Final answer:
The Quakers and Roger Williams differed from mainstream society by advocating for religious tolerance, equal rights, and separation of church and state, which culminated in unique practices and the founding of Rhode Island as a place of refuge for diverse religious beliefs.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Quakers and Roger Williams were different from the mainstream because they practiced religious tolerance, rejected traditional church authority, and promoted social equality. The Quakers, or the Society of Friends, emerged in the 1640s in England with radical views that included a personal approach to religion, opposed to any form of church hierarchy, and granted equal rights to men and women within their church.
Similarly, Roger Williams, after being banished from Massachusetts Bay for his dissenting views on church and state separation, founded Rhode Island as a haven for religious diversity, advocating for true freedom of conscience without state interference.
Quakers were led by George Fox and emphasized that religion was a personal matter with direct instruction from the Holy Spirit. They met in silence until moved to speak by spiritual experience and refused to bear arms, take oaths, or recognize social hierarchy.
Their religious practices were rooted in the belief of an 'inner light' present in every person. Roger Williams challenged the Puritans on their treatment of Native Americans and argued that the state couldn't compel religious beliefs, setting the foundation for Rhode Island based on principles of liberty and respect.