Peace Testimony
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The Peace Testimony, also known as the Testimony Against War, is a shorthand description of the stand generally taken by members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) against participation in war, and against military service as combatants. Like the other Quaker testimonies, it is less a "belief" than a commitment to act in a certain way, in this case to refrain from participation in war and to actively oppose it and those who participate in war. The Quakers' original refusal to bear arms has been broadened to embrace protests and demonstrations in opposition to government policies of war and confrontations with others who bear arms, whatever the reason, in the support of peace and active nonviolence. Because of this core testimony, the Religious Society of Friends is considered one of the traditional peace churches.
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[edit] General explanation
The Peace Testimony is largely derived from the teachings of Jesus to love one's enemies and Friends' belief in the inner light. The Peace Testimony does not mean that Quakers believe in passive resignation; in fact, they believe in and practice passionate activism. It does mean that Quakers believe that nonviolent confrontation of evil and peaceful reconciliation are always superior to violent measures.
[edit] Development of the Peace Testimony
George Fox, perhaps the most influential early Quaker, made a declaration in 1651 that many see as the first declaration of the peace testimony:
- I told [the Commonwealth Commissioners] I lived in the virtue of that life and power that took away the occasion of all wars and I knew from whence all wars did rise, from the lust, according to James's doctrine... I told them I was come into the covenant of peace which was before wars and strifes were. [1]
The best-known version of this testimony [2] was stated in a declaration to King Charles II of England in 1660, following an armed revolt by religious radicals in London in January; its issuance at this particular time was as much to remove any suspicion that Friends might have been involved as a desire to make their position clear. This excerpt is commonly cited:
- All bloody principles and practices we do utterly deny, with all outward wars, and strife, and fightings with outward weapons, for any end, or under any pretence whatsoever, and this is our testimony to the whole world. That spirit of Christ by which we are guided is not changeable, so as once to command us from a thing as evil and again to move unto it; and we do certainly know, and so testify to the world, that the spirit of Christ, which leads us into all Truth, will never move us to fight any war against any man with outward weapons, neither for the kingdom of Christ, nor for the kingdoms of this world. [3]
Some Quakers initially opposed the Peace Testimony because it did not deny use of the sword to the magistrate or ruler of the state. It also contained no prohibition against paying taxes for purposes of war, something that would trouble Friends to the present.
[edit] Application of the Peace Testimony
The peace testimony has inspired Quakers to protest wars, refuse to serve in armed forces if drafted, to seek conscientious objector status when available, and even to participate in acts of civil disobedience. Not all Quakers embrace this testimony as an absolute; for example, there were Friends that fought in World War I and World War II. Some others were firm pacifists. During extreme circumstances this has been a difficult testimony for some Quakers to endorse and to uphold, yet Friends have almost universally been committed to the ideal of peace, even those who have felt the need to compromise on the application of it. Apart from the specific question of war, other applications of the peace testimony have included vegetarianism and a commitment to restorative justice, for instance.
The Religious Society of Friends was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1947. The Nobel Prize was awarded to Friends for Friends' work to relieve suffering and feed many millions of starving people during and after both world wars. The Nobel prize was accepted by the American Friends Service Committee, along with the UK's Friends Service Council on behalf of all Quakers.
The first paragraph of the Presentation Speech reads: "The Nobel Committee of the Norwegian Parliament has awarded this year's Peace Prize to the Quakers, represented by their two great relief organizations, the Friends Service Council in London and the American Friends Service Committee in Philadelphia." (source (and for the full text of the speech): http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1947/press.html)
[edit] References
- ^ Fox 1651
- ^ from George Fox's Journal
- ^ A declaration from the harmless and innocent people of God, called Quakers, London: 1660, as quoted in: Britain Yearly Meeting [Ed] Quaker Faith and Practice: the book of Christian discipline of the Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends in Britain London: 1994, 24:04. The extract quoted is considerably abridged from the original declaration - full text of the original declaration is available: A Declaration from the harmless and innocent people of God, called Quakers
[edit] External links
- A Declaration from the Harmless & Innocent People of God called Quakers (text of the Quaker 'peace testimony,' on the Friends' Journal web site)
- Pamphlet from Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, RSF, on the Peace Testimony
- Quaker women and the Peace Testimony
- Some Early Statements Concerning the Quaker Peace Testimony
- 'Think Peace' - a series of six articles from Quaker Peace & Social Witness of Britain Yearly Meeting
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