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mennonite view

WayneinMaine

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how does the Mennonite Church view the Catholic Church?

There are many churches identified as Mennonite, so one can't speak of the "Mennonite church" as a whole.

It varies considerably from some who hold dual membership (I don't really know how that works) to some who consider the Roman church the harlot of Babylon.

I'm a former Catholic turned Mennonite.
 
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jimfish

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how does the Mennonite Church view the Catholic Church?

Last I checked (I'm being facetious, as a literary tool) the Mennonite Church is, or still should be, an evangelical one.

(With your extensive history on this forum, R., I'm surprised you do not already know the answer to your question; are you being Socratic?)

As evangelicals, we view organized Christian churches as being in one of two categories, Evangelical or mainline.

In a nutshell, Evangelicals believe, or should believe, that there's absolutely nothing that we as inherently sinful human beings can do in order to have a relationship with a holy God. We therefore need God to do something supernatural, by His Grace, in order such a relationship be formed/started at least.

Conversely, we would say a mainline church is one which believes that through whatever ordinances (infant water baptism, church attendance, communion, etc., etc.) someone can have a relationship with God. The evangelical, hence the Mennonite, would disagree. We would lump mainline Christian churches in the same category, more or less, with Buddhism or whatever other non-Evang. religion you want to use as example.

That said, most if not all Evangelical denominations that are several generations old are becoming, or eventually will become, ecumenical (watered-down) in their stance regarding other denominations and perhaps even non-Christian religions. Hence why always springing up are reformed denominations or branches thereof.

But everyone here knows all this, right??

(P.S. But there are always exceptions to the above rule of thumb. For example, while Presbyterians. for example, might be considered mainline, who could argue that Ben Haden, retired pastor of 1st Presb. Church in Chattanooga, TN, was not an evangelical? I always believed him to be. Or how about the charismatic Catholics with whom I at one time worshiped alongside? Right or wrong, I believed them saved by Grace.)

Do I now need to look out for black helicopters?
 
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Having Mennonite ancestors, they are a very peaceful people. They are very much Protestant in their religion and were among the very earliest to successfully break away from the state religion of Catholicism and form their own sect. They are part of the group of Protestant religions known as Anabaptist.

Because they would not bear arms, they do not join the military. Of all those who have protested war, it is the Mennonites that forged the way to serve in other areas, rather than be drafted. As a result they established and provided manpower for mental institutions during world war II.
 
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dana b

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The Mennonites are part of the regenerated Christian tribe of Naphtali, the most spiritual of the tribes. For although Naphtali along with his older brother Dan were born of a handmaiden for Rachel's benifit, only Dan was to profit from this. While Dan was put on Israel's throne for Rachel, Naphtali was left to play in the infants room in the care of his mother a maid.

But the Mennonites, Quakers, Calvinists, Zwiglites and Douchobors are all a Christian culture of the regenerations. Matt.19;28
 
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Rhamiel

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The Mennonites are part of the regenerated Christian tribe of Naphtali, the most spiritual of the tribes. For although Naphtali along with his older brother Dan were born of a handmaiden for Rachel's benifit, only Dan was to profit from this. While Dan was put on Israel's throne for Rachel, Naphtali was left to play in the infants room in the care of his mother a maid.

But the Mennonites, Quakers, Calvinists, Zwiglites and Douchobors are all a Christian culture of the regenerations. Matt.19;28
interesting, if you would like you can tell me more of this view... that links up the tribes of israel with modern day christian traditions?
 
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dana b

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interesting, if you would like you can tell me more of this view... that links up the tribes of israel with modern day christian traditions?

Your question is so big. I've been planning for days how to answer it. You write a sentence or so, but my answer would take a half a book. I don't know which aspects of this subject would interest you the most. It is indept and filled whith seemingly never ending riddles which when solved lead to the same ultumate conclusion. This is that the 12 tribes of Israel of whom the Bible so much speaks about, have been continued into the second Christian covenant as European cultures delivered by each of the 12 apostles.

