church of the helping hands, the open minds and the loving hearts. We are the Unitarian universalist church (of my city)”

@taxonomygeek

5 жыл бұрын

I lean UU and from the first video Jess did on Quakerism, I saw parallels too. :) I've bounced all around religiously, but UU is where I'm most comfortable and a place that embraces my beliefs.

@TheVintageAcademic

5 жыл бұрын

Kelly G Kelly G I feel the same way! Although I am curious about Quakerism, I feel that UU provides a safe space for anyone to practice their beliefs regardless of what they are

@OwlaboveCitylights

5 жыл бұрын

At the UU fellowship in my area, they say, "We don't have to believe alike to love alike"

the "why am I like this?...Quakerism." is so relatable lmao. It's really fascinating for me to watch you're videos. British quakerism seems surprisingly similar to the quakerism I grew up in (Friends General Conference style- mostly (generally) on the east coast of the US). Young Friends are awesome and camps and YF Conferences were so impactful growing up, in very similar ways that you describe. The only difference I was thinking was that we had maybe less plays about history and stuff, but lol we still did that too. After learning more about quakerism outside of my own experiences in some classes as college (though admittedly rather focused on the US) I was prepared for your account to sound a bit different but nope.

Another great video!!! I'm very intrigued with Quakerism, particularly how you describe it. I'm an atheist who grew up in a largely secular household. My mother was a Christian but never felt the need to attend a physical church, while my dad was raised Catholic and generally regards religion as the root of all evil (he's very adamant about letting people live their lives and make their own decisions and respects other people enough to not actually share that belief publicly). That aside, your experience of Quakerism resonates the most with my own personal beliefs. The emphasis on the inherent worth of every human being, equality of all people and the respect for children as full human beings. So often, I find myself turned off from organized religion because of the focus on evangelizing others or saving the non-believers. There's so much ugly colonial history wrapped up in the act of conversion, both forced and otherwise, that gets lost in those conversations. Anything from that guy who died on the island near India to the questionable work of missionaries in developing countries. It sounds very self-important to me for someone to say that they have found the singular way to enlightenment or salvation. And most people would see that one of the most selfless things they can do. I absolutely do not. The quickest way to turn me off of a religion is to come knocking at my door offering to spread the Word of God or following me across a train station to hand me a pamphlet about the Gospel. Both of those things have happened before. The latter one actually scared the hell out of me. And I don't get the sense that Quakerism is about that. They just want to be good people. Quakers, as you describe them, seem to be more focused on putting out good into the world without any expectation of bolstering their numbers, which I greatly appreciate. And it's adaptable?! That's amazing! I feel like if I were to look for a religion or a spiritual community, I'd seriously consider joining the Friends. Quakerism would be one of the most fulfilling options. There's so much about it that I already appreciate.

I was raised as a Christian, my parents would always listen to me and answer me in a very patient and intelligent way, even when I'd throw some of the biggest questions at them. It's something I miss now I'm at uni, now I'm questioning whether I should put so much reliance on the church, and other people (even though I trust their kindness and integrity) telling me how to think. I think so many Quaker beliefs align with Christian ones - for me, the concept of the Holy Spirit dwelling in a person, and "man being made in God's image", is congruent with the belief that there is that of God in everyone. And Jesus adored children; he protested "religious people" gatekeeping who should be allowed to come to him. This is just me figuring out my thoughts in one step along my spiritual journey, but as a whole it seems like Quakers, as an organisation, follow the core aspects of spirituality better than people who profess to know Jesus as the Truth. And I think he is, but organised religion has a lot to say for itself - because they study Jesus I think there is an unhealthy assumption that their teachings/conclusions are right and that's what everyone else should think as well. And, as a lesbian, I have found that pastors/priests etc are scared to speak about the issue with any authority as they don't want to be controversial, which in turn leads to the silencing of the lgbtq+ community as they don't want to speak for themselves in a space where historically their lifestyle has been condemned. I would ideally go to both church and quaker meetings, but the only one in my area is full of old people. I might go again - there is that of God even in old people, after all. I do want to place more emphasis on trusting myself to know what's right though, instead of picking and choosing what I feel out of church services and the Bible.

My mum is an atheist and my dad's agnostic, and I really like that they passed on a healthy scepticism to me. Atheism also taught me to have compassion with others without expecting any kind of "reward", and that I have full responsibility over my own actions, and I'm very thankful for that. However, my mum can be a bit harsh against organized religion and I don't want to pass that on to any children I might have in the future.

