Testimony of peace

The testimony of peace (a.k.a. testimony for peace or testimony

against war) is the action generally taken by members of the
Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) for peace and against
participation in war. Like other Quaker testimonies, it is not a
"belief", but a description of committed actions, in this case to
promote peace, and refrain from and actively oppose participation
in war. 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. Due to this core testimony, the Religious Society of The Peaceable Kingdom (c. 1834) by
Friends is considered one of the traditional peace churches. Edward Hicks

General explanation
Friends' testimony of peace is largely derived from beliefs arising from the
teachings of Jesus to love one's enemies and Friends' belief in the inner
light. Quakers believe that nonviolent confrontation of evil and peaceful
reconciliation are always superior to violent measures. The testimony of
peace does not mean that Quakers engage only in passive resignation; in
fact, they often practice passionate activism.

The testimony of peace is probably the best known testimony of Friends.

The belief that violence is wrong has persisted to this day, and many
conscientious objectors, advocates of non-violence and anti-war activists
are Friends. Due to their testimony of peace, Friends are considered one of
the historic peace churches. In 1947 Friends as a worldwide religious group
were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, which was accepted by the American
Friends Service Committee and the then London Yearly Meeting's Friends
Quakers in Pennsylvania
Service Committee, now called Britain Yearly Meeting Peace & Social
meeting with Native
Witness on behalf of all Friends. The testimony of peace has not always
Americans
been well received in the world; on many occasions Friends have been
imprisoned for refusing to serve in military activities.

Some Friends today regard the testimony of peace in even a broader sense, refusing to pay the portion of
the income tax that goes to fund the military. Yearly Meetings in the United States, Britain and other parts of
the world endorse and support these Friends' actions.[1] The Quaker Council for European Affairs
campaigns in the European Parliament for the right of conscientious objectors in Europe not to be made to
pay for the military. Some do pay the money into peace charities and still get goods seized by bailiffs or
money taken from their bank accounts.

In the United States, others pay into an escrow account in the name of the Internal Revenue Service, which
the IRS can only access if they give an assurance that the money will only be used for peaceful purposes.[2]
Some Yearly meetings in the US run escrow accounts for conscientious objectors, both within and outside
the Society.
Many Friends engage in various non-governmental organizations such as Christian Peacemaker Teams
serving in some of the most violent areas of the world. Quaker author Howard Brinton, for example, served
in the American Friends Service Committee during World War I.

Development of Quaker beliefs about peace

George Fox, perhaps the most influential early Quaker, made a declaration in 1651 that many see as the
first declaration of Friends' beliefs on peace: [3]

Following the 1660 Restoration of King Charles II and a clamp-down on religious radical groups such as
the Fifth Monarchists,

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.

A number of letters and statements were written this year, as much to remove any suspicion that Friends
might have been involved in violent political activity as a desire to make their position clear. Margaret Fell
wrote a letter to King Charles II that was co-signed "in unity" by a number of prominent Friends, including
Fox:

We are a people that follow after those things that make for peace, love, and unity; it is our
desire that others' feet may walk in the same, and do deny and bear our testimony against
all strife, and wars, and contentions that come from the lusts that war in the members, that
war against the soul, which we wait for and watch for in all people, and love and desire the
good of all.[4]

The most well-known statement of this belief [5] was stated later that year in a declaration to King Charles
II of England in 1660 by George Fox and 11 others. 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 and war against any man with outward weapons,
neither for the kingdom of Christ, nor for the kingdoms of this world.[6]

Some Quakers initially opposed this statement 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.

In practice
Quakers have practised the testimony of peace by protesting against wars, refusing to serve in armed forces
if drafted, seeking conscientious objector status when available, and even to participating 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 Christian pacifists. During extreme
circumstances it has been difficult for some Quakers to engage in and uphold this testimony, yet Friends
have almost universally been committed to the ideal of peace, even
those who have felt the need to compromise on their testimony.
Apart from the specific question of war, other ways in which
Friends have testified to peace have included vegetarianism and a
commitment to restorative justice.

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. In 1947, the Religious Society of
Friends was awarded the Nobel
The first paragraph of the Presentation Speech reads: Peace Prize. The Friends' testimony
of peace is their best known.[7]
"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."[8]

See also
List of peace activists

References
1. Quaker Faith & Practice. Britain Yearly Meeting. 1999. pp. 1.02.31. ISBN 0-85245-306-X.
2. "Peace Tax Escrow Account" (https://web.archive.org/web/20090826013048/http://www.nyy
m.org/purchasequarter/peacetax.html). Archived from the original (http://www.nyym.org/purch
asequarter/peacetax.html) on 2009-08-26. Retrieved 2009-08-31.
3. "Fox 1651" (http://quaker.org/legacy/minnfm/peace/fox_1651.htm). quaker.org.
4. A declaration from the harmless and innocent people of God, called Quakers, London: 1660,
as quoted in: Britain Yearly Meeting [Ed] Margaret Fell's Letter to the King on Persecution (ht
tp://www.qhpress.org/quakerpages/qwhp/mf2king.htm), 1660
5. from George Fox's Journal (http://www.hallvworthington.com/gfjournal6b.html#peace)
6. 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 (http://www.quaker.org/minnfm/peace/A%20Declaration%20to%20Char
les%20II%201660.htm)
7. "The Nobel Peace Prize 1947" (https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/1947/ceremony-sp
eech/). NobelPrize.org.
8. "The Nobel Peace Prize 1947 - Presentation Speech" (https://web.archive.org/web/2008122
4090009/http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1947/press.html). Archived from
the original (http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1947/press.html) on 2008-
12-24. Retrieved 2008-10-30.
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