Real Life Fundie Encounters: Part 5

[Caroline]

I've only had one sort-of fundie encounter.  It was several years ago, and I was in line at the drive thru of a BK.  Ahead of me in line was a mini-van with a lot of children and a very harried mother ordering 10 hamburgers and 10 cups of water.   There was some kind of bumper sticker on the mini-van that made me realize they were the real deal. 

Today, however, my husband who knows about my obsession texted me to let me know that an entire family, long denim skirts and all were currently in the antiques store that he manages.  I was so tempted to get myself to the store to see them for myself.  Instead I told him to surreptitiously take pictures.  

We live in a very non-fundie town, region, and state.   Large fundie families are a rare sighting indeed. 

 

[BlackberryGirl]

This morning as I was taking the grands to school, there was an Amish horse drawn wagon at the traffic light by the local high school. Exactly a block away, at the next light was another horse drawn wagon, this one heading up Main St. at a pretty good clip.

amish guys do a lot of home remodeling/roofing/porch repairs construction around here.

[Marmion]

1 hour ago, BlackberryGirl said:

This morning as I was taking the grands to school, there was an Amish horse drawn wagon at the traffic light by the local high school. Exactly a block away, at the next light was another horse drawn wagon, this one heading up Main St. at a pretty good clip.

amish guys do a lot of home remodeling/roofing/porch repairs construction around here.

This has reminded me of this horse drawn wagon I have seen go by , from time to time .  Being that I live around Amish country , I had initially thought that it was Amish .  Yet the people didn't really look Amish .  Turns out they were a youth group of Mormons .  https://www.starbeacon.com/news/local_news/local-youth-participate-in--mile-mormon-pioneer-trek/article_9e4db4bd-f0f3-5c7e-b8e2-c100dab9f222.html  On another note , usually Amish work crews , rather than making the entire journey by horse drawn cart , will simply hire someone to drive them by van .  

[BlackberryGirl]

A friend posted recently pictures of “construction vehicles” in her neighborhood...2 Amish wagons!  Around here the go to is horse drawn wagons. Maybe just this village but there are Amish wagons every day, some even on my street. 

 

[anniebgood]

We took an Alaskan cruise this past September and there were a group of German speaking young people aboard. The ladies dressed in long skirts and capps, but wore sweatshirts and various tee shirts on board. The men dressed in khakis, jeans, and tee shirts or sweatshirts. I never saw them at the bars, but they were all over the buffets and dining rooms. Looked like they were having a great time.

And we had an awesome time. It was a bucket list cruise and I loved every single minute. 

[BlackberryGirl]

More Amish...yesterday I had to go to the nearby “city” to see our insurance agent. I stopped at a quickee mart to get a coffee and waited to pay for it while the cashier served an Amish man 9 slices of pizza.  He took the pizza outside where he and 3 young guys stood and ate.  They were working on a big old house about a block away. The boys ranged from 14 or so to maybe 21, and the kid who looked 21 was starting a beard, so he was married. Nice guy, greeted me and apologized for making me wait. Told him it was no big deal.

 

[clueliss]

I went to the bank to deposit a check ($$ too large for my bank's app) and had to wait for an Amish/Mennonite man head of me.  

[BlackberryGirl]

I was getting gas this morning and a pickup truck pulled up to the pump next to me. On the door in small print was ”Mennonite Amish Disaster Relief.” Nothing flashy or flamboyant, just the name and the DOT number. They, unlike ALERT, get things done.

 

[neuroticcat]

I agree. I’m fascinated by Amish subculture. 

One thing I admire is their hard work and communal support. It comes st the cost of individuality but there is nothing fake or lazy about it!

[smittykins]

A Catholic church in my area is offering Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University classes.  Isn’t that similar to what the Duggars used to go debt-free? 

Edited January 15, 2020 by smittykins

[clueliss]

Dave Ramsey is rather mainstream.  

[EyesOpen]

On 1/15/2020 at 12:12 PM, smittykins said:

A Catholic church in my area is offering Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University classes.  Isn’t that similar to what the Duggars used to go debt-free? 

The Duggar’s did something different; I think it was Jim Simmons or something... but the concept of debt free is pretty universal and they Both point to a Bible Verse about the debtor being slave to the lender. My husband and I tried the total money make over. Pretty good program. We fell off the wagon though.

[Red Hair, Black Dress]

A sort-of-fundie sighting on a cruise! 

Mr Dress and I have just return from a cruise in the lower (tropical) Caribbean. There was a group of 4 (middle-aged) Mennonite couples on board traveling together. Definitely Mennonite in dress -- women in mid-calf dresses all the same style, hair in buns , net caps, and sturdy flat shoes or tennis shoes; men in jeans, plaid shirts, suspenders and work boots. A couple of the men had beards.

