The United Society of Believers in Christ’s second Appearance began in England in 1747 during a Quaker revival with a lady named Ann Lee. Because of her different views of the Scripture, she was expelled and in 1774 led a group of her followers to America. They believed the Lord came to earth the first time as the Son of God, Jesus Christ and that the Lord's second coming was in the form of the daughter of God, Ann Lee. They believed they were living in the millennium kingdom. They became known in the community as the Shakers because of their worship practices. When they gathered in their place of worship, they performed ritualistic cleansing dances including shaking sin from their hands. They would writhe in the floor, speak in tongues, speak prophecies and see visions. They had an area outside for séances. At funerals, the dead would speak to the congregation through someone, telling them not to worry about them, that the life of self depravation as a "shaker" was worth it. They lived in a type house, where the women lived on one side and the men on the other. Men went in one door of buildings and women in another. They absorbed all property of each person for the use of all, with the promise that all property would be improved upon. When people became dissenters, they were supposed to be able to get their property back, but it didn't always work out that favorably, especially when it was real estate. Men and women were never to walk together alone, ride alone in a wagon, or hold a conversation for very long periods of time. Men worshiped on one side of the building while women worshiped on the other. They did not believe in procreation because in heaven there was no marrying nor giving in marriage. But they did not feel this was wrong for the "world" because they were worldly minded and that was what people did who gave themselves to the flesh. They adopted children, and bought black slaves to free them into their religion. Obviously they died off, others dissented. They broke up in 1910. The last one died in 1923
Naturally the Shakers are going to die out if they don't believe in reproducing. I really enjoyed reading your post about the Shakers. In South Union, Kentucky, there's an old Shaker House which is now called "The Shaker Museum." That place was vacated around 1922 or 1923. Back in 1995, I visited the Shaker Museum and it was very interesting. I saw the old smokehouse where they smoked their foods and I saw some of the work they made from their hands. Years ago there was a fire upstairs in one of the rooms. You're last two posts prior to the Shakers was very thought provoking! It also is a challenge for us to conduct a much-needed spiritual examination.
ReplyDeletePeople can get some interesting ideas...I believe in having kids, obviously, within God's guidelines...he did tell Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply. Reminds me of China where they've aborted girl babies and now they wonder why the population is dropping too low...duh. And in this country how the pro abortionists can't seem to figure out why they're numbers are decreasing...could it be because they're killing off any future supporters? Boy, that was a rant, sorry. Drove by your house on the way to mom and dads and saw the men working...it's looking like it's coming along. Bless You, Becky.
ReplyDeleteYou must have driven by at the wrong time else you would have seen me on the roof looking like I was doing something. Dad and Papa will work for a few hours each week and will acomplish what a handiman could in two hours. They have to take it slow and take lots of breaks. Stacy is our muscle man. I'm just there to make them look good. :)
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