# In three-four words, what does "Quaker" mean to you? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 25, 2018, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-three-four-words-what-does-quaker-mean-to-you/809559 "2018-02-25T18:27:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2018, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-three-four-words-what-does-quaker-mean-to-you/809559/21 "2018-02-25T21:02:01Z")
I first think of oats, and the smiling pilgrim-looking dude on the box. Then I think of motor oil. As far as I know, they are Christians. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2018, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-three-four-words-what-does-quaker-mean-to-you/809559/22 "2018-02-25T21:09:48Z")
All things in moderation. Also, Dan & Katherine, but I don’t think any of you guys would know them. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2018, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-three-four-words-what-does-quaker-mean-to-you/809559/23 "2018-02-25T22:34:12Z")
Member of the Religious Society of Friends. Someone believing in the Inner Light. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2018, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-three-four-words-what-does-quaker-mean-to-you/809559/24 "2018-02-25T23:24:30Z")
Oats ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2018, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-three-four-words-what-does-quaker-mean-to-you/809559/25 "2018-02-25T23:49:44Z")
Oats. My former employer. (I worked for Quaker Oats for 3 1/2 years. 🙂 ) AFAIK, the Quaker religion is a Christian one, but I’ve never looked into it in great detail. ---
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2018, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-three-four-words-what-does-quaker-mean-to-you/809559/26 "2018-02-26T00:27:59Z")
Pacifists, quiet church practice, good folks historically in social justice etc, then I recall their church architecture style, then I think of oatmeal and quaker parakeets and William Penn. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2018, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-three-four-words-what-does-quaker-mean-to-you/809559/27 "2018-02-26T00:35:57Z")
Nut. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2018, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-three-four-words-what-does-quaker-mean-to-you/809559/28 "2018-02-26T00:39:42Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > I was raised in the Friends church, and I’m constantly amazed by how many people have such inaccurate ideas about Quakers, like the ones already posted above. > > Go to a Friends service and you’ll find it quite similar to any other mainstream protestant denomination, with the exception of fewer physical symbols. You’ll even see the same sort of differences depending on location: A church in a small rural town may have a congregation that skews older and seems more old-fashioned while one in a city may have more younger members and a pastor who plays bass in a jazz combo. . .] This must have been a Meeting with a programmed service? I have never attended one of those, nor one with paid clergy. One local meeting does have a group who gather before service to sing Quaker hymns, but music during Meeting is highly unusual. I’ve only twice experienced it when a member was moved to share a thought through music. Our meetings are radically different than any Catholic or Protestant church I’ve attended. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2018, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-three-four-words-what-does-quaker-mean-to-you/809559/29 "2018-02-26T00:41:38Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Nut. LOL! Thank you for your honesty. I suspect yours is a fairly popular, if seldom expressed, view. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2018, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-three-four-words-what-does-quaker-mean-to-you/809559/30 "2018-02-26T00:49:11Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > LOL! Thank you for your honesty. I suspect yours is a fairly popular, if seldom expressed, view. And for a significant percentage of Friends it’s an accurate description as well. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2018, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-three-four-words-what-does-quaker-mean-to-you/809559/31 "2018-02-26T01:02:44Z")
Old timey religion, oats, often confused with Shakers. As far as I know they believe in Christ, so yes, they’ve Christian. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2018, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-three-four-words-what-does-quaker-mean-to-you/809559/32 "2018-02-26T01:07:50Z")
[_Thee I Love_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqUx09Gl-S4) ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2018, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-three-four-words-what-does-quaker-mean-to-you/809559/33 "2018-02-26T01:20:00Z")
nm. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2018, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-three-four-words-what-does-quaker-mean-to-you/809559/34 "2018-02-26T01:22:16Z")
**Doug K.** , which of the ideas were inaccurate? ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2018, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-three-four-words-what-does-quaker-mean-to-you/809559/35 "2018-02-26T01:45:59Z")
Without reading the thread r googling: I thought it was pretty common knowledge that they are an American Christian denomination that got their name because their religious fervour caused them to “quake” during ceremonies. Kinda Amish like in their acceptance of tech advances. Eta: reading above, maybe I’m confuing them with Shakers, which I slightly suspected already. ---
**Author:** ![X.L.Lent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/a5b964/32.png) [@X.L.Lent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/X.L.Lent)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2018, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-three-four-words-what-does-quaker-mean-to-you/809559/36 "2018-02-26T01:57:30Z")
1. A religious group 2. Oats 3. Motor oil ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2018, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-three-four-words-what-does-quaker-mean-to-you/809559/37 "2018-02-26T02:05:37Z")
Reasonable religious folks. I’m not sure I actually know any Quakers, but my impression of them is very positive, up there with Lutherans as far as Christian denominations I like. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2018, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-three-four-words-what-does-quaker-mean-to-you/809559/38 "2018-02-26T02:20:13Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > LOL! Thank you for your honesty. Hey, no problem! Glad you enjoyed it. It usually gets me in trouble. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2018, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-three-four-words-what-does-quaker-mean-to-you/809559/39 "2018-02-26T02:22:42Z")
Society of Friends, community, pacifists Edited to add, awesome schools. I know more than what I am saying here as my ex studied on quakerism and considered participating fully in young adulthood. ---
**Author:** ![Tzigone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Tzigone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tzigone)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2018, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-three-four-words-what-does-quaker-mean-to-you/809559/40 "2018-02-26T02:24:45Z")
> [@si\_blakely](#): > > Quakers were sober, illustrious people who became capitalists with a christian social conscience. Many large UK companies had quaker foundations, and worked hard to bring about social change. Cadburys built an entire suburb of Birmingham to house their workers, with the proviso that there were no public houses. > Quakers built free schools and hospitals and pushed for rules against child labour, in addition to campaigning against slavery. > We owe them a great deal. Not really appreciating the lecture. Get asked an opinion and told there’s no “right answer” and then someone not OP has to come along and tell me what I owe someone in response to the true answer I gave. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-three-four-words-what-does-quaker-mean-to-you/809559.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-three-four-words-what-does-quaker-mean-to-you/809559.md?page=3)