AMERICAN ACADEMY OF and Dentistry Reviews & Reports

BY H. BARRY WALDMAN, DDS, MPH, PHD; DOLORES CANNELLA, PHD; AND STEVEN P. PERLMAN, DDS, MSCD, DHL (HON)
www.eparent.com/EP MAGAZINE • March 2011 49

DEVELOPMENTAL MEDICINE AND DENTISTRY

“…Quaker testimony to equality is inclusion of equal rights for the disabled…”1

WHO ARE THE QUAKERS?

The Religious Society of Friends is a name used by a range of independent religious organizations which all trace their origins to a Christian movement in mid 17th century England and Wales. “A central belief was that ordinary people could have a direct experience of the eternal Christ.”2 Today, the theological beliefs among the different organizations vary, but include broadly evangelical Christians, liberal Protestant, Christian universalist and non-Christian universalist beliefs. Some of these organizations also use the name Quaker or Friends Church.

The origin of the name ‘Quaker’ is disputed. In 1650 George Fox (who began to preach this new form of Christianity throughout England) was brought before Justice Bennet of Derby on a charge of blasphemy. According to Fox’s journal, Bennet “called us Quakers because we bid them tremble at the word of God,”2 a scriptural reference (e.g. Isaiah 66:2). Therefore, what began as a derogatory term became a nickname that even Friends use of themselves.

BELIEFS AND TRADITIONS

“Quakers have historically emphasized the equality of all people. The belief in ‘the Light within’ has led Quakers to work for peace, prison reform, humane care for the mentally ill, civil rights, and economic justice around the world. Everyone has the same human rights and should be treated fairly.”3

One of the things probably best known about Quakers is that they have a testimony against participation in war, which they call the “peace testimony.” As the Quaker movement was developing, Christian bodies did not generally take a pacifist stance. Friends themselves took a little while to become clear about it as a movement. In the very early years of the movement in the mid seventeenth century in Britain, some Friends served in Cromwell’s army. However, the peace testimony is not just about negatives. It requires them to live as peacemakers - with families, colleagues and neighbors as well as internationally. Over the centuries, Friends have been involved in a variety of efforts such as relief for war victims, seeking to foster understanding among
diplomats of hostile nations, mediation, and training people how to respond nonviolently in conflict situations. “The positive contributions of Friends in the area of peace have often been recognized by the larger society. In 1947, the Nobel Peace Prize was given to the American Friends Service Committee and the British Friends Service Council (now known as Quaker Peace and Service). The Prize was intended to recognize the peace work of the entire Religious Society of Friends…” 4

The movement faced opposition and persecution in its early years. Friends were imprisoned and beaten in Great Britain and the British Colonies. In the Massachusetts Bay colony, Friends were banished on pain of death—some were hanged on Boston Commons for returning to preach their beliefs. Friends were most welcome in Rhode Island and Pennsylvania. They were most numerous in the Pennsylvania Colony founded by William Penn as a “Holy Experiment.” “Penn wanted to find out to just what extent a civil government could be run according to the moral standards set forth by the Society Friends without having to compromise. 5

Quite a few Quakers originally settled in the southern colonies, but their opposition to slavery made them unwelcome. Quakers voluntarily emancipated all of their own slaves in 1800 and became active in efforts to have all slaves freed. In New Amsterdam (the early settlement which became New York City in 1664) efforts to suppress Quaker worship on Long Island led to the Flushing Remonstrance (a document of complaint) seeking freedom of worship. The Flushing Remonstrance was a forerunner to the first amendment of the U.S. Constitution that gives people the freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.6

Today, Friends often express their beliefs in many ways, including the attitude of trying to see/appeal to “the light of God in everyone.” The intention is “see the Light” or see “that of God in everyone” is an effort by Quakers to cast aside more superficial differences and focus on the good that they believe to be in all people. Unlike most other Christian denominations, most Quakers completely reject all forms of religious symbolism and outward sacraments, such as baptism or celebrating  the Eucharist. Quakers believe in continuing revelation, with the idea that God speaks directly to any person, without the need for any human intermediary. Thus, many reject the idea of priests or holy people, but believe in the priesthood of all believers. The idea of the Inner Light is that of God within everyone, guiding them through their lives.2

Friends shun the traditional church calendar of holy days, and religious festivals, such as Christmas, Lent or Easter, but instead believe that Christ’s birth, crucifixion and resurrection should not be observed at particular times of the year, but instead be commemorated every day of the year. Most groups of Quakers meet for regular worship; for some this is called a meeting for worship and for others it is a Friends Church service. It is usually held in silence and those who feel “moved to speak” can minister for as long as they feel it is right. There is time to reflect between spoken words, with the entire meeting lasting for about one hour.