Watching this while claud is pregnant ❤ so happy for you both

I grew up in a Seventh-day Adventist Christian household. It definitely shaped my growing up. My dad is a science teacher with a graduate degree in Biology and my mom working from home for most of my childhood. We had evening family worships and went to Sabbath school and Church every weekend. I also attended a private Seventh-day Adventist school for my whole growing up. My parents encouraged love and kindness to all when I was growing up, as well as instilled in my a drive to learn for myself what I believe in. Similarly to Quakerism, at least from my point of view, children are not born members of the church (Ex not baptized as babies but dedicated instead, which just means that their parents and the church promise to help teach and provide a place for the child to learn about the love of Christ) and should be given time to decide if they want to become members. I had a happy childhood, I had friends of different faiths and backgrounds throughout my childhood and never once felt like we were at odds with the other. I am so painfully aware that my experience with my denomination of Christianity is not like others, because my dad taught at different private church high schools (most boarding academies: which made me relate rather heavily to the life of the students in the Harry Potter books) we moved around quite often if he felt that a different school needed him. I was able to see a wide range of approaches from church to church. Some churches would be more accepting, warm, and loving but others were cold and dying, it really is the congregation what makes up the church character and thus the experience of those that attend. I was encouraged to explore my creativity and learn as much as I could. I was taught not to take everything at face value and that it is okay to question, even question God, but cause that is how relationships grow. One of the programs I listened to growing up is called Your Story Hour and it does a lot of focus on important people and events in the Bible and throughout history. My first introduction to The Society of Friends was from one of these stories about Lucretia Mott. I think it is so important to instill a focus of love and kindness at childhood, it has given me my sense of empathy and drive to make the world, starting with those around me, happier, feel loved and accepted.

I grew up in a reform/liberal Jewish household in the US. I was told that doing the right thing and being kind is how we practice our religion. So standing up for what was right was an obligation. I was also taught through discussion and that it's normal and encouraged to ask questions, but you must always be respectful when you do so and how to do so well. There were songs, prayers and melodies that went back thousands of years and many rituals, which I find comforting. It's not so much about belief, but action and community. There were many discussions about what our past means and how it should or shouldn't affect our future and how much you do or do not assimilate. Why do you choose to keep certain parts of the religion and not others, where another big point we discussed. Many Jews will not agree, but again, that's not the important part. In my synagogue, all people were equal. There is no hierarchy and even rabbis are there as teachers and counselors, not mediators between an individual and god.

If I believed in god, I'd defilitely be a quaker lol

@MikeEvansUK

5 жыл бұрын

Oh there are plenty of non-theist Quakers, so don't let that little hang-up stop you :)

@Transcocktailbar

5 жыл бұрын

@@MikeEvansUK Yes! For example I am A Non-theist Quaker! :)

@JessBonomo

5 жыл бұрын

@@MikeEvansUK wait, what? But isn't quakerism a religion? And from Jessica's videos about it (the only content I've consumed about it so far) is seems some sort of god, even if not the traditional catholic one, is kiiinda mandatory. I'll read some more on it, though.

@MikeEvansUK

5 жыл бұрын

@@JessBonomo so you might think that religion requires a god, but Buddhism doesn't.

@JessBonomo

5 жыл бұрын

@@MikeEvansUK Yes, but buddhism isn't a christian religion lol

I love the idea of the “divine light” within everyone instead of everybody is born inherently evil and tarnished with sin, I always struggled with this concept

I was raised Protestant and went to a Christian school, but it never really did anything to me. We were read the bible and sang songs and prayed at special occasions, at home we prayed before dinner and before bed. But as I said, it didn’t really have meaning for me. I really like the idea of Quakerism, that there’s something divine in everyone. I was raised with the idea of ‘the shepherd’ who keeps you safe and the idea that that caring and loving person or entity is in everyone is very comforting but it also makes sense to me, for everyone to have that loving and caring inside. I also really like the way Quakers speak to children more like they’re adults, I think that’s great and helpful, though I would protect my children a bit more from the outside world. I’m 17 and kind of becoming an adult right now and it’s VERY strange how everyone suddenly decides to interact with you like an adult. And about the swearing, I really want to stop swearing! I just think it’s unnecessary and the opposite of helpful. I don’t mind if other people do (unless it’s really horrible) but I’d like to stop myself.

Grew up in the Unitarian Universalist church and what you said about the core group of people to fall back on really resonates with my upbringing! We would have rallies (giant sleepovers) every few months, and week long camps in the summer. The people I met there, regardless of if we were close, would always be there to listen and be a part of community together. I felt as if the adults often handled us poorly- they often spoke about treating everyone as equals with absolutely nothing to show for it- but the other youth were amazing. Being part of such an accepting, loving, and helpful community as you grow is so beneficial, even if I never go to a UU service again, I would want my kids to grow up in it.

okay who else laughed out loud at her Quaker jokes?

I grew up in a very catholic home which messed me up a lot. I was taught to always listen to higher power. Instead of expressing my thoughts and emotions I was taught to keep them quiet. It lead to a lot of self hate later on especially when I started to realize I liked girls a lot more than my peers did. In the end I’ve ended up rejecting almost all of the catholic teachings which caused me to be very apprehensive to all religion for a while. Now I’m finally starting to warm up to spirituality again and it’s really great being able to explore what I believe instead of what my parents believe. I think if I had a childhood where I was listened to, given the freedom to have my own opinions, and express myself, I would be a much happier person today.

