Quaker History of Speaking Truth to Power
“For conscience’s sake to God, we are bound by his just law in our hearts to yield obedience to [authority] in all matters and cases actively or passively; that is to say, in all just and good commands of the king and the good laws of the land relating to our outward man, we must be obedient by doing … but … if anything be commanded of us by the present authority, which is not according to equity, justice and a good conscience towards God … we must in such cases obey God only and deny active obedience for conscience’s sake, and patiently suffer what is inflicted upon us for such our disobedience to men.”
— Edward Burrough, 1661 (Early English Quaker leader)
Recent Statements From Milwaukee Friends Meeting
Back From the Brink – Oppose Nuclear Proliferation
Oppose Homeland Security Agents Entering Houses of Worship
In Support of Black Lives Matter Movement
Marriage Equality
Military Opt Out
The very core of our Quaker experience requires us to sit in silence in anticipation of hearing the voice of the Divine call to us. Surely, we must discern whether the voice we hear is truly from the Spirit or is it from our own wants and needs.
But once we understand that we are fundamentally called by God to act, then act we must.
The history of American Quakers speaking truth to power goes back centuries, beginning with those brave souls who were persecuted, imprisoned, and killed for their adherence to following the whisper of that inner voice as the nascent Quaker movement took root in the American colonies.
Noted Quakers such as John Woolman and Lucretia Mott were visionaries who early on inspired fellow Friends to condemn the institution of slavery resting on the foundational thought that “there is that of God within everyone.”
The American Friends Service Committee stood shoulder to shoulder in the 1920s with mine workers in West Virginia and Western Pennsylvania, providing food and shelter to miner families during a long and violent strike for humane working conditions and improved wages.
Our commitment to justice and equality led us to support the Civil Rights Movement across the nation, inspired by Quaker leaders such as Bayard Rustin, a close advisor or Martin Luther King and a key organizer of the historic march on Washington, D.C.
During the Vietnam war, the American Friends Service Committee and local Quaker Meetings played a significant role in aiding conscientious objectors through counseling, humanitarian aid, peaceful protest and alternative service.
In the modern era, Quakers have continued speaking truth to power on issues such as climate change, LGBTQ rights and on immigration reform.
