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About The Meeting - Testimonies

The Testimonies

Click on the links below for more information on each of the testimonies most commonly recognized by Friends:

You will frequently see references to these and other ideals in the context of Quaker lifestyles. Living the testimonies is a choice left up to the individual Friend, and there are countless ways to manifest one's conviction of a particular testimony. In living by the testimonies, some Friends choose to wear plain-colored clothing in public, decline the use of honorifics, refuse to swear in court, and protest the draft. Though a person who does these things may be easily identified as a Quaker, it is not true that all Quakers will do them. Many Friends are indistinguishable from non-Quakers in their behavior, though their motives may be different.

For example, a Friend who is highly convinced of the merit of the Testimony of Integrity may yet submit to swearing to tell "the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth" in a court of law because they believe they must be honest about the fact that, despite their best intentions, they do not practice perfect integrity in their everyday speech. Situations like this are the reason one must be careful when characterizing Quakers, for each member is likely to act differently depending on where they are in their walk with God.

It is also a common misconception that the testimonies are a kind of creed, which you must adhere to if you want to consider yourself a practicing Quaker. In fact, it is much more accurate to say that the Quaker life results in the testimonies, not the other way around.

The testimonies are a kind of convenient summary of hundreds of years of earnest listening for God’s word; they are not the definition or prerequisite of being a Quaker. There are doubtless many people who have never heard of Quakerism and nonetheless believe that integrity, equality, and the rest are good touchstones for living. Likewise it is conceivable that there are Quakers whose journey with God has not yet brought them to the place where they are persuaded of the truth of all the testimonies. Most Friends feel comfortable listing them together as a representation of the godly life, but thoughtful people can and do disagree on the exact contents of that list. It is not for us to argue these points; an individual’s persuasion must come from God, not the power of human reason.

Cincinnati Friends Meeting | 8075 Keller Rd | Cincinnati, OH 45243 | (513) 791-0788