Question about Mennonites

[FreeinChrist]

I live by a Mennonite farming community outside of the US. The Mennonites near me are REALLY big into herbalism, natural health, eating whole foods and and no alcohol or tobacco.

Is this typical of Mennonites elsewhere?

 

[Caretaker]

Hmmm.... well, some yes, some no.

Generally I find the plainer Anabaptist sects to be bigger on natural remedies and against tobacco, drinking etc. But like all denominations, there are some who smoke even though it's frowned on, and those who are not such big devotees of natural remedies.

The Anabaptist sects that are not as plain tend to have more in common with the general population, but excesses are not condoned.

 

[FreeinChrist]

Ahh, the ones around me are pretty plain. Some are horse and buggy types.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

I live by a Mennonite farming community outside of the US. The Mennonites near me are REALLY big into herbalism, natural health, eating whole foods and and no alcohol or tobacco.

Is this typical of Mennonites elsewhere?

'typical' ? who knows?

Biblical ? - as in "Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done, ON EARTH as it IS IN HEAVEN ...."
in heaven: there is NOTHING that pollutes. (the spirit, soul, body, or environment/ NOTHING)

selah (ask the Father, dwell on this)

 

[FreeinChrist]

I enjoy living near them and that there is a resource for herbal medicine there. The food is good, too.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

To see how 'easy' it is to grow good food God's Way - (Mennonites have generations and centuries of experience already, and families and communities often working all together as one) ('we' other americans often miss that advantage whether we know it or not; here's a little help on the way back to God's Way ) >
take a little time to watch the dvd video Back to Eden (not related to the book per se, except as being 'healthy' doing things God's Way) > simply how to simply grow a garden 'easy' and several times more tasty , more nutritious, and fewer problems ....
http://maranathamedia.com/article/view/drawn-to-something-i-never-thought-id-love
(see link therein to the dvd "Back to Eden"; all free, nothing I see promoting any company or business or church,
but then I've just been enjoying watching this the last hour or so .... not studying, just enjoying ! )
oh, 'covering' is covered also - so many thoughts , ideas, perspectives all in one place that aren't usually considered or thought of .....
basically towards the importance of growing FOOD / plants/ flowers/ trees/ Luxuriously with LESS EFFORT by doing as
God created NATURE does.

 

[FreeinChrist]

I will watch it. We have started growing food ourselves. We also avoid process food which is easy where I live as it is so much more expensive.

 

[ValleyGal]

I enjoy living near them and that there is a resource for herbal medicine there. The food is good, too.

Yes, indeed, Mennonite Girls Can Cook:
Okay, well, I tried to put a link in, but for some reason it is not going.... so go on Amazon.ca and look up Mennonite Girls Can Cook. You'll see two cookbooks - one general and one for Celebrations. Oh, boy, can we cook!

 

[FaithfulPilgrim]

I know Anabaptists are not Calvinists, but I am curious about what Anabaptists believe about total depravity.

There are Arminianism who teach it, but define the doctrine somewhat differently.

 

[ValleyGal]

I'm not sure if any Anabaptists believe in [certain definitions of] that, but if so, it would be by denomination. I am MB and do not assume that I can speak for all MB, but here is a link to a good article on the discussion:

Both New Calvinists and Anabaptists understand humanity to be lost, unable to disentangle itself from the web of sin that we have gotten ourselves into. For New Calvinists the accent of “lostness” is on humanity’s inability to do right; 17 for Anabaptists the accent is rather on the overwhelming power of sin to enslave all humanity.

http://www.directionjournal.org/42/2/what-it-means-to-be-human-anabaptism-and.html

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

I know Anabaptists are not Calvinists, but I am curious about what Anabaptists believe about total depravity.

There are Arminianism who teach it, but define the doctrine somewhat differently.

"Officially today" , doesn't matter: as you I think noted the 'denomination' has gone astray.

At the start(centuries ago) and for a while, Calvinists* would murder Anabaptists without a second thought, so we didn't get along with Calvinists any more than with r*me's ilk. (i.e. not at all)

The Calvinists I've met in person have been struggling for decades to be saved; there is some kind of 'block' or 'hurdle' they can't cross, they can't "take up their cross to follow Jesus any day" yet. Same with those others I've met in person all my life - they can't "break free" to follow Jesus. Oh, a few have.... the results are ANGELS REJOICING THROUGHOUT HEAVEN !

but not many..... (God takes no pleasure in loss of life, anyone's life)
*not just Calvinists, not by a long shot, and millions of lives(some Anabaptists) slaughtered by other denominations and mostly by r*me....

 

[WayneinMaine]

I know Anabaptists are not Calvinists, but I am curious about what Anabaptists believe about total depravity.

There are Arminianism who teach it, but define the doctrine somewhat differently.

Anabaptists (and their modern descendants) would not likely be well acquainted with the term or concept of "Total Depravity". Only those who have come into contact with or have been side-tracked onto some strain of Protestantism would really be familiar with the theological vocabulary and philosophical concepts of Calvinism.

 

[FaithfulPilgrim]

Anabaptists (and their modern descendants) would not likely be well acquainted with the term or concept of "Total Depravity". Only those who have come into contact with or have been side-tracked onto some strain of Protestantism would really be familiar with the theological vocabulary and philosophical concepts of Calvinism.

What prompted the question is that I found out about the Evangelical Mennonite Conference and they believe in total depravity and conditional eternal security while still upholding non-resistance.

 

[ValleyGal]

I looked up the statement of faith for the EMC and I don't see anything at all about total depravity or conditional eternal security, whatever that even means. It must be a local belief? Non-resistance / peace makes sense, though. Is total depravity and conditional eternal security in opposition to non-resistance? I mean you say they believe in the first two "while still upholding" non-resistance.

 

[FaithfulPilgrim]

I looked up the statement of faith for the EMC and I don't see anything at all about total depravity or conditional eternal security, whatever that even means. It must be a local belief? Non-resistance / peace makes sense, though. Is total depravity and conditional eternal security in opposition to non-resistance? I mean you say they believe in the first two "while still upholding" non-resistance.

I probably shouldn't trust Wikipedia. Maybe I got them confused for another group.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Anabaptists (unoffical here) don't accept calvin nor tulip.
Total depravity as a belief system no, (probably specific details of it also no)
but the complete perniciousness(utterly repugnant evil of all society) of mankind as written in Scripture, yes.

 

[ValleyGal]

What is tulip other than a bulbous spring flower?

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

What is tulip other than a bulbous spring flower?

It's 5 points that have been exposed all over the internet(i.e. easy search)
as fatal or just wrong (the way they're presented and used) about the Bible.

 

[Albion]

What is tulip other than a bulbous spring flower?

It's a series of doctrinal points dealing with salvation, each of which begins with that letter:

T-total depravity (without God)
U-

etc.

Basically it's the idea of predestination made more precise.

 

[ValleyGal]

Iow, a Calvinist doctrine, right? Some day I should study Calvinist beliefs and maybe church history. I really only know what I believe and why (I'm a convert to the MB; it is not in my heritage).