https://anabaptistwiki.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=What_Does_It_Mean_to_Be_Mennonite%3F_Allison_Christensen,_April_2011&feed=atom&action=historyWhat Does It Mean to Be Mennonite? Allison Christensen, April 2011 - Revision history2024-03-29T11:33:48ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.35.2https://anabaptistwiki.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=What_Does_It_Mean_to_Be_Mennonite%3F_Allison_Christensen,_April_2011&diff=14354&oldid=prevElizabethMiller at 19:11, 7 May 20152015-05-07T19:11:57Z<p></p>
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<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><div style="width:75%"></div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><div style="width:75%"></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>The article from the “The Mennonite” was interesting to me because the author made many bold statements. For one, he indicated that the Anabaptists today no nothing about what it really means to be an Anabaptist and what it was like for the people of the day that were being persecuted for trying to reform the church. He also indicated that we do not truly appreciate the customs of baptism and hold specific things sacred. One of the things that stood out to me the most was towards the end of the article when he said that, and I paraphrase, “on the other hand there are Mennonites and they live in many countries around the world where they are persecuted for their faith. They truly understand what it means to be Anabaptist.” This raised a question for me: “do you indeed have to experience persecution to really understand, appreciate, and support your faith? And how intense does persecution have to be? To what degree do you have to be persecuted to “get” your faith and know what it means to be Mennonite?” This leads to another important question and also the topic of this reflection paper: “what does it mean to be Mennonite?” This is a question that I think all of us have wrestled with over the course of the semester. What is it that makes Mennonites so distinctly different from those of other Christian denominations or even other Anabaptist denominations? Because there are so many facets that make up the Mennonite faith, I think it is extremely difficult to decide on one particular thing that sets Mennonites apart from the rest of the Christian denomination of the world. At the same time, there are some things that make us distinct from others. </div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>The article from the “The Mennonite” was interesting to me because the author made many bold statements. For one, he indicated that the Anabaptists today no nothing about what it really means to be an Anabaptist and what it was like for the people of the day that were being persecuted for trying to reform the church. He also indicated that we do not truly appreciate the customs of baptism and hold specific things sacred. One of the things that stood out to me the most was towards the end of the article when he said that, and I paraphrase, “on the other hand there are Mennonites and they live in many countries around the world where they are persecuted for their faith. They truly understand what it means to be Anabaptist.” This raised a question for me: “do you indeed have to experience persecution to really understand, appreciate, and support your faith? And how intense does persecution have to be? To what degree do you have to be persecuted to “get” your faith and know what it means to be Mennonite?” This leads to another important question and also the topic of this reflection paper: “what does it mean to be Mennonite?” This is a question that I think all of us have wrestled with over the course of the semester. What is it that makes Mennonites so distinctly different from those of other Christian denominations or even other Anabaptist denominations? Because there are so many facets that make up the Mennonite faith, I think it is extremely difficult to decide on one particular thing that sets Mennonites apart from the rest of the Christian denomination of the world. At the same time, there are some things that make us distinct from others. </div></td></tr>
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<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>''This essay was completed for an Anabaptist/Mennonite History class at Goshen College in April 1999''. </div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>''This essay was completed for an Anabaptist/Mennonite History class at Goshen College in April 1999''. </div></td></tr>
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</table>ElizabethMillerhttps://anabaptistwiki.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=What_Does_It_Mean_to_Be_Mennonite%3F_Allison_Christensen,_April_2011&diff=7700&oldid=prevJacksonwb: Protected "What Does It Mean to Be Mennonite? Allison Christensen, April 2011" ([edit=autoconfirmed] (indefinite) [move=autoconfirmed] (indefinite))2011-06-28T14:12:29Z<p>Protected "<a href="/mediawiki/index.php?title=What_Does_It_Mean_to_Be_Mennonite%3F_Allison_Christensen,_April_2011" title="What Does It Mean to Be Mennonite? Allison Christensen, April 2011">What Does It Mean to Be Mennonite? Allison Christensen, April 2011</a>" ([edit=autoconfirmed] (indefinite) [move=autoconfirmed] (indefinite))</p>
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</td></tr></table>Jacksonwbhttps://anabaptistwiki.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=What_Does_It_Mean_to_Be_Mennonite%3F_Allison_Christensen,_April_2011&diff=7699&oldid=prevJacksonwb at 14:11, 28 June 20112011-06-28T14:11:46Z<p></p>
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<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><div style="width:75%"></div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><div style="width:75%"></div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"> </td><td class='diff-marker'>+</td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">The article from the “The Mennonite” was interesting to me because the author made many bold statements. For one, he indicated that the Anabaptists today no nothing about what it really means to be an Anabaptist and what it was like for the people of the day that were being persecuted for trying to reform the church. He also indicated that we do not truly appreciate the customs of baptism and hold specific things sacred. One of the things that stood out to me the most was towards the end of the article when he said that, and I paraphrase, “on the other hand there are Mennonites and they live in many countries around the world where they are persecuted for their faith. They truly understand what it means to be Anabaptist.” This raised a question for me: “do you indeed have to experience persecution to really understand, appreciate, and support your faith? And how intense does persecution have to be? To what degree do you have to be persecuted to “get” your faith and know what it means to be Mennonite?” This leads to another important question and also the topic of this reflection paper: “what does it mean to be Mennonite?” This is a question that I think all of us have wrestled with over the course of the semester. What is it that makes Mennonites so distinctly different from those of other Christian denominations