# Quaker



## iheartflutes

I'm curious to know what people automatically think of when they hear the term "Quaker"?

I am asking because there are some people out there who are really offended by the name and I was wondering how many people that really were offended and why that would be.

Please leave comments! Thanks!

--Katie


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## .   1

I think of a rather severe but totally peaceful religious group similar to The Amish.
I think of chairs hung on walls when not in use and a totally utilitarian lifestyle with lots of good honest hard work.
I think of women with long hair and a scarf.
I think of men with beards and odd hats.

.,,


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## Heba

None of the above
When I read the word, I associated it wih ''earth-quake'' , with vibrations,or with anything that shakes

I looked the word up in WR dictionary and I found this:

_*quaker: o*ne who quakes and trembles with (or as with) fear _

I am glad the associations my mind made are kinda correct


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## se16teddy

None of the options apply to me because I have a friend who is a Quaker, and he doesn't specialize in 17th century clothing.


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## Chaska Ñawi

Because this is an international and intercultural forum, it is important to do a little more than throw out terms.  Neither do polls such as the one above really advance a discussion; rather they narrow the windows that this forum attempts to open.

For those people who have not come across the term before, a Quaker (or Friend, as we prefer to call ourselves), is someone who believes that


a spark of the Divine exists in all humans 
that keeping our lives simple and uncluttered clarifies our vision
that all members of a Meeting share the role of clergy
violence is abhorrent
silent worship unites us at a common wellspring
decisions are made by the Meeting as a whole, through prayerful discernment

There are different variations of Friends, but this is pretty much the bedrock where we meet.  

Now, perhaps, we have more to discuss in this thread.


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## cubaMania

I think:  pacifists

Oats did not even cross my mind.
Who is offended by the term "Quaker"?


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## Etcetera

I thought about the religious group, and also of _Jane Eyre_ - remember when Jane, looking at herself in the mirror, says that her dress is rather Quaker-like? 
But I find it really surprising that someone may feel offended at the word. What offence can there be?


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## cuchuflete

The poll tries to channel our thoughts into one or more inaccurate pigeonholes.  I am offended by bad research design, which attempts to influence the respondent.

Thanks to Chaska, for her simple eloquence.


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## maxiogee

cuchuflete said:


> The poll tries to channel our thoughts into one or more inaccurate pigeonholes.  I am offended by bad research design, which attempts to influence the respondent.



Spot on!
I know what I'll think of in future when I hear the word 

My immediate thoughts are "Society of Friends", "there's a few meeting-houses in Dublin", and most prominently "Bewley's Cafés" (these were a Dublin institution for many years and were founded and run by a Quaker and his descendants) — and that's about it.

I don't know that I know many Quakers. I knew one many years ago, a fine guy who was the representative of a client company. Never had a cross word with him.

What does the poll-starter think "should" I think of? Oats, Early Religious Groups or offence? What's "early" about the Quakers? Weren't they started sometime around the English Civil War?


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## jinti

My grandmother's side of the family is Quaker, and I come from a part of the US where the religion is fairly commonplace (southeastern Pennsylvania).  While as Chaska Ñawi says, Friend is a much more common term (we say Friends' Meeting House, etc., and I think the real name for the religion is the Religious Society of Friends), neither I nor anyone I know takes offense at the term _Quaker_.

Nor would any Friend I know be in danger of being mistaken for Amish.


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## Outsider

I don't think there are any Quakers here. From what little I've read about them, they seem like a nice, progressive branch of Christianity. I had no idea the word could be seen as derogatory.


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## panjandrum

I think first of several friends who are Quakers (sorry, but for some reason I haven't quite modernised to Friends).
Then I think of chocolate.
This is why.
Then of philanthropy.
Then of a school.
Then of someone I used to know who went to that school .............


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## zebedee

The first thing I thought of was a pacifist religious group with a strong sense of community.

