I just received a post from a man in Pennsylvania who is responding to an essay on “Dehumanization of the Homeless” on the Mennonite Poverty Forum. (This post is edited some, so if you want to read the full post in its context, please go to: http://groups.google.com/group/mennonite-poverty-forum/browse_thread/thread/b4a61d17a32cbe4a)
How would you respond to this? What does this say about Mennonites in general?
Here in my area the Mennonites control my county in all legal aspects and purposely made an ordinance so the poor can no longer eat out of garbage bins at the backs of stores so the food that is edible but past date is left to rot while people go hungry.
Mennonites will never join or become part of your group At least the Mennonites from Lancaster County, PA They are part OF the problem you speak of and work their best to extract every ounce of flesh from the homeless and those who have next to nothing I know I have eaten with the homeless as I am near homeless myself due to physical illness and have seen the inhumanity and how the mennonites and amish treat those in need.
The only people in my area that do a THING for the homeless are the Catholics and that is mostly lip service and a free bowl of cereal but at least that is something!
In my area there is a saying: If you need a helping hand DONT ask an Amish person or a Mennonite and I know I have lost most of my worldly possessions due to Mennonites who raised me and stole my money after I let them have power of attorney over my money.
(sorry for the generalization as Im sure there are good Mennonites some where but NO where in Lancaster County as they are suspicious, haughty and own most of the businesses here while exploiting non-mennonites in the worst fashion) If there was anything to helping others dont you think you would have a more active group here?
Im sure there are decent folks who are mennonites but NOT in my area, and if you asked nearly ANY non-mennonite on the street in my area about mennonites you would find the exact same sentiment I have expressed only in more vulger terms
Why bother with the charades? Simply for your unwarranted tax exempt status?
You Do absolutely NOTHING for those, in this country, who are less fortunate around you and only look on them as objects to abuse We have homeless people beaten and taken advantage of nearly every week here and it is too often done by young Mennonite ‘toughs’ from outside the city environs who come in on weekends and drink till they are drunk i the city bars then go out and look for helpless people to abuse.
In fact, most city people who are of color or nationality other than white germanic descent here are AFRAID to wander outside the city much at night due to Mennonite ‘toughs’ who inhabit the small towns outside the city and prey on anyone from outside their own clique The only areas safe are the ‘amish tourist strips’ which dominate this county and are owned and operated by amish and mennonites to extract oney from tourists who come to see the ‘amish’ people but see only a weird facade of tourist traps
Im white and even I avoid Mennonites due to their violent and self-serving tendencys since I know if I get into an altercation their inherited money will protect them from any violent actions they would pursue What good is your facade of a group you are trying to form anyway?
Instead of posting here get out and help people and show the world there are GOOD kind decent mennonites and not just those mennonites who want to abuse others who are less fortunate than they are .
Well, it’s only kinda interesting that this post didn’t rate even a single comment or response. For anyone interested, there are some facinating responses by conservative Mennonites on this site:
http://mennodiscuss.com/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=6697
Steve K
I was shocked to read your post on the Mennonites in Lancaster County and I am sorry if you experienced victimization. My experience of Mennonites in Lancaster County years ago was so different. We are people of color and we were welcomed and treated with kindness when we stayed in their homes. However, that is going back 45 years or more and one thing I know about any society- it is not static. Also, it cannot be immune to the society it is in. In many cities the wealthier citizen’s have taken the same stance in trying to stop the homeless from being so “visible”. I hope someone in your local area will reach out to you with kindness.
My family spent many years with conservative Mennonites as we tried to find our place in the Church. We were shown respect by most of the Mennonites with whom we came in contact. There was an occasional personality conflict, but I tend to be a bit aggressive.
It is important that people realize the Amish and Mennonites are fallible people just like everyone else. We have jobs that frustrate, kids that rebel and cars that break down. We say things we wish we could take back and we sin when we wish we wouldn’t.
