Any Mennonites on here?

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jamesnsw

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Random question, I know. I'm a Mennonite myself, and I've realized that I know a whole bunch of us who brew. Just curious if any of you on here are Mennonite as well.
 
So, apparently alcohol is not verboten, perhaps there is a religion out there for me after all!!!

It does depend on who you ask... my grandparents (former Amish) will never learn that I homebrew or even drink. Even my parents, who drink occasionally, are somewhat queasy about the subject.
 
So, apparently alcohol is not verboten, perhaps there is a religion out there for me after all!!!

Very few religions ban alcohol, but a handful of churches do, or at least suggest it.

Back on topic, my old guitarist married a Mennonite. Being that his side was mostly Irish-Catholic(origin), and/or biker/hippie types, that made for a VERY interesting reception!!!
 
Very few religions ban alcohol, but a handful of churches do, or at least suggest it.

Back on topic, my old guitarist married a Mennonite. Being that his side was mostly Irish-Catholic(origin), and/or biker/hippie types, that made for a VERY interesting reception!!!

My wife's cousin (they are all italian) married a mennonite. I know what you mean about interesting.
 
Funny the number of times people have asked me if I was Amish, because I have the classic beard. According to my youngest sister, my father's family came from the same area in Europe.

It grows where it grows.
 
It does depend on who you ask... my grandparents (former Amish) will never learn that I homebrew or even drink. Even my parents, who drink occasionally, are somewhat queasy about the subject.

Thanks for giving me a chance to flex my theologial history muscles.;)

Alcohol Among the Mennonites of Northwest Germany

Among the Mennonites of North Germany beer brewers and brandy distillers were relatively numerous. This may be due in part to the fact that not all professions and trades were open to them. In the region of Lübeck in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries the Roosen family was even engaged in the manufacture of gunpowder.

http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/A4387.html

In fact in Clevelond there was actually a Mennonite owned brewerie.


Run by these folks;

Leisy family

Isaac, August, and Henry Leisy, all Mennonites and brothers from Friedelsheim, Palatinate, Germany, who came to the United States in 1852, founded the Leisy Brewery in Keokuk, Iowa, in 1862. In 1872 the family purchased the brewery of Fred Haltnorth in Cleveland and transferred operations to that city. In 1935 after the repeal of prohibition, the Leisy Brewing Company was reorganized and Herbert F. Leisy, grandson of Isaac Leisy, became and still was its president in the 1950s. The family has not been Mennonite for several generations.

So just tell your family you are upholding a NOBLE religious tradition as a Mennonite and a brewer. :mug:
 
Damn. I wish I had known you a few years ago. I know very little about Mennonites. I was taking some classes a while back and had this professor that I thought was a tool. The class was cultural geography and in one segment we were discussing religion and how it affects the way people live. He was trying to tell us that Mennonites were basically Amish but were allowed to ride in cars and use electricity, stuff like that. I'm sure to some degree he was right in the independent points he was saying, but a big part of me wanted to raise the "bu((5hit flag". I would have loved to learn more about your religion and call this guy an idiot in his own class.
 
Now I assume that different view exist within the Mennonite religion. However, yours must be quite different than the majority who live around my area. They do not drive and they do not own a computer or TV.
 
I am not Mennonite, but I live about 20 minutes from Denver... in Lititz. Small world!

That is really cool that you brew though... just not something that ever struck me as probable. Take no offense to that comment of course, every Mennonite I've been in contact with (quite regular contact being from this area as you are aware - in fact I was just shopping at Goods Store today) is very, very nice, I just never pictured many of them as brewers, that's all!

I also work with a young Mennonite man (23-24; I'm 27 myself) who drives fast BMWs and a 1000R sportbike. Again, not something I pictured, but he is a great guy.
 
I'm in Denver too. Denver Pa. that is. I suspect you're in that other Denver.
This area is absolutely crawling with mennonites. I even went to a mennonite church for ten years but never really considered myself mennonite because I wasn't raised mennonite.
There are many different mennonite sects. Some are liberal enough to be considered relatively "normal" while the old order mennonites can be more strict than the Amish, which there are also plenty of around here.
 
