Quaker Testimonies Are Made for this Hour

“Concentrations of money and power in industry and in the military, the vast influence of the mass media, and seemingly insoluble nature of the problems confronting the world all combine to make us feel we are helpless victims of circumstances beyond our control. 

Why, then, should we bother to try to speak out? Why should we spend precious time and energy on what appears to be a futile effort to influence the course of events? And if we do speak out, will anybody listen? 

There are several reasons why we must speak out: We Really Have No Choice. The historic testimonies of the Religious Society of Friends are made for this hour… 

If we really believe that our testimonies are an integral part of, and grow out of, our religious faith, then words and acts which are consistent with them should follow naturally and inevitably. Who are we to judge whether our efforts bear fruit? If we act in a spirit of humility and informed goodwill, we should be very slow to draw conclusions about cause and effect. The test is not whether an act is effective by the world’s standards, but whether it is rightly motivated.”

— Edward F. Snyder, 1987
Former Executive Secretary of FCNL