My second thought was of our esteemed colleague Chaska Ñawi as I think she's the only Quaker I know on a personal level.

My third thought was that this poll was badly thought out, so I added the last option: "None of the above"


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## maxiogee

zebedee said:


> My third thought was that this poll was badly thought out, so I added the last option: "None of the above"




Thank you. I have availed myself of your thoughtfulness.


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## waspsmakejam

I voted "none of the above".

I did think of the Society of Friends.  But I don't think of them as an "early" religious group.  I think of them as a modern, radical religious group.  

Here in York (England) the Society of Friends were very significant in  recent local history.  Today they are still relatively numerous here, and the Friends Meeting House is the centre of campaining and activism on a wide range of social and political issues.


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## natasha2000

When I hear the word quaker, I think of what they are: a religious group. Nothin less nothing more. I do not understand why anyone should think of any other things put as options in this poll and certainly I do not understand why someone should be offended when hearing this word. Maybe it is due to my limited English knowledge , but as far as I know, a quaker is a relgious group and nothing else above mentioned. If there is someone who doesn't know that quaker is a religious group, I really do not know how on earth he could answer anything other but "Nothing of the above!"

Oatmeal? A wrd that offends? O am really curious, I would like hartflutes to explain us kindly why he/she put this in this poll. Why some people get offended by a word quaker?


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## ireney

I'm afraid I just think of how much I don't know about them (didn't even know about "Friends" ) since, as far as I know, there isn't such a community here. Oh and it's one of the few words I instantly translate to Κουακέροι (Kuakeri) for some obscure reason. 

P.S. We're not big on oatmeal so I would have to vote "none of the above". I think all of us would vote "none of the above". I don't think highly of polls were close to 100% of the votes would go to "none of the above"


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## Chaska Ñawi

As to its being offensive, here's a post from WRF August 2005, by a young Peruvian that may shed some light:



> How do you say "Me caes quaker".... or....." no me caes para nada"
> 
> Since "I don't like you at all" means "No me gustas para nada", I thought there
> should be a more accurate translation for "Me caes quaker".... or....." no me caes para nada" which have the same meaning...
> 
> any suggestions?


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## zebedee

natasha2000 said:


> Oatmeal?



See this link to explain the oatmeal bit. It's a famous brand name.


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## natasha2000

Chaska Ñawi said:


> As to its being offensive, here's a post from WRF August 2005, by a young Peruvian that may shed some light:


 

This is really amazing... I didn't know this... 
But I really do not find it any more offensive than any other saying that includes some certain group of people... In Serbian, we can say: He hates me as if I am a German." But this comes from the WWII and I highly doubt that any German should be offended by this.... (Or maybe I am wrong? )

EDIT: Thanks, Zebedee.


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## Hakro

A very long time ago I saw advertising of "Quaker State Motor Oil" in American automotive magazines. This came to my mind even now. I don't know if this product is still on the market.


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## waspsmakejam

Outsider said:


> From what little I've read about them, they seem like a nice, progressive branch of Christianity.



That's quite interesting.  Very few of the Friends I've met self-identify as Christians.


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## Outsider

Then I probably need to read up a little more.


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## fenixpollo

I think "*Friend*".  As in, Society of Friends.  The word association continues to include Benjamin Franklin, Pennsylvania, Cotton Mather, and everything I know about colonial American history. But mostly just "friend".


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## iheartflutes

Hi all,

I'm so sorry for not thinking this out very well. I should probably removed from this site once and for all.

The whole thing behind Quaker is that there is a company in the United States who sells oats under the name Quaker Oats. This company is REALLY large in America, being the leading producer of oatmeal (cut oats, rolled oats or crushed oats). It seems that the term Quaker in America has almost died out, and we really don't mention the Quaker religion (I didn't even know it existed until I started researching about it.) It can be best described as a type of porridge.

Sorry for the grand confusion.  If there is anything I can do, please let me know!