The light of god shines thru us, in and around us.

I grew up going to a little independent church in Australia and although we're not Quakers, a lot of the things you talk about resonate with me and fit with my experience of church. My parents themselves, and my church community, place a lot of value on the presence of kids in our spaces, and I've also always had the feeling from my church and my parents that my feelings and opinions mattered a lot to them..... and it sounds like I may have caused similar difficulties with my strong internal sense of The Rights of The Child! Once, as a toddler, my mum had to act fast to stop my running across the road so she knocked me down to which my response was "you're not supposed to hit small children!". And at 4 years old I woke up from an operation, looked the anaesthetist in the eye and declared "you hurt me". I also remember telling my parents that a book about a young boy who isn't told by his parents that his brother has cancer really upset me, that parents shouldn't lie to their children. My parents took this seriously, when I was 14 and my dad had cancer they helped me to make my own decisions about how much I knew and was present for. Raising a child in a way that respects & encourages their agency can be tricky, but they always knew that by the time I was a young woman they would be incredibly grateful for my ability to assert my self worth and my control over my life. Your kids are going to be so lucky to have you! May they all be challenging, defiant toddlers!

Ok, so this is a small detail, but I kind of object to the statement "Quakers organized the Kindertransport." The were certainly organizers, do not get me wrong, but there were many such organizers. In fact, one person who is rarely mentioned in regards to the Kindertransport is the wealthy German Jewish shop owner, Wilfrid Israel (he was also gay, but that's less relevant at the moment), who used his many connections in Britain, among others, his connections with the Quaker community, to become a vital part in the orchestration of the Kindertransport. I bring this up because while the history of non-Jews rescuing Jews during the Holocaust is well documented, the history of Jews saving themselves or other Jews, is less well-known. This is despite the many amazing Jewish people who put themselves at incredible risk to save their fellow Jews. Wilfrid Israel himself made monumental efforts to continue to rescue Jews in various different ways, until his death in 1943 (Nazis shot his plane out of the sky). So while I'm sure Jessica didn't mean anything by it, and there's no doubt the the Quakers were very important to the Kindertransport, I still think it's important to recognize that they weren't the only contributers, especially when one of the most vital contributers was a Jewish man.

I am a Quaker too . I live in Canada . A great book for anyone wanting to read about Quakers and their history is called Quaker By Convincement by Geoffrey Hubbard .

As someone who has been studying seventeenth century Quakers for years now, I am currently ugly laughing at "How do Friends start a race? Ready, set, go when the spirit moves you." The letters I'm digitizing and transcribing feature inexhaustible Quakers travelling all over the world, across continents, regardless of (and sometimes because of) persecution-all motivated by a calling from their own spirit/truth etc. It's truly incredible to read about how brave and steadfast Quakers were (and are), especially in the face of injustice and inequality. I love all of your videos on Quakerism! It's important that such revolutionary, (generally) accepting religious beliefs have modern representation. Thank you for such a lovely and insightful view into this topic!

I'd love to hear about Quaker schools! The prayer/sitting up thing made me giggle. I am not Quaker (was CofE actually!) and when I asked my teacher why we put our hands together when we prayed she answered "To stop you fidgeting". Six year old me thought "Well, I don't need that - I can just not fidget!" so next assembly I just sat there with my hands neatly placed on my lap. I got told off.

First, I recently discovered you and CANNOT get enough of your style, beauty, sound of your voice, accent, disability, personality, class and spunk. Second, now I've discovered that I'm incredibly ignorant about Quakerism and need to read a book or two. Third, grew up Baptist, now undenominatuonal, but have always known that God is probably up there laughing because none of the Christian religions have it quite right in his eyes. Each one gets a few points right, but none quite add up to his intention. That said, I need to keep evolving. Thankyou for introducing me to Quakerism. Thankyou for existing!!!!!!!!!!

I’m an atheist, but I was raised by an agnostic mother and by Baptist and Lutheran grandmothers. I would go to church with whichever side of the family I was visiting that weekend, and my mother was always supportive of the idea that I get to choose what I believe. This wasn’t a very popular idea with my religious family members, who were all hoping that I would see that their brand of religion was the “correct” one. I eventually chose to do my communion through the Lutheran church, and for a time was fairly devout. But it wasn’t long before I was questioning the things that didn’t make sense to me. By the time I was about 13, I had pretty much realized that I didn’t really believe in anything. I went to school in a very WASP-y area, and I was made fun of and called names when people would find out that I was an atheist. My friends who were gay were mercilessly bullied for who they were (which probably helped me staying in the closet for so long). I couldn’t understand how people who were supposed to be following a compassionate and loving god could be so hateful. For a while, it made me resentful of religion. I believe that everyone has the right to choose what is right to them. I want to raise my children in a way that lets them come to their own conclusions about things. I don’t care if my child doesn’t believe as I do, as long as they are not hurting anybody with their beliefs. I really love this series, Jessica. It’s actually made me incredibly curious about Quakerism and I’ve even considered going to a meeting. There’s something about it that just moves me. It seems like an incredible religion in which to raise children.