It breaks my heart that this person has had such a negative experience. I wish I could introduce him to a young couple that befriended me early in my seeking days. They are both from Lancaster and I have rarely met more gracious, Christ honoring people.
The complaint or concern which I have is the excommunication of members right before they are to retire. Almost all who are excommunicated just before retirement was allowed to join eventhough he or she did not have any anabaptist heritage or family line. Why do they do this? It’s very simple once you think about it. The mennonites loves their parents and grandparents and have alot of respect for their relatives. Parents and grandparents and relatives who have signed a social security waiver and are not recieving and social security or other forms of retirement other than what the church family gives them. The don’t want their parents and grandparents and relatives to go hungry or without medicine and heat. The mennonites simply do not want to give their hard earned money to members without any anabaptist family lines. They will tell you or “affirm” that they do not, but it is actually a common practice.
Now in stating all of this I also want to express that I find many of their doctrines or other practices to be closer to the the scriptures than many of Christian churches of today. I was raised extremely strict. Both at home and in church. Women were frowned upon if they wore makeup, pants or jewelry or have short hair. The men were not supposed to wear short pants, listen to anything music other than gospel. Movie theaters were an absolute sign of rebellion. If a man got caught committing adultry, he either repented and and accepted the one or two years of demandatory disciplined or he would be asked to leave the church. No electric guitars or drums were allowed. A church is not a rock concert.
At home their was alot of discipline. My mother was, in my own personal opinion, the most strict loving mother I personally ever knew. She meant well for she dearly loved her children and perhaps she just tried a little too hard to do what was right. She herself was raised extremely hard during the great depression. Never used anything while living at home to cook with other than a wood cook stove. I have inherited that very same wood cook stove with six lids. I miss my mother tremendously. I regret leaving the church when I was in my early twenties. Most of all, other than missing my mother, I am having a very hard time trying to come to terms to the fact that there aren’t any true to the scripture churches anymore. Even the so-called full holiness churches have decided to not to be a separated people and set an example to so many anymore. It’s one of the reasons why I choose not to attend church. I believe in the scriptures. Not just what Paul wrote to the Romans. I choose not to be a Romanite. Our society today which also includes churches is why Paul wrote what he did to the Church of Corinth. One out of every two men and one out of every two women who chooses to marry today will witness their marriage collapsing into a divorce. One out of every two citizens! There is a reason for this. There are many reasons and still most Christians today are leaning toward the Romanite life. Where are the ones who are to set examples for our youth? Where is the self-discipline, self-responsibility and the genuine willingness to without?
I have tried to give the mennonites a chance, but they only wanted my money. I have even caught them in several lies. I only have a few years before I retire. In looking back it really is disappointing as well as discouraging to know there aren’t any churches left like that I remember years ago. The closest ones are the mennonites and they only want money from me. I am intelligent, handsome and have a schizoid personality disorder. Which means I am an extremely independent person who doesn’t need any counseling or drugs. Someone who chooses to live a life of solitude and discipline rather than than with relationships. If anyone is considering giving the mennonites a chance, they will believe they are playing along with you until they convinced you to give them your life savings. I have even witnessed elaborate schemes by them to try and get money from those who they believe are foolish enough to give it to them. Taking money from the devil and giving it to the Lord is how they view it. It really is a shame, but at my age I understand that a person cannot make someone to be their friend. Nor should you expect them to be.
Yeah I use to go to a Mennonite Church also ! Alot of them are very evil and pretend to be good! The younger Mennonites now a days are selfish,stand offish ,rude ,And if you are not one of them will not help you! Maybe years ago but this generation of them is very evil!
Two coats apiece ?
The modern Mennonites have all kinds of disguises for the getting of gain.
My parents used to go to one of their churches and you are so correct, they are some of the most despicable, nefarious, self righteous, high handed, hateful, self serving, underhanded, low life scum I have ever had the misfortune of encountering.
