Originally Posted by kvanlaan

If only the Amish were a whole lot more Reformed...

Originally Posted by Thunaer

Boy, If only that statement was true....

Originally Posted by Thunaer

Hey, How about we start a Reformed Amish Community.......

We just need to get alot of Reformed people living all around each other... Maybe even start a town Puritan Style......

Originally Posted by Simply_Nikki

I've thought of that, sounds appealing, of course we couldn't completely isolate ourselves with ourselfs, the battle is tiring, but even after we've done all that we can do.. we must continue to stand.

Originally Posted by Thunaer

Actually, what I was saying could work as long as the Church does not neglect her duty to sent out Missionary Pastors to fulfill the great commission, Go into all the world and baptize, make disciples and teach all I have taught you.... The Puritans did it when they left England for America in order to protect their children from harmful influences...... We would not have to isolate ourselves completely, even the amish live around englishers.. But when you have a mass at a critical level in a given area or town, the mass have more influence and power. The liberals have done demographic wars for years very successfully... We need to reverse this and turn this around. And Reformed people would still witness to those around by how we conduct ourselves and appear to those around and even give the reason for the faith within us. Do not forget our children either....

The only problem I foresee right now is unlike the Old Puritans that was pretty united on issues except on just a few areas like baptism and polity, almost no two Reformed people are alike.. We need to get our act together first in the church.... Right now we have threats from within from liberals, moderns, postmoderns, etc..... We can not hardly agree on what is modest and what is cultural vs. noncultural... We have disagreements on the Sabbath and even disagreements from those who hold the Sabbath with regards to penology. We have a hard time today defining Morality due to the influx of relativity in the church from the culture. The debates on this board is proof enough for the proof of the disagreements among Reformed believers... I will hold my tongue on the disagreements over the regulative principle and what is and is not permitted in the worship of God. In order for a Reformed community or town to work and be dupicated to other areas we need to get our act together from within before we can even consider such a grand idea that the puritans did over 300 years ago when they came to America, otherwise it would fall apart pretty quickly from bickering and splits from within..... We need a purge from within.....

I live near a Amish community and I go just to get away from the culture we live in and it lifts my spirits... I try to shop their shops as much as possible because of the enviroment.... It really does make a difference.... Why do I want to go to Walmart and put up with the nantics of worldly people who are very rude and all about vanity and have to put up with the stress of the fast pace and overwelming wordliness at walmart even the immodesty and even have to put up with the constant roaring of music over the speakers that I do not even want to listen to and find worldly and come home more stressed then before I left home to go shopping when I can go to an Amish store and buy my goods in a quiet enviroment with polite people who are modest and no music playing. Come home more relaxed from a enjoyable shopping time.

We need a reconstruction at base levels and then move on to more thenomic town building ways........

Originally Posted by kvanlaan

By the way Michael, I'm all for the Puritan village.

Originally Posted by Thunaer

So where do we begin?

Originally Posted by Kevin

Not realistic. I also feel the pull of this dream, however anyone drawn to this would be, by definition, not the type of person suited to the task.

BTW I know of 2 attempts at this and they both failed.

What we have in common is a shared idea, whet the Amish have in common is shared genes.

Originally Posted by kvanlaan

This is a topic I'd love to explore, if only running through it academically. "How to base a village on Reformed Biblical values without being isolationistic about it in 400 posts or less."

What I see though, is the possibility (probability) that things would spiral out of control with extra-biblical regulations, not unlike what I've heard of some of the 'ordnung' of the Amish that are not entirely scriptural, but based on tradition as much as anything. I would love to live in a community something like this at times, but would not want to get a visit from the elders because my wife's headcovering was the wrong color.

Originally Posted by BaptistInCrisis

*sniff* *sniff* Is that theonomy I smell?

Originally Posted by Puritan Sailor

Monasticism is not the way to go. History has shown this over and over. Live out your faith where you are.

Originally Posted by kvanlaan

If it results in Monasticism, it's not Christianity. If we deny the Great Commission in how we structure our lives, we've lost the plot.

If this is theonomic/monastic/etc. and to be shunned, why are we on the PURITANBoard? We are talking about tearing a page from the church history we supposedly embrace, not building a compound in Utah.

Originally Posted by Pergamum

Our vision should not be inward looking, but outward looking.

Instead of grouping together and building a town in the US, why don't we migrate to a needy country and act as group missionaries? Costs are cheaper and this would combat the isolative tendency.



SO...HOWABOUTIT!!!!! I need 30 families to leave for Tunisia next month....or maybe Nepal!

Originally Posted by thunaer

and

I think history has proven it can work e.g. The Puritans...... We are not talking about Monasticism but if it results in it, it is not christianity.......