Yes, Mennonites can watch TV, but it varies greatly by group; conservative Old Order Mennonites typically forbid TVs for their focus on community over individualism, while more moderate or progressive Mennonites might have TVs, though they often restrict content to avoid violence or worldliness, with some even watching sports or using filtered internet.
Today these groups are among the most conservative of all Swiss Mennonites outside the Amish. They stress strict separation from "the world", adhere to "strict withdrawal from and shunning of apostate and separated members", forbid and limit cars and technology and wear plain clothing.
I know of Mennonites involved in about every recreational activity you can mention—from biking to sailing to motorcycling to fishing to hunting to wine tasting and on and on. Mennonites also are increasingly involved in the arts—writing, music, painting, sculpture, acting, filmmaking, even dancing.
More progressive Amish and Mennonite communities have phones and use social media while the stricter communities do not have access to smartphones, the internet, or social media.
Contemporary Mennonites use modern technology, such as electricity, computers, and cars, while Old Orders typically do not. Like the Amish, Old Orders use horses and buggies for transportation, shun electricity, and do not permit technology in their homes.
Several denominational statements have set forth the official positions of the Mennonite churches on issues related to families. The 1963 Mennonite Confession of Faith stated that marriage should be a monogamous, heterosexual lifetime commitment. The Christian home should have regular family worship.
In many Amish homes, rags are a common toilet paper alternative. These rags are typically old clothes that have been worn out. After simple processing, they become practical cleaning tools. After use, they are washed clean and can be reused multiple times.
Mainstream society's perceptions of traditional Mennonites tend towards viewing them as technologically deficient. Yet, cell phones, computers, and tablets are increasingly prevalent within this population.
Using the calendar method, the Amish typically begins tracking her menstrual cycles for several months to establish the length of her average cycle. She then identifies the period of her menstrual cycle when she is most likely to ovulate based on the number of days before and after her average cycle length.
The use of a mirror is allowed because unlike a picture, it is not a graven image. Women use mirrors to do their hair and men use mirrors to shave. If you take our guided farmhouse tour, you'll spot a few mirrors in the house.
The Spectrum of Technology Use Among Mennonites
More progressive Mennonite communities have embraced certain technologies for various purposes. For instance, some use phones and social media for communication, networking, and business. Some Mennonite businesses even use social media for marketing purposes.
Black Mennonites live in Africa, the United States, Canada, and elsewhere. Black Mennonite communities have existed in the United States and Canada since the late 1800s. Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are home to the second and fourth largest populations of Mennonites in the world.
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 most part, there are no problems with Mennonites dating non-Mennonites, particularly if the other person is a Christian. The more conservative groups would be more restrained as far as dating outside the denomination goes, but in the more modern Mennonite church, it's generally considered a non-issue.
As Mennonites they kept their own (primarily Dutch and Low German) identity, using Standard Dutch as the language of the church well into the 18th century. As a written language, they took up High German.
The Amish in the community I came from are not allowed to use condoms. After I left AMISH, one of my sister-in-law's pulled me aside and she was so upset and felt so guilty. She told me that they were using condoms and sinning.
The Amish wedding night will usually be spent in the bride's parent's home, as the couple will need to assist in clean up the following day. They will then spend their first months of marriage – their honeymoon – visiting relatives. (This is when most gifts they receive will be given.)
Amish girls typically get married in their early 20s, usually between the ages of 20 and 22, often shortly after being baptized into the church in their late teens or early twenties. Dating starts around age 16, with courtship happening at social events like Sunday singings, and marriage is seen as a key step into adulthood within the community.
Traditionally, Mennonites did not vote or participate in political processes.
It is also not unusual to see Amish using such 2Oth-century technologies as inline skates, disposable diapers, cell phones and gas barbecue grills, because they are not specifically prohibited by the Ordnung.
Today, the greatest differences between the Amish and Mennonites stem mainly from practices rather than beliefs. Amish groups tend to shy away from technology and involvement with the greater world, by dressing “plain” and using scooters and buggies for transportation.
In the more conservative commmunity, the women do not wear bras, but have a handsewn garment which they wear under their dresses to provide extra covering in that area (and hold in flannels that absorb breast milk when they are nursing).
Not all countries or cultures use toilet paper to wipe their bums. This can be because of cultures that have traditionally used alternatives to toilet paper and therefore never really used it or lack of access to toilet paper.
Dental Health Behavior.
Almost two-thirds of this Amish population reported brushing their teeth less than once a day, while only 1.3 percent brushed twice or more a day; 2.6 percent reported never having brushed their teeth.