They do not vote, they do not use the Internet and they do not go to war. The Eastern Mennonite Community in Mendon, Mass. has come to Harvard for 38 years to preach in favor of their particular moral thread. With conservative dress that resemble the Amish, their religion is related to the Anabaptists, a sect that sprung out of the Amish population in Pennsylvania.
Mennonites live in rural settings. They are farmers and tradesmen, plumbers and feed mill operators. They have their own schools and often finish public education by the eighth grade. They do not vote, hold public office or press charges.
Hearst, the leader of the Mennonite Church adds, "We don’t have television or video games because of the deception and no Internet. We keep ourselves separate from worldly entertainments like sports. Life is centered around home and church."
Their commitment to a simple life resemble the Amish but the Mennonite community differs wholly in their interactions with the outside world. The Mennonite religious philosophy call for the conversion of non-Christians and the participation of members in public speeches and prayer. One of thees public locations is at Harvard Square. Each summer, volunteers from the community travel by bus to Cambridge in the hopes to reach out to the Boston community about the Mennonite brand of moralism and religion.
One member, Omar Wagner says, "A lot of them don’t have good morals, the values in church life, home values. There are lots of broken homes and homes that are not intact."
Indeed, one of the most prominent factors in their speeches is the phrase "One wife for life." In the Mennonite belief, family and church life are most important and divorce is a sin. Standing in rows behind a single microphone members of the community smile and sing hymns. Most of their segments they call lessons, and one lesson the Mennonites believe strongly is the commandment "Thou shall not kill"
However, church leader Leeam Hearst is adamant that in their speeches, they do not speak out against the war in Iraq.
"We are not going to preach for pacifism, we don’t cry out against war, we don’t stand in judgment against what they are doing." says Hearst.
In relation to how Bostonians react to their overall message. Hearst says, "We have had some hecklers. Some people will consent. Lots of people come to ask questions."
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