Excommunication

===Society of Friends (Quakers)===
Among many of the Society of Friends groups ([[Quakers]]) one is ''read out of meeting'' for behaviour inconsistent with the sense of the meeting.<ref>{{cite web|title=Free Quaker Meeting House|publisher=Independence Hall Association|location=Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|url=http://www.ushistory.org/tour/free-quaker-meeting-house.htm}}</ref> In Britain a meeting may record a minute of disunity.<ref>{{cite web|title=Quaker Faith and Practice|publisher=Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)|location=London |url=https://qfp.quaker.org.uk/passage/11-32/}}</ref> However it is the responsibility of each meeting, quarterly meeting, and yearly meeting, to act with respect to their own members. For example, during the Vietnam War many Friends were concerned about Friend [[Richard Nixon]]'s position on war which seemed at odds with their beliefs; however, it was the responsibility of Nixon's own meeting, the East Whittier Meeting of [[Whittier, California]], to act if indeed that meeting felt the leading.<ref name="Peter">{{cite web|author=Blood-Paterson, Peter|year=1998|title=Holy Obedience: Corporate Discipline and Individual Leading|publisher=New York Yearly Meeting|url=http://www.nyym.org/leadings/holy_obedience.html|access-date=16 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121201204008/http://www.nyym.org/leadings/holy_obedience.html|archive-date=1 December 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> They did not.<ref name="Mayer">{{Cite book|author=Mayer, Milton Sanford|year=1975|title=The Nature of the Beast|publisher=University of Massachusetts Press|pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=O7O29dFrtfUC&pg=PA310 310&ndash;315]|isbn=978-0-87023-176-6}}</ref>

In the 17th century, before the founding of abolitionist societies, Friends who too forcefully tried to convince their coreligionists of the evils of slavery were read out of meeting. Benjamin Lay was read out of the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting for this.<ref name="Peter" /> During the American Revolution over 400 Friends were read out of meeting for their military participation or support.<ref name="Mayer" />