In Delight of the Hutterites

Hutterites by Dave White

The Amish, Hutterite, Mennonite and other radical Protestant groups who emigrated to Canada and the USA have always had a special attraction for me, particularly because of their conscientious objection to war, but also because of their resistance to fads and fashions.

I once delivered to some Hutterites at a settlement in central Alberta that was fifteen miles away from the nearest paved road. They were building a barn together and had ordered some latest technology Insulated Concrete Forms (“ICF's”), Styrofoam forms for concrete foundations and walls. It took us a couple hours to unload my truck, during which time I had the chance to talk with them about their settlement and thinking. I must say that I have never met a more congenial, decent, sensible, simpatico group of people in my life. I even inquired as to whether they ever take in strangers like myself to become members of their community. Their answer was, “It's very rare.”

My old Mack got stuck in the mud at the construction site when I tried to leave, so they came out with this very nice Pay-loader, hooked a big chain on to the Mack's bumper hooks, and pulled it out. They even offered to have women come out and wash the mud off the truck for me, but I told them it would be all dirty again by the time I got back to the paved road. My getting stuck turned out to be a great adventure with these Hutterites, but anywhere else it would have been hell, hours wasted, and calling in some rip-off artist with payments to make on a big deal wrecker billing me for hundreds of dollars. Hey, you're on your own, pal.

I have often thought I should have followed my interest in trying to join the Hutterites but I was involved with so many people and projects in the outside world that my time on earth just ran out. There was also the possibility that my being such an outsider to my own society had formed habits within me that would get me in trouble with even these people whom I admire so much. I could easily see myself getting thrown out or shunned.

My own best guess as to why war is so popular, at least at the time of declaration and during the run-up to that point, is that it has something to do with group identification. If you ask during such times whether or not going to war is wise, the very first response you get is an angry “Whose side are you on?”

Brian Lamb once interviewed the US Civil War historian and novelist, Shelby Foote. Shelby Foote was bright, educated, thoughtful and all that good stuff. But here is a short excerpt from his interview with Brian Lamb in which he says “my own group, right or wrong.” His fellow Mississippian, William Faulkner, once said the same thing.

LAMB: From what you know now and your own political philosophy, if you had a voice and you lived back there, which side would you have been on?

FOOTE: There's absolutely no doubt. I'm from Mississippi. I would have been on the Confederate side. Right or wrong, I would have fought with my people.

LAMB: Why?

FOOTE: Because they're my people. It would have meant the end of my life as I had known it if I fought on the other side. It would have been a falsification of everything I'd lived by, even if I opposed it. No matter how much I was opposed to slavery, I still would have fought for the Confederacy -- not for slavery, but for other things, such as freedom to secede from the Union.

“Right or wrong, I would have fought with my own people.”

Now, I have tried for many years to understand how so very many intelligent, informed people like Foote and Faulkner, could say such a thing. It is a very widespread attitude. You see it prominently in street gangs.

War directly involves the killing of men, women and children. To be willing to go out with your group – even when you are wrong - and to kill men, women and children just because you belong to that group – is to destroy your own soul and your own people, as well as the lives on earth of others.

If any of my readers can suggest to me why Foote and Faulkner are right, and where I am wrong, please let me know.