The Encyclopedia of World Religions

288 S Melanesian religion

From the 17th to the 19th centuries, many Men nonite groups immigrated to the United States and Canada. The earliest immigrants were important in the settlement of Pennsylvania. Perhaps the best known group is an offshoot called the A MISH . They separated from other Mennonites in the 1690s. At issue was how to enforce the community’s disci pline or way of life. The Amish believe that those who violate the discipline should be shunned, in other words, totally avoided. Other Mennonites find this penalty too harsh. Today, other subtle dif ferences also separate the Old Order Amish from the “plain” or most traditional Mennonites. For example, even plain Mennonites allow buttons on clothing; the Old Order Amish allow only hook and-eye fasteners. Although Mennonites have drawn up state ments of belief, they recognize the B IBLE as the only authority. Mennonite WORSHIP services tend to be simple, emphasizing reading from the Bible, preaching, and congregational singing. Menno nites sometimes celebrate the E UCHARIST or com munion in the context of a “love feast.” This involves not only eating and drinking but also washing one another’s feet in imitation of J ESUS at his last supper. In accordance with a teaching in the N EW T ESTAMENT , Mennonites have deliberately tried not to conform to the ways of the world. For some, but only for some, that has meant a rejection of modern dress and conveniences. For example, “black bumper Mennonites” have black cars with no chrome. Most Mennonites, however, nurture a life-style of simplicity and discipleship while wearing contemporary clothing and using mod ern conveniences. From the 1530s on, Mennonites have refused to carry arms, hold public office, and take oaths. That behavior has caused various governments to question their loyalty. But the tradition of pacifism and, more broadly, the desire to put the teach ings of Jesus into practice have given Mennonites a well-developed social conscience. Unlike some liberal branches of North American P ROTESTANT ISM , Mennonites have not generally tried to reform society. Instead, they have been extremely active

of Christian MYSTICISM , which were under the influ ence of Neoplatonic philosophy with its teaching that fully to experience the One the contemplative person should rise above all thought to absorption in oneness. This form of meditation can be found in Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox mysti cism in all periods. In the East, ways of stopping the stream of consciousness (or the “monkey mind” as it is sometimes called) are widely taught. The idea behind these “one-pointed concentrations” is that if the mind can be brought to rest on one object, the stream of consciousness will cease; eventu ally perhaps even that one point can be taken away. Such point of focus may be visual: a simple symbol, a candle flame; auditory, as a mantra chanted inwardly; or mental, a point of light, a picture, a word held still in the mind. The idea of this kind of meditation is to let the mind take a vacation, ceasing its activity in order to find out what it is when it is not thinking about anything in particular. According to the religious philoso phies behind such practices, that will enable it to get in touch with its true nature: BRAHMAN , Bud dhahood, G OD . Mennonites A Christian group named after Menno Simons (1496–1561), a Dutch priest. Dur ing the Protestant R EFORMATION , groups in Swit zerland and the Netherlands came to reject the practice of infant BAPTISM . They believed that only persons who were able to attest to their FAITH should be baptized and that people who had been baptized as infants should be baptized again. As a result, they were known as Anabaptists, “re-bap tizers.” Some of the earliest Anabaptists used force in trying to order society in accordance with G OD ’s commands. But by 1535 their attempts had failed. Ever since then Anabaptists have followed Menno Simons in advocating a strict separation of church and state. They are now known as Mennonites. Melanesian religion See P ACIFIC O CEAN RELIGIONS .