Yes, I live in the Fraser Valley and it is filled with Mennonites and they abuse the homeless here too! It is called the “least Christian Christian city.” Also, if you are looking for a Church home they won’t invite you. Also, they won’t throw you a baby shower or visit you in the hospital–but they’ll gladly take whatever it is that you are offering them. Honestly, the rudest people you will ever meet. I’m curious about the tax exempt status–around here the Mennonites control most of the Churches. They have taken to calling these Churches “community Churches” and pretend they are open to everyone. Except these Churches aren’t. The more honest Mennonites will admit they don’t want outsiders there. So, why call them “community” Churches? This is a widespread problem–they will pretend to be inclusive but they aren’t. I’d like to see something written on this. We have a Mennonite young pastor around here who has a blog called “the road to dapper”–google it. Honestly, I’ve never seen anything so shallow. Around here homelessness is an increasing problem because out of control housing prices–and he is more concerned with being dapper! and wearing nice clothes. I just don’t get it. Someone please explain this all to me. Are the Mennonite Churches just tax shelters, ways to employ family members? what is the deal?
I was in shock a couple of winters ago when buisnesses and others in our town in Colorado were collecting food for the homeless. People were wonderful till we entered the import store owned by the mennonites. There we were rudely informed that they would donate nothing because they didn’t enable homeless people by feeding them. They buy items from poor starving villagers in Africa but don’t believe in helping people in need here. I was shocked. Made me wonder if their idea of helping the poor over seas is actually just exploitation.
My daughter bought a old trailer to rebuild however this trailer has be broke into wiring stole water tank and breaker she has lost her eyesight so she cannot afford to put it together we’d here can I find help for
I live in Plainview,Texas and the Mennonites here take advantage of the elderly people who have sickness or are ill, and take, take, take, under the guise of “help,” I know this as my own family has suffered this, they broke into our barn, stole things from my family WHILE MY PARENTS WERE AWAY BECAUSE MY DAD HAD PROSTATE CANCER AND HAD TO UNDERGO RADIATION TREARMENTS – During that time, they stole so many things from our home, including sentimental items that cannot be replaced, all because my family made the mistake to assume they were people of honour, only to discover THEY HAVE NONE. So, you see, mennonites don’t only abuse homeless people, they abuse anyone they can, although what they put my family through is too much to write here, including trying to bully them into selling their land, for nextto nothing, and they think they are above the law. THEY’RE NOT. They’ll understand that when someone put a bullet in their heads, I don’t care how much power they think they have, after everything that has happened in 2020, now is not the time to think you can commit offenses to other people, getaway with it and practice a self righteous, disgusting form of hypocrisy all the while professing to believe in Jesus. People are waking up to the intolerant, unjust, nefarious, despicable tyrants that oppress the people and the more people are awake the more dangerous it is for mennonites and their vile fucking genome. In short, the mennonitescan SUCK MY DICK. I hope they all burn in hell, if I ever have a chance to hurt them and their worthless, piece of shut families, revenge is going to be a sweet day in hell. AND EVERYONE I K BBMJOW IN WEAT TEXAS AGREES AND UNDERSTANDS WHY MENNONITES CAN SUCK A FAT ONE.
As to power of Attorney as i am finding out with my Mother and father in law, She was born into the Mennonite “cult” he was raised catholic. They are in need of care now and my wife and i are trying to get them set up with assisted living at the moment Mom is in Hospital and Dad is staying with us. Problem is the Church Deacons are Pressuring mom to stay in their care and sigh over power of attorney. When Mom is in the hospital unbothered by the church she is happy but when we are not around the church calls and applies pressure and guilt on her and we come to visit and find her deeply depressed. I Since have had to ban the Church and her sister from calling or visiting the hospital. To me it appears since My father and mother in law are financially well off that the Mennonite “cult” just wants to get there greedy hands on the estate and i have caught the church Deacons out at dads pole barn looking over his collection of antique cars. When it comes to parental care its up to the children and the Mennonite church needs to back off and and let family do what’s best for their loved ones.