Just Who Are The Mennonites?
The Mennonites are a very diverse and unusual group of Christians. They range from border-line Amish to the more liberal of religious groups. Like most Christians, they ground their beliefs in the Bible and are committed to nonviolence, nonresistance and pacifism.
More specifically, their traditions include the authority of Scripture and the Holy Spirit; salvation through conversion by the Spirit of God; believer’s baptism, usually by pouring or immersion; discipline in the church (including shunning in some congregations); and the Lord’s Supper as a memorial rather than as a sacrament or Christian rite (Third Way Cafe, 2014).
There is a wide scope of worship, doctrine and traditions among Mennonites today. Old Order Mennonites use horse and buggy for transportation and speak Pennsylvania Dutch (similar to German). They refuse to participate in politics and other so-called “sins of the world.” Most Old Order groups also school their children in church-operated schools. Traditionally, they used horses to pull the farm equipment, but within the past ten years some are now using steel-wheeled tractors for farm work.
Conservative Mennonites maintain conservative dress but accept most other technology. They are not a unified group and are divided into various independent conferences. Moderate Mennonites differ very little from other conservative, evangelical Protestant congregations. There are no special form of dress and no restrictions on use of technology. They emphasize peace, community and service.
Other groups of Mennonites have established their own colleges and universities and have taken a step away from strict Bible teaching. They ordain women pastors, embrace homosexual unions, and practice a fa...
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... different organizations in their neighborhoods, their states, and even on a national and global scale.
Works Cited
Ed. Bender, Harold S., and Smith, C. Henry. “Menno Simons.” The Mennonite Encyclopedia. Scottdale: Mennonite Publishing House, 1963. 580. Print.
Krahn, Cornelius and John D. Rempel. "Communion." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1989. Web. 14 Apr 2014. http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Communion&oldid=120975.
Kraybill, Donald B. “Overview.” Concise Encyclopedia of Amish, Brethren, Hutterites and Mennonites. Baltimore: The John Hopkins University Press, 2010. xiv-xv. Print.
Herald Press. "Article 22. Peace, Justice, and Nonresistance ." Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective. Scottsdale: Herald Press, 1995. Document.
Third Way Cafe. (2014). Retrieved from Mennonite USA: http://www.thirdway.com/menno/?Topic=23_Basic+Beliefs
Such as, the New Salem Associations believes that the preacher is called by God, and not chosen by men. Some religions and denominations believe in paying people to preach sermons to them. The New Salem is completely different they are willing to preach to the congregation, and not receive any money from them. They believe that they are paid through God by blessings. The preachers are schooled entirely from God and not from a seminary school (Huff, Carolyn).
Tobler, Douglas F., and Nelson B. Wadsworth. The History of the Mormons. New York, New York: St. Martin's Press, 1989. Print.
Peace Shall Destroy Many, by Rudy Wiebe, is considered to be a groundbreaking novel. When first published in 1962, it became the, “first realistic novel ever written about Mennonites in western Canada” (RandomHouse.ca). The novel takes place during World War II, and is set in a community that has cut itself off from the rest of the world to strengthen their relationship with Christ. The founder of the community, Peter Block, leads this community to follow the traditional path of those before them, known as “the fathers.” It is the community’s Christian values of peace and love that are called into question by the 20-year old farmer, Thom Wiens, the main character in the novel. In John 15:12, the Bible states: “This is my commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you” (New American Standard Bible, John. 15.12). By reading Peace Shall Destroy Many, the reader discovers that, in the Mennonite religion, this commandment means that everyone must be treated and loved equally. However, it is the inconsistent use of this commandant, by Thom's community that leads him to question the views and opinions of various influential people in his life. Thom sees that this commandment is applied inconsistently when trying to explain why certain members of the community were treated the way they were, why the Mennonites are pacifists, and why the Mennonites do not associate with the nearby Métis. It is through Thom's questions, on his quest to find truth, that he develops as an individual.
In conclusion, although their is many similarities between the Amish and Mennonites, are there are also many differences. Amish and Mennonites both have a very strong faith but a different way of achieving their spiritual life. They have found ways to try to achieve happiness in life and follow God’s path. Modern society may not agree with all of their beliefs, but that is why they are called beliefs. We each have our own different set of beliefs in life and the Amish and Mennonites have found ways they feel they each can achieve greatness within these. They take their spiritual doings and put them it into their everyday life by being hardworking and faithful individuals.