Jesus Christ was sent by his father to gather the sheep that he had been given. He said that they would recognize his voice. Jn.10;4 10;14 Matt.9;36

"I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Matt.15;24

He explained to his followers that there was a plan and a vision for the future that he had been sent to accomplish. He would set in motion a system that would work to accomplish a new second covenant and a re-generation.

"Verily I say unto you, that ye which have followed me.....will sit upon 12 thrones in the re-generation." Matt.19;28

If we take his words to be literally true then many more of his sayings can be better understood especially today. Since Jesus's time over these past 2000 years, who followed Jesus? It was the Christian Nations of Europe and of thier colonies in America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Whereas the tribe of Judah are the only know actual original genetic heirs of the Patriarch Israel, Jesus said he was concerned about a re-generation. He said it "prophets the flesh nothing" and John said Abraham's children could be raised of stones." Lk.3;8 He even told the tribe of Judah that "the kingdom shall be taken from you and given to another..." Matt.21;43 This new kingdom or nations of re-generated Israel is today manifesting as the E.U. That is the real meaning of the 12 stars on thier flag. Rev.12;1 The "moon under her feet" is Islam which is below Europe on a map. Even the shape of the European continent is significantly shaped geographically and described in Bible verses.

The twelve Tribes of Ancient Israel were transformed 2000 years ago into the twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. From these went forth this message unto the "lost sheep of Israel." Matt.10;6 But who were the lost sheep of Israel? It is easy to see today that they are the European Christian Nations. This is because they are the ones who received the message. The Christian Nations of today are the lightbearers who are represented on the E.U.flag. They are the ones who have invented and today live in the prosperous modern world for the next millennium. About them it is written;

"And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it." Rev.21;24

This entire chapter of Rev. 21 is describing the thousand year Christian millennium which is just beginning in Europe today.

"After two days will he revive us; in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight." Hos.6;2 This verse also describes the presently beginning 7th millennium.

The central point of Israel in the physical perspective was the restoration of the kingdom. That is why in Acts 1;6 the diciples of Jesus asked him "Wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" They wondered this because previously in Matt.19;28 Jesus had said to them "Verily I say unto you, that ye which have followed me...will sit upon 12 thrones in the re-generation." But they couldn't yet understand this because as Dan.12;4 says, it is "sealed until the time of the end." That time began in 2000AD.

HOW CHRISTIANITY WAS GRAFTED ONTO THE ROOT OF ISRAEL Rm.11;17

When Jesus Christ called for the message to be taken to the "lost sheep of Israel" the mothers of these sheep were sent to collect their sons. First Israel's preferred wife Rachel was able to establish Jesus's message into the Greek world and set her church in the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. But she was not the first to conceive. Her sister Leah, the other wife had set her church in Rome and sent out missions in the name of her sons, with Simeon in Spain and Levi to France. Reuben the 1st son stayed at home with his mother in Italy. For it was said of him "you have defiled thy father's bed," Gen.49;4 so he stayed with his mother.

At this time, Rachel in Constantinople, seeing that she had not conceived, sent her handmaid Bilhah to Israel to bare children for her sake. And the handmaid Bibhah conceived Dan. Likewise, about the middle of the Christian era(833AD) the Greeks sent Christianity to the Slavs. With our historical hindsight today we can see that this Orthodox Christian Mission represented a grafted branch onto the tribe of Dan.

Bilhah's second son Naphtali was as a "hind let loose" and his culture can eventually be made out in the many denominations of "free Christians."

After this the Latin Leah also sent her handmaid into her husband Israel and she bare him two more sons. These two sons of her handmaid Zilpah can represent the Northern and the southern Catholic Slavic peoples. Because they are Leah's children therefore they are Catholic. But since they are all born of handmaids, their land was all in the one area know as "Slavdom."

Then in Gen.30;14 Reuben traded some mandrakes(love potion) to Rachel for the southern portion of her Germanic Peoples. In this way many Belgian, Flemish, Rhineland, Bavarian and Austrian peoples have found themselves today being Catholics. Although they are German speaking and have Rachel's family traits such as being "cow people," they nonetheless have their mother Leah's Catholic religion.

