Mennonites participate in the same leisure time activities as other North Americans. Some Mennonites may choose not to attend movies or have television in their homes, and some may abstain from smoking, drinking, dancing and gambling.
This position influences Mennonite engagement with governmental and politics. Traditionally, Mennonites did not vote or participate in political processes.
This changed throughout the 19 th and 20 th centuries, which saw greater involvement among Mennonites. Today, voting is widely accepted among contemporary Mennonites.
Many view it as a matter of deep personal discernment, and many consider the way that national policies impact people who are the most vulnerable. There is a history, especially in Canada, of Mennonites running for public office at the provincial and national level. This has been less common among Mennonites in the United States, especially among more conservative groups. The traditional Mennonite approach to political involvement was to petition the government on issues related directly to Mennonite concerns, whether they be immigration issues, avoiding service in the military or seeking the privilege of privately educating their children.
However, beginning in the s, the more assimilated Mennonite denominations began to address their national governments on a wide variety of social justice issues. These have included capital punishment , climate justice , immigration policies , health care in the United States , protection of children , military tax withholding and peacemaking in Korea , Israel-Palestine and Iran.
For additional statements and resolutions, visit our online resource section. These offices provide services for Mennonites relating to government and in interpreting Mennonite concerns about national policies to government leaders. For more information, see Article 23 of the Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective on government and society. To protest government military spending, some Mennonites withhold all or a portion of their federal income taxes in an act of faithful civil disobedience.
However, we must witness to governments our conviction that war and preparation for war do wrong to our neighbors and are contrary to the will of God, as revealed in the teachings of Jesus Christ. In , MC USA reaffirmed this resolution through the promotion of the Church Peace Tax Fund , which allows members to protest military spending by contributing to peace education and initiatives.
In North American Mennonite churches, styles of worship vary. Some Mennonite churches follow the liturgical calendar; others do not. Worship services may be similar to other Protestant services, with a worship leader and minister guiding worship. Lay leaders also tend to play important roles in leading Mennonite services. As a result of the emphasis on the importance of the community of believers, time for people to share experiences from their lives and stories for children are often incorporated into the worship service.
Four-part singing has been a long-standing tradition in the Mennonite church, and for many years this was only a cappella singing. Now many congregations use organ, piano, drums or other instruments as accompaniment. Worship services reflect the racial and ethnic cultural context of the particular congregation. With congregational singing playing such an important part in worship, many Mennonite churches use a song leader to lead the singing.
About a century after Simons, a Swiss Anabaptist named Jacob Ammon began to preach that the Anabaptists were not following their founding principles closely enough. Thus followers of his ideas became known as Amish and separated from the Anabaptists.
The remaining Anabaptists became known as Mennonites after Menno Simons. Look at their clothes and hair. The Amish dress plainly in solid colors. Men wear black pants and shirts of a number of colors, along with straw hats, while women wear dresses and aprons with bonnets. Men typically have beards, and often have a bowl haircut, while women usually wear their hair in a bun.
Examine their lifestyle. The Amish separate themselves from modern society. They don't drive cars or have electricity in their homes. They usually don't go on to higher education; typically they hold traditional jobs, such as farming or woodworking. They hold religious meetings in their homes, don't pose for photos, and often live in small farming communities.
Mennonites are typically more integrated with modern society. Know about exceptions. While the Amish technically avoid modern technology, they often have telephones at the edge of their properties and other modern conveniences close at hand. Some, the New Order Amish, are near-fully integrated with mainstream society. And then there are the Old Order Mennonites, who observe their religion largely as the Amish do. If all of this seems confusing to you, don't be embarrassed.
If all else fails, just ask. Be polite and respectful, and the person in question will likely be glad to tell you. In general, yes. While people may disagree on an individual level, the Amish and Mennonite groups generally coexist peacefully and will work together to support the needs of their local communities.
For example, Amish and Mennonite volunteers work together on Anabaptist charitable projects such as the Mennonite Disaster Service. Yes No. Not Helpful 4 Helpful The Amish tend to be stricter and more conservative in their beliefs and practices than the Mennonites. For example, the Amish tend to live in isolated communities and avoid using modern technology, while the Mennonites are not restricted in these ways.
Mennonites can and do watch TV, although it is not encouraged by the church. Not Helpful 10 Helpful When writing a letter to an Amish person, the letter should be addressed to the leader of that community, especially If they are old school Amish. Whether you receive an answer or not depends on the leader and the context of the question. They are very private people. Not Helpful 8 Helpful Can an Amish person date or marry someone who is not Amish?
If not, is there a punishment for doing so? Michael Schlemback. Mennonites in communities in the Midwest and Pennsylvania still observe long-standing traditions and customs, including worshiping through song and women wearing prayers caps or scarves. Mennonites and the Amish arose from similar roots, but the Mennonites in general are less bound by rigid rules regarding clothing and other lifestyle choices. Conservative Mennonites dress in very plain clothing, much as their Amish peers, but are also permitted to wear fabrics with small prints and clothing with zippers.
Less conservative Mennonite groups wear clothing much like that of the "English" -- the term used to refer to non-Mennonites -- although flashy, revealing or overly bright clothing is still frowned upon. Traditional Mennonite women keep their hair tied back or covered by a small white prayer cap, to symbolize reverence and the importance of their spiritual life.
Conservative Mennonite communities may contain schools just for their members, but most modern-day Mennonites in the U. They can also go on to college or university, although the traditional emphasis on faith and family make higher education less of a priority for conservative young Mennonite women.
The Mennonites have relationships with several Midwest seminaries for those adherents seeking to further their religious education. While singing in church is part of many belief systems, it's typically limited to a few hymns and familiar prayer responses.
In Mennonite religious traditions, however, the entire practice of worship is performed through song.
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