Quakers also known as members of the Religious Society of Friends, are a religious group which emerged in a time of ferment among Christians in England in the 1650s. Quakerism is practiced today in a variety of forms around the world. Quakers seek a direct experience of God and believe the Light of the Divine is within all people. Seeking to be guided by this Light in their daily lives, Quakers are known for their testimonies of peace, equality, integrity, simplicity, and community.
Since the construction of the Race Street Meetinghouse in 1856, Quakers have worshipped and worked at this location. In partnership with diverse community groups, Quakers have worked here to foster movements to end slavery, promote women's rights, and reform public institutions.
(Inscription under the photo in the upper left) Quaker worship has been held in this meetinghouse since 1856. All are welcome.
(Inscriptions under the photos at the bottom of the marker) 1. Quakers gather together in meeting for worship to search as a group for the guidance of the Living Presence of God. The Quakers who worship here hold meeting for worship that are predominantly silent. There is no pastor and no set order of worship. Those present may rise to speak as the Spirit moves them to do so.2. Quaker education, long nurtured at his site, is rooted in the central tenets of the Religious Society of Friends. Friends schools engage students in inquiry and discovery, collaborative problem solving, and exploration of world issues in a content of justice and human dignity. 3. Friends are known for their efforts on behalf of human rights, prison reform, and work for peace in their communities and around the world. Quakers worldwide were honored in 1947 with the Nobel Prize for Peace for feeding starving children during both World Wars and for their assistance rebuilding Europe in the wars' aftermath. 4. Friends Center provides a place for Quakers and other community groups to work together on social issues through actions rooted in love and peace. The practice of listening both to God and to one another sustains Quakers in their work for world peace, justice, and human dignity.
(Quote at the bottom) "True godliness does not turn men out of the world, but enables them better to live in it and excites their endeavors to mend it." William Penn-William Penn (1644-1718) a Quaker founded Pennsylvania in 1681 as a "Holy Experiment" for religious freedom.
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