Can Change the World Again
With a Praying People.
| | Can Change the World Again With a Praying People. | |
A Brief Analysis of the Philosophy and Practice
CHAPTER I.
Commending Values in the Movement.
"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father in heaven."
Matthew 5: 16.
As it is our prime objective to know and display the important truth, we will want to first give due recognition, according to the biblical example, of that which is good. It is impossible for us to list all the good things they have done, so we will limit ourselves to the more obvious qualities. At the same time we will encourage the reader to remember that God does not evaluate anyone by humanistic balances that would excuse bad things because of a supposed overbalance of good works.
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"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you." Phil. 4:8-9
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Perhaps the greatest attraction that this movement has brought to itself is its extensive focus and teaching upon the home or family life. In a day when almost every essential value in the family structure has been threatened, and when churches in general are splitting up the home and losing their children to the world, it is no wonder that scores of families continually move out of state to Pennsylvania in hopes that they might not go the way of the world. How many families have we met across the country who are desperate to do anything to gain some rule and order in their homes. And if they gain assurance that moving to one of these churches will 'work' in this way, they will usually be willing to lay down their differences.
The good teachings of this movement in relation to the family pertain to the different roles of husbands and wives; the emphasis upon women staying at home and raising their children in the home; the emphasis upon prayerful and appropriate discipline with and without the physical rod; the encouragement of fathers to work at home and be an active part in the discipline and instruction of children (at least in regular family devotions); the biblical conviction that a family is not to be separated, and that a husband and wife are in covenant for life with no allowance for remarriage; the regularity of various family times, such as meals, devotions, as well as ministry to those with physical needs in their congregations; the expectation that each is to submit to due authority with joyful obedience, etc. Such commending values ought to make any conscientious person today desire to glean from their experience. We all ought to learn the best way to escape the world and keep our families in Christ; and thus be open to such knowledge where we can find it. Perhaps no other emphasis has built up this movement than this focus on the family. We would be liars if we said that there is nothing to learn and admire in these values practiced by many of these people. And though we will later consider that some of these things are mixed with error and do not always work out right, we will confess freely that we have been improved in some respects by such an observation.
Related to such teachings is the emphasis upon avoiding the corruptions of the world in the media, arts, politics, fashion, and entertainments. Strong denunciations from the pulpit, the business of family and church affairs, together with the rural conservative communities in which they generally live, all tend to segregate them from contrary worldly allurements. You will hardly find them with television in their homes, and they will never go to the theater, or will they go to the beach in a bathing suit. You will not find fancy cars with secular music coming out of their widows while you drive into their parking lots. You will not find carnal dating among the youth, but rather courtship engagements that are subject to the parents consent and direction. Thus the people are kept from many of the distractions of the world and the vices of youth.
A large number of these people, primarily the structure and earliest members, were from old order plain or Amish churches which often practice superstitious and occultic remedies and curiosities. This group exposes these things, often renouncing former entanglements with witchcraft. Bins have been set up in their meetings where people were to cast various objects or papers to be burned, relating to such worldly or demonic bondages.
A major part of their coming out from among the world is their wearing of modest clothing, which is distinctive of gender and concealing of form. The patterns are generally plain and occasionally sharp and attractive. But there is no fancy clothing, shorts, (visible) T-shirts, neckties (if so rarely), makeup, jewelry, decked-up hair, etc. The women are much more distinctive from most other women today, than the men are from other men. Most of the women have a white silky head veiling with their long hair put up under it. Even the little girls wear dresses and often resemble Victorian dolls. These are some good things.
The movement is active in mission work in a few countries, sending groups of young people off for several weeks at a time (some of them, like my wife, were subject to Malaria). They also attempt to reach out to groups of similar theological roots or agreement, who do not claim to be born again, and to those in Evangelical circles that share 'conservative' values like modesty and home schooling. When their evangelist to the Hutterites, Mose Stoltzfus, won many over to their cause, he actually provided entire houses and jobs for some of these people out of his own pocket. These people had nothing but the clothes on their backs, and have been abundantly provided for. All Anabaptist people share the same hospitality values that rural people do, even as they live in rural areas. The door is always open, and will probably be unlocked when they go away.
They have regular 'brothers' meetings' where all the men of the church meet together once a month to discuss and make the major decisions. There are also prayer meetings and mid-weekly meetings besides the Sunday service. This also is good.
They would basically be theologically evangelical by common understanding of the term today; although differing in condemning Christian involvement with government, the serious personal advancement in education, the theological training of the ministry, and probably less understood by the general people: the use and application of "Rema" inspiration in some of the ministry. As the early Anabaptists (let it not be assumed that this book is somehow against Anabaptists, for we have dear friends who are such), they would also differ in supposing a major difference between the Old Testament doctrine and the writings and example of Christ (they would claim that loving our enemies and not avenging our neighbors were new teachings in Christ; because they fail to see these in the Old Testament—Lev. 19: 18—and do not realize that Christ and Paul prove this nonresistant love doctrine from the same place where "it is written" in the Old Testament: Romans 12: 19-20). It is commendable to not avenge those who wrong us. To bless and not curse those who sinfully or ignorantly wrong us, is a good practice. There is no place for violence, selfishness, and manipulating people in the Christian; even though they rightly understand that they must use force and administer discipline to protect their families. Not that the Remnant people honor the policeman for protecting their families in this way, as in Romans 13, and as Paul appealed to for protection in Acts 26: 32, but they honor each other for protecting their own children from their bothers and sisters, by spanking them and subjecting them to various punishments and discipline. They have rightly understood that the use of force and punishment is sometimes necessary for the well-being of society, but is always wrong when administered selfishly in a personal desire for retaliating. They are right that parents sin when they discipline because they are angry. Parents have the God-given authority to punish out of love, but not out of revenge (it is unfortunate that our friends cannot see that God has given the same authority to other rulers—that they can protect society and administer discipline in love, without selfishly avenging themselves in the same way).
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"Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself:
I am the Lord."
Leviticus 19: 18
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Despite the last mentioned items, and the practical out-workings of some of the former, the upholding of all these values promises great potential, and we have often prayed that it would be a vehicle for reformation in our day. Indeed, we will not deny that some of these values have been adopted by people in the last ten years because of them. We wish therefore, as our Lord did in ancient days, to commend them for these things, as they are needed in our day. But difficult as it is for most, we must not determine the truthfulness of a practice or doctrine because of other people. What we mean is, negatively, that we must not react against these important values just because we will see them mixed with other undesirable things. As many have passed through this movement, it is often sad to see the abandonment of the good with the bad because of the law of association. We would not therefore be understood to either be throwing out the baby with the bath water, or to be prejudiced against such people so that we could not learn anything from them. And positively, we must not accept wrong doctrines and practices as true, just because other good and true values are held by them.
Once again, we hope that these people will accept from us this honest appreciation, along with our sincerely pure motives in the following elucidation. But is the examination of beliefs and practices a sufficient reason for suspicion of motives and censorship? Then would not all the children of any movement be forced under the bondage of prejudice and close-mindedness? How would they then ever find life worth living?
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"The unexamined life is not worth living." Socrates
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We hope that none will adopt such blind tradition, but rather "examine everything; and hold fast to the good."
Or by check to:
Rick Friedrich
8071 Main St.
Fenwick, MI 48834-9649
