I think an affiliation should reflect where you feel comfortable going to church today, what denomination/group is closest to you.
I have noticed a lot of ethnic Mennonites still think of themselves as Mennonite in a way and describe themselves as "ex-Amish" or "ex-conservative Mennonite", etc. - I don't think describes an affiliation at all. Most people don't define themselves by "I am not this thing that I used to be". That is uniquely an ethnic Anabaptist thing to do.
Affiliation
- Josh
- Posts: 24550
- Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2016 6:23 pm
- Location: 1000' ASL
- Affiliation: The church of God
Re: Affiliation
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- Posts: 4681
- Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2016 5:43 pm
- Location: Holmes County, Ohio
- Affiliation: Gospel Haven
Re: Affiliation
I had a friend in Bible college who emphasized that he was "ex-Lutheran", using the Greek word ek, 'out of'.Josh wrote: ↑Thu Sep 16, 2021 12:56 pm I think an affiliation should reflect where you feel comfortable going to church today, what denomination/group is closest to you.
I have noticed a lot of ethnic Mennonites still think of themselves as Mennonite in a way and describe themselves as "ex-Amish" or "ex-conservative Mennonite", etc. - I don't think describes an affiliation at all. Most people don't define themselves by "I am not this thing that I used to be". That is uniquely an ethnic Anabaptist thing to do.
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Congregation: Gospel Haven Mennonite Fellowship, Benton, Ohio (Holmes Co.) a split from Beachy-Amish Mennonite.
Personal heritage & general theological viewpoint: conservative Mennonite Brethren.
Personal heritage & general theological viewpoint: conservative Mennonite Brethren.
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- Posts: 400
- Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2016 4:33 pm
- Location: South Central PA
- Affiliation: Unaffiliated Menno
Re: Affiliation
I agree that an affiliation should reflect where you are today, but I also believe those raised Mennonite or Amish retain fragments of the worldview in which they were raised no matter how hard they try to run away from it.Josh wrote: ↑Thu Sep 16, 2021 12:56 pm I think an affiliation should reflect where you feel comfortable going to church today, what denomination/group is closest to you.
I have noticed a lot of ethnic Mennonites still think of themselves as Mennonite in a way and describe themselves as "ex-Amish" or "ex-conservative Mennonite", etc. - I don't think describes an affiliation at all. Most people don't define themselves by "I am not this thing that I used to be". That is uniquely an ethnic Anabaptist thing to do.
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- Posts: 16532
- Joined: Thu Jun 13, 2019 12:02 am
- Location: Washington State
- Affiliation: former MCUSA
Re: Affiliation
Not really. I bet there are 100x more ex-Catholics out there than ex-Amish or ex-Mennonite.Josh wrote: ↑Thu Sep 16, 2021 12:56 pm I think an affiliation should reflect where you feel comfortable going to church today, what denomination/group is closest to you.
I have noticed a lot of ethnic Mennonites still think of themselves as Mennonite in a way and describe themselves as "ex-Amish" or "ex-conservative Mennonite", etc. - I don't think describes an affiliation at all. Most people don't define themselves by "I am not this thing that I used to be". That is uniquely an ethnic Anabaptist thing to do.
My wife is ex-Catholic, but her world-view is still very much influenced by 12 years of Catholic school education followed by four years at a Catholic university and a youth and young-adulthood spent attending Catholic mass as well as the fact that her whole extended family and circle of friends is at least nominally Catholic. So every wedding, funeral, and high holiday like Christmas is always going to have a Catholic accent. You don’t shed all of that quite so easily.
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A fool can throw out more questions than a wise man can answer. -RZehr
- Josh
- Posts: 24550
- Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2016 6:23 pm
- Location: 1000' ASL
- Affiliation: The church of God
Re: Affiliation
Yeah really. Lots of people were raised Catholic. I can count on one hand the number of people I've known who describe themselves as "ex-Catholic" (which is hundreds of people, I'd guess, out of the people I know) to the same degree people readily describe themselves as ex-Amish or ex-plain.Ken wrote: ↑Thu Sep 16, 2021 1:22 pmNot really. I bet there are 100x more ex-Catholics out there than ex-Amish or ex-Mennonite.Josh wrote: ↑Thu Sep 16, 2021 12:56 pm I think an affiliation should reflect where you feel comfortable going to church today, what denomination/group is closest to you.
