| Truth and Integrity |
| Quakers have long tried to live out the importance of truth in every
aspect of life. We can only be true to our innermost sense of spiritual harmony
if we are faithful to truth and honesty in our dealings. This is all the more
important in today's complex social, political and economic system, where value
can so easily be lost to sight. |
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| Equality and Community |
| The Quaker testimony to equality stems from the conviction that all
people, men and women, are of equal spiritual worth. This belief in equality
and sharing is in conflict with the spirit of a materialistic and
individualistic age. The testimony is concerned with the way in which our own
lifestyles and behaviour increase inequalities. It covers matters such as
social inclusion, eithical investment, seeking to ensure that those who produce
goods receive fair payment, the avoidance of exploitation and discrimination,
and the need to work with the homeless, asylum-seekers, refugees and prisoners.
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| Simplicity |
| The testimony to simplicity is integral to Quaker faith: our
spiritual responsiveness depends on being as free as possible from dependence
on material security. Quakers therefore seek to resist the tempatation to
define their place in society by acquiring posessions. Simplicity is not just
about posessions, but also about attitudes. It involves constantly challenging
the way we live and what our true needs are, asnd especially how our own
standard of living is sometimes achieved at the expense of others. |
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| Peace |
| The peace testimony derives from our conviction that love is at the
heart of our existance. Again, there is no set form of words, but Quakers are
deeply attached to the Declaration made by them to Charles II in 1660 which
begins: "We utterly deny all outward wars and strife and fighting with
outward weapons, for any end or under any pretence whatsoever". We do not
assume that we can escape from the realities of a world in which violence
appears so deeply rooted. We are committed to show that there is another way of
conducting human affairs, and resolving conflicts non-violently. |
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| The Earth and Environment |
| New testimonies emerge as the reasons for them and the underlying
spiritual basis of action become clarified. Such a testimony concerns our
stewardship of the environment. For many Quakers what has been an 'emerging'
testimony to the environment has now become an established one, with close
links to the peace testimony and the testimony to simplicity. The world is a
wonderfully rich rsource for our material and spiritual needs. We should
treasure it and preserve its capacity to sustain and inspire. That in turn
calls for creative responsibility towards the earth that we have inherited and
for proper sharing. The future is constantly sacrificed to the present and
needs of others to the wants of the self. It cannot be right to leave the world
poorer than we found it in beauty or in the rich diversity of life forms, or to
consume recklessly in the knowledge that our actions are bound to lead to
future tragedy. |
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