We, as Friends, prefer to set down our religious experience in the form of testimonies, general statements about religious practices and beliefs on which most of us unite. These testimonies represent values by which we judge our lives.

Equality
Because Friends believe all people have the potential to receive spiritual leadings and are equal in the eyes of God, we see men and women, as well as people of all races, nationalities, and sexual orientation as equals. In addition, we encourage participation of young people in all aspects of the life of our faith community as a form of nurturing.

Social Justice
We, as Friends, aid the non-violent efforts of the exploited to attain self-determination and social, political and economic justice. This often requires persuading exploiters, some of whom may be Quakers, to change their ways, not only for the sake of the exploited, but also to strengthen their own goodness.

We seek both to bring to light and to counteract, institutions, language and thought processes that subtly support discrimination and exploitation. We’re continually examining our own attitudes and practices to test whether we contribute as much as we ought to social, political, and economic justice. And we encourage others to adopt Spirit-led consensus decision-making.

Criminal Justice
We also are sensitive to spiritual as well as the material needs of those in prison. We recognize that the penal system often reflects the injustices in our society. By offering support to the victims of crime as well as conflict resolution training for both offenders and prison employees, we act out of our conviction that redemption and restorative justice, not retribution, are the right tasks of the criminal justice system. In addition, we strongly oppose capital punishment.

Peace
We support those who resist the military draft by performing peaceful service as conscientious objectors We help to alleviate the suffering caused by war whenever we can and are troubled by nations that use military forces rather than non-military ones to engage in this work.

Friends work to promote nonviolent resolution of conflict, whether in schools or in the United Nations, and the conversion to peaceful uses of facilities built for war.

Stewardship

Integrity and Simplicity
We seek wholeness and harmony in our lives and strive to limit the material circumstances of our lives. We call for honesty in whatever we say and do. And, as Friends, don’t swear judicial oaths, but rather affirm that our witnessing is truthful.

We seek to follow these testimonies but, at the same time, acknowledge that our practices have flaws. However, these testimonies remind us to be true to that of God within ourselves and to be mindful of carrying out these ideals in our lives.

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