@valeriavagapova

5 жыл бұрын

Just curious, but how did people make fun of you and what kind of names did they call you? Only asking because I'm struggling to imagine how would anyone even try to bully an atheist, because it's such a "neutral" thing sort of. I was raised atheist and never even had anyone say anything but "ok, cool" about my lack of belief, so your experience is a bit hard to comperhend. I'm sorry you had to go through that, especially with the gay aspect.

@TearsBehindSmiles

5 жыл бұрын

Valeria Vagapova Mostly people would tell me that I was evil, or a demon, or an idiot for not believing, or that I was going to hell. I already wasn’t very popular. I was from a single parent household, lived in an apartment instead of a house, and was mostly friends with the LGBT and poor kids (the majority of the kids at my school were upper middle to upper class, with several kids having parents who were CEOs/CFOs of multi million dollar companies). So it wasn’t 100% about religion, but it was another way that I was different from them, and they were raised from birth by their conservative parents that different = BAD. I’m also solidly in the Bible Belt, so there are legitimately people who think that atheists are sent from the devil to undermine their beliefs. I was also told in high school that I shouldn’t ever have children because it’s not possible to raise a “moral child” absent of religion. 💁🏼‍♀️

@TearsBehindSmiles

5 жыл бұрын

Valeria Vagapova I live in the US. Texas, to be specific. Religion here is everything. In the cities, you’ll find a lot more diversity, but in small towns and suburbs, it’s difficult to be anything other than a straight, cisgender, white Christian.

Growing up I was raised Jewish and currently am living a Jewish life style. Oddly enough, my childhood had many Quaker views. My parents tried their best to listen to me, though sometimes they didn’t, and I was always taught to be inclusive, kind, and stand up for my morals/beliefs. I think most people were taught this, but my parents stressed these values to me. I’ve always been very proud to be Jewish and hope to pass my religion and this pride on to my children.

I was raised Catholic, and I was very involved with the church as a kid. I went to a Catholic up until high school. In the beginning it was great. I felt like I belonged to a larger community. But then my beliefs started changing. I started to question my faith, which was frowned upon in my Catholic school, and when I came out as bi, it was not tolerated. I was sick of the homophobic propaganda in church, and I was tired of hearing members of my faith community tell me people like me shouldn’t have the right to get married. The year I came out was the same year that same sex marriage became legal in my province (2003, Ontario, Canada). I ended up becoming an atheist, and feel that what it is a person does to make their world a better place is far more important than the deities they believe in. I am friends with people of various faiths, and if I ever do have kids, and have a partner that isn’t atheist I will allow my kids to decide if they wish to follow the faith of the other parent. Exposure to many beliefs, and traditions is important. I feel like I missed out being raised Catholic because I learned nothing about any other faith in school. Thank you for making this video. I knew nothing at all about Quakerism before watching.

This was a really interesting video. Thank you. I'm from the US, and many of my early American ancestors were Quakers, though at some point they mostly converted to Baptist, which is starkly different from Quakerism. One of my British ancestors was jailed for being a Quaker and died in prison, and her family immigrated to America after her death. This has been really informative in helping me to understand the beliefs and practices of many of my ancestors. Thank you.

I grew up Christian, my Dad has since changed his religion and my family has been inactive in Church for most of our lives, but in discovering God through my own personal experiences, I have found that God is very different than what I was being told and this image I was kind of being painted and told to never ever question. I want my children to know that God and his relationship with you personally is more important than what any other person has to say about your relationship with God.

Even though I'm an agnostic this religion seems so wholesome and awesome? It understands morality isnt black and white and understands that empathy and peace should be paramount from what it seems :) I've always believed that so it's awesome to see more people reflect that and value that!!!!! :D

I only just discovered you on KZread through some LGBTQ link and started watching several because I like your attitude and the way you express yourself. I’m an old activist (50 years ago I was GLF and involved ever since) and your manner works well for me. Then I stumbled upon your Quaker vids - I spent 3 years in a Friend’s boarding school where I feel I learned more than I did in college. They taught me to think for myself. The school’s motto was “Let your lives speak.” We were also taught that basically there are only 2 things one must believe/accept to be a Friend: the school motto and that there “that of god in every man” both of which are sayings of George Fox. I came to greatly respect the members of the Meeting and respect their honesty and sincerity. I still do. The Quakers were a major influence in my becoming involved with a variety of issues/movements. Listening to you today has reminded me of that. Thank you.

