What i did today

Today I visited these sites

http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/fraction-selection.html

Evolution in Quarkerism in 18 and 19 century on slavery

Talked to Mr. Brasof  about changing my nhd topic and told me to look back to resorce paper he gave us.

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Quakers-1550/quakerism-4.htm

http://www.midcoastfriendsmeeting.org/intro.htm

The Roots of Quaker Belief
The Religious Society of Friends, commonly called “Friends” or “Quakers,” began in England around 1650 following the vision of a young Englishman, George Fox. Fox believed in the existance of “the Light within”—a spark of the Divine which resides in every person regardless of social status or origin. Fox led his followers to eschew the ritual and outward symbols of traditional Christian worship, so that they might “wait upon the Lord” in silence. This expectant waiting in silence is the core of the Quaker worship service, called the Meeting for Worship. Friends believe that by waiting in such a manner a person becomes able to receive direct communication with God and that intervention by specially trained clergy or use of specific ceremonies is therefore unnecessary.

Of the many followers of George Fox who influenced Quaker thought and ideas in the United States, perhaps the best known is William Penn, who founded the colony of Pennsylvania in 1681. The organization of the Society of Friends differs from that of most religions in that there is no central authority or body which governs and dictates the beliefs or practices of its members. Decision making and policy originate at the local level (the individual “Monthly Meetings,” of which Midcoast Meeting is one) and flow up from there to regional and national bodies. Within Monthly Meetings, emphasis is placed on individual responsibility and group process. In all decision making, Friends labor together to reach “the sense of the Meeting,” a point somewhere beyond consensus, in which all are united in the decision to be taken. The work of the Meeting, both pastoral and practical, is done by committees on which all members and active attenders are encouraged to serve on a rotating basis. While Friends adhere to no strict doctrine or theology, Quaker groups traditionally have published extensive ‘guides’ for the conduct of individual lives and our practices as organized Quaker groups. Faith and Practice of New England Yearly Meeting of the Society of Friends is one such guide.

Quakerism is based on the values and life of Jesus and in the mystical and personal experience of the Divine within each individual. The Quaker belief in “that of God in every person” guides all aspects of life; our gatherings together for worship, the activities of our individual daily lives, and the use of our time and material resources. This Quaker concept of the Iinner Light, God, or the Holy Spirit which is present in all persons, is fundamental to our social attitudes, humanitarian service activities, political or civil engagement, and treatment of others. Our lives can become a testimony to our religious beliefs