Europe: Re-Evangelizing?

Christian ethics and theology with an Anabaptist perspective
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Josh
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Re: Europe: Re-Evangelizing?

Post by Josh »

MaxPC wrote:These answers are helpful. Thank you.

Catholic families tend to be attached to European roots/places, even those where their families were persecuted and martyred. I wondered if there was a similar attachment among the Anabaptists.
Catholic martyrdom? Was that some huge thing?
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Valerie
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Re: Europe: Re-Evangelizing?

Post by Valerie »

Josh wrote:
MaxPC wrote:These answers are helpful. Thank you.

Catholic families tend to be attached to European roots/places, even those where their families were persecuted and martyred. I wondered if there was a similar attachment among the Anabaptists.
Catholic martyrdom? Was that some huge thing?
The first 3 centuries of Christianity, so yes!
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MaxPC
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Re: Europe: Re-Evangelizing?

Post by MaxPC »

Valerie wrote:
Josh wrote:
MaxPC wrote:These answers are helpful. Thank you.

Catholic families tend to be attached to European roots/places, even those where their families were persecuted and martyred. I wondered if there was a similar attachment among the Anabaptists.
Catholic martyrdom? Was that some huge thing?
The first 3 centuries of Christianity, so yes!
More than that: it's ongoing and continues today with priests and faithful "disappearing", being tortured and martyred in China, the Middle East, and many other places around the world.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Categor ... ic_martyrs
All Christians have and are suffering martyrdom. Catholics are one of many denominations.
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MattY
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Re: Europe: Re-Evangelizing?

Post by MattY »

Josh wrote:
MaxPC wrote:These answers are helpful. Thank you.

Catholic families tend to be attached to European roots/places, even those where their families were persecuted and martyred. I wondered if there was a similar attachment among the Anabaptists.
Catholic martyrdom? Was that some huge thing?
"Faith of our Fathers" was written by a Catholic man from England - it references persecution, e.g. "dungeon, fire, and sword". (The original third verse, obviously skipped by Protestants and Anabaptists: "Faith of our Fathers! Mary's prayers / Shall win our country back to thee / And through the truth that comes from God / Our land shall then indeed be free").

Every major historic denomination probably has had martyrs, and has a feeling about martyrdom as part of its history, which shapes its sense of identity. Some of course more than others, like the Anabaptists. But any religion has martyrs, so that's not that remarkable. I've seen a quote somewhere, I think from Charles Spurgeon, about the true test of a religion not being the existence of martyrs, but rather whether it will persecute others when it has the opportunity to do so.
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Joy
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Re: Europe: Re-Evangelizing?

Post by Joy »

Josh wrote:Birthplace? My birthplace where I had the New Birth was Hartville, Ohio. And that's where I continue to focus on trying to live and share the good news.
Well, bless your Hart, Josh. :) And I think God is doing that, with both spellings!
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temporal1
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Re: Europe: Re-Evangelizing?

Post by temporal1 »

on MD, there were various members in Europe wanting to have Anabaptist groups available.
but, that is also true in the U.S. and some other countries, too.

for a short while, one interesting member was in Moscow! i believe he+sully were in private contact. i'm not sure if anyone continues contact with him. sullymusic passed away, and is missed.

i have wondered, similar to your questions.

Europe is in acute change right now, following decades of lukewarm faith. i do wonder what will transpire .. knowing the power of God's Will, i would not be certain Mennonites might not find a strong foothold there! anything is possible. if it's God's Will, it will be.

the Amish need room to grow! 8-)
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temporal1
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Re: Europe: Re-Evangelizing?

Post by temporal1 »

buckeyematt2 wrote: .. Every major historic denomination probably has had martyrs, and has a feeling about martyrdom as part of its history, which shapes its sense of identity.
Some of course more than others, like the Anabaptists.

