Mennonite Morality
Moral values are very high among the Holdemans, Kleine Gemeinde, Beachy Amish, and Old Order Mennonites. However, upholding the reputation of good morale has become almost like a style of living for many of the KG and Old Order. I'll explain more later.
The Old Colony Mennonites from north Belize are another kettle of fish altogether. Spiritual life and morale are a mistery to most of them. Living among many of them is like living inside a typical lower class Belizean home. The shower is outside, you splash through mud to reach the outhouse, little naked children in the backyard, mothers screaming at their children and slapping them, fathers whipping their boys severely, and husband and wife speaking harshly to each other. Some of the men and boys drink, smoke daily, fight and use rough language during work. Now this is not said to give a negative view of them; it is simply a way of life. There are still the quiet, conscientious families here and there.
The Old Order (Hoover) Mennonites of central Belize are traditional, just like the Old Colonists, yet their belief system centers more around intentionalism rather than traditionalism. They don't want to be known as a culture or ethnic group, but to be recognized as conservative, peaceful and spiritually minded Christians. Keeping up the reputation of being calm, nonresistant and hardworking people has in a way, to some degree, crowded out true spiritual life for many. In other words as long as you dress accordingly and behave accordingly you're doing good. An old farmer told me once he never used pesticides or other chemicals in his crops he brought to sell. He said his conscience would bother him knowing his customers were consuming chemicals because of him. Quite the opposite of the Old Colonists !! You will still find a few of these men falling prey to the vices of alcohol and tobacco, though quite rare.
The Kleine Gemeinde not only teach their children integrity and other moral values, a lot of them seem to take pride in keeping that reputation. Not drinking alcohol, smoking, committing adultery, watching TV, and stealing seems to create an atmoshpere of superiority. I overheard the following conversation at an electronics store in Spanish Lookout:
Mennonite man. "Miss, I brought back an Iphone that you sold me yesterday."
Sales girl. " What's wrong with it?"
Mennonite man. "Nothing, you see, I paid for a simple $80 Cricket. But you took the wrong item from the shelf and placed it in my shopping bag. When I got home I noticed it was a $1,000 Iphone. So because I'm a Mennonite, I'm honest and came to return the Iphone."
The Hispanic salesgirl looked unimpressed. She, like me, had most likely lived a big part of her life surrounded by KG Mennonites. While having a good name is better than riches, the KG have found a way to do both together. It's a good thing to follow Biblical values, but when keeping these values creates isolation and barriers between them and the rest of the country, even from other Mennonite groups, it has become a sort of legalism or cultural discrimination in my opinion. To a conservative KG, being stingy with a worker's paycheck is a way of saving money, yet if that same worker picks up an old plastic bucket from the junk pile and carries it home, the KG will call it stealing. Also, if the KG finds money on the yard, he will ask the workers in order to find the right owner and return it. Admirable trait. Not so admirable is the fact that having high standards has caused many to look down on rough-bred, low income Mennonites, Hispanics and blacks. Admittedly, it has frustrated me and disturbed me to see this. Also disturbing is the noticeable preference given to white-skinned North Americans in jobs and business matters.
Not to discourage you though, when you read other articles about the warmth and friendliness of the Mennonites in Spanish Lookout and Blue Creek, it is 95% true. There is also a 95% chance it was written by a light skinned person. Do they believe white-skinned Americans have better values and practice integrity and true respect? Or because their community resembles Canada and the US in its paved roads, regulations and tax system? I prefer not to discuss it. On the positive side, they, more than any other Mennonite group, have contributed extensively to the country in creating industries thus opening up a need for laborers from across the country. It was due to their dedication, honesty, committment, and abstinence from vices that helped their community become so prosperous. Of course, they have their black sheep too, but those are quietly ignored, or they're quietly pushed out of the colony by the leading men. The more religious leaders also look around to find out if any couple is living together without being married and ask them to leave the community or get married.
Such a united community does not mean everyone is equal in status. Later on in this blog I'll explain it.
The Old Colony Mennonites from north Belize are another kettle of fish altogether. Spiritual life and morale are a mistery to most of them. Living among many of them is like living inside a typical lower class Belizean home. The shower is outside, you splash through mud to reach the outhouse, little naked children in the backyard, mothers screaming at their children and slapping them, fathers whipping their boys severely, and husband and wife speaking harshly to each other. Some of the men and boys drink, smoke daily, fight and use rough language during work. Now this is not said to give a negative view of them; it is simply a way of life. There are still the quiet, conscientious families here and there.
The Old Order (Hoover) Mennonites of central Belize are traditional, just like the Old Colonists, yet their belief system centers more around intentionalism rather than traditionalism. They don't want to be known as a culture or ethnic group, but to be recognized as conservative, peaceful and spiritually minded Christians. Keeping up the reputation of being calm, nonresistant and hardworking people has in a way, to some degree, crowded out true spiritual life for many. In other words as long as you dress accordingly and behave accordingly you're doing good. An old farmer told me once he never used pesticides or other chemicals in his crops he brought to sell. He said his conscience would bother him knowing his customers were consuming chemicals because of him. Quite the opposite of the Old Colonists !! You will still find a few of these men falling prey to the vices of alcohol and tobacco, though quite rare.
The Kleine Gemeinde not only teach their children integrity and other moral values, a lot of them seem to take pride in keeping that reputation. Not drinking alcohol, smoking, committing adultery, watching TV, and stealing seems to create an atmoshpere of superiority. I overheard the following conversation at an electronics store in Spanish Lookout:
Mennonite man. "Miss, I brought back an Iphone that you sold me yesterday."
Sales girl. " What's wrong with it?"
Mennonite man. "Nothing, you see, I paid for a simple $80 Cricket. But you took the wrong item from the shelf and placed it in my shopping bag. When I got home I noticed it was a $1,000 Iphone. So because I'm a Mennonite, I'm honest and came to return the Iphone."
The Hispanic salesgirl looked unimpressed. She, like me, had most likely lived a big part of her life surrounded by KG Mennonites. While having a good name is better than riches, the KG have found a way to do both together. It's a good thing to follow Biblical values, but when keeping these values creates isolation and barriers between them and the rest of the country, even from other Mennonite groups, it has become a sort of legalism or cultural discrimination in my opinion. To a conservative KG, being stingy with a worker's paycheck is a way of saving money, yet if that same worker picks up an old plastic bucket from the junk pile and carries it home, the KG will call it stealing. Also, if the KG finds money on the yard, he will ask the workers in order to find the right owner and return it. Admirable trait. Not so admirable is the fact that having high standards has caused many to look down on rough-bred, low income Mennonites, Hispanics and blacks. Admittedly, it has frustrated me and disturbed me to see this. Also disturbing is the noticeable preference given to white-skinned North Americans in jobs and business matters.
Not to discourage you though, when you read other articles about the warmth and friendliness of the Mennonites in Spanish Lookout and Blue Creek, it is 95% true. There is also a 95% chance it was written by a light skinned person. Do they believe white-skinned Americans have better values and practice integrity and true respect? Or because their community resembles Canada and the US in its paved roads, regulations and tax system? I prefer not to discuss it. On the positive side, they, more than any other Mennonite group, have contributed extensively to the country in creating industries thus opening up a need for laborers from across the country. It was due to their dedication, honesty, committment, and abstinence from vices that helped their community become so prosperous. Of course, they have their black sheep too, but those are quietly ignored, or they're quietly pushed out of the colony by the leading men. The more religious leaders also look around to find out if any couple is living together without being married and ask them to leave the community or get married.
Such a united community does not mean everyone is equal in status. Later on in this blog I'll explain it.