or even other Anabaptist denominations? Because there are so many facets that make up the Mennonite faith, I think it is extremely difficult to decide on one particular thing that sets Mennonites apart from the rest of the Christian denomination of the world. At the same time, there are some things that make us distinct from others. </ins></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'>−</td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">The </del>article from <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">the </del>“The Mennonite” <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">was interesting to me because the author made many bold statements. For one</del>, <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">he indicated </del>that the Anabaptists <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">today no nothing about what it really means </del>to <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">be </del>an <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">Anabaptist </del>and <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">what it </del>was <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">like for the people of the day </del>that <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">were being persecuted for trying to reform </del>the <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">church. He also indicated that we do not truly appreciate the customs of baptism and hold specific things sacred. One </del>of the <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">things </del>that <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">stood out to me the most was towards </del>the <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">end </del>of the article <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">when he said </del>that<del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">, </del>and <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">I paraphrase, “on the other hand there are Mennonites and they live </del>in <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">many countries around the world where they are persecuted for their faith</del>. <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">They </del>truly <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">understand what it means to be Anabaptist.” This raised a question for me: “do you indeed have to experience persecution to really understand, appreciate, and support your </del>faith<del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">? And how intense does persecution have to be? To what degree do you have to be persecuted to “get” your faith and know what it means to be Mennonite?” This leads to another important question </del>and <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">also </del>the <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">topic of this reflection paper: “what does it mean to be Mennonite?” This is a question </del>that I think <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">all </del>of <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">us have wrestled with over </del>the <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">course of the semester. What is it </del>that makes <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">Mennonites so distinctly different from those of other Christian denominations or even other Anabaptist denominations? Because there are so many facets </del>that make <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">up the Mennonite faith, I think </del>it is <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">extremely difficult </del>to <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">decide on one particular thing that sets Mennonites apart from </del>the <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">rest of the Christian denomination of the world. At the same time</del>, <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">there are some things </del>that make <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">us distinct from others</del>.</div></td><td class='diff-marker'>+</td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">In another </ins>article from “The Mennonite”, <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">Ted Grimsrud gives us 4 different ideals </ins>that <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">got </ins>the Anabaptists <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">into trouble. They are as follows: 1) Their break from the church-state system, 2) Their refusal </ins>to <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">support in wars, 3) Their rejection of hierarchies, and 4) Their belief in </ins>an <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">alternative economics, based on sharing </ins>and <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">simplicity. What was really fascinating </ins>was that <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">at </ins>the <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">end </ins>of the <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">article he says something </ins>that <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">completely contradicts </ins>the <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">content </ins>of the <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">previous </ins>article<ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">. He says </ins>that <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">this religion is still alive </ins>and <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">is relevant today even after all of those years back </ins>in <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">Switzerland</ins>. <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">I think that if we </ins>truly <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">hold onto our </ins>faith and the <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">principles </ins>that <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">we held dear so long ago, </ins>I think <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">that is one </ins>of the <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">things </ins>that makes <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">us truly Mennonite. That we would follow Christ as far as to hold onto the basic principles </ins>that make <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">this denomination what </ins>it is <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">and that we would hold onto it through persecution </ins>to <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">preserve its quality for </ins>the <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">Lord</ins>, <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">is something </ins>that <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">I think the Mennonites and Anabaptists in general have done well to really </ins>make <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">this branch of faith unique</ins>. </div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'>−</td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">In another article from “The Mennonite”, Ted Grimsrud gives us 4 different ideals that got the Anabaptists