I like what John Ruth had to say about the application of Matt 18 which is the model of church discipline. When Jesus spoke about the one who rejects the counsel of the ecclesia.
(church community) he is to be unto us as a heathen and tax-collector.
Before we take this to mean that we are to despise such persons, we should remember that Jesus himself socialized with tax-collectors and had friendly relations with Non-Jews. So what he means in his statement regarding the person who rejects the counsel of the circle is that he may be told, ‘We’ll be neighbors, and we’ll treat you as fairly as anybody but we won’t call it church’.
In effect, you are not in the church if you don’t listen to it. Just as, if as batter you want to call balls and strikes yourself, it’s not baseball. What ‘shunning’ is about is how to relate to someone who on bended knee has promised in the presence of the covenanted circle to obey Christ and the Church and then leaves that particular covenant. End Quote
I think the umpire reference reveals the archaic, subject versus ruler, reality of the Amish church member. There's a lot of happy talk by folks like Kraybill, that the ordnung is mutually agreed upon. It's all a bunch of shit! There's no debate, no discussion, no dissent, nothing that could ever be construed as being an open forum. Sure everyone agrees, but can it truely be said that it's not under duress?
Holding that thought, he contradicts himself here
It is important to remember there is no sacramental value on the ban to the point a banned one is considered as going to hell. The Lord is still the final judge.
If they're not going to hell;
And as to what it is like when somebody does return. The parable of the lost sheep in Matt 18 is very descriptive. Many tears are shed and there is a feeling of restoration.
What are all the tears for? If the bitch ass, black sheep, mother fucker would've just stepped out for some air you wouldn't be bawlin your fool head off, now would you?
(sorry, sometimes it just all comes out at once.)
Sometimes I wonder if the Amish haven't become a very close reflection of western culture. And shunning is just one of those tricks (like the corporate world uses) to dump their dregs, leaving them with a sexy bottom line.
We're starting to understand that when Walmart uses an accounting gimmick to deprive employees of health care insurance eligibility, we as a society pick up the tab.
The Amish peoples practice of shunning may have a price that's being paid by the rest of society also.
The main character in the documentary "Devil's Playground" ended up in jail for drug related offenses.
How many ex-Amish people are wards of the state? Mental institutions, prisons, homeless, on welfare, whatever. Do they really take care of there own?
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