Page
1 | Page 2
| Page 3 | Page
4 | Page 5 | Page
6 | Page 7
What
was the situation of the Mennonites in 1939?
In
1939, at the beginning of the Second World War, Canada had 111,000
Mennonites. Some Mennonites had lived in Canada for over 150 years.
Some had lived in Canada for 50 years. Others had come more recently,
and had lived in Canada for 10-15 years.
Canadian
Mennonites were mainly a rural and agricultural people. Most of
them lived on farms in isolated communities. The 1941 census, for
example, shows that nearly 87% of Mennonites lived on farms or in
small rural towns or villages. For the most part, they had succeeded
in remaining separate from wider Canadian society. Not only were
they physically separated, but they also had a different religion
and many spoke a different language. During times of peace, most
Canadians didn't even notice the Mennonites.
During
times of war, however, Mennonites were the focus of attention for
their pacifist beliefs. Mennonites did not believe that killing
people was ever right, even in war. Mennonites believed that they
should have a spirit of peace and love instead, even if it meant
personal suffering and sacrifice. The army, as well as many Canadian
citizens, wondered why Mennonites were not prepared to defend their
country. Why, these people asked, should Mennonites be able to live
in Canada without participating fully in Canadian life?
How
would Mennonites react to this challenge? Find out in the rest of
the website!
View additional
material on Mennonite history before the Second World War.
Page
1 | Page 2
| Page 3 | Page
4 | Page 5 | Page
6 | Page 7
|