I'm in Denver too. Denver Pa. that is. I suspect you're in that other Denver.
This area is absolutely crawling with mennonites.

This is just why I assumed he was from Denver, PA... it never even occurred to me that there might also be Mennonites in Colorado, as well. But I guess you're right!

Also dead on, on the some liberal, some strict. Like I said, my friend drives a fast BMW and a 1000CC Sportbike. They are black, but that is about the extent of me seeing Mennonite play into his day to day. Then, on the other hand I see plenty on bikes or using horse and buggies, just like the amish.
 
I'm in Denver too. Denver Pa. that is. I suspect you're in that other Denver.
This area is absolutely crawling with mennonites. I even went to a mennonite church for ten years but never really considered myself mennonite because I wasn't raised mennonite.
There are many different mennonite sects. Some are liberal enough to be considered relatively "normal" while the old order mennonites can be more strict than the Amish, which there are also plenty of around here.

Yup, I'm in the OTHER Denver :). But I grew up in Reading, so I know Denver, PA. I even went to their Fireman's Festival or whatever, and saw, I kid you not, "Flamin' Dick and the Hot Rods."

But Denver, CO does have Mennonites- just not at the same magnitude, which is part fo the reason I'm there :).
 
Plenty of Amish to the south of me. Mennonites too, but I don't really know the difference. :eek:

I like the word Mennonite. I like all words that end in "ite" Meteorite, stalagmite, kryptonite..... :)
 
Interesting as a friend of ours gave us a bottle of Amish Eggnog 14% alcohol made with whiskey for Christmas he brought at the Amish market. My first thoughts were maybe they are ok producing it just not consuming it?

.....wait, second thought maybe it said Pennsylvania Dutch Eggnog.
 
Small world! My grandfather was Virgil Hochstetler.

I'll have to ask my mom if she can make the connections here :). My grandpa is David Yoder, former minister at Sunnyside, chaplain at Pleasant View. And my grandma's rolls are the best around :).
 
I'll have to ask my mom if she can make the connections here :). My grandpa is David Yoder, former minister at Sunnyside, chaplain at Pleasant View. And my grandma's rolls are the best around :).

Virgil spent the last 20 years of his life or so at Pleasant View, with his wife Agnes, who died about 2 years ago. Virgil and Agnes lived in one of the cottages, Agnes spent the last few years of her life in the main building.

Very small world :)
 
I am Mennonite, wasn't born into it, but we started going to the Mennonite church when I was 4. In our town we have many different sects of Mennonites. The "simplest" lifestyle is led by the Pennsylvania Dutch. Many stem from Lancaster County, PA and still travel by horse & buggy or bicycle, but they do have electricity. Also we have ones that drive, but their vehicles are black and their dress is very traditional with most of the women wearing bonnets and the men wear suspenders. The church I go to is very conventional and everyone leads a "normal" lifestyle and drives. Many of the different sects make wine, but I am the only homebrewer that I know of.

What happens when you take a Mennonite fishing? He drinks all of your beer. What happens if you take 2 Mennonites fishing? They don't drink any of it.

How many Mennonites does it take to change a light bulb? 7---1 to change the bulb and 6 to prepare the meal.

How was copper wire invented? 2 Mennonites were fighting over a penny.
 
I guess my biggest question is what's the difference between Mennonite and Amish? My sister went to school in PA, so I had a lot of exposure to the Amish but have no idea the difference.

I guess the main difference is that the Amish split off from the Anabaptists in the 17th century, saying that Anabaptists weren't practicing shunning. So now there are Mennos and Amish all over the spectrum as far as beliefs and practices. There are Mennonites who don't drive cars, and Amish who do. So they are like different branches of the same tree, I guess?
 
I'm surprised you can even use the internet :)

As long as my mouse doesn't have rubber tires, and I paint the keyboard black, I'm fine. The computer also has to be 30 feet from the house. :ban:
 
... So now there are Mennos and Amish all over the spectrum as far as beliefs and practices. ...