Love from LA x Facebook: facebook.com/JessicaOutOfTheCloset Instagram: instagram.com/JessicaOutOfTheCloset Twitter: twitter.com/JessicaOOTC

I grew up in an agnostic/atheist household, we do celebrate christmas and while it is a christian holiday, it's about having a nice time with relatives and socialising. In school we had mandatory (protestant) christian masses at the beginning of the year, at christmas and end of the year. at one point a teacher got upset that my mum wrote the school a letter saying I didn't have to attend the masses (I could write so much about my disorganized school's religion class). From what you described, Quakerism sounds really reasonable and peaceful, I like that children are regarded equal and if I would ever have to raise a child I would want to treat them equal and use reason etc. (but I never want children).

This is such an interesting topic, thanks for sharing about quakerism with us. I was raised in a non-religious household, my mother and my father were both raised in Christian churches but ended up deciding that they didn't an. My mom in particular was raised in a church that believed in predestination, meaning that God had designed everyone's paths for them and you didn't have free will, and was pretty strongly against that idea especially considering the implications that if you ended up damned you had no choice in it. We did go to a Unitarian Universalist church for a while because we lived in a kind of rural area and my Mom thought it would be a good way to have more of a sense of community. UU churches are open to all beliefs and faiths, and it's about building a community around learning about and respecting other's faiths and beliefs. It was a nice experience because I learned about a lot of religions and ideas that I wouldn't have otherwise been exposed to, and it was a community focused on individualism with mutual respect for individual beliefs. I think growing up with this combined with a non-religious household made me really open to the possibilities of what the world, the universe, etc; could really be, as well as giving me respect for differences that didn't harm others. It could feel a bit alienating, I live in the southeastern United States which is heavily Christian, so growing up and being non-religious was at best misunderstood and at worst stigmatized or led to people trying to talk me into converting. I do think in government and other classes I opened some minds to ideas about respecting others beliefs. Like when I took government our teacher encouraged us to debate, and it was around the time of the 2004 election when gay marriage was something that the republican candidate very much opposed and the democratic candidate said he would work for. A lot of the kids argued that they believed that it should be illegal because they believed due to their religious beliefs that it was immoral, and I was able to argue from my perspective (and also from being a baby bisexual who hadn't fully realized it) that if we believe in religious freedom we should respect others beliefs that don't harm other people, and to speak to what it is like to not have your personal beliefs be reflected by the majority of the country, and what it might feel like if something they valued was disallowed if the dominant religion in the country was something other than christianity. I hope this wall of text made sense, even if no one reads it, it was fun to reflect on. Thanks for opening up this topic and sharing your experience.

It might interest you (Jessica) that one of my long ago ancestors is the prominent Quaker Robert Barclay I (23/12/1648-3/10/1690) and within the Quaker community globally he is known as the Apologist.

That sheep song😂😂😂 I love learning about new religions, and you are always super interesting and respectful! I like the idea that quakerism changes and is always accepting of new things and people

I believe God is within all of us also!

Quaker schools would be ideal for Empaths. I was raise Catholic, tho I only followed Jesus (and disregard the rest) since he's an archetypal Empath and the Bible isn't for me

"Go when the spirit moves you!" I looove it!

@violeteclipse3912

3 жыл бұрын

I laughed more than I thought I would ahahag

i went to catholic school and similarly we had a song that reminded me of your sheep song lol! it went like: um girassol florindo no jardim buscando a luz do sol sorriu para mim [a sunflower blooming in the garden looking for sunlight smiled at me] eu também sou um pequeno girassol buscando a luz de deus, sou feliz assim [i also am a little sunflower looking for de light of god, i'm happy like that] tenho mil sementes de amor para te dar [i have thousands of seeds of love to give you], and then we would change "seeds of love" to seeds of other things, like "seeds of gratitude", "seeds of friendship", "seeds of courage", this type of stuff lol

I was raised Christian but I feel like quackerism reflects my beliefs.

I grew up as a very pious anglican. I chose to abandon religion when I was about 11 because of a song I heard in church. The lyrics were 'forget about yourself, and concentrate on him, and worship him'. I could not reconcile that with my non-religious mothers feminist teachings that yourself is the most important thing, and no one else's wellbeing comes before yours. In order to take care of others, you have to take care of yourself. I am now an atheist and don't find that I have a place for god in my life, but very much appreciate those who do. I find quakerism, and the study of different religions in general, to be a fascinating topic, and I really like the quaker view of the world and our place in it, particularly in relation to women and children.

I was raised atheist, I dabbled in Wicca/Paganism as an adolescent and now I consider myself a culturally Pagan (Wiccan) atheist. I still strive to live by the Wiccan rede (an it harm none, do what Ye will) and when I remember I try to observe the sabbats. I plan to raise my future children in that, I will openly share my views with them and what I believe and find ways to show them what others believe but then allow them to find their own path.

