AHC: Insular Quaker diaspora

Alkahest

Banned
I have a fondness for Quakers, especially the Hicksite variety. Would it be possible for them to turn into a kind of "Jewish diaspora" in that they keep their religion, traditions, culture and perhaps even a kind of dialect (And hats! Don't forget the hats!) among themselves even though they have spread out into several small communities around the world?
 
So what you're basically asking is if it's possible for Quakers to be more insular?

I think it's certainly possible. I don't know enough about Quaker history to give you any PODs, unfortunately. I do know that Quakers of the kind you seem to be aiming for (using thees and thous, etc.) probably still exist (my friend's grandparents would fit the mold perfectly). The only change would be maintaining that tradition along the lines of the Orthodox Jews. Does that sound right?
 

Alkahest

Banned
So what you're basically asking is if it's possible for Quakers to be more insular?

I think it's certainly possible. I don't know enough about Quaker history to give you any PODs, unfortunately. I do know that Quakers of the kind you seem to be aiming for (using thees and thous, etc.) probably still exist (my friend's grandparents would fit the mold perfectly). The only change would be maintaining that tradition along the lines of the Orthodox Jews. Does that sound right?
Mostly I just thought about an alternate world where one could see peculiarly dressed Quakers walking around in countries around the world, there are "Quaker quarters" in many cities, occasional xenophobic paranoia against Quakers, etcetera. Basically, like Jews in Europe pre-WW2.
 
It took me a while to realize that the "insular" in the title was figurative, at which point my musings on why a Quaker diaspora should be particularly drawn to islands were cut short...
 
Mostly I just thought about an alternate world where one could see peculiarly dressed Quakers walking around in countries around the world, there are "Quaker quarters" in many cities, occasional xenophobic paranoia against Quakers, etcetera. Basically, like Jews in Europe pre-WW2.

I am leaning against it. As far as I know, Quakers don't really have any distinctive clothing like yarmulkes or other Jewish religious clothing. There's just a general trend towards simplicity.

In a heavily nationalist society, you could get anger against Quakers over their pacifism. Say there's a bloody war, and the country in question allows Quakers to serve as conscientious objectors. Quakers could easily be seen as 'not doing their fair share' or something like that, and that could inspire resentment. They could be persecuted for similar reasons to the way the Jehovah's Witnesses were treated in Nazi Germany. Given how much Quakers get involved in social-justice activism, they could possibly be made into some kind of 'other'. Quakers also are wealthier than the general population (IIRC we're the single wealthiest per capita religious denomination). You could do something with that.
 
I have a fondness for Quakers, especially the Hicksite variety. Would it be possible for them to turn into a kind of "Jewish diaspora" in that they keep their religion, traditions, culture and perhaps even a kind of dialect (And hats! Don't forget the hats!) among themselves even though they have spread out into several small communities around the world?

You mean like the Amish? I'm not sure about the dialect, since unlike the Amish they're speaking the same language as the rest of the population, but I don't see why not for the other things. They'd have to have religious customs which are a little more "odd" and distinctive, a prohibition on intermarriage with outsides, and move to and start farming in semi-isolated places.
 

Alkahest

Banned
I am leaning against it. As far as I know, Quakers don't really have any distinctive clothing like yarmulkes or other Jewish religious clothing. There's just a general trend towards simplicity.
Also: Those hats. You might not wear them now, but if I were you I would start doing it again. Any excuse to wear such nice hats.
In a heavily nationalist society, you could get anger against Quakers over their pacifism. Say there's a bloody war, and the country in question allows Quakers to serve as conscientious objectors. Quakers could easily be seen as 'not doing their fair share' or something like that, and that could inspire resentment. They could be persecuted for similar reasons to the way the Jehovah's Witnesses were treated in Nazi Germany. Given how much Quakers get involved in social-justice activism, they could possibly be made into some kind of 'other'.
The more militaristic and unjust a society is, the less Quakers will be liked? Hmm. Maybe a more unpleasant US or UK could be the POD I'm looking for, then.
Quakers also are wealthier than the general population (IIRC we're the single wealthiest per capita religious denomination). You could do something with that.
Isn't that similar to the situation of many Jews in Europe, that many tended to be wealthy due to their ancestors not having been allowed to own land and thus becoming merchants, bankers and so on and so forth?

Do you think it's a pure coincidence that Quakers are relatively wealthy, or does it have anything to do with Quaker beliefs? For example, perhaps Quakers don't tend to spend money on expensive luxuries due to the testimony of simplicity?

(Also, out of curiosity: Are you a believing Quaker, or do you just happen to be born into a Quaker family? Also, what kind of Quaker? Hicksite? Beaconite? Wilburite? Gurneyite? I ask because I wonder how much I can mine you for information. :D)
 

Alkahest

Banned
You mean like the Amish? I'm not sure about the dialect, since unlike the Amish they're speaking the same language as the rest of the population, but I don't see why not for the other things. They'd have to have religious customs which are a little more "odd" and distinctive, a prohibition on intermarriage with outsides, and move to and start farming in semi-isolated places.
Well, the Puritans sure believed they were "odd" enough to execute, at least...

Now I can't stop imagining a cross-dimensional conflict: Tony Jones' Puritan World versus Quaker World. The battle of the Parachronic Christians has begun! (One side being pacifists makes things a bit awkward, though. I'm going to assume they set their phasers to "stun")
 
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