My wife was at a local equine event,
and a man we've met before told her that others have said we are
Amish or Mennonite. I guess people need a point of reference to help
understand someone's motives, or he's just curious as to whether we
belong to some cult.
No, we are not Amish or Mennonite, for
several reasons, probably more. First off, we are not “plain”.”Plain
People” refers to Anabaptist people. A little history, as I recall
it, don't quote me here: Hundreds of years ago, there was a man in
Europe named Menno Simons. He lived in a time of political and
religious upheaval. He traveled about, ministered to many people, was
a strong and courageous leader. His followers became known as
Mennonites. Later, a part of the group that favored stronger church
discipline broke away and followed a man named Joseph Amman. These
are the Amish. There are other groups that may also be plain people,
the Hutterites and Dunkers, maybe they're the same, my knowledge is
limited.
Plain people are correct to recognize
that the bible teaches Christians to dress modestly. To them, this
means long skirts, no jewelry or makeup, and extends to the way your
transportation looks. One look at my truck (leaf truck) and you'd
know that it wouldn't fit in.
Plain people are also non-resistant.
I'm not sure if this is that same as pacifist. I do know that if my
wife or children were threatened, I would try to intervene.
The third difference that comes to
mind is that a number of their decisions are determined by the group,
and or the local Bishop. This is a thing that can go two ways.
Submission to authority is usually beneficial and right, it helps to
control evil pride. But, there is a very real danger in not
developing the strength and discernment to decide matters for
yourself. Also, a huge danger lies in trusting outward appearances
and routines. The starting point of a new life in Jesus Christ is to
recognize that you, along with everyone else, have sinned. Maybe not
as much as some, but how much does it take to offend a pure and holy
God? The next thing is to understand that a courtroom awaits. There
is a very serious penalty for sin, which must be paid. When Jesus
died on the cross, he took the penalty of sinners upon himself. If
you repent of your sins, and ask Jesus to forgive you, you will be
saved from your penalty. What concerns me is that I think a lot of
people are trusting their upbringing, traditions, or church
attendance instead of trusting the sacrifice of Jesus.
We are more old fashioned than
probably anyone around here, but that's for the following reasons:
It's very practical, and it's fascinating. I wonder if people born
and raised here in the mountains of East Tennessee are over
acclimated. They've been here so long that they don't see the beauty
of the area, and don't appreciate the history. The first white
pioneers carried but a few iron tools, with which they made a
standard of living which surpassed stone age peoples. They learned
all about the many kinds of trees.
These old ways are also a solution to
many of life's pinches in this modern world. There are times when I
need a post, but can't go get one. So I make one from Locust or
Cedar. We have and milk our own Jersey cow. We butcher hogs and
venison, should a hunter give us a deer. We heat our house
exclusively with wood. We make our own music.
I don't want the children to grow up
thinking that everything comes from the store, or that you move the
little lever on the wall, and the house gets warm. I want them to
understand cause and effect. You want heat? Split some wood, and
bring it in. You want music? Make some. You want a car or computer
fixed? Understand how they work.
I don't reject the new ways in favor
of the old, nor am I like some who do the opposite. We reach back in
time, and see if an old method is better suited to what we need to
do. For instance, there are times when my electric welder and cutting
torch would be difficult to do a job with, but our coal forge is
perfect.
So far, we have lived without debt,
I'll discuss the reasons later. Since I can't reach for the plastic
every time I need something, I have to make due with other ways,
usually older tools and equipment. We don't watch TV because I think
it dulls the mind and creativity, more on that later. We homeschool
our children because the public schools are teaching some really bad
stuff.
So there you have it... we don't
belong to a religious organization of any kind. My wife comes from a
large family, and some of them are quite serious that divorce and
remarriage is adultery. That's as close as we come to an
organization. If it were formal, I might have been kicked out by now,
but that's a whole other ball of wax. What I do not want to be
associated with are people that call themselves Christian, have a
house full of guns, and buy camo pattern cloth by the bolt.
.
.
Oh please, not that.