    --iheartflutes


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## maxiogee

iheartflutes said:


> It seems that the term Quaker in America has almost died out, and we really don't mention the Quaker religion (I didn't even know it existed until I started researching about it.)



Could it be, flutes, that your phrasing of "Early Religious Groups, of course!" was somewhat America-centric? The foundation of the Society may be 'early' in terms of the 'discovery' of America by Europeans, but in the history of humanity I think you'll find it a relative novelty.


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## GenJen54

Hi flutes, 

Perhaps a bit on the research of the brand might have helped you. Apparently, what we in the U.S. know as "Quaker Oats" has been around since 1877, so the connection to "Early Religious Groups" is not wholly off the mark ("early" being relative to the U.S., of course). 

According to the history I was able to find, Quaker Mill started as an oat mill in Ravena, Ohio. The mill owner, a Mr. Henry D. Seymour, was fascinated by the Quakers' way of life and decided to name his product after this group. It is one of the U.S.'s oldest recognizable brands.

In 1901, Mr. Seymour merged his mill with two others, therby creating the "Quaker Oats Company." Since he already had brand identification even from that early date, it stuck. 

The brand is now owned by PepsiCo., and as a brand, has changed little over the years. 

I would hedge a bet, too, that in many countries, the brand "Quaker Oats" does not exist, since many countries have their own brands of goods.


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## ampurdan

I'm learning interesting things from this odd thread. I still have a doubt, though: "Oatmeal, but I'm offended by the name!" Why should anyone be offended by a brand of oatmeal?


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## natasha2000

ampurdan said:


> I'm learning interesting things from this odd thread. I still have a doubt, though: "Oatmeal, but I'm offended by the name!" Why should anyone be offended by a brand of oatmeal?


 

See Chaska's post. Nº 18.


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## ampurdan

Yes, I had already read it, but what does it have to do with oatmeal? Why is this particular brand of oatmeal offensive? That was my question.


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## french4beth

I replied "none of the above" because none of the responses applied to what I know about Friends/Quakers.

My brother recently married a woman who is a Quaker - he has also become a Quaker since meeting her a couple of years ago. The wedding ceremony was lovely, and was held at a local Friends' meeting house. It was very basic, very meaningful, and people truly spoke from the heart. Unfortunately, I was unable to speak because I would have spoken the truth, and most people wouldn't want to have heard what I would have said. I truly appreciate what the Friends stand for (such as the items that Chaska Nawi listed above), but my brother and his bride are both judgmental, narrow-minded, closed-off people; I hope that their affiliation with the Quakers/Friends will help them to grow emotionally and spiritually. The people that I met at the Friends meeting house were incredibly warm, welcoming, generous individuals. 

I also greatly appreciate the Friends' stance against violence of all kinds and against war, in particular. I admire their steadfast beliefs and convictions and their willingness to publicly state their positions on potentially controversial topics; I also appreciate the lack of a clerical hierarchy and the absence of showy rituals. 

P.S. I love oatmeal, but am not very picky about the brand that I buy.


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## ps139

iheartflutes said:


> I'm curious to know what people automatically think of when they hear the term "Quaker"?
> 
> I am asking because there are some people out there who are really offended by the name and I was wondering how many people that really were offended and why that would be.
> 
> Please leave comments! Thanks!
> 
> --Katie


Quaker is a type of Christian. One of my friends is a Quaker. So, when I think of Quaker, I think of him.


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## ps139

french4beth said:


> I also greatly appreciate the Friends' stance against violence of all kinds and against war, in particular. I admire their steadfast beliefs and convictions and their willingness to publicly state their positions on potentially controversial topics;


So do I. Back in the colonial days, when the majority of Pennsylvania's colonial legislature were Quaker, there was a motion to raise taxes to pay for a militia to defend PA's western frontier from Indian attacks. The Quakers could not vote against it, because without a militia, the white population would have been defenseless and killed, but they would not vote for it either, so they all resigned en masse. There is something to respect about that.


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