Dear Editor:
RE: Old Order Mennonites feel ‘persecuted’ by orders that closed schools, churches, Dec. 3.
We need to hang our heads in shame and honestly confess our wilful disobedience to COVID-19 regulations. We have family in the north Wellington community, so I am aware of the circumstances.
That Mennonite churches followed the 30% capacity and social distancing rules is mostly true, but some didn’t. As soon as members were outside, distancing was cast to the wind and masks, if worn, came off. Visiting other church districts and homes, contrary to the “social bubble” rules, was common practice.
As one man commented, “When did the Old Orders stop believing in practicing the golden rule?”
If that wedding that proved a flashpoint for starting the spread of the virus “did not break the rules in place at the time,” why did the spread occur? Because wearing masks and distancing was not practiced.
The advisory boards for parochial schools decided to continue having classes as usual in wilful disobedience. The number of students is irrelevant. One infected child is all it takes to increase the spread in a non-compliant community.
Is it more problematic to drive with horse and buggy to a testing centre than it is to do shopping or business?
Today many people believe they have the virus but refuse to get tested and many don’t isolate for 14 days. The reason is simple. To submit the possible contacts in the last 14 days would expose their failure to restrict contacts to a social bubble.
We do pay for our own school system and our hospital bills. But what does that have to do with the health unit’s concern of COVID-19 cases contributing to overloading the hospitals?
Nor is the fact many of us are farmers a valid reason for not testing. When our forefathers were quarantined because of smallpox, typhoid fever, etc. the neighbours helped with chores and field work needing to be done – and they avoided any contact with those in quarantine.
We do not have electronic communications technology, but we do have telephones that are regularly used to disseminate important news.
To suggest we are being “persecuted” is an insult to the memory of our Anabaptist forefathers.
We know health care workers in north Wellington were aware of the disobedience of the Mennonite community, and lamented the lack of cooperation, already in mid-summer. Also, the Waterloo Region Police twice complained about non-compliance to our leaders.
There were continually full-page ads in all local newspapers urging the following of regulations. We all knew this.
We did not follow the commandment (Peter 2:13-14) … we failed to be true to what we affirmed we believe about the office of civil government before we were baptized