Poll: As Conservative, Plain Mennonites, what sort of government is currently a bigger threat?

[RZehr]

It is folks on the the conservative right who are after me the most to vote, defend their candidates, not report on what the left is saying about their candidates, etc. The liberal left doesn't like my narrow applications to NT teachings but most of the time they let me alone.

I too have Republicans tell me that I/we ought to vote. They intreat you because they don’t view you as a threat, but as an ally. That’s a different kettle of fish entirely, than the liability that comes living under a militant liberal state government, and judges, and agencies.

Show me the right wing laws that are being proposed by the right which potentially are a threat. Or show me conservative values, laws and rulings that put Miller in prison.

Where one is threatened, is an indication of who one’s allies are, and which party is in power. If my ally is in power, no threat. If my foe is in power, it is a threat.
So in a Republican state, there is no threat to anyone by Democrats, because the Democrats are toothless, which leaves only a small threats from the party in power, which don’t amount to much.

If we start with the assumption that a Conservative Anabaptist life and community requires or benefits from a rural lifestyle. And that there is a reason why groups like the Amish seek out rural settings for their communities. Then we can identify a whole host of government policies (or lack of them) from both the right and left that make the pursuit of this life more difficult. And that therefore, threaten the ability of rural religious communities to survive and thrive.

Things like complete consolidation of the meat packing industry which hurts small farmers. Tax laws that encourage speculation on farmland by international investors and drives up the price of rural land. Subsidy laws that allow absentee millionaire "farmers" living on the beach in Florida to collect millions in farm subsidies intended to help and support actual farmers and also keeps the price of farmland artificially high. Land use laws that allow farmland to be gobbled up by endless suburban sprawl. Corporate consolidation of retail that makes it increasingly difficult for small towns to survive. Globalist free trade policies that make local agriculture more difficult.

None of those things are directly intended to persecute Christians. But I would argue that collectively these and other policies have a far greater impact on the ability of conservative groups to engage in their chosen rural Christian life than stuff like having to put flashing safety lights on buggies or sell wedding cakes to gay couples, or follow food safety regulations.

Rural life is disappearing in this country (especially small-scale rural life) and that disproportionately affects Christian communities that trend rural. And I would argue that the causes have been entirely bipartisan.

I don't fear this in the same way. This is change. Its not a good thing, but it isn't persecution based on beliefs. This applies to everyone, and it doesn't matter if one is Muslim, or Mennonite, or Unitarian. It impacts us all equally.

Conservatives are much more concerned if there are things that specifically target one of our core beliefs.

[Josh]

I'm the guy that voted for number 6. There are times I fear conservative groups with deep pockets.

Could you clarify where a government is run by plain, conservative Mennonites?

[steve-in-kville]

I'm the guy that voted for number 6. There are times I fear conservative groups with deep pockets.

Could you clarify where a government is run by plain, conservative Mennonites?

That question makes as much sense as "what's the difference between a duck?"

[steve-in-kville]

Seriously though. I'm more concerned about the Illuminati and the sub-terranean lizard people than I am of the federal government. Our state's government... that raises some eyebrows. Local government is pure entertainment to me.

I may throw the occasional joke out there about the existence of the Mennonite Mafia or some similar organization that may or may not actually exist. I'm not too far off in that theory

[Josh]

Seriously though. I'm more concerned about the Illuminati and the sub-terranean lizard people than I am of the federal government. Our state's government... that raises some eyebrows. Local government is pure entertainment to me.

I may throw the occasional joke out there about the existence of the Mennonite Mafia or some similar organization that may or may not actually exist. I'm not too far off in that theory

I’m a bit concerned about what our federal government may do, particularly getting us in a war and then having a draft.

[steve-in-kville]

Seriously though. I'm more concerned about the Illuminati and the sub-terranean lizard people than I am of the federal government. Our state's government... that raises some eyebrows. Local government is pure entertainment to me.

I may throw the occasional joke out there about the existence of the Mennonite Mafia or some similar organization that may or may not actually exist. I'm not too far off in that theory

I’m a bit concerned about what our federal government may do, particularly getting us in a war and then having a draft.

The threat of a draft is silly to me. The few times I've heard it preached upon was a lame attempt to keep the young men in line. Like if one gets in trouble with the law, they can't claim the "I'm non-resistant, therefore I'm against war" line.

[Josh]

Seriously though. I'm more concerned about the Illuminati and the sub-terranean lizard people than I am of the federal government. Our state's government... that raises some eyebrows. Local government is pure entertainment to me.

I may throw the occasional joke out there about the existence of the Mennonite Mafia or some similar organization that may or may not actually exist. I'm not too far off in that theory

I’m a bit concerned about what our federal government may do, particularly getting us in a war and then having a draft.

The threat of a draft is silly to me. The few times I've heard it preached upon was a lame attempt to keep the young men in line. Like if one gets in trouble with the law, they can't claim the "I'm non-resistant, therefore I'm against war" line.

Not silly to me. I would not like to see (for example) my wife drafted to go fight the Russians or the Chinese, which seems to be the direction our country is headed in.

[Bootstrap]

Looking at the poll, nobody seems to think the middle is a threat.

For good reason, I think.

So perhaps we largely agree that extremism is a threat.

[Ken]

I’m a bit concerned about what our federal government may do, particularly getting us in a war and then having a draft.

The threat of a draft is silly to me. The few times I've heard it preached upon was a lame attempt to keep the young men in line. Like if one gets in trouble with the law, they can't claim the "I'm non-resistant, therefore I'm against war" line.

Not silly to me. I would not like to see (for example) my wife drafted to go fight the Russians or the Chinese, which seems to be the direction our country is headed in.

Feel free to live in fear of your wife drafted into the marines if you want. Most of us choose to be concerned about less imaginary things.

[Josh]

The threat of a draft is silly to me. The few times I've heard it preached upon was a lame attempt to keep the young men in line. Like if one gets in trouble with the law, they can't claim the "I'm non-resistant, therefore I'm against war" line.

Not silly to me. I would not like to see (for example) my wife drafted to go fight the Russians or the Chinese, which seems to be the direction our country is headed in.

Feel free to live in fear of your wife drafted into the marines if you want. Most of us choose to be concerned about less imaginary things.

Selective Service told us to be very clear that future drafts could involve women and being married or a mother is not grounds for being exempt.

I do not consider war an “imaginary” thing. Amongst our brethren in Ukraine, they are all having to flee the country to avoid a draft, or else stay in hiding.