They all sat together at every meal and generally kept to themselves, but would smile  and say hello if you greeted them in passing.

Not a group I'd expect to see cruising.

[Marmion]

On 1/20/2020 at 5:21 PM, Red Hair, Black Dress said:

A sort-of-fundie sighting on a cruise! 

Mr Dress and I have just return from a cruise in the lower (tropical) Caribbean. There was a group of 4 (middle-aged) Mennonite couples on board traveling together. Definitely Mennonite in dress -- women in mid-calf dresses all the same style, hair in buns , net caps, and sturdy flat shoes or tennis shoes; men in jeans, plaid shirts, suspenders and work boots. A couple of the men had beards.

They all sat together at every meal and generally kept to themselves, but would smile  and say hello if you greeted them in passing.

Not a group I'd expect to see cruising.

There are a number of such Mennonites , and even Amish , who vacation some ways away from where they usually reside .  For example , here is a video made by a Mennonite YouTuber 

And speaking of Amish , yesterday an Amish man , who my father knows and works with , brought us a care package he collected , in the aftermath of my father's recent surgery .  So I have seen firsthand just how thoughtful , and generous they can be to those they get to know . 

 

[Marly]

How are Mennonites, especially those like Megan from the video, different from conservative/fundy Christians, apart from the headcovering? For instance: she wears more modern clothing than the headcovering sisters from the 7 farmgirl sisters do, and they are not Mennonite. They also seem to use electricity. 

[clueliss]

There are different types/orders of Mennonite (and Amish).  And to confuse things there are more modern Mennonite that you wouldn't be able to differentiate from anyone else.  I have an extended family member who goes to a Mennonite church.  You wouldn't know she was any different than mainstream 'normal' Christians if you looked at her.  

[neuroticcat]

I think some of the values cross over like strict gender roles. But others don’t. Mennonites are often pacifists and less likely to be pro government. Many Amish/Mennonites are conscientious protestors, don’t vote, receive SS, etc. So remaining apart from the world is a value to them (vs. forcibly converting everyone). They also value the community over individuals and place great importance on humility and simple quiet living. Often they are involved with humanitarian missionary relief work overseas. Also I believe some Mennonites/Amish practice birth control.

Those sects were born out of the Anabaptist movement post reformation so their theology is distinct and maintains a specific culture.

Fundamentalism was born out of a reaction to modernity and secular thought so they overlap in some ways but have very different roots. 

[Marmion]

16 hours ago, Marly said:

How are Mennonites, especially those like Megan from the video, different from conservative/fundy Christians, apart from the headcovering? For instance: she wears more modern clothing than the headcovering sisters from the 7 farmgirl sisters do, and they are not Mennonite. They also seem to use electricity. 

I think it best to let Megan Fox speak for herself , for the most part at least .  

As to the question of Mennonites , in relation to fundamentalism . Mennonites , not counting Amish -Mennonites , such as the Beachy , range from , on most conservative end ,  the Conservative Mennonite Conference , and on the most liberal end , the Mennonite Church U.S.A.  And while I can see how people could confuse her for being a Conservative Holiness woman , one of the questioners in the above video seemed to , due to her apparent adherence to the principle of " outward holiness " ,  such plain dress   is not exclusive to such  sects in particular, but rather it is  widespread across various faith traditions , some which could be considered by some to be cults , but certainly not all , by any means .  So as the old adage says , you can't judge a book by its cover .  Plus , a number of more conservative Anabaptists have actually spoken out against what they consider to be fundamentalism .  http://mennoworld.org/2015/03/23/news/conservative-anabaptists-reject-fundamentalism/  

[FiveAcres]

15 hours ago, Marmion said:

I think it best to let Megan Fox speak for herself , for the most part at least .  

As to the question of Mennonites , in relation to fundamentalism . Mennonites , not counting Amish -Mennonites , such as the Beachy , range from , on most conservative end ,  the Conservative Mennonite Conference , and on the most liberal end , the Mennonite Church U.S.A.  And while I can see how people could confuse her for being a Conservative Holiness woman , one of the questioners in the above video seemed to , due to her apparent adherence to the principle of " outward holiness " ,  such plain dress   is not exclusive to such  sects in particular, but rather it is  widespread across various faith traditions , some which could be considered by some to be cults , but certainly not all , by any means .  So as the old adage says , you can't judge a book by its cover .  Plus , a number of more conservative Anabaptists have actually spoken out against what they consider to be fundamentalism .  http://mennoworld.org/2015/03/23/news/conservative-anabaptists-reject-fundamentalism/  

For several years, I volunteered as a driver of a short bus for a county / federal funded program to give low priced lunches to seniors. (The program is funded by the same agency that does Meals on Wheels.) The program was housed in a Mennonite Church. So I was astonished when I went to the "thank the volunteers" dinner and the associate pastor, who was female, offered up a brief prayer before the meal. I thought all Mennonites were too patriarchal to have female pastors.

