I recently read about Quakers and how they were treated by fellow Christians. I think this can be a warning against the unity of church & state. Freedom of religion is one of the greatest freedoms we have.
Quakers:
Quakers:
George Fox (1624-1691), began a four year journey throughout England in the mid 1600s, seeking answers to his spiritual questions. Disappointed with the answers he received from religious leaders, he felt an inner call to become an itinerant preacher. Fox's meetings were radically different from orthodox Christianity: silent meditation, with no music, rituals, or creeds.
Fox's movement ran afoul of Oliver Cromwell's Puritan government, as well as that of Charles II, when the monarchy was restored. Fox's followers, called Friends, refused to pay tithes to the state church, would not take oaths in court, declined to doff their hats to those in power, and refused to serve in combat during war. Further, Fox and his followers fought for the end of slavery and more humane treatment of criminals, both unpopular stands.
Once, when hauled before a judge, Fox chided the jurist to "tremble before the word of the Lord." The judge mocked Fox, calling him a "quaker," and the nickname stuck. Quakers were persecuted across England, and hundreds died in jail.
Quakers History in the New World
Quakers fared no better in the American colonies. Colonists who worshiped in the establishedChristian denominations considered Quakers heretics. Friends were deported, imprisoned, and hanged as witches.
Eventually they found a haven in Rhode Island, which decreed religious tolerance. William Penn (1644-1718), a prominent Quaker, received a large land grant in payment for a debt the crown owed his family. Penn founded Pennsylvania colony and worked Quaker beliefs into its government. Quakerism flourished there.
Over the years, Quakers became more accepted, and were actually admired for their honesty and simple living. That changed during the American Revolution, when Quakers refused to pay military taxes or fight in the war. Some Quakers were exiled because of that position.
In the early 19th century, Quakers rallied against the social abuses of the day: slavery, poverty, horrible prison conditions, and mistreatment of Native Americans. Quakers were instrumental in the Underground Railroad, a secret organization that helped escaped slaves find freedom before the Civil War.
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