The last two sons of Israel were born to Rachel, his preferred wife and they were apparently the aspiration of his hopes. Joseph and Benjamin can be seen connected to their mother Rachel in Constantinople. They translated their Protestant Bible's from there. These two were the long awaited sons of Israel who would bring us into the modern world. Today they are called the "Anglo-Saxons."

Here I have written a poorly worded description of the 12 tribes of Israel continuing on to become Christians. When their lands in ancient Israel are compared in positioning to the location of their 12 corresponding Christian cultures are in Europe today they are quite similar. The European Christian cultures are divided into three groups. So too are Israel's children divided into Rachel's, Leah's and the handmaiden's. European Christians are of three basic Christian persuasions being Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant. In Exodus 1;1-5 the souls of Israel are described in three verses going into Egypt. Each of these verses corresponds respectivelly to Leah's sons who today are all Catholics, the three Germanic Christian tribes of today, and the Slavic tribes and Naphtali in the last verse 4.

I have here quickly discussed this subject from a theoretical point of view. Are you interested in seeing more direct correspondences such as which apostles match with which tribes of Israel?
 
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dana b

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TRIBE OF NAPHTALI(in the regeneration of Matt.19;28)

"Naphtali is a hind let loose; he giveth goodly words." Gen.49;21

"And of Naphtali he said, O Naphtali, satisfied with favour, and full with the blessing of the Lord; possess thou the west and the south." Deut.33;23

The beginning of the re-generated Christian tribe of Naphtali began in the "south-west" corner of Rachel's Germanic Lands. both of the "free Christian groups" called the Calvinists and the Zwiglians are named after preachers in Switzerland. The "goodly words" of Naphtali were first spoken there.

Because Naphtali is a spiritual tribe it counted the "stopped day" of Joshua 10;13 as an addition to historical time of 500 years. For this reason the re-generated Christian tribe of Naphtali did not manifest until 1500AD which is 500 years later than their number 999.

Naphtali Christians emerged throughout Europe during the 16th century. They were very different than the other European Christians because they attempted to actually live a proper physical life. Many other Christian denominations were much more preoccupied with questions of officialdom and ceremony. The tribe of Naphtali is more concerned with individual "conscience and consciousness."

In this same way there was no pomp or ceremony to Naphtali's birth. The 6th son was an ordinary man, the only such a one among all of his other five brothers at the time. Although he was born the 6th son, the tribe of Naphtali is listed last in Num.1;15, 42-43, 2;29, 7;78, 10;27, 26;48-50, 34;28 and Mk.10;31

Similarily to a "hind let loose" the tribe of Naphtali dotted it's footprints across the face of Protestant Europe. This tribe of Rachel's son developed his religious culture in small amounts and in many places. This is because this was the most spiritual tribe and it depended on the spirits of it's own people to recognise themselves. Wherever there were individuals or communities of free Christians who valued Christ's words more than symbolic Church ceremonies, the tribe of Naphtali manifested itself. They became called the Calvinists, Zwiglites, Mennonites, Quakers, and in the east they were know as the Douchobors.(spirit wrestlers)

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE TRIBE OF NAPHTALI'S TRAITS

The regenerated Christian tribe of Naphtali was composed of European Protestant Christians. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church tells us that "The chief branches of original Prostestantism were Lutheranism, Calvinism and Zwiglianism." Of these three the Calvinists and Zwigliean were of the tribe of Naphtali.

Whereas the Lutherans, the Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church tells us, have "usually been organized in state Churches, the heads of the state being the chief authority of the church." The Luthern's today are the regenerated tribe of Benjamin. But Calvin's attitude to the Church differs in this way from Luther. The Oxford Dictionary says that Calvin "defended a theocratic polity, subjecting the State to the Church." In this way the regenerated Christian Tribe of Naphtali can be called the "Free Christians." (they considered themselves free from the laws of the state, but entirely subject to the laws of the Bible and their own inner law of thier hearts and minds. Jer.31;31

Because Naphtali was born the 6th son, he therefore is correspondant to the Genesis 6th day of Creation. On the second half of the Genesis 6th day was the creation of Mankind. The regenerated Christian tribe of Naphtali meanwhile was regenerated on the second half of the 6th millennium. This was the year 1500AD.

