Why is there a laughing Puritan on the Quakers logo, I thought they were big prudes?

Question

no?

Quaker oats*

quaker/puritan same thing.

Answer 1

Maybe they know something you don't.
No one knows what goes on behind closed doors.

Answer 2

There's the colonial image of the somewhat stern Quakers, but have you ever actually met a Quaker? If so, you'll know that modern Quakers can be rather theologically liberal, and nothing at all like the old stereotype. The Quakers I know tend to laugh a lot, and seem quite happy. I've been to Quaker meetings, and nobody was stern and scowling. There are actually some people out there who still believe that Quakers wear the old-style religious clothing, too, but of course, they haven't worn clothes like that in ages.

Images of Quakers appeared on a number of different products, not just Quaker Oats, because of the Quaker reputation for fair business dealings. To identify a product with Quakers was a way of assuring people of the honesty of the company. The Quaker Oats man is probably smiling because nobody want to buy anything, even oats, from someone who's frowning.

By the way, Quakers and Puritans are definitely not the same thing, as you state. The Puritans were often strongly opposed to Quakerism, and persecuted Quakers both religiously and legally.

Answer 3

its not a puritan, it IS a quaker, and they believe in fun.

The current logo was painted by Haddon Sundblom in 1957. There is a common misconception that the smiling person featured is Quaker William Penn. The Quaker Oats website in fact asserts that:

The "Quaker man" or "Q.O.G." is not an actual person. His image is that of a man dressed in the Quaker garb, chosen because the Quaker faith projected the values of honesty, [and] integrity

Answer 4

Quakers and Puritans were two different sects.

"Both were religious groups that did not wish to conform to the Church of England. The Puritans were Calvinist in their theology and believed in a harsh, judgemental God. They embraced predestination and rejected free will. Religious toleration was not something they were interested in. Instead they wanted to establish their own community where they were dominent instead of the Church of England. The Bible read in a very narrow way is much emphasized. Quakers on the other hand see God as a Spirit who lives in the heart of every human being and offers them direct and personal guidance. Personal experience with God is taken to be more authoritative than the Bible. Quakers sought to live in peace with everyone, including the Native Americans, and practiced religious toleration within their communities. There were no paid professional clergy but instead ministry was open to anyone, male or female, who felt led to speak in meeting for worship.

Today Quakers continue to exist as an indentifiable religious group but the churches which were once "Puritan" no longer retain those characteristics which once defined them. They have mostly become "normal" liberal Protestant churches."

EDIT: "quaker/puritan same thing"

No. They're not. Maybe you should have looked them up before you posted the question:)

Answer 5

could not be real prudish, look at all the little puritains running around.

besides, the quaker oats is an american indian who posed for the painting.

Answer 6

It's a Quaker... Quakers are pacifists, but certainly not prudes. They're cool people, at least all of them besides Nixon.

Also, it's not a modern Quaker, it's a colonial one.

Answer 7

the quaker i knew was no prude. he was very sweet and gentle, tho [not in a sexual way, for the dirty minds out there]. he was almost painfully liberal.