Any Mennonites on here?

[jamesnsw]

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?

 

[budbo]

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.

I'm surprised you can even use the internet

 

[jamesnsw]

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.

 

[homebeerbrewer]

... 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?

 

[jamesnsw]

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.

 

[Pappers_]

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.

 

[MississippiSlim]

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.

 

[Pappers_]

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".

 

[homebeerbrewer]

... 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...

 

[jamesnsw]

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.

 

[Pappers_]

That's exactly right. Virgil worked at the bank and eventually bought it. He grew up on a farm and went to Iowa State for one or two years, but couldn't continue or finish because he couldn't afford tuition. That's when he started working at the bank.

Virgil was married to Helen Mauch, who died when she was only 52 (pancreatic cancer) and my mother (Helen Elaine) was 14 or 15. Later, Virgil married Agnes.

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.

 

[pilot210]

I am not Mennonite, but I live about 20 minutes from Denver... in Lititz. Small world!

I'm not Mennonite either, and live in the other Denver, but grew up about 20 minutes from Lititz...in Millersville. I had friends in HS who were Mennonites, and I know there's at least a few out here in Colorado too. Rumor has it that there's some Amish out on the western side of the state too. Cool thread...I'm learning and taking a ten minute vacation back home!