be’sope
 |
| Courtesy thehealthage.com |
Addiction, drugs and alcohol in the
Anabaptist community have become much more visible since the documentary Devil’s Playground came out in
2002. There should be no surprise. Long known for presenting a public profile of
simplicity and sobriety, the tight Mennonite (and Amish) communities have long
sheltered a growing, if hidden, confrontation with drugs and alcohol.
The old Mennonite joke (which has also been
applied to other cultures) goes something like this:
Q:
“Why don’t you ever invite a single Mennonite to go fishing?”
A:
“Because he will drink all of my beer.”
Q:
“Why do you always invite two Mennonites when you go fishing?”
A: “That way neither of them will
drink any of my beer.”
The joke goes to the heart of the matter –
Mennonite culture is just like any other – we like our beer (or wine) and we
like to experiment and explore. However,
in the 20th Century, alcohol, tobacco and drugs have become
increasingly taboo and unacceptable for church members. At the same time, the assimilation of
Mennonites into non-Mennonite culture had dramatically increased the amount of
alcohol consumption and drug use.
Somewhat problematically, much of this use is hidden or does not begin
until Mennonite youth leave their hometowns. Even within towns, it is
difficult to understand if there is a different impact in the ethnic Mennonite
community contrasted to the larger society.
We just blend in too well when we want to.
