Young Anabaptist Radicals

I don’t really like calling people names like “stupid” but the title was too much too resist. My apologies.

I was discussing the gentrification of Baltimore recently online. I understand concerns about urban gentrification and I partly agree with them. I can certainly understand wanting to keep neighborhoods in the hands of neighbors, not gianormous corporations and urban planning bureaucrats trying to utilize Eminent Domain to kick people out of their homes.

Part of our discussion centered, and others I’ve had, with the systematic racism of Baltimore in particular. It got me thinking about racism more, a topic which most of you know I could really care less about. (more…)

This question pertains to disobeying laws and regulations set out by civil governments. I struggle to know what I’m called to, as a Christian, on this. I’m not talking about the crystal-clear stuff like a law prohibiting people to pray (Daniel) or requiring people to assist the SS in hunting down Jews for extermination (Germany, WWII). I’m talking about the rules on things that may not quite enter moral territory. I once heard a Mennonite pastor say the “submit to governing authorities” stuff in the New Testament doesn’t mean Christians should never disobey, but they should accept the consequences for doing so. So if I’m pulled over for speeding in the U.S., I shouldn’t try to argue my way out of a ticket. If I stay longer than my visa is worth in Bolivia, I should pay the fine without complaint. What do you think?

And then there’s the fuzzy situation relating to undocumented workers in the U.S. Suppose someone snuck in, lived there for a few years, and then decided they wanted to become legal. Is it OK to sneak back out and apply for legal status from their home country? It’s such a messy situation since the U.S.’s immigration laws aren’t even consistent, though they do tend to court people to enter under the radar and then punish some of them for doing so. Some contend these laws are morally wrong, and so breaking them, even lying on applications, is completely justified. Or is it OK to break those laws as long as they accept the potential consequences? Thoughts?

Illegal immigration. That raises feelings in the hearts of alot of us. There are strong feelings on both sides of the debate. If you do your homework, it makes this debate a whole lot less easy. There has been a few things nagging at me and I just can’t shake it. Would you like to hear what they are?

First off, most of us European Americans fled our countries in search of freedom from our oppressors. The pilgrims were in search of religious freedom from the church of England. Even our Mennonite ancestors sought out freedom. Dutch, Swiss, German and many others were seeking solace and safety in a new land. It wasn’t as if this land wasn’t occupied already. Of course, we all know that there were indigenous people here long before we ever arrived.

Yet, without as much as a green card, we steam rolled our way across the country, practically wiping out whole people groups. We threw up our flags and claimed this land as our own. Even after states were established, the government steam rolled over their sovereignty as well. Welcome to the new Promised Land. (more…)

No, this isn’t one those questions intended to corner pacifists. This is a question that I actually have, based on experience I actually experienced, and a question I would actually like to have an answer to, although I understand that a solid answer to what I am pondering is allusive at best.

Here is the scenario: I am a youth pastor, and not too long ago I was at a youth pastor peer meeting with about five other youth pastors. It was a good meeting, refreshing to hear other people’s joys and frustrations that I can relate to. We ended the meeting with a homemade lunch which was really good, but over the lunch the conversation turned towards everyone’s family. One of the younger married youth pastors began telling of how he was just finishing up the adoption process and he and his wife were about to get their first child: a cute little Guatemalan baby, they had pictures, a name and everything. Then one of the other youth pastors chimed in that her sister (or other close relative, I forget exactly) just recently adopted a Guatemalan baby, so needless to say, the table conversation was about Guatemalan adopted babies for at least fifteen minutes. For these fifteen minutes I kept my head down, and didn’t speak. (more…)