Sorry. Couldn't resist.
Anabaptism is largely responsible for the nonconformist impulse of the church — to be sure, it has some connections to those before it, like the Waldensians of Italy, but the Anabaptists were radical in their nonconformity to the State and to State-sponsored churches — that is, the Catholic Church, Lutherans and the Reformed. All non-State churches in the U.S., and that’s most, owe some debt to the Anabaptists....
....Harold S. Bender’s sketch is the most influential view of Anabaptism of the 20th century....Bender is famous for three features of the Anabaptist vision:
The essence of Christianity, or the Christian life, is discipleship — a committed following of Christ in all areas of life. The word on the street in the 16th century — and this word repeated often enough by bitter enemies of the Anabaptists — was that they were consistent and devout Christians. If Luther’s word was “faith,” the word for the Anabaptists was “follow.” The inner conversion was to lead to external transformation.
A new conception of the church as a brotherhood of fellowship. The ruling image of a church among the Catholics and Reformers was more national and institutional and sacramental, while the ruling image for the Anabaptists was fellowship or family. Joining was voluntary; the requirement was conversion; the commitment was to holy living and fellowship with one another. Thus, the Anabaptist separated from the “world” to form a society of the faithful. This view of the church led to economic availability and liability for one another.
A new ethic of love and peaceful nonresistance. Apart from rare exceptions like Balthasar Hubmaier and the nutcases around Thomas Müntzer, the Anabaptists lived a life shaped by love and nonviolence. They refused to coerce anyone.
The Pentecostalists argue that they are the new visage of the Anabaptists. Since the Anabaptists stated that they refuse to coerce anyone, I would suggest that someone mention that to the Pentecostalists, including all their TV preachers.
At least, let’s get them both on the same page, if they both state that they are striving to continue the work of the Apostles, as written in Acts.
I’ll never understand executing people or going to war because of faith.
Wasn’t Yossarian in Catch22 an Anabaptist? I always wondered what it meant.
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Everyone is responsible for his or her own baggage. All fares are by freevill offering and da plane vill not land until da budget is> met. Pay attention to your flight attendant, who vill acqvuaint you vith da safety system aboard dis Menno Air 599.
Okay den, listen up: I’m only gonna say dis yust once. In da event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, I am frankly going to be real surprised and so vill Captain Wiebe and Co-captain Penner because ve fly right around 2000 feet, so loss of cabin pressure vould probably indicate da Second Coming or something of dat nature, and I vouldn’t bother with dose little masks on da rubber tubes. You’re gonna have bigger tings to worry about den dat. Yust stuff dose back up in der little holes. Probably da masks fell out because of turbulence vhich, to be honest vith ya, ve’re going to have quite a bit of at 2000 feet…sort of like driving across a plowed field, but after a vhile ya get used to it. In da event of a vater landing, I’d say forget it. Start saying da Lord’s Prayer and yust hope ya get to da part about forgive us our sins as ve forgive dose who sin against us, vhich some people say “trespass against us,” vhich isn’t right, but vat can ya do? Da use of cell phones on da plane is strictly forbidden, not because dey may interfere vith the plane’s navigational system, vhich is seat of da pants all da vay… no, it’s because cell phones are a pain in the vazoo and if God meant ya to use a cell phone, He vould have put your mouth on da side of your head. Ve’re going to start lunch right about noon and it’s buffet style vith the coffee pot up front.
Den ve have da hymn sing… hymnals in da seat pocket in front of you. Don’t take yours vith you vhen ya go or I am going to be real upset and I am not kidding! Right now I’ll say Grace…”Come Lord Jesus be our guest and let dese gifts to us be blest. Father, Son and Holy Ghost, may ve land in Vancouver or pretty close. Amen”
Arguably the Unitarians or the Jehovah's Witnesses were the full implementation of the Reformatting. Luther, Calvin nor the Zwinglists went far enough.
There is a prayer in the back of my GENEVA BIBLE against all “...idolatars & Heretickes, as Papists, Anabaptists and such...”
The beginnings of the Amish denomination.
A Catholic ana Baptist walk into a bar....
Sorry. Couldn't resist.