I have noticed a lot of ethnic Mennonites still think of themselves as Mennonite in a way and describe themselves as "ex-Amish" or "ex-conservative Mennonite", etc. - I don't think describes an affiliation at all. Most people don't define themselves by "I am not this thing that I used to be". That is uniquely an ethnic Anabaptist thing to do.
My wife is ex-Catholic, but her world-view is still very much influenced by 12 years of Catholic school education followed by four years at a Catholic university and a youth and young-adulthood spent attending Catholic mass as well as the fact that her whole extended family and circle of friends is at least nominally Catholic. So every wedding, funeral, and high holiday like Christmas is always going to have a Catholic accent. You don’t shed all of that quite so easily.
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- Posts: 16532
- Joined: Thu Jun 13, 2019 12:02 am
- Location: Washington State
- Affiliation: former MCUSA
Re: Affiliation
I guess you just don’t move in ex-Catholic circles then. Because it is exceedingly common and I hear people use the term all the time. People write books about it. For example, here is a Philadelphia Enquirer article about ex-Catholics: https://www.inquirer.com/news/independe ... 90422.html
The Roman Catholic Church is still the biggest religious institution in the United States — and the world, with about 1.3 billion adherents, according to the Vatican. But fewer and fewer Americans are identifying as Catholic. The clergy sex-abuse scandals, conversion to other faiths, and declining religiosity in general all play a role, according to polls. A Pew study found that between 2007 and 2014, the Catholic Church lost more members than any other religious institution, by a wide margin.
“If ex-Catholic was a religion, it’d be the third-largest in the United States,” said Julie Byrne, a professor of religion at Hofstra University whose book, The Other Catholics: Remaking America’s Largest Religion, explores independent catholicism.
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A fool can throw out more questions than a wise man can answer. -RZehr
- Josh
- Posts: 24550
- Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2016 6:23 pm
- Location: 1000' ASL
- Affiliation: The church of God
Re: Affiliation
Yeah, as a matter of fact, I do. I've sometimes found out virtually every person in my workplace was ex-Catholic. None of them wore it like an identity.Ken wrote: ↑Thu Sep 16, 2021 3:23 pm I guess you just don’t move in ex-Catholic circles then. Because it is exceedingly common and I hear people use the term all the time. People write books about it. For example, here is a Philadelphia Enquirer article about ex-Catholics: https://www.inquirer.com/news/independe ... 90422.html
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Re: Affiliation
man... I might as well write ex-navy... I think this ex stuff is ridiculous and missing the point
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Soloist, but I hate singing alone
Soloist, but my wife posts with me
Soloist, but I believe in community
Soloist, but I want God in the pilot seat
Soloist, but my wife posts with me
Soloist, but I believe in community
Soloist, but I want God in the pilot seat
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- Posts: 9177
- Joined: Sat Oct 22, 2016 9:09 pm
- Location: Former full time RVers
- Affiliation: PlainRomanCatholic
- Contact:
Re: Affiliation
Indeed. The only time I see it used as an identity or when articles are written, is because of axe-grinding. They are making a political point, usually homosexuality and homosexual "unions" or abortion; both of which the Catholic Church at large condemns as immoral and abomination.Josh wrote: ↑Thu Sep 16, 2021 4:00 pmYeah, as a matter of fact, I do. I've sometimes found out virtually every person in my workplace was ex-Catholic. None of them wore it like an identity.Ken wrote: ↑Thu Sep 16, 2021 3:23 pm I guess you just don’t move in ex-Catholic circles then. Because it is exceedingly common and I hear people use the term all the time. People write books about it. For example, here is a Philadelphia Enquirer article about ex-Catholics: https://www.inquirer.com/news/independe ... 90422.html
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Max (Plain Catholic)
Mt 24:35
Proverbs 18:2 A fool does not delight in understanding but only in revealing his own mind.
1 Corinthians 3:19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God
Mt 24:35
Proverbs 18:2 A fool does not delight in understanding but only in revealing his own mind.
1 Corinthians 3:19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God