Mennonites and Lawsuits

Just another post on another aspect of Mennonite theology with which non-Mennonites may not be familiar. Mennonites traditionally do not sue and settle lawsuits filed against them, whether they are right or not. That's the traditional theology with which I was brought up. I think I have mentioned before that the Mennonite confession of faith is based on the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, and that is where you will find the origins of much Mennonite theology.

In terms of lawsuits, the theology is biblically based on this: And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.

This idea is essentially repeated in the instruction to turn the other cheek. For some reason, which I have never understood, many Christians seem to take the Bible literally in the sense that if Jesus says to turn the other cheek, then it is the cheek that he meant and not the nose. If someone hits you in the cheek, turn the other one, but if he hits you in the nose, hit him back and twice as hard so he won't do it again.

And if he says that if someone sues to take away your coat, you should let him have your cloak but if he sues to take away your house, then sue him back.

Do you see what I mean or am I being all confusing? It's like the idea behind what Jesus says is sailing waaaay over people's heads - Jesus is saying no matter what you are being sued for, you ought to give it, even if you are in the right.

In 1 Corinthians Paul takes issue with the Corinthians for this very thing: But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?

So clearly there is no instruction not to sue someone on the basis of being right or on the basis of the other potential party in the lawsuit being a Christian. Back to the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

If we decide that Christ was not referring to what our behaviour ought to be in dealing with non-Christians, then how do we explain the above - that if we only care for our brethren, how are we any different than anyone else? Christ calls for us to be different. To be the salt and light of the world. Where there is a light, there is no need for anyone to announce it - it is self-evident. If Christian light is so easily confused with the darkness, it isn't the darkness that is the problem - it is the light.

So. That's another aspect of Mennonite theology that non-Mennonites may not know about. It was a very big deal when I was growing up and Mennonites who sued or who didn't settle a lawsuit were certainly looked at askance. Unfortunately, like a lot of things, that changed. Mennonites now are as prone to lawsuits as anyone else. I think that since Mennonites tend to be well above the poverty line, along with too much money came the desire to protect it and rationalize away the theology (and correct theology, in my opinion) that they were raised with. And I would venture to say that many young cultural Mennonites have no idea at all what the original tenets of the faith are anymore. Mennonites have become outwardly indistinguishable from everyone else.

Layla