NUMBER OF QUAKERS
There are about 300,000 Quakers in the world today, in Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and North and South America. About one third of all Quakers live in the United States and Canada. 7

HEALTH CARE POLICY
Quakers support a health care system with the primary goal of maintaining and improving the health of the population. They support health care that recognizes the variety of needs and expectations of the population, including differences in age, gender, culture, ethnicity, language, income, and region. They favor a health care system that gives attention to the just distribution of health care resources, including facilities, technology, professionals, transportation and support systems. Reforms in state health care policy should include:

• “Access for everyone to health care, regardless of employment or health status, age, income, or citizenship status

• Flexibility that allows communities and local health boards to be involved in defining, planning, and distribution of \health services

• Local or regional accountability, to enhance responsibility for local health outcomes, provide authority to assure quality of services, and set funding priorities consistent with local health goals

• A comprehensive package of benefits including preventive care, primary care, prenatal and post-natal care, immunizations, hearing, dental, eye care, mental health services, and health education

• Prevention, rehabilitation, and treatment of alcohol, drug, tobacco and other substance abuse

• Community-based, long-term care services for impaired elderly and disabled persons who are unable to live independently but do not require skilled nursing home care

• Skilled nursing home and hospice care for terminally ill patients

• Intensive research and public education to develop effective solutions to HIV disease

• Primary reliance on progressive taxation to provide state funds for health care reform.”8

PERCEPTION OF INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES
It seems almost unnecessary to write about Quaker’s perceptions of individuals with disabilities given their repeated emphasis on the equality of all people and concept that “the light of God is in everyone” and their effort to cast aside the more superficial differences and focus on the good that they believe to be in all people. Repeated comments in an extended series of articles reviewed for this presentation stressed the need to provide health and general supportive care for individuals with disabilities, including persons of all ages. This attitude may best be summarized with the statement that, “Quaker testimony to equality is inclusion of equal rights for the disabled…”1 •

References
1. All Experts.com Quakers and violence to lesser animals. Web site:http://en.allexperts.com/q/Quakers-1550/Quakers-violence-lesser-animals-1.htm Accessed  November 23, 2010.

2. Religious Society of Friends. Web site:http:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_Society_of_Friends Accessed November 22, 2010.

3. Cambridge Friends School. Quaker Faith and Practice Web site: http://www.cambridgefriendsschool . org/aboutcfs/FaithandPractice.htm Accessed November 23, 2010.

4. Samuel B. Friends (Quakers) and peace. Web site: http://www.quakerinfo.com/quak_pce.shtml Accessed November 21, 2010
.
5. About.com: Agnostics/Atheism. Quakers. Web site: http://atrhesum.about.com/library/glossary/ western/bldef_quakers.htm Accessed July 22, 2010.

6. 350th Anniversary of the Flushing Remonstrance: 1657-2007 A celebration of a document and the principles it embodies. Web site:
http://www.queensbp.org/remonstrance/index.html Accessed November 23, 2010.

7. Quakerfinder.org Web site: http://www.quakerfinder.org/faq.php Accessed November 23, 2010.

8. Friends Committee on Washington State Public Policy. Web site: http://www.quaker.org/fcwpp/Policy%20Statement.html Accessed November 24, 2010

H. Barry Waldman, DDS, MPH, PhD Distinguished Teaching Professor, Department of General Dentistry, Stony Brook University, NY. E-mail: hwaldman@ notes.cc.sunysb.edu Dolores Cannella, PhD, Director, Behavioral Sciences, Assistant Professor, Department of General Dentistry, Stony Brook University Steven P. Perlman, DDS, MScD, DHL (Hon), Global Clinical Director, Special Olympics, Special Smiles, Clinical Professor of Pediatric Dentistry, The Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine, Private pediatric dentistry practice - Lynn, MA