Edited January 29, 2020 by FiveAcres

[Marmion]

9 minutes ago, FiveAcres said:

For several years, I volunteered as a driver of a short bus for a county / federal funded program to give low priced lunches to seniors. (The program is funded by the same agency that does Meals on Wheels.) The program was housed in a Mennonite Church. So I was astonished when I went to the "thank the volunteers" dinner and the associate pastor, who was female, offered up a brief prayer before the meal. I thought all Mennonites were too patriarchal to have female pastors.

Like I posted , it depends on the particular church .  Now , Megan Fox stated that her's doesn't believe in having women preach .  However , the Mennonite Church U.S.A.  might .  http://mennoniteusa.org/what-we-do/peacebuilding/women-in-leadership-project/  , 

Quote

In all three of the major Anabaptist Mennonite denominations (Mennonite, Brethren in Christ, and Mennonite Brethren), women serve as pastors in various roles.  My tradition, the Mennonite Brethren, may be the most restrictive of the three groups.  I personally am an egalitarian, which is a view shared by every professor at our denominational seminary, but if memory serves me correctly… we still don’t ordain women.  We license them as pastors, but not ordain women yet.  Not sure why this is.  Nevertheless, the Mennonite movements tend to be fairly open to women in leadership, if not completely open.

Amish and some other Anabaptist groups do not share an egalitarian view.

https://rachelheldevans.com/blog/ask-a-mennonite-response , http://www.mennoworld.org/archived/2013/11/11/some-female-ministers-didnt-wait-ordination/  

[wakeamy]

Another note regarding Amish...their religion often revolves around what they can and cannot get away with. They thrive on figuring out how to get around rules like no electricity, no media, etc. (you can have a phone in the barn, or even go so far as to have a hidden room in your house the bishop can’t find where you can listen to your football game on a radio). I feel that Mennonites can be much more true to their faith and actually care about what they do rather than just following years and years of tradition and getting around the rules. The other thing about Amish is every bishop/church makes its own rules. Some bishops may allow a phone in the barn, no problem. Some stricter sects of Amish do not allow shoes to be worn unless there is multiple inches of snow on the ground. (I.e. Must go barefoot everywhere) These sects of Amish also tend to do very shoddy work and are very dirty. 

[Jasmar]

My ex-MIL’s stepmother grew up very conservative Mennonite. She married my ex-GIL at the age of 50, as a virgin (this was spoken of with great, shining admiration within the family), and began following his batshit-crazy Brother Branham fundie holiness crap. XGIL felt he needed a virgin, if he were to remarry following his first wife’s early death from cancer, because he was a preacher.

[Pecansforeveryone]

@Jasmar, oh that is an interesting fundie cross-over! Pentocastal Holiness types can very loud, flashy, and emotional in their worship so I have to wonder what that was like for someone raised Mennonite. 

[Jasmar]

The Branham holiness followers in my ex’s family were all very subdued. Intense, irrational, driven, utterly convinced of the correctness of their beliefs, but not Pentecostal-flavored.

[FeministShrew]

So there was a group of god-botherers grifting in front of Bilo just now as I drove to the bank. No masks, no gloves, no hand sanitizer in sight, just a table at each entrance & several people giving out tracts, selling T-shirts, and asking for money.

A quick Google search shows that they're a sketchy "faith-based recovery ministry" out of Knoxville, Tennessee, that basically practices pray-away-the-addiction. They only have a Facebook page with very little information.

How & why are they in Greenville, SC, begging during a pandemic?
 

Also, I ordered something from Joann's Monday for curbside pickup, and got the text Wednesday at 3:30 that it was ready, so Mr. Shrew went by on his way home from work. It wasn't really ready, which is aggravating, but Mr. Shrew said the elderly man keeping the customer count at the door was very nice & apologetic.
There were several people in masks & gloves waiting for their turn to go in (only 10 people allowed at one time), and while the attendant was talking to Mr. Shrew this woman walks up, bypasses the line, and starts to walk right in.
The man stopped her & told her nicely that she had to wait in line because of the restrictions, and she blew up! Robert said she was acting like she didn't know about the pandemic or any restrictions. She kept saying she was going to write her senator, lol, and kept trying to walk in.
Then she said, "All these people are getting sick because they don't love Jesus." And kept trying to walk past the guy.
So the man is standing between her & the door with his hands up and says, "I'm sorry, ma'm, you can't go in yet, even if you love Jesus."
At that point Mr. Shrew drove away. I'd like to imagine someone called the cops on her ignorant ass.