...en that work for them and whether or not they need the benefit of contraception. Moreover I agree with the point that the women Justices aggressively questioned if ruled in the Mennonite’s favor, then what else would be allowed to refuse coverage of other procedures and treatment that affect people’s lives. This could be seen as cherry picking the Mennonite religion as far as only considering the things that cost more money to the company would later be consider against their religion, thus deeming it as unconstitutional. I feel that this would be a manipulation of the system. I concur with the Affordable Care Act; this is a great start to fixing our country’s Health care issues and holding every one accountable for America’s health care. This will also further stimulate a growing economy and exerts fair coverage for everyone. I foresee a bright future for the ACA.
The Amish have their roots in the Protestant Reformation of 16th century Europe, led by Martin Luther. Of these Protestant groups one sect was the Anabaptists. The first Anabaptist group was kno...
Naka, T. (2010). Faith At Work: Mennonite Beliefs and Occupations. Ethnology: An International Journal of Cultural and Social Anthropology 47. Retrieved January 27, 2014 from http://ethnology.pitt.edu/ojs/index.php/Ethnology/article/view/6040/6217
conrad Henry Moehlman The Journal of Religion , Vol. 18, No. 2 (Apr., 1938), pp. 174-182
There are many branches and different understandings of the Christian faith. Some believe that Jesus is not the son of God, some honor and pray to the Virgin Mary, and some branches of Christianity will go as far as diminishing certain things from their lives to honor God. The American society’s view on religion have changed drastically over the years. The small percentage of North Americans are some of the only types of people that have been staying true to their religious beliefs; that being the Amish. Although the Amish hold such a small percentage in North America, (an estimated 250,784 people identify themselves as Amish in the United States and in Ontario) (Gannon, 2012), they have been one of the numerous religions that encounter negative energy from the outside world. Some of the main stereotypes about the Amish include that they are non-materialistic, very simple, they have no connection to the real world and that they are extremely strict. Although some of these stereotypes are true, it is always wrong to make false assumptions about another group of people. The purpose of this report is to clear all the assumptions made about the Amish. The Amish religion will be further dissected in this report through the understanding of the history, experience of the sacred, sacred writing, beliefs, morality, symbols and traditions and the family and gender roles of this religion.
Decisional Conflict R/T Cultural, religious and family beliefs AEB Amish typically do not believe in preventative medicine (Prenatal testing and immunizations).
Harmer-Dionne, Elizabeth. "Once a Peculiar People: Cognitive Dissonance and the Suppression of Mormon Polygamy As a Case Study Negating the Belief-Action Distinction." JSTOR. JSTOR. Web. 19 Oct. 2010. .
Frequently, Amish and Mennonite cultures are considered confusing. With both the Amish and Mennonite coming from common historical roots, they still have their similarities and differences. Amish and Mennonites (2013) states that both groups grew out of the Anabaptist movement which arose in 1525 in opposition to the Roman Catholic Church as well as the Protestant Reformation movement brought on by Martin Luther. (Amish and Mennonite, 2013). With once being considered one, they still share some of the same qualities. This paper will discuss the differences and similarities between both the Amish and Mennonite cultures, including their material objects, beliefs, behaviors, and symbols.
The large majority of female concerns are tremendously private and the action of childbearing and birth are of no exception. The average pregnancy is 280 days or about 9 months which holds true to the culture as well, but it is so strongly believed that it is Gods will that one becomes pregnant that in many cases it is unknown until positive physical changes have occurred (Jarvis, 2016; Kulig et al., 2008). Most often even if pregnancy is known, Mennonite women do not go for prenatal care until late in the pregnancy or if an issue is encountered. In a study of low-German speaking Mennonites from Mexico and Canada many women stated or agreed with the statement of one
Eastman, Roger. The Ways of Religion: An Introduction to the Major Traditions. Third Edition. Oxford University Press. N.Y. 1999
Lindsay, J. (2005). Encyclopedia of religion. (2nd ed., Vol. 10, pp. 7066-7067). Farmington Hills MI: Thompson Gale Printing.