In the 6th book of the Bible called Joshua, the 12 tribes of Israel fought and struggled against the Canaanites while at the same time attempting to expel their own bad habits and false beliefs. This is the same with the regenerated tribe of Naphtali today.

Jesus's 6th apostle Bartholomew was sometimes also called Nathanael. Jesus Christ said to Nathanael "behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!" Nathanael answered him saying "Rabbi, thou art the son of God; thou art the King of Israel." John 1;49 The New Bible Dictionary tells us that "In the land of Naphtali Jesus spent the greatest part of his public life." The areas including the Plain of Gennesaret, Bethsaida, Capernaum, and Chorazin lay within it's boundaries. Matt.4;15
 
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dana b

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Naphtali became a wandering tribe in the regenerated Christian Israel as his prophesy declares. "Naphtali is a hind let loose."Gen.49;21 But he is also a "wonder tribe" in the sense that he thought and wondered much more than his other brothers about the spiritual side of life. Rather than thinking about and debating church theology and ceremony, the Naphtalite Christians wondered about real Christian values and ways of proper living. They therefore tended to farm and try to live in a garden of Eden style as Adam and Eve had lived.

Naphtali was born the last of his five older brothers and also the least in his position and prestige. Being the second son of a servant girl he had no ceremonial rank or inheritance such as had all of his older brothers. At this time he was the only one with nothing. And for this reason where ever his tribe founded and florished in Christian Europe they developed Churches without ceremonies, hierarchical positions and special status. The Free churches of the tribe of Naphtali believed that religion was a matter between each individual person himself and God. Because they accepted no man as a human intersesor they have always been cast off and harshly persecuted by the other Christians.

The religious culture of Naphtali produced people and sectarian Christians who took the spiritual side of thier religion very seriously. Ceremonies and Church ritchuals were put away by the Zwiglites and Calvinists alike. At the same time in the 1500s they began destroying and burning all of the tapestries, emblems, ikons and breaking the stained glass windows in their churches. These were called "Vanity bonfires" and they soon spread all the way up to Holland and England as Calvinists established themselves there and took over previously Roman Catholic churches.

The reason that the regenerated tribe of Naphtali left tracks as a "hind let loose" was because they were always being persecuted and often sent into exile. The St. Bartholomew's Day massacre in 1572 was directed against the "Huguenots." There were French Calvinists. The encyclopedia Wikipedia tells us that "traditionally this massacre of up to 30,000 people was instigated by Catherine de Medici." Medicis were not even Christians.

Calvinism and other forms of free Christisnity spread and appeared in dots across France and Northern Europe. In Scotland the free Christians were called Presbyterians and were major players in the government. In Russia the Douchobors appeared as peasants in many place in small villages.

The regenerated tribe of Naphtali was indeed very comparable to a "hind" or a deer. Just as a deer is a grazing vegetarian non-preditor animal, so too were many groups of Naphtali free Christians pacificts. Among the groups who would not fight in organized warfare were Mennonites, Quakers, Seventh Day Adventists and Douchobors. They followed Jesus's teaching to treat your brother as yourself. Today with the start of the prophesied Christian Millennium in Europe all of the regenerated tribes have ceased using Capital Punishment. These nations are today have become spiritually baptised Christians by doing away with killing people, even when they may have murdered someone themselves. In such cases the Law from within our hearts and minds calls for us to restrain an offender, give him a secure but decent place to live and to try to rehabilitate and forgive him as Jesus would have us do. European Christian Israelites are the only nations on this earth who have ever abolished governmental killing of people, and instead use restraint and foregivness. This shows us that the 7th and last Millennium of world history after Adam is today upon us. Rev.20;4,6
 
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dana b

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The twelve tribes of Israel have today re-gathered themselves as the European Christian Nations. Their locations in Europe, their numbers and their colors are shown below on a chart. Their colors proceed up from the bottom of Europe, Italy and Spain as the roots are purple, France is blue, Holland is orange as unripe fruit and the English and Germanic Lutherans are red as the fully ripened fruit.
Europe is today shaped as " an Eagle " with Denmark as it's head.Rev.12;14 Russia, which today is the tribe of Dan, is prophesied in Deut. 33;22 as a "lion's whelp." Therefore Russia is today geographically the shape of a lion. This only happened lately as it prepared itself for the Christian re-generation Millennium by casting off it's Islamic provinces.

