I've spent time amongst both segments and even thought about becoming mennonite, but as kind as they are, I could sense that I would never fully be one of them because I was no born amongst them.
WHy did I sense this?
Various reasons, but the largest reason was I watched other families that had become mennonite, and had been for some time, and it was subtle, but obvious that they were not fully mennonite.
I went to college with a lot of Mennonites. (Amish, religiously are just uber-conservative Mennonites, and don’t go to college). As a student of church history....I understand their history, and I understand their separatism and their pacifism. And I respect their sincerity.
However, I think they are simply wrong, and ultimately, though nice, kind, Christian people, ultimately, they are parasites. They rely on the security—gained by force of arms, by others dirty work essentially—for their freedom and peace.
The exceptions they demand—from military service, (some) from paying a portion of taxes (that go to the military) from even having safety reflectors on their buggies, from all kinds of things—just bug the heck out of me. I really don’t wonder why they were hounded out of Europe, and from the very beginning, Mennonite pacifists were very unpopular generally.
Again, personally very nice people. The Amish reaction last year to the shootings was utterly amazing. However, this is a group which is irresponsible, since they choose (and of course they must choose) to live in a country defended by that which they consider unalterably immoral.