From: Wim Nusselder (wim.nusselder@antenna.nl)
Date: Wed Mar 17 2004 - 22:33:01 GMT
Dear Matt P.,
If you think (16 Mar 2004 21:02:33 +0000) Mennonites take an extreme
anti-technological view about things, you probably confuse the Amish (who
also call themselves 'Old Order Mennonites') with the Mennonites proper.
On www.thirdway.com/menno/FAQ.asp?F_ID=3 you can read:
'Mennonites and Amish come from a Protestant tradition known as Anabaptism
(meaning to be baptized again) begun in the 16th century. The first
Anabaptists separated from the state church because of their belief that a
relationship with Christ is an adult choice and baptism must come out of an
adult decision to follow Christ in every aspect of life. At that time,
infant baptism was the accepted practice. ...
Besides their common historical roots, Mennonite and Amish groups all stress
that they should live out their beliefs in daily life. While the groups
agree on basic Christian doctrine, their differences come in interpreting
how those practices should be lived out.
The original difference in opinion came in 1693, when Jacob Ammann, a Swiss
Anabaptist leader, felt that the church leaders were not holding to strict
separation from the world and that spiritual renewal was needed. Ammann did
not believe that the ban, or shunning, was being practiced as it should be.
He separated from the Anabaptists over this issue and his followers were
nicknamed "Amish."'
Mennonites and Amish are similar to Quakers in that Quakers too stress that
'faith' shows in daily practice and not in adherence to ideas. We also share
with Mennonites (and the Church of the Brethren, see
www.thirdway.com/menno/glossary.asp?ID=15) a strong 'peace testimony', the
religious experience that we should not participate in war.
Quakers differ from Mennonites and Amish in shunning any doctrines/dogma's,
all religious rituals which other Christians consider 'sacraments' (baptism,
eucharist etc.), observance of 'christian' holidays, religious leadership, a
fixed order of religious services (which we call 'meetings for worship') and
a few other things.
You wrote: 'I do however , not make the connection between their religious
beliefs and Quality. I think that their lives would ... benefit from
dropping the strict religious dogma that is so repressive.'
Mennonites are certainly not strictly dogmatic compared to most Christian
denominations and Quakers are even less so.
I never met a 'Quaker carpenter' and among Dutch Quakers there's no-one who
makes a living in that way. Unlike Shakers Quakers never were predominantly
craftsmen. You wouldn't recognize most Quakers as such when you met them,
except for a small group of 'conservative Quakers' in the USA who stick to
18th century Quaker fashion, to 'thee' and 'thou' language and to naming the
days of the week and the months of the year as 'first', 'second' etc. in
order to avoid what they consider to be heathenish names for them (derived
from names of Germanic and Roman gods).
With friendly greetings,
Wim
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