7:10, 11 The Lord's command through Paul: no divorce, no separation. But if separation does occur, then no remarriage. Either the individuals must remain unmarried or else be reconciled.
In addition, members of the Amish community are allowed to remarry after their spouse passes. Widows sometimes garner financial assistance from their families or the church and may even find work outside of the home, according to Amish America.
Divorce has not permitted among the Anabaptists and Mennonites from the earliest times to the mid-20th century except for the cause of adultery, in accordance with the Biblical standard as found in Matthew 19:9, although separation (either legal or privately arranged) was generally allowed.
Historically, Mennonites were forbidden to marry non-Mennonites and, in some cases, members of other Mennonite groups. Presently, only the more conservative ones proscribe marriage outside the group.
In the European context, Mennonites historically have been accustomed to considerable control by parents over the choice of spouse and marriage arrangements for a son or daughter (betrothal).
The 1963 Mennonite Confession of Faith stated that marriage should be a monogamous, heterosexual lifetime commitment. The Christian home should have regular family worship.
There is a high degree of inbreeding, resulting in a high frequency of recessive disorders, many of which are seen rarely or are unknown outside of this population.
Some of the important characteristics of the Mennonite faith are strict pacifism, a plain lifestyle, shunning oaths, and commitment to social justice. The Amish are often mistaken for Mennonites. They are a distinct group that broke away from the Mennonites in the late 17th century.
During the last 100 years, the church considered the consumption of alcohol to be a sin. But that “marker” is passing away. While a large majority of us—probably 75 percent by now—accepts some use, we honor those for whom the consumption of alcohol continues to be “always wrong.”
Mennonite Women Serve
The Mennonites are known for helping others, regardless of nationality or religious affiliation. They often do this by providing basic services such as childcare and cooking, but they accomplish many other types of Kingdom work as well.
Some churches (not all necessarily Mennonite) take these passages to heart, and greet one another with a kiss on the cheek, much as anyone else would greet another person with a hug or handshake. This tends to occur in the more conservative Mennonite churches, and was more prevalent in the past.
This is according to the Amish belief that women shouldn't draw attention to themselves, which is why they don't wear makeup or jewelry.
The doctrines of nonconformity to the world, church discipline, nonswearing of oaths, and nonresistance (a Mennonite teaching based on New Testament ethics that rejects both war and the use of coercive measures to maintain social order) are affirmed but not practiced universally.
Only married men do - and this includes widowers as well. A commitment to modesty means a man must not wear any jewelry, including a wedding ring. So instead, a married man stops shaving his beard, indicating that he is completely a man and the head of his family.
We believe that God intends marriage to be a covenant between one man and one woman for life. 4 Christian marriage is a mutual relationship in Christ,5 a covenant made in the context of the church. According to Scripture, right sexual union takes place only within the marriage relationship.
I think the level of integration with the modern world varies community to community (some Amish communities are more insular than others) but the most conservative of them will probably use the same methods women used for hundreds of years — wrapping themselves with strips of material, or wrapping their shift/ ...
Mennonites, unlike Mormons, don't wear undergarments designed to confer a special holy feeling.
Since many Mennonites live on farms, they are more likely to eat food grown from the land and the animals on the farm. These animals usually consist of beef, chicken, and pork.
Anyone can become a Mennonite! Although it is true that Mennonites have been an ethnically tight-knit group due to the oppression that they experienced for their religious beliefs, the Mennonite demographic is changing and the Mennonites are quickly becoming an ethically-diverse and international community.
Mennonites do not have any dietary restrictions as exist in some other religious groups. Some conservative Mennonites abstain from alcohol, but other Mennonites do not, with Mennonite distilleries existing as early as the late 16th century.
For the more modern Mennonites, dress is not an issue. The only standard is that women are encouraged to dress modestly, and persons interpret that differently. Women wear slacks and jeans as well as dresses. In the summer, you would find many wearing shorts.
A Mennonite Amish woman is expected to cover her head with a cap, bonnet, or scarf while in public. This is to show respect and humility when in the company of men. The book of 1 Corinthians states that “every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head” (1 Cor. 11:5).
The Old Order Mennonites and Amish have the same European roots and the language spoken in their homes is the same German dialect.
The most prominent ethnic Mennonite groups are Russian Mennonites (German: Russland-Mennoniten), who formed as an ethnic group in Prussia and South Russia (now Ukraine), but who are of Dutch (both Flemish and Frisian) ancestry and speak Plautdietsch and Mennonites of Pennsylvania Dutch heritage who formed as an ethnic ...
Spiritual/Religious Practices
Religious beliefs do not prevent surgery, blood transfusions, anesthesia or dental work. Organ transplant is allowed, but not the heart.