My mother was raised Christian (Lutherin), and although my father was raised Christian (Anglican), he is strongly Athiest. So Athiest in fact that he did not allow us to be christened/baptised as babies, did not allow Mom to take us to church, and when they divorced, scheduled his visits on Sundays so we still couldn't go to church. Mom started bringing us to a non-denominational Christian church when I was 11. I was baptised at 17 in a Baptist church. Most recently I was a member of a Pentecostal church. Basically, I've come to believe in God in the Christian sense, but I don't particularly care much for religious rules, and I don't tie myself to a particular denomination. My husband is from a Catholic & Anglican family, was brought up attending a Catholic church on weekends they weren't off at the cabin, but did not finish all the caticisms, get confirmed, etc. etc. and has come to associate the physical church building with rigid rules, and funeral services. I want to share my faith and morality with our daughter and any future children without making the mistakes of our parents / bringing her to a church with such an emphasis on religious rules as the Catholic church. I think Quakerism sounds like the answer! I've been very interested in Quakerism since I found your channel, but this video has pushed me to investigate more. I'll start with that book! I didn't know there was such a thing. Now to get a copy!

I was raised Lutheran and have since become atheist. I never was comfortable with the rigid church structure, nor the religious rules that really taught us to hate more people than to love them. I think that if I had been brought up Quaker, I'd still be Quaker and not atheist, because those beliefs - minus the higher power - are what I live by today. Be good because you choose to be good, not out of fear of damnation. Being good out of fear is truly just being selfish in a way. I'm glad I watched this and learned. Thank you for teaching me!

I was raised a southern Baptist and it definitely formed a part of who I am...not in a good way. It quite literally put the fear of God in me as a child. I think it attributed to the start of my anxiety disorder. I had a lot of really negative experiences with religion as a child. At around age 12, I started questioning things. At 14, I identified as Agnostic. Now, at 27, I am somewhat in between. I lean towards Atheist, but honestly still have a little bit of that fear of fire and brimstone that was instilled in me at a really young age. Really I just like to think that I am a good person and that I don’t need the threat of burning in an inferno for eternity to be a good person. I am good because I want to be good, not because some invisible God is watching everything I do or say and determining if I am worthy of not burning to a crisp forever...

To put it kindly, growing up in the church I did was a perfect way for me to learn how not to raise a child. I don't want my kids to be afraid of going to sleep sometimes because what if they die and go to hell. I don't want my children to believe they are worthless without someone else. I don't want my children to feel immense guilt for not giving up one of their two free days of the week. I don't want my children to ever question whether I love them or not due to what they've heard other adults say.

I have been watching your Quaker videos and as a Pagan I love seeing another religion that says we each have some of the Divine in everyone and that there is a focus on personal gnosis of the Divine rather than rules (especially since I focus on my heritage worship in the Hawaiian pantheon and Celtic pantheons which have lost a lot of the physical knowledge of old practices) I love your vids!!

This is such a calming video

I grew up Lutheran and really enjoyed my childhood. Our church was small and quite liberal when compared to most other Missouri Synod Lutheran churches. However, I remember thinking at a young age that it didn’t make sense that “God” (an all-knowing, all-loving entity) would have favorites, ie Lutheran over Catholic, Christians over another religion. Later in life I came to really dislike religious dogma. To me it felt rigid and narrow-minded. however, I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about Quakerism. The idea of God being within everyone and that all humans (and all life) have equal value and should be respected and not harmed, definitely resonates with me! Thank you for sharing this with the KZread community! ❤️ PS I think you’ll be an incredible mom! Love and hugs to you and your wife. PPS I LOVED your hat and outfit. You looked gorgeous!! and OMGoodness your HAIR! I wish I had the patience. I sat watching your video thinking, “I need to rewatch her hair tutorial I watched eons ago.” 🤣👍🏼🔥❤️

