Would a moderate conservate Mennonite chuch (Like Beachy Amish) allow the prodigal son to be a member?

[RZehr]

That said, through the years, I've heard stories for 4 different Beachy Amish sisters in Christ who got harassed at the store by some "weirdo" men. Typically, most men would run for the hills when they see all the religious garb. However some may see the band too and leave alone. Then there are always some who do not care.

Point being we can witness to people the soundness of marriage by displaying in a public way that this woman is my wife, and I am the husband.

What is the answer to protect single women from inappropriate advances and harassment by the uncouth?

[Josh]

3: purity rings. This was a thing when I was a teenager, but it can easily make people assume that the young girl in question got married way too young, or maybe is being unfaithful if she happens to be talking to a guy who isn't wearing one, even though she's not doing anything inappropriate with them. I personally don't endorse purity rings, but I'm not going to judge someone who wants to do it and it is a nice concept.

Unfortunately, a “purity ring” is not of particular value, particularly when the wearer of one engages in immoral behaviour, which I’m sorry to say I’ve been a party to.

Every Christian should be chaste, and shouldn’t need a ring to remind them to be so.

Regarding men and women sitting next to each other in church… the proper custom in the churches of God is for men and women to sit on seperate sides, as it has been done since the time of Jesus and the apostles.

[Josh]

That said, through the years, I've heard stories for 4 different Beachy Amish sisters in Christ who got harassed at the store by some "weirdo" men. Typically, most men would run for the hills when they see all the religious garb. However some may see the band too and leave alone. Then there are always some who do not care.

Point being we can witness to people the soundness of marriage by displaying in a public way that this woman is my wife, and I am the husband.

What is the answer to protect single women from inappropriate advances and harassment by the uncouth?

More practically, a very firm “no” is often effective and is a good thing to have practiced.

[RZehr]

Might work. Does it come in black or white? Can’t have chrome.

Has head covered (completely!), solid leggings, elbows not exposed, double layered?, and no weapon.

Can’t see the ring finger to know the marriage status, so might need to expose the fourth finger on the left.

Add a shield and sword, and solidly proof text with Ephesians 6.

[Soloist]

Blackened steel, do we have any smiths among the Mennonites or is that only the Mormons?

[ohio jones]

In this symbology of the prodigal, it was a marriage. The sinner comes to God, and he adorned the sinner with "new clothes", and a ring, when they became part of the BRIDE of Christ.

That's a bit of a stretch, but if you interpret it that way every Christian, married or single, should be wearing a wedding ring as part of the bride of Christ.

[Judas Maccabeus]

I have been working around blue collar tradesman in NY for nearly 24 years and it is quite rare for them to wear wedding bands. I can think of one. Perhaps it is more of a concern of white collar people.

Rings can be a dangerous accessory around various power tools. There are all kinds of ways you can rip your finger off while wearing a ring around power tools and others sorts of accidents can be made worse while wearing a ring. Gold is a superb conductor and so wearing a ring can also make one susceptible to severe electrical shocks and burns if you are working around live wiring. Especially if you were to do something like get a live wire caught and tangled up with a wedding ring.

I never wore one either. Picking up heavy lead shielding tended to cut through one's gloves. If you are working with radioactives, you must assume you have contaminated yourself, so it is off to be monitored. A few times was enough to put the ring in the safe. My wife's joined it 10 years or so age.

[ken_sylvania]

A $10 ring would allow the world to understand that you are in a solid marriage with the person you are living your life with.

Nope, a ring is absolutely no proof that anybody is in a solid marriage.

I spent a couple days at a trade convention recently with a couple hundred people I had never met before in my life. No ring on my finger, but for some reason I had one or two people who assumed I was married and had a wife at home, and a number of others who asked me in casual conversation whether or not I was married. So I absolutely don't buy the idea that people will assume that a person without a ring is unmarried.

[Ken]

I find this whole discussion a bit curious.

I'm married going on 25 years now. My wife and I bought our simple wedding rings at Costco in Juneau Alaska which is where we were married. No fancy engagement rings, just simple gold alloy bands. Since then, my wife is happy that I wear mine because when I am out in the world and in the workplace it signals to the the world that I'm married and taken. Would women in public have responded to me differently without a ring? I honestly don't know as I never did that experiment and at this point I'm well past the point of being young and virile enough to attract attention. Likewise for my wife, wearing a ring means she gets less hassled in public and in the workplace. How much less? I don't know. But I expect it is measurable since she is attractive. And there are many attractive women who wear wedding rings or engagement rings in public even when they are not married, simply to get less attention.

I especially find it curious since even the most plain Anabaptists essentially do the same thing just with other symbols. As I recall, there are Amish groups in which women signify their marriage status by the color of covering that they wear. And men signify their marriage status by the beard that they wear. I see this as absolutely no different whatsoever. You are using symbols to provide a message to the outside world about your marriage status.

My father never wore a wedding ring for the standard Mennonite reasons but my mother did and does. I've never really asked them about it. But I expect they were mostly just going with the flow of their community and times and didn't give it a tremendous amount of thought. Which is usually the case in these sorts of things. Most people just go with the flow and don't obsess.

[ohio jones]

Ken, I've noticed you mention Costco frequently, but I had no idea you got married there.