into trouble. They are as follows: 1) Their break from the church-state system, 2) Their refusal to support in wars, 3) Their rejection of hierarchies, and 4) Their belief in an alternative economics, based on sharing and simplicity. What was really fascinating was that at the end of the article he says something that completely contradicts the content of the previous article. He says that this religion is still alive and is relevant today even after all of those years back in Switzerland. I think that if we truly hold onto our faith and the principles that we held dear so long ago, I think that is one of the things that makes us truly Mennonite. That we would follow Christ as far as to hold onto the basic principles that make this denomination what it is and that we would hold onto it through persecution to preserve its quality for the Lord, is something that I think the Mennonites and Anabaptists in general have done well to really make this branch of faith unique. </del></div></td><td class='diff-marker'>+</td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>=== Questions ===</div></td></tr>
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<tr><td class='diff-marker'>−</td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>===Questions===</div></td><td colspan="2"> </td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>#If we do not truly follow the same and appreciate the same practices of the old Anabaptist church, could it be that the Anabaptist faith has indeed itself become slightly reformed over time?</div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>#If we do not truly follow the same and appreciate the same practices of the old Anabaptist church, could it be that the Anabaptist faith has indeed itself become slightly reformed over time?</div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'>−</td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;"></del></div></td><td colspan="2"> </td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>#How far do we have to be persecuted to really understand our faith?</div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>#How far do we have to be persecuted to really understand our faith?</div></td></tr>
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<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>#Can we still say that we have held onto the fundamental criteria that makes us Mennonite over the years in its original form?</div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>#Can we still say that we have held onto the fundamental criteria that makes us Mennonite over the years in its original form?</div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>''This essay was completed for an Anabaptist/Mennonite History class at Goshen College in April 1999''. </div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>''This essay was completed for an Anabaptist/Mennonite History class at Goshen College in April 1999''. </div></td></tr>
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</table>Jacksonwbhttps://anabaptistwiki.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=What_Does_It_Mean_to_Be_Mennonite%3F_Allison_Christensen,_April_2011&diff=7698&oldid=prevJacksonwb: Created page with '{{GoogleTranslateLinks}} ''Return to Stories'' <div style="width:75%"> The article from the “The Mennonite” was interesting to me because the author made many bold stat…'2011-06-28T14:10:51Z<p>Created page with '{{GoogleTranslateLinks}} ''Return to <a href="/mediawiki/index.php?title=Stories" title="Stories">Stories</a>'' <div style="width:75%"> The article from the “The Mennonite” was interesting to me because the author made many bold stat…'</p>
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The article from the “The Mennonite” was interesting to me because the author made many bold statements. For one, he indicated that the Anabaptists today no nothing about what it really means to be an Anabaptist and what it was like for the people of the day that were being persecuted for trying to reform the church. He also indicated that we do not truly appreciate the customs of baptism and hold specific things sacred. One of the things that stood out to me the most was towards the end of the article when he said that, and I paraphrase, “on the other hand there are Mennonites and they live in many countries around the world where they are persecuted for their faith. They truly understand what it means to be Anabaptist.” This raised a question for me: “do you indeed have to experience persecution to really understand, appreciate, and support your faith? And how intense does persecution have to be? To what degree do you have to be persecuted to “get” your faith and know what it means to be Mennonite?” This leads to another important question and also the topic of this reflection paper: “what does it mean to be Mennonite?” This is a question that I think all of us have wrestled with over the course of the semester. What is it that makes Mennonites so distinctly different from those of other Christian denominations or even other Anabaptist denominations? Because there are so many facets that make up the Mennonite faith, I think it is extremely difficult to decide on one particular thing that sets Mennonites apart from the rest of the Christian denomination of the world. At the same time, there are some things that make us distinct from others.<br />
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In another article from “The Mennonite”, Ted Grimsrud gives us 4 different ideals that got the Anabaptists into trouble. They are as follows: 1) Their break from the church-state system, 2) Their refusal to support in wars, 3) Their rejection of hierarchies, and 4) Their belief in an alternative economics, based on sharing and simplicity. What was really fascinating was that at the end of the article he says something that completely contradicts the content of the previous article. He says that this religion is still alive and is relevant today even after all of those years back in Switzerland. I think that if we truly hold onto our faith and the principles that we held dear so long ago, I think that is one of the things that makes us truly Mennonite. That we would follow Christ as far as to hold onto the basic principles that make this denomination what it is and that we would hold onto it through persecution to preserve its quality for the Lord, is something that I think the Mennonites and Anabaptists in general have done well to really make this branch of faith unique. <br />
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===Questions===<br />
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#If we do not truly follow the same and appreciate the same practices of the old Anabaptist church, could it be that the Anabaptist faith has indeed itself become slightly reformed over time?<br />
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#How far do we have to be persecuted to really understand our faith?<br />
<br />
#Can we still say that we have held onto the fundamental criteria that makes us Mennonite over the years in its original form?<br />
<br />
''This essay was completed for an Anabaptist/Mennonite History class at Goshen College in April 1999''. <br />
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[[Category:United States Stories]]</div>Jacksonwb