...So they are like different branches of the same tree, I guess?

I think that's true for every religion. There are Sunni and Shia Muslims (and maybe others?), various Christian religions, and I'm sure there are different variations of the Jewish religion. Not to mention the lesser known religions, like Hindu.

I'm ignorant on "Mennos and Amish". Are they a Christian based religion?
 
I think that's true for every religion. There are Sunni and Shia Muslims (and maybe others?), various Christian religions, and I'm sure there are different variations of the Jewish religion. Not to mention the lesser known religions, like Hindu.

I'm ignorant on "Mennos and Amish". Are they a Christian based religion?

Yeah. They're pretty similar to other Protestants in their beliefs, overall. One big difference is that it's a peace church.
 
I think that's true for every religion. There are Sunni and Shia Muslims (and maybe others?), various Christian religions, and I'm sure there are different variations of the Jewish religion. Not to mention the lesser known religions, like Hindu.

I'm ignorant on "Mennos and Amish". Are they a Christian based religion?

Mennonites and Amish are Christian sects. They developed from the same immigrant community of Pennsylvania Dutch and, in my family's experience, there is movement between them. They tend to be very regional or local, with significant diversity between regions. In other words, each community develops in its own way. There are significant Mennonite communities in urban areas like Chicago, whereas Amish are really separatists who live in rural communities.

In general, when they live in the same communities, Mennonites are more willing to engage the world than their Amish neighbors. As James said, they are both peace churches, like the Church of the Brethren.
 
I really have enjoyed reading this thread. I live in Marion County Mississippi and we have a Mennonite community in the western part of the county. Other than seeing the occassional suspendered man and bonnet clad woman at Walmart I have had no dealings with any of the community and am totally ignorant of their ways. I would love to know more but I am just not sure I can go up and say "Tell me about being Mennonite" I mean would that be okay? I often felt I would be a good Mennonite or Amish due to my dislike of modern technology (cept for the net lately). I grew up in the Southern Baptist church.
 
I really have enjoyed reading this thread. I live in Marion County Mississippi and we have a Mennonite community in the western part of the county. Other than seeing the occassional suspendered man and bonnet clad woman at Walmart I have had no dealings with any of the community and am totally ignorant of their ways. I would love to know more but I am just not sure I can go up and say "Tell me about being Mennonite" I mean would that be okay? I often felt I would be a good Mennonite or Amish due to my dislike of modern technology (cept for the net lately). I grew up in the Southern Baptist church.

With the caveat that Mennonite communities vary widely from locality to locality, in my experience, many Mennonites are very approachable and friendly. They are not really evangelistic, but do accept converts and are eager to share their faith with others. You would not be offending them or intruding on them. Many Amish communities have a different perspective and I am always careful to not be intrusive with Amish that I don't know - I follow their lead on what they are comfortable with. To many of them, the rest of us are just "English". ;)
 
... They are not really evangelistic, but do accept converts and are eager to share their faith with others. ...

I like that in a religion. There are some religions that won't accept "outsiders". And there are some that assume that if you don't believe what they do, then you must die. That's two extremes, but it shows the breadth of religion.

When I first moved to the Boston area, I started going to a local church that interested me. I attended for about a year, and attended many of their events. As I developed more relationships, I started noticing some odd behavior. Then one day, I decided to go to the church my mother goes to (Episcopal, which is what I attended when growing up), and I was told, "you belong to us now."

So much for that church...
 
Virgil spent the last 20 years of his life or so at Pleasant View, with his wife Agnes, who died about 2 years ago. Virgil and Agnes lived in one of the cottages, Agnes spent the last few years of her life in the main building.

Very small world :)

Just talked to the grandparents tonight (who had a very hard time grasping the idea of someone I met online). My grandpa knows who Virgil was (a banker, right?), and said who your father probably was. Creepy, eh? Also, your grandpa loaned my grandpa money to start farming way back when, and remembers that as a really good experience.
 

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