Comments on: Memorials, Martyrs and Convictions

By: Richard Stern

Richard Stern — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 09:07:16 +0000

Interesting trip, Gene. In the past year I’ve visited Auschwitz and Srebrenika. And speaking of Mennonites (I was C.of the Brethren), I chanced upon some pottery in the national museum in Budapest made by the Habans, described as “anabaptists, or new Cristians, the popular branch of the Reformation who professed communist principles” who first arrived in Hungary in 1622 from Transylvania and later, by 1649, from S.Tyrol (Alto Adige), Austria, and Bohemia. Their stoneware plates, bowls, tankards, and stoves were tin-glazed with Delft-like blues, late Renaissance flower motifs without religious symbol. If anyone knows more about the Habans, I’m curious.

By: peaceprobe

peaceprobe — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 15:59:10 +0000

It is intellectually dishonest in the same piece to honor the Mennonites’ doctrine of non-resistance and praise the terrorist tactics and killings of the Baader-Meinhof Gang and the Red Army Faction. (Also, as I recall the Munster
rebellion had a rather sordid history to say nothing of killing in order to bring about the Second Coming(!), hardly the “religious
heritage” of the Mennonites.) It dishonors the Mennonite martyrs burned at the stake in
Holland in the 16th century, some of whom were our ancestors, to compare them to modern day terrorists. Clarence
_________

Response:

Dear Clarence,

Thank you for your forthright reminder of the details of Mennonite history. As a young seminary student 40 years ago I studied our history and I know that the violent expressions were generally expunged and regarded as at least exceptions and perhaps completely outside the history. Having lived in parts of the world where people’s wars become heavily mixed with religious conviction I know how faith and revolution become intermixed often very irresponsibly. I also know that Mennonites have often resorted to the use of police and military violence to protect their way of life and the life of the nation that they live in. I also deeply respect the often imperfect but sustained quest to live out an ethic of nonviolent love.

By including these expressions with the broad sweep of Anabaptist experience I think that we are reminded to be sensitive to our own tendencies to resort to violence in moments of enormous pressure. Participation in “good” wars, movements that are descibed as terrorist and expressions of violence reappear occasionally even in modern times among the children of Menno. By accepting and acknowleding this I believe we are more prepared for these junctions along the way. We can acknowledge our own tendencies to incorporate redemptive violence into our decisions. This is not what Jesus calls us to however we have the same tendencies as Jesus’ favorite deciple who just pior to the crucifixing of Jesus resorted to the sword. By acknowleding our “Peter tendencies” we are more alert for the way.

I wrote these lines this way to remind us to deepen our commitment spiritually and socially to the way of overcoming evil with love. By rigorously eliminating the less attractive tendencies of our history we pass over the opportunity to learn from it. I would argue that we honor the martyrs much more by acknowleding the stretching discussions of faith and practice that must of occured within their communities as they prepared for life and death decisions of faithful living.

Thank you for your questions. Gene

By: peaceprobe

peaceprobe — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 15:12:03 +0000

By: Hansuli John Gerber

Hansuli John Gerber — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 20:31:04 +0000

Gene, I don’t know whether you met Rainer Wiebe from Bonn, who was at the time pastor and held Elisabeth’s funeral. Rainer ran MCC’s Bonn office ad interim over the last several months. You might find a conversation with him interesting.

I appreciate your postings, out of the ordinary…

By: Phil Stoltzfus

Phil Stoltzfus — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 16:55:23 +0000

Wow, I hadn’t known about Elisabeth von Dyck. I wonder if anyone has researched her and published anything about her story.

Careful that you distinguish between Thomas Müntzer’s leadership in the Peasant’s War, 1524-25, and the Musterite rebellion a decade later, 1532-35–two different historical events.

_____

You are exactly right I missed the Munster uprising by ten years. Thanks for the correction. I have incorporated it into the text. Gene

By: peaceprobe

peaceprobe — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 15:35:16 +0000

I like this. Mac

By: matt

matt — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 15:53:29 +0000

This blog’s great!! Thanks .