Mexican Mennonites

[Franklin]

I just visited Colonia Vianna for a third time. My previous 2 trips where short and I only visited the Church of God which isn't Mennonite. Their members are former Mennonites but the roots of this church are from the Protestant Revivalist movement which emphasizes emotion. While I like this church's conservative values, their emotionalism was too much for me, so I went back on a longer trip to visit the Mennonite churches.

I visited 3 churches and they were not conservative enough for me. From what I understand of the history of American Mennonites, the more conservative churches, like the Nationwide Conference and the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, split off from the mainstream in the 1950s. Nothing like this seems to have happened with the Mexican Mennonites. The Mexican Mennonites also seem to have an equivalent of the Old Order Mennonites, but I didn't visit them and I assume such groups wouldn't fit me well.

The history of these more modern Mexican Mennonites seems to be that they were poor when they settled in Mexico but now that have become well off, so they believe in the modern world because it helped make them successful. They have no understanding of the evil of modern culture, so for example they have no restriction on their children using smartphones and other poisonous technology. At least they have the sense to reject covid vaccines and other government covid nonsense. This probably comes from having lived in Mexico where they learned not to trust the government. The end result is that Colonia Vianna is much like 1950s America - good people who are doomed because they lack resistance to evil. If they keep their current course, then in a few generations they will be degenerates like modern Americans are.

Colonia Vianna isn't a bad place, but it isn't my ideal. I would prefer to live among people who don't poison their children, either with the covid vaccine or with modern technology. But my ideal would also be for the adults to use technology for business to be successful while avoiding the harmful aspects of technology. The most conservative American Mennonite groups seem closest to this ideal.

[Sudsy]

I just visited Colonia Vianna for a third time. My previous 2 trips where short and I only visited the Church of God which isn't Mennonite. Their members are former Mennonites but the roots of this church are from the Protestant Revivalist movement which emphasizes emotion. While I like this church's conservative values, their emotionalism was too much for me, so I went back on a longer trip to visit the Mennonite churches.

I visited 3 churches and they were not conservative enough for me. From what I understand of the history of American Mennonites, the more conservative churches, like the Nationwide Conference and the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, split off from the mainstream in the 1950s. Nothing like this seems to have happened with the Mexican Mennonites. The Mexican Mennonites also seem to have an equivalent of the Old Order Mennonites, but I didn't visit them and I assume such groups wouldn't fit me well.

The history of these more modern Mexican Mennonites seems to be that they were poor when they settled in Mexico but now that have become well off, so they believe in the modern world because it helped make them successful. They have no understanding of the evil of modern culture, so for example they have no restriction on their children using smartphones and other poisonous technology. At least they have the sense to reject covid vaccines and other government covid nonsense. This probably comes from having lived in Mexico where they learned not to trust the government. The end result is that Colonia Vianna is much like 1950s America - good people who are doomed because they lack resistance to evil. If they keep their current course, then in a few generations they will be degenerates like modern Americans are.

Colonia Vianna isn't a bad place, but it isn't my ideal. I would prefer to live among people who don't poison their children, either with the covid vaccine or with modern technology. But my ideal would also be for the adults to use technology for business to be successful while avoiding the harmful aspects of technology. The most conservative American Mennonite groups seem closest to this ideal.

Is this just meant to be a statement on your journey or are you desiring some kind of input ?

[Franklin]

Is this just meant to be a statement on your journey or are you desiring some kind of input ?

I wanted to post this somewhere, and I thought that if I posted it here I would be corrected if I got anything wrong. So both. If I got anything wrong, I would appreciate being corrected.

[Ken]

Is this just meant to be a statement on your journey or are you desiring some kind of input ?

I wanted to post this somewhere, and I thought that if I posted it here I would be corrected if I got anything wrong. So both. If I got anything wrong, I would appreciate being corrected.

I have no idea if you got anything wrong as I have never been to that part of Mexico. But I kind of doubt you will find what you are looking for either in the US or abroad. You have a pretty narrow list of conflicting criteria for what you are looking for in a church community and I doubt any you find any community that entirely live up to your requirements.

[Neto]

I just visited Colonia Vianna for a third time. My previous 2 trips where short and I only visited the Church of God which isn't Mennonite. Their members are former Mennonites but the roots of this church are from the Protestant Revivalist movement which emphasizes emotion. While I like this church's conservative values, their emotionalism was too much for me, so I went back on a longer trip to visit the Mennonite churches.

I visited 3 churches and they were not conservative enough for me. From what I understand of the history of American Mennonites, the more conservative churches, like the Nationwide Conference and the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, split off from the mainstream in the 1950s. Nothing like this seems to have happened with the Mexican Mennonites. The Mexican Mennonites also seem to have an equivalent of the Old Order Mennonites, but I didn't visit them and I assume such groups wouldn't fit me well.

The history of these more modern Mexican Mennonites seems to be that they were poor when they settled in Mexico but now that have become well off, so they believe in the modern world because it helped make them successful. They have no understanding of the evil of modern culture, so for example they have no restriction on their children using smartphones and other poisonous technology. At least they have the sense to reject covid vaccines and other government covid nonsense. This probably comes from having lived in Mexico where they learned not to trust the government. The end result is that Colonia Vianna is much like 1950s America - good people who are doomed because they lack resistance to evil. If they keep their current course, then in a few generations they will be degenerates like modern Americans are.

