“I would be surprised if they were connected with the Orthodox but will defer to those who know more about them.”
See some of the other commentors on the history of this group. NO connection with any Orthodox Churches.
I don’t like pacifists in any form and flavor. They are free to practise their peculiar beliefs only because OTHER Americans were willing to die in their place.
As for considering alcohol use equivalent to drug abuse, that is pretty absurd. Moderate alcohol consumption is not deleterious, criminal, or un-American. Pacifism is.
Its a free country and they are of course free to believe whateveer they believe, but presenting themselves as part of the mainstream American religious current is, I think, stretching it.
Moravians are not now—nor were they originally, pacifists. Quakers and Mennonites are (and always have been)—and have nothing in common with Moravian history(came from completely different parts of Europe)—except that some settled in the same parts of America (Pennsylvania).
I don’t approve of pacifism either, however, unlike some Methodists you mentioned, the Mennonites (I have a couple Mennonite friends from college) have always been that way—and not out of cowardice. They read the New Testament very literally (and don’t properly understand the Old Testament, in my opinion) and hence cannot put “love your enemies” (as Jesus did indeed say) and warfare together. (That Jesus highly complimented a Roman Centurion, and that soldiers were never told to quit their jobs in the NT, they don’t take into account...)
Anabaptists like Mennonites are very sincere however in what they believe their responsibilities as Christians are—and they are willing (and have, often) to suffer for it. That’s not being cowards—mistaken, yes, I believe so—but not cowardly, and not un-American. Mennonites for example were very loyal hard-working, risk-taking Medics in WWII....they helped their country, they just would not kill for it. Although I disagree, I do respect that...and so did Lee and Washington, by the way...