Regarding the current situation, what we are seeing here with Brenneman is a whole host of mid-twentieth century debates reprised. What I find interesting is how Mennonites have responded to this–particularly on the Jesus Radicals site and the FB site–still operating within this grid, at least in part. In other words, I’m concerned that our response to this will simply play into and reprise the old debate and therefore there will be no progress made. Also, I actually don’t think Brenneman is capable of seeing outside the old Hershberger/Burkholder debate–so responses need to be aware of all this. That’s all I’m saying.

Most people in this area, one of the hubs of Mennonitedom, simply are already enmeshed in all sorts of activities in their communities, unlike 50 years ago when the debate was whether they should take library jobs because they were city jobs backed by evil tax dollars. That would not occur to any Mennonite that I know today. Not many MCUSA Mennonites question whether Mennonites should be on the goshen city council at all (Mennonites control the city council in Goshen). Some do. I would. But that is not necessarily Neibuhrian influence. It’s more Schleitheim or something.

You would have to show where you think you a Neibuhr influence I guess. And then show that it is Neibuhr not some other past like Schleitheim.

Bluffton and Bethel, unlike Goshen College, are not actually owned by the Mennonite Church. they are “Mennonite affiliated” schools, but are not actually subject to the mennonite board of education. Those two schools are Incorporated by the towns their respective towns. not only that, but Goshen made its decision in the midst of two american wars, and a huge outcry in the goshen area about immigration. Most of the townfolks are not only patriots, but rabid racists who see the anthem as a kind of oath of loyalty that defines americans over against those immigrant brown skinned people. We’ve had cross burnings and more in the past few years around here.

Moreover, the process Goshen went through was not really a dialogue. The Presidents council did everything the other side said they would not want done, including a prayer afterward. Most of us thought the thing was for show, to show the neighbors how much we care, and then we’d go back to our own thing. Most students and faculty, most Mennonite in the area are very much against this move. They woudl be okay with some kind of other song. I would personally suggest that we pass out Kazoos to everyone before the game and we can all play the anthem on the kazoos. wouldn’t that be awesome!

this does not come out of nowhere. Brenneman is stuck in debates that were happening 50 years ago with his rhetoric of “yes” and “no.” Most Mennonites are nowhere near that debate. Now it is a matter of discernment, not a matter of whether we participate in things but how and when.

Sigglekow is right about Neibuhr, but it is an old debate that is really not relevant to Mennonites any longer.

I’m really, really, really uncomfortable with the fact that the president of the college “gave a chapel message in which he hoped to move Goshen from “a culture of dissent” to “a culture of assent.”” and “stated that the early Anabaptists who died resisting such things as military service, church/state union and jingoistic songs like the national anthem were “perfectionists” who were on the side of dissent rather than the institutions who could put their beliefs into wider practice. They were part of “dissent standing outside the systems of the world” and for this Brenneman derisively called them “naysayers.”” (http://www.jesusradicals.com/goshen-college-hurts-the-church/)

I think I’m going to sign the petition now.

To suggest, as I fear Andy Alexis-Baker tends to do, that this decision is so obviously against the Mennonite tradition, is to ignore how deeply the Niebuhrian framework has shaped Mennonite identity. We need to be aware that this runs very very deep.

Something similar to to what Bonhoeffer’s pride in Germany entailed. Things that are, insofar as they are, are good.