Woohoo! New video!! Also, love the hat. It looks gorgeous! ❤️

I came to Quakerism by a roundabout way. a friend of mine was raised in a Quaker house hold. His father refused to fight in ww2 and was a fire boat attendant in ww2 (putting out fires from a boat in London during the war). In 2015 I felt what Christians label the “calling” this is typically different for each person but It generally describes the feeling or call from god to attend church and become more faithful. After attending church for many months, I was asked if I wish to be confirmed, I agreed and started reading the differing text they gave me. I was only a few weeks from being confirmed in my local church when the issue of gay marriages in church hit the headlines. I’m a strong supporter of LGBT right as I’m B and T hence I wanted equality and not exclusion. But I found the church’s stance at odds with my own. When I talk about this further and researched the church I found that the church supported slavery and pushed against women’s rights as well as against LGBT issues and I saw history repeating in and did not want any part of it. My feeling was the reason for me writing a letter to my church stating that I cannot stand within an organisation they support exclusion and prejudice and this is in my heart at odds with Christian teachings of love, respect and help. I left the church with a heavy heart, after a few months and meeting my Quaker friend once more I researched the Quaker aspect on God and found that it was pretty much what I was looking for.. I’m at odds with some of the Quaker aspect of Allowing a person to firstly one religion and bolting on Quaker at the End. which I strongly disagree with. but hay hoe, that apart of being a Quaker. I’ve read so much about the Quaker faith but as a Universalist Quaker There are few in my area of Manchester that I can meet; I feel for the first time in my life as if I fit in a religious community and with it closer to God. Quaker is not a cereal and its quite offensive I find now to be address as such,, so Jessica I get it.. BTW thank you for being a perfect representative for our community.

I grew up in the Orthodox Christian Church, and still attend and consider it very important to who I am. The Orthodox Church is steeped in tradition, and that’s one of the reasons why I love it. It’s been this foundation for me, this baseline that’s guided me to what’s right, and it’s buried deep enough that how matter how far I stray i will always come back to God. The Orthodox Church, while it does have rather conservative views, teaches that as people we’re not better than anybody, and that we should love everyone. I don’t know how to word this - we're not supposed to feel condescending towards anyone? I dunno. But there’s also the theme of peaceful protest in our history. One of our bishops marched with Martin Luther King Jr, several people are commemorated for standing up to the Nazis and helping Jewish people get away. It’s a tradition that teaches love above all else. And the traditions and the churches and services all help make the Kingdom of Heaven real to us here. I always found a deep beauty and earnestness in all of it, and thats affected what I see as beautiful around me. Maybe that doesn’t explain how it affected me as a child, but these are opinions I formed very young and I treasure it.

@elizabethallen1022

5 жыл бұрын

Women have also been respected and valued from the beginning in a way that was often above the societal norm, so that’s cool too.

Nice subtle zoom when reading the quote at 10:55 little details like that really increase the production value of the video.

I'm a Christian, and growing up I was always told I was important and special. "Do not let anyone look down on you because you're young" was a common bible passage told to me. We also got told God is always with us and to follow Jesus's example of love to everyone. I was always told that like the "rules" in the bible are there for the benefit of us so whilst it's not strict cause most of them were set for the times they ere written, but we can take them to help us. I went to a C of E school too and they were very dull and old fashioned about it all so I didn't like it so much. I want to raise any children I have with the same values I was given, and the freedom to choose what they wish to believe because religion is a choice.

I was raised in a "spiritual but nonreligious " household where even though both of my parents were raised southern babptist, I wasn't forced to go to church. Growing up in a small, mostly Christian town, I didn't get much chance to talk about religion with friends who were a little confused about what to believe in. I didn't ever talk to my parents about it... Not sure why. Eventually I met this woman and her husband who are Wiccan. I soon found that the Wicca practices and religion is one of peace, love, and spirituality. Other than talking about it with them and doing some reading here and there, I don't know much about it. I am eager to learn more. I am also really interested to learn more about Quakerism, so please upload more about it! Thank you! 💜

I love that you're so positive! It makes me smile to see your videos! ❤

I love this series of videos so much. I love you and quakerism and having both at once is great! For anyone else out there that wants to explore more in quakerism I highly recommend a trilogy of books by Ann Turnbull called no shame no fear. I loved them when I first read them years ago and I have just bought them all again to re-read.

I love your positivity Jessica! You are just a light ❤️✨😊

Whenever I watch Jessica's videos I feel like I've stepped into a different era in the best way possible

You remind me of my favorite history teacher, she just made everything come alive. History is something I've always found so interesting. Thank you for teaching us so much about this subject.❤🇱🇷

i love your hair and makeup, it really suits you and you look so pretty!!!

You look absolutely lovely today! I love your outfit especially your hat. I also enjoy hearing about your experiences as a child within quakerism.

That was the cutest song/ little dance I've seen. ❤️ Your personality really shines and that's why I love following you.

I must say that your outfit and makeup is just simply outstanding in this video!

I love your Quakerism videos. Wonderful to learn about its history, and the lovely powerful beliefs really resonated with me. Thank you Jessica for sharing this!