....TRIBE.............CULTURES.....................................NUMBER.....COLOR..

12. BENJAMIN - Germanic Lutheran Peoples..................1999AD.......red..

11. JOSEPH - England(Manasseh)...............................1833AD.......red
...................America(Ephraim).................................1777AD*
10. ZEBULUN - Holland(Catholic)................................1666AD.....orange

9. ISSACHAR - Germanic(Catholic)..............................1499AD.....orange

8. ASHER - Poland/Czech (Northern Catholic Slavs)........1333AD....yellow

7. GAD - Croatia/Slovania (Southern Catholic Slavs).......1166AD....yellow

6. NAPHTALI - Protestant Free Christians, Calvinist ect....999AD....green

5. DAN - Orthodox Russians/Bulgarians/Serbs..................833AD....green

4. JUDAH - Tribe of Judah............................................666AD....blue

3. LEVI - France........................................................499AD....blue

2. SIMEON - Spain.....................................................333AD...purple

1. REUBEN - Italy.......................................................166AD...purple

The numbers of the tribes are obtained by dividing the 12 tribes into the 2000 years of Christian history. The colors are the six colors of Noah's rainbow. The tribes are divided into them two by two. This is the same way that Jesus Christ sent out his disciples. The 12 sons of Israel also fit this way into the 6000 years of history to show many more amazing understandings from the Holy Bible's verses.
All of the 12 tribes are equal, all of one body. In 1 Cor.12;14 it tells us " For the body is not one member, but many. if the foot shall say, because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
*- the number of Ephraim(America) is obtained by dividing Joseph's 166 years between his two sons.
So therefore, we need not wait any longer for the re-generation millennium, for it is here already. Matt.19;28
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Rhamiel

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this is ment to be symbolic right?
I am not sure I understand this
how could the german lutherans be one tribe while the german catholics be another tribe when that distinction did not come up till long after the tribes of israel were lost
like the break up of germans among catholic and protestant had to do with what the local german princes wanted the religion to be and not some ethnic or tribal split
 
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dana b

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this is ment to be symbolic right?
I am not sure I understand this
how could the german lutherans be one tribe while the german catholics be another tribe when that distinction did not come up till long after the tribes of israel were lost
like the break up of germans among catholic and protestant had to do with what the local german princes wanted the religion to be and not some ethnic or tribal split

Rhamiel, it seems that the whole of our Civilization from Adam untill today is just following along correspondently with the 12 tribes of Israel. This explains why they remain the constant theme of the Bible even when Jesus arrives and says he will "only preach to them."

The Germanic people accepted Jesus as the Messiah wholehearedly during the times of the Gentiles.(2000 years of Christiandom) It seems that they correspond to being Rachel's children. So when Rachel could not bare her own sons she had to trade Reuben for some mandrakes(love potion). She traded her rights to two of her sons to Leah for these mandrakes. Therefore although the Germanic Christians of the regeneration were rightfully hers, she gave the rights to bare two sons to Leah.

Leah went in to Israel and bore Issachar and Zebulun even though she had already had her share of sons. (each wife was to have 6 sons to complete the 12.) That is the significance of the "mandrakes" of Reuben being traded to Rachel. If you study carefully the births of Israel's sons you can see the development of the "regenerated tribes of Israel" as told to us by Jesus in Matt.19;28

The German princes choosing their religions was all set up by God. God makes history follow the Bible. Remember how God said that he would "harden Pharoe's hart so he would oppress the Israelite tribes so they would want to leave Egypt. Remember how Joseph said to his brothers that the reason that he was sent to Egyptian slavery was an act of God? The Bible tells us that God predicted the end even from the beginning. He predicted it by having it all written in the Holy Bible.
 
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