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From: DANIEL TREADWAY <>
Subject: Re: [Q-R] Marriage Customs - Part 2 - Some comments
Date: Thu, 3 Feb 2000 07:28:14 -0600 (CST)


According to http://www.religioustolerance.org/quaker.htm (scroll down to
the Organizations section) there are more than 100,000 Quakers in North
America and 300,000 worldwide.

My own recollection, which I hope is more or less reliable, tells me
that some countries outside of North America that have significant Quaker
popluations are Kenya (which seems likely to have more than the US) Great
Britain, and Bolivia. Countries with smaller Quaker populations include
Ireland, Australia, Holland, Germany, Mexico, Costa Rica, Cuba, Jamaica,
Burundi, South Africa, Sweden, Norway, and Japan. I am sure others can
name at least a few more.

I even hear that there are Russians who have learned about Quakerism on
the internet, are holding worship sessions, and want to be part of world
Quakerism.

Dan Treadway

On Wed, 2 Feb 2000 wrote:

> In a message dated 2/2/00 10:52:20 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> writes:
>
> << Nothing could illustrate duplicity any more than a Monthly
> Meeting, the majority of whose members had married out
> of meeting, proceeding to disown a man & woman for marrying
> out of meeting! But it happened and as time passed the situation
> became worse and worse. Everyone knew it did not make sense
> and it was destroying the Society of Friends. It was for this reason
> that in the Orthodox reforms of the 1870s, disownment for marrying
> out was finally thrown out of the Discipline. >>
>
> This following is based on the correct or incorrect understanding that
> the world wide population of The Friends is about 50,000
> In all seriousness, and with NO cynicism, I would very much like to know
> the historical/social/other forces at work that have practically destroyed
> Quakerism. From the point where it was a quite viable albeit oppressed
> minority, to the point where it is disappearing into the woodwork almost
> as fast as Shakers, who do not propagate at all.
>
> I can even imagine a totally positive set of factors having to do with the
> general population need for heirarchical and domineering religions.
> (But i am not offering that as an argument)
>
>
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