Colonia Vianna isn't a bad place, but it isn't my ideal. I would prefer to live among people who don't poison their children, either with the covid vaccine or with modern technology. But my ideal would also be for the adults to use technology for business to be successful while avoiding the harmful aspects of technology. The most conservative American Mennonite groups seem closest to this ideal.

One does not need to be "worldly" in order to be degenerate. (These are my people, the "degenerate" side who resisted the work of the Holy Spirit. And I do not mean it to sound prideful, although I reckon it does. But each generation must make their own decision - "God has no grandchildren." It might be fortunate for many of us if He did, because then we could rest on the laurels of ancestors like Menno Simons, or Benjamin Cornelius Wedel. But God desires obedient children, not subjected grandchildren.)

[Josh]

Franklin, the Old Colonists would be closer to what you are interested in.

[Franklin]

Franklin, the Old Colonists would be closer to what you are interested in.

Do you mean in Mexico or America? And how are they closer than a conservative group like the Eastern Pennsylvania conference?

One interesting place that I visited in Mexico was a service for Mennonites with issues like drug addiction. I was surprised that most of them were Old Colonists. I asked the more modern Mennonite who took me there why this is. He said that the Old Colonists follow rules without having a deeper understanding of religion, so they are more likely to fall into something like drug addiction. I can't judge this myself.

[redoyja]

I just visited Colonia Vianna for a third time. My previous 2 trips where short and I only visited the Church of God which isn't Mennonite. Their members are former Mennonites but the roots of this church are from the Protestant Revivalist movement which emphasizes emotion. While I like this church's conservative values, their emotionalism was too much for me, so I went back on a longer trip to visit the Mennonite churches.

I visited 3 churches and they were not conservative enough for me. From what I understand of the history of American Mennonites, the more conservative churches, like the Nationwide Conference and the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, split off from the mainstream in the 1950s. Nothing like this seems to have happened with the Mexican Mennonites. The Mexican Mennonites also seem to have an equivalent of the Old Order Mennonites, but I didn't visit them and I assume such groups wouldn't fit me well.

The history of these more modern Mexican Mennonites seems to be that they were poor when they settled in Mexico but now that have become well off, so they believe in the modern world because it helped make them successful. They have no understanding of the evil of modern culture, so for example they have no restriction on their children using smartphones and other poisonous technology. At least they have the sense to reject covid vaccines and other government covid nonsense. This probably comes from having lived in Mexico where they learned not to trust the government. The end result is that Colonia Vianna is much like 1950s America - good people who are doomed because they lack resistance to evil. If they keep their current course, then in a few generations they will be degenerates like modern Americans are.

Colonia Vianna isn't a bad place, but it isn't my ideal. I would prefer to live among people who don't poison their children, either with the covid vaccine or with modern technology. But my ideal would also be for the adults to use technology for business to be successful while avoiding the harmful aspects of technology. The most conservative American Mennonite groups seem closest to this ideal.

I highly doubt you will find what you are looking for in colonia vianna, unless you are currently living there and don’t want to move. I was in the area 3 days ago and left with a sad heart at the way they work so hard to maintain their living standards at the expense of their workers. There are in my opinion better options if you are not currently a part of their culture.

[Franklin]

One does not need to be "worldly" in order to be degenerate. (These are my people, the "degenerate" side who resisted the work of the Holy Spirit. And I do not mean it to sound prideful, although I reckon it does. But each generation must make their own decision - "God has no grandchildren." It might be fortunate for many of us if He did, because then we could rest on the laurels of ancestors like Menno Simons, or Benjamin Cornelius Wedel. But God desires obedient children, not subjected grandchildren.)

My point is to have the awareness to resist those worldly influences that are clearly harmful. No set of rules is perfect, but good rules increase the probability of children turning into good adults. Electronic entertainment for children is a particularly harmful influence. Not only does this expose children to an evil culture, but it also makes children stupid. This is why even people like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs limited electronic entertainment for their children. Here are some links about this:

https://bigthink.com/health/screen-time ... 0-minutes/
https://www.businessinsider.com/screen- ... ag-2017-10
https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/wh ... h-use.html

[Josh]

Do you mean in Mexico or America? And how are they closer than a conservative group like the Eastern Pennsylvania conference?

One interesting place that I visited in Mexico was a service for Mennonites with issues like drug addiction. I was surprised that most of them were Old Colonists.

I mean in Mexico although a handful of Old Colonists do live in America. They would be much like an "Old Order" type of group, doing things like using horse and buggy, trying to stick to farming occupations, practicing worship services according to the pattern common in the early 1800s, and so forth. Eastern Pennsylvania is a different mindset. Their mindset is try to stick as closely as possible to how mainstream Mennonites were in the early 1950s.

I asked the more modern Mennonite who took me there why this is. He said that the Old Colonists follow rules without having a deeper understanding of religion, so they are more likely to fall into something like drug addiction. I can't judge this myself.

This is an opinion that more evangelical Christians tend to hold about Old Colonists and Old Orders.

Statistically speaking, evangelical Christians experience drug addiction at the same rate as the general population.