Re 20:18 ... one atheist here, representing just one person's experience: I was raised in a barely-religious household, mostly. There were some references to "God" in various decorations around the house (a Native American tapestry over the fire place which (perhaps incorrectly/misleadingly?) I was told represented God holding up the people; sticks and yarn made into "God's eye", etc.), but no organized practice around any of it, really. At about the age if 9, I decided I didn't think it made sense... it was a somewhat tenuous process at first, because I somehow had a fear that not believing would offend God if there was in fact an existing one, so I "prayed for a sign"... and never got one. So I gradually strengthened my belief that this was as fictional as Santa or the Tooth Fairy or whatever. And *then*, a few years later (11 or 12), my dad started taking me to Friends meetings... and the whole "moved by the spirit" thing made no sense to me, and it all just seemed like people talking whenever they felt like it. Which was maybe fine, but why not just call it what it was? And somehow, my dad seemed particularly insincere in it all (which fits, to me... and he's since joined the LDS church, which, let's just say, is a decision I have cynical views about the motivation behind). As such, I kinda rejected it all. In ways, I wish I'd had a little more positive of an experience, and that I could thus have gotten to know more about the Society of Friends, because I find a lot of interesting and admirable stuff in what you're describing. But then I also still find it all a bit unnecessary to have a God concept involved. Why can't it just be about human introspection, and things like that? And especially, why bring the Bible into it at all, even if you are bringing some notion of god or spirit or whatever? Except maybe as part of the history teachings, it seems full of things that would contradict Quaker practice, so why have any reverence for it at all? I certainly don't, other than as explanatory of where various beliefs and stories are being sourced. And probably some of those stories have value, and I sometimes wish I could actually read it... but each time I try (and maybe I should stop starting with Genesis?!? - though I get this from random passages, as well), I just find a strong sense of disgust with the content, and can't bring myself to slog through it. So, yeah. I commend the ideas of children as just small humans, and of standing up for injustice, whether or not one is involved (a Solomon Burke song comes to mind, "None of us are Free"), and the sense of community, and so on. But I'm still a bit turned off by the whole god and bible bits. I wish there were more traditions of practice around, say, secular humanism. There's Sunday Assembly (have you checked it out? It started in the UK...), and probably a few other things out there, but nothing that I'm currently aware of (if anyone knows of anything, please share!) that has any significant history behind it. I guess historical movements have to start somewhere, so hopefully SA and/or other practices with SH-compatible belief structures will continue to evolve and gain popularity. Because I believe there's a great deal of goodness that can come of having community around reflecting on and sharing moral values and such... but this God business, I've just been sick of for decades, and really wish would go away. At its best, it strikes me as distracting nonsense, and at worst it's... let's just say deeply pernicious. Anyway, there's one atheist's take. I'm sure there are other atheists who'd disagree with various bits of what I say, hut hopefully it helps a little along the path to fulfill your stated curiosity about the beliefs of atheists. Thanks for sharing, and thanks for asking!

@aishagilbert1755

5 жыл бұрын

I understand your view point. I struggle with the God thing but can see the benefit of having a set of morals to live by or be held accountable to. I feel aspects of Quakerism are very similar to my views, but as I said I struggle with the God thing. Id like to understand more about different religions and practices to help build up and development the morals I feel I should love by. And I guess by further research and understanding discard and add morals which fit my beliefs.

@standincub

5 жыл бұрын

There are agnostic and atheist Quakers. As she said in the video it varies by country and culture because Quakerism doesn't really have any set rules. The common quaker testimony is Truth, Equality, Peace, Simiplicity, and Community,- I would say it is possible to encompass all those things in your life without believing in "God". And for some, the idea of God is more so a persons spirt/spirituality, and for others, truth is what they view as "god" rather than an actual God. There are some good websites for info on nontheist Quakerism. I personally was not raised in a specific religion- my mom is Buddhist and didn't think she should impose her views on me or influence my religious decision in any way (which I appreciated but at times I resented it because I didn't have this magical faith in God that other people seem to have). I experimented with various religions (Catholicism, various Christian churches, Religous Science, and Islam.) for years and also studied religion in college before finding Quakerism. For me it just clicked. I don't believe in God in the traditional Christian way. I believe there is something magical (that's not the right word because it sounds immature but idk what other word I would use) and sacred in all of us, and that our lives are a gift. I also believe we are all connected by this sacred/magic/divine spirit. I think we can get in touch with that sacred part of ourselves (what some people would call God) through things like meditation and prayer. I believe we should live our lives with the intent to do good in the world and not waste the gift we have been given. I don't believe in heaven in a Christian sense either. I think when I die I will be at peace but I don't think we can really know for sure what will happen.

@jasminehermione2998

5 жыл бұрын

@@standincub yes I feel very similarly to you. I'm interested in these non theistic quaker sources would you mind linking some?

@standincub

5 жыл бұрын

Jasmine Hermione sure idk if KZread will let me but I’ll try. nontheist-quakers.org.uk/ www.nontheistfriends.org/

@DavidLindes

5 жыл бұрын

standincub: thank you for sharing your thoughts and especially the links! I'll check them out.

History IS fun! You're so right. I love when you include history lessons in your videos

I love your videos. You are well spoken and get your point across in a lovely and humorous, yet informative, way. 👍

Definitely cried watching this. This touched my heart in a very kind way. Thank you. ♥️