Michael Danner discusses the theological rationale for why Mennonite Church USA joined the lawsuit against the federal government.
Michael Danner is the associate executive director for Church Vitality in Mennonite Church USA and the executive director for Mennonite Education Agency. Michael has a Doctor of Ministry in contextual theology from Northern Seminary, Lombard, Illinois, a master’s degree in religion from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, Illinois, and a bachelor’s degree in communication from the University of Illinois in Urbana.
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On Feb. 11, Mennonite Church USA joined with 26 other religious groups in a lawsuit against the federal government. MC USA was the first to join, which is why the case is called “Mennonite Church USA et al. v. United States Department of Homeland Security et al.” Many Mennonites have asked: “Wait, I thought Mennonites didn’t believe in suing others?”
Let’s talk about it!
First, Mennonites traditionally don’t believe in suing other Mennonites or Christians. This comes from Jesus’s teaching in Matthew 5:38-42 and Paul in 1 Corinthians 6:1-9.
Jesus taught that if someone sues you for your shirt, you should give them your coat, too. He was teaching his followers not to seek revenge or “an eye for an eye” justice.
Paul was concerned about Christians suing one another in regular courts. He believed church communities should be able to solve their own problems. Taking another Christian to court looked bad for the church.
These teachings are still important today. We should try to solve problems peacefully within our church community. And revenge is not allowed for Jesus’s followers, because it creates more violence.
But these teachings don’t completely ban all lawsuits — they’re specifically about conflicts between Christians.
Second, Mennonites believe in the separation of church and state. When Anabaptism —the movement Mennonites come from — began during the Reformation, the church and government were mixed together. Babies were baptized as both church members and citizens. Church rules were enforced by the government. There was little freedom to disagree with the government.
Separation of church and state works two ways:
- The church should be free from government control.
- The church should not use government power to force its beliefs on others.
So is our lawsuit trying to get the government to do what the church wants? No! We’re not trying to make the government enforce our religious beliefs on others. Instead, we’re asking the government to not interfere with our right to practice our faith freely, which is protected by the Constitution.
What faith practices are we talking about?
Jesus said the greatest commandments are to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind” and to “love your neighbor as yourself” (see Matthew 22:34-40).
When asked “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan. In this story, a Samaritan — someone Jews didn’t get along with — helped a badly injured stranger whom religious leaders had walked right past. Jesus concluded by saying we should show mercy to anyone in need.
As Mennonites, we believe Jesus commands us to show mercy and help anyone in trouble. Our faith doesn’t let us ignore people who need help.
This lawsuit isn’t asking the government to stop enforcing laws. It’s asking them to enforce laws in ways that don’t stop us from following Jesus’s command to love our neighbors.
Third, the apostle Paul, in Acts 22, gives us an example of using our rights as citizens. Paul was a Roman citizen by birth, which gave him special rights. He used these rights to avoid punishment and get a hearing before Caesar.
In our lawsuit, we’re using our First Amendment rights as U.S. citizens to practice our religion freely. This is important, not just for us, but for everyone in the United States.
Mennonite Church USA didn’t join this lawsuit to get revenge. We’re not asking the government to force others to worship like us or to ignore their duty to enforce the law.
We’re simply asking the government to let us practice our faith without interference.
The Constitution guarantees our freedom of religion. We’re grateful for this right to worship as we choose — one of America’s most important values. We hope our government continues to protect this freedom for all people.