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User 62.104.222.66 removed the word "Netherlands" from this sentence - "Menno Simons (1496-1561) was an Anabaptist religious leader from Friesland, Netherlands" - with the comment that Friesland is larger than the Netherlands. I am no expert on Friesland or the Netherlands (so would like some comments and opinions), but I do believe that it is correct that the area in which Menno Simons was born was in Friesland and was in the Netherlands. Maybe there's a better way to form the sentence if this information is correct (which I believe it is). Thanks. - Rlvaughn 02:51, 23 Feb 2004 (UTC)
I met a Mennonite on a bus once (from L.A. to San Francisco, for a demonstration). I also know of Mennonites active in political activism in the United States, regarding issues of peace and human rights, and I believe they are active in other countries too (Latin America?). This article only goes up through Menno's death. I would very much like to see more of it. The article on the German language reference a German dialect spoken by Mennonite communities in North America. This is a very interesting development. I hope someone adds to this. glasperlenspiel 00:11, Jun 16, 2004 (UTC)
25 years after his renunciation of Catholicism, Menno passed away on January 31, 1561 at Wüstenfelde, Schleswig-Holstein, and was buried in his garden. ....
He died 1561 near the city of Bad Oldesloe in northern Germany.
This page seems kinda biased, but I'm not sure how to explain that. It's told in a storybook type way, and I just don't know about the objectivity of it all. Thoughts?
I am a different 'hmm..' and I too see bias here. I see a positive-POV and much too general fable written by Mennonites for Mennonites about Menno. Several crebible accounts state that Menno was a drinker, womanizer and gambler as a young man. To include such facts here would humanize him and add crebility to this article. Also, I see few specific statements here about Menno's main ideas (of which there are books written in his own words to pull from.) As these ideas no doubt did and do influence all Menno-nites we need to see them here. Last I would like to see the specific 'significant' differences 'before Menno', 'under Menno' and 'after Menno' as I would any other influential figure. Please bring balance and completeness here for non-Mennonite readers. Anacapa 04:41, 13 February 2006 (UTC)
This article panders to positive point of view about Menno Simons. It seems to be written for Mennonites by Mennonites. There is no mention of Menno Simons controversial stands on shunning, or 'marital avoidance' (also known as spousal shunning) which are clearly outlined in his writings and also shown in many histories of the Mennonites.
It is also written in a story book style that seems more like a celebratory tome than a balanced NPOV description of who Menno Simons was and how he influenced the people who bear his name. In my opinion it needs to be reviewed by editors who have no conflict of interests and who can help us develop an encyclopedia entry rather than another propaganda piece for Mennonites who see Menno Simons as a great leader. For those non-Mennnonite editors who care to read Menno's writings themselves it is easily possible to see that he was no nice guy when it came to church punishments as he himself stated how harsh they were. However all the quotes we see in this article to falsely paint Menno as such a nice guy are nauseating to me...one who has first-hand experience of Mennonite shunning.
I also believe this article needs to make more mention of Menno's core ideologies as they have had a profound effect on his followers down through the centuries. We need to know who Menno was here rather than just bio facts. We also need to know how Menno became so revered that his people still bear his name today. This article seems little more than rote repetition of what Menno did rather than who he was. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 128.111.96.53 ( talk) 17:56, 25 October 2006
As a former mennonite who has studied the denomination, attended both a mennonite high school and College (Pacific College), and lived in the colonies in Paraguay, (not to mention a receiver of that notorious tradition of 'shunning'), I have to say that this article is very well done. Check out the old paper encyclopedias like Brittania (if you can find one). The articles about other middle-tier religious leaders are similarly written; basic information, kept to under 10,000 words. I didn't find the article as propaganda, but basically informative. If you want more info, its easy to look at the bibliography for more thorough texts. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Side241 ( talk • contribs) 05:34, 26 January 2007 (UTC).
I have added some works in a new bibliography section and I think this section should be expanded. Please feel free to contribute to the list. Rubenescio ( talk) 10:25, 14 April 2009 (UTC)
Apparently "Simons" is a patronym. Not sure that it's not his own name as was stated. It doesn't seem to follow the pattern for Dutch patronyms as there's no "son" or "zoon" so that doesn't seem to hold water. Until there's clarification the article should using the naming MOS on Wikipedia: use the surname rather than given name after it is first mentioned. -- Walter Görlitz ( talk) 18:20, 5 July 2012 (UTC)
"Apparently"? I'm confused by your first two sentences above (I could say I'm tied in knots by too many nots). Anyway, there's already clarification in the "Early life" section of this same article: "His father's name must have been Simon, Simons being a patronym; he had a brother named Pieter.[2]" The -s ending in Simons is genitive (Dutch and German don't use apostrophe like English for genitive -s ending), i.e. he is Simon's son, i.e. Simons is a patronym. There's more in the source given by footnote "[2]". JamesD'Alexander ( talk) 16:23, 6 July 2012 (UTC)JamesD'Alexander
In print, Encyclopaedia Britannica (15th edition on shelf here) files him under M, not S. I think that clinches it: Simons is not a surname. JamesD'Alexander ( talk) 16:46, 6 July 2012 (UTC)JamesD'Alexander
Also, check out the Netherlands section in the patronym article you referred to at the top of this thread. It supports what I said about -s genitive; -son and -zoon are not the only possibilities. JamesD'Alexander ( talk) 21:17, 6 July 2012 (UTC)JamesD'Alexander
I'm new here, so please enlighten me as to the Wiki-protocol: Do *you* now undo your undoings of my edits, or do I? JamesD'Alexander ( talk) 15:50, 9 July 2012 (UTC)JamesD'Alexander
"Menno Simons rejected asceticism in terms of its traditional practices of social withdrawal, mortification, and self-denial. Historical theologian Richard Valantasis, however, has suggested that asceticism should not be defined as these physical practices but as a group of activities designed to reestablish social relations between the individual and the dominant social environment through a new subjectivity, different social relations, and an alternative symbolic universe. Simons' theology is ascetic by Valantasis's definition since it used these methods to restructure Anabaptists' relationship with 'worldly' society.[13]"
The viewpoint of the historian who has suggested that we redefine asceticism seems like a random distraction. No doubt there are dozens of new definitions. The Wikipedia of red herrings. 67.170.236.50 ( talk) 14:06, 26 May 2016 (UTC)
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