But any religion has martyrs, so that's not that remarkable.
I've seen a quote somewhere, I think from Charles Spurgeon, about the true test of a religion not being the existence of martyrs, but rather whether it will persecute others when it has the opportunity to do so.
good point. i wasn't thinking of that, but, i wonder why?
i see reports of priests being murdered NOW-CURRENTLY in Mexico, the Middle East, and other places. just today, i saw a piece i have not yet read, on priests being murdered in WWII concentration camps.
some reports are of nuns, some of other Christians, Orthodox, etc., but many are Catholic. of course, Catholics have a big outreach in other countries, even hostile places, places in poverty and unrest, so, by numbers, presently, this is the case.

now, Mennonites are also in hostile locations. Catholics have numbers. (i think.)

recently, i read something on Christians as "most persecuted," i just found this surprising piece on that (i avoid HuffPo "like the plague.")
Christianity, The most persecuted religion
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kelly-jam ... 02644.html
.. But Christians in the U.S. are rank amateurs compared to the Muslim persecution of Christians in the Middle East ..
i admit, i never had the most remote thought that beheadings, and other public displays of torture+murder, would become commonplace in daily news, or "expected" on U.S. soil.
until recent years, the very idea was hard to imagine, these were thought to be matters from old history, not to return.
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Most or all of this drama, humiliation, wasted taxpayer money could be spared -
with even modest attempt at presenting balanced facts from the start.


”We’re all just walking each other home.”
UNKNOWN
Valerie
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Re: Europe: Re-Evangelizing?

Post by Valerie »

buckeyematt2 wrote:
Josh wrote:
MaxPC wrote:These answers are helpful. Thank you.

Catholic families tend to be attached to European roots/places, even those where their families were persecuted and martyred. I wondered if there was a similar attachment among the Anabaptists.
Catholic martyrdom? Was that some huge thing?
"Faith of our Fathers" was written by a Catholic man from England - it references persecution, e.g. "dungeon, fire, and sword". (The original third verse, obviously skipped by Protestants and Anabaptists: "Faith of our Fathers! Mary's prayers / Shall win our country back to thee / And through the truth that comes from God / Our land shall then indeed be free").

Every major historic denomination probably has had martyrs, and has a feeling about martyrdom as part of its history, which shapes its sense of identity. Some of course more than others, like the Anabaptists. But any religion has martyrs, so that's not that remarkable. I've seen a quote somewhere, I think from Charles Spurgeon, about the true test of a religion not being the existence of martyrs, but rather whether it will persecute others when it has the opportunity to do so.
Millions of Christians were martyred in Russia last century, most of them Orthodox. Presently, their is a larger amount of martyrs in the middle east, reportedly the largest amount of martyrs from the history of the Church, most of these would be Orthodox & Catholic from what i have heard on Christian radio-
My former denomination/movement Pentecostalism, has never experienced martyrdom, maybe some in the middle east I am not sure-mixed in with the others, but the faith of those being martyred today is astounding me. Encouraging. I grieve over how they are martyred but rejoice in their faith. It humbles me a great deal.
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RZehr
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Re: Europe: Re-Evangelizing?

Post by RZehr »

In the Salafist website, ‘Guardians of the Faith’, you can read that Muslims are superior to Egypt’s Coptic Christians because “Being a Muslim girl whose role models are the wives of the Prophet, who were required to wear the hijab, is better than being a Christian girl, whose role models are whores” and “Being a Muslim who fights to defend his honor and his faith is better than being a Christian who steals, rapes, and kills children.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kelly-jam ... 02644.html
If the "Christians" are pro war and bombing in the Middle East and "Christians" are what the Middle East sees coming out of Hollywood, I can't expect them to hold a high view of "Christians". Similarly, when Americans see violence from them we hold a low opinion of them as well.
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Peregrino
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Re: Europe: Re-Evangelizing?

Post by Peregrino »

ohio jones wrote:
We would have to grab enough land to grow our own food at least, as expen$iv€ as that is in Switzerland. Fortunately we would no longer be restricted to owning land above certain elevations.
Do you think they'd let us have "our" reservation back again? I've heard that the boundary stones that they used to keep us in our place are still there. A mountaintop Swiss chalet doesn't sound so bad anymore in modern times with modern conveniences.

I have heard folks who have visited Europe say that the reasons we left still exist and they don't see it possible for us to go back anytime soon. Apparently the European governments are very involved in their citizens' lives and there is little openness to letting a "different" group of people coexist in their midst.

Although, I believe the Beachys have something going in Belgium, if I recall correctly.
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