Mennonite protesters chant for cease fire

[steve-in-kville]

https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/ ... c134c.html

Copied here (paywalled)

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Chants of “cease-fire now” rang out in the courtyard outside U.S. Rep. Lloyd Smucker’s East Hempfield Township office Tuesday as a group of about 100 Mennonites gathered to protest American funding of the war in Gaza.

The group met at Landisville Mennonite Church and traveled unannounced to Smucker’s office shortly after 10 a.m., singing hymns, decrying the war’s casualties and calling on legislators — Smucker and beyond — to stop American funding of Israel’s military operations.

The gathering was part of a nationwide day of activism organized by Mennonite Action, a group dedicated to mobilizing Mennonites and Anabaptists across North America in opposition to Israel’s response to the Hamas' deadly raid on Israeli communities near Gaza on Oct. 7. According to Mennonite Action’s website, at least 40 other protests were held in the United States and Canada on Tuesday.

Speakers in East Hempfield included Michael George, a local first-generation Palestinian-American and coordinator of Twinning With Gaza, which connects churches to organization and people in need in Gaza; Alain Weaver, director of the Mennonite Central Committee in Akron; and Kayden Beidler, a junior at Lancaster Mennonite School. George and Weaver spoke about their contacts in and near Gaza and the toll the war has taken on those people and their families.

The protest was not directly aimed at Smucker, according to the speakers, but to American legislators with any power to end American funding of the Israel-Hamas war.

Six East Hempfield police officers arrived at the complex near the end of the protest, which lasted about an hour. Police did not noticeably interact with the protesters.

Smucker was not at his office and did not issue a statement by press time Tuesday.

[Josh]

I really wish these people would not act like they represent Mennonites, because they don’t. Most of us would never engage in these kinds of loud protests, regardless of the justice of the cause.

[MaxPC]

How do they know they are Mennonites? It might be those who dress similarly. Many times I have seen the media mislabel groups.

[Ken]

How do they know they are Mennonites? It might be those who dress similarly. Many times I have seen the media mislabel groups.

Did you read the article?

The group met at Landisville Mennonite Church and traveled unannounced to Smucker’s office shortly after 10 a.m., singing hymns, decrying the war’s casualties and calling on legislators — Smucker and beyond — to stop American funding of Israel’s military operations.

The gathering was part of a nationwide day of activism organized by Mennonite Action, a group dedicated to mobilizing Mennonites and Anabaptists across North America in opposition to Israel’s response to the Hamas' deadly raid on Israeli communities near Gaza on Oct. 7. According to Mennonite Action’s website, at least 40 other protests were held in the United States and Canada on Tuesday.

Conservative groups don't have exclusive rights to the name Mennonite.

[Ken]

I really wish these people would not act like they represent Mennonites, because they don’t. Most of us would never engage in these kinds of loud protests, regardless of the justice of the cause.

Who says they are acting like the represent all Mennonites?

They are simply a group of Mennonites who are protesting the war in Gaza. As is their right.

[Praxis+Theodicy]

Looking at the Mennonite Action website, it appears this group is very recent, and created specifically to address the violence in Gaza.

[Jazman]

As Mennos/Anabaptists of all kinds, shouldn't we all want "cease-fire's" of some kind or another? (If we truly believe that violence of any kind among human beings is not God's perfect will?) I suppose the rub comes when we feel emotional ties to one side or another in a world conflict, and have come to believe or have been convinced by something other than the Spirit/Word, that a cease-fire favors one side or the other, therefore we oppose the call for a cease-fire? And yes, "protesting" can be problematic, but being quiet can be too. It's my opinion that too many Mennos/Anabaptists stay quiet in too many situations... (Maybe there would be better ways than gathering outside an office building... but not doing anything has often been the route that I think too many of my forefathers took (not withstanding notable exceptions who wrote letters of petition, books, etc to the powers that were at the time and eventually made a difference... like the Amish who actively resisted the compulsion to go to public schools in early 70's?).
So I for one won't scorn this group, even though I may have a few quibbles...especially the question of efficacy of these kinds of things... (but I admit that's harder because I believe I personally know more than a few in this group... I think some are down the street neighbors who I know on a personal basis. I value my acquaintance with them and their challenging and/or differing perspectives on things...)
Maybe we'd be called to do it differently, but maybe we could learn something from their example?

[Ken]

Landisville Mennonite Church is an MCUSA church in suburban Lancaster County. https://landisvillemennonite.org/

It looks to me like this is something put together by some young MCUSA folks (probably HS and college age). For the Mennonite Action thing https://www.mennoniteaction.org/ it looks like they just took a generic online template from Action Network which provides generic organizing web site templates https://actionnetwork.org/ and just filled in the blanks with some Menno stuff. The don't actually list any names and provide any contact information other than an email form.

It is definitely not something coming up through any sort of official conference hierarchy or structure.

[Josh]

As Mennos/Anabaptists of all kinds, shouldn't we all want "cease-fire's" of some kind or another? (If we truly believe that violence of any kind among human beings is not God's perfect will?) I suppose the rub comes when we feel emotional ties to one side or another in a world conflict, and have come to believe or have been convinced by something other than the Spirit/Word, that a cease-fire favors one side or the other, therefore we oppose the call for a cease-fire? And yes, "protesting" can be problematic, but being quiet can be too. It's my opinion that too many Mennos/Anabaptists stay quiet in too many situations... (Maybe there would be better ways than gathering outside an office building... but not doing anything has often been the route that I think too many of my forefathers took (not withstanding notable exceptions who wrote letters of petition, books, etc to the powers that were at the time and eventually made a difference... like the Amish who actively resisted the compulsion to go to public schools in early 70's?).

There was no "active" resistance, and at one point, children were rounded up (at gun point) and placed on school buses and bussed to public schools.

The children simply sat silent the entire school session and refused to speak to the teachers. That is not "active resistance". The Amish practice non-resistance, as every Christian who follows the New Testament does.

So I for one won't scorn this group, even though I may have a few quibbles...especially the question of efficacy of these kinds of things... (but I admit that's harder because I believe I personally know more than a few in this group... I think some are down the street neighbors who I know on a personal basis. I value my acquaintance with them and their challenging and/or differing perspectives on things...)
Maybe we'd be called to do it differently, but maybe we could learn something from their example?

What can we learn from their example? That we should be busy holding ineffective, useless protests at government offices?

[MaxPC]

Looking at the Mennonite Action website, it appears this group is very recent, and created specifically to address the violence in Gaza.

Paid to protest perhaps?

What can we learn from their example? That we should be busy holding ineffective, useless protests at government offices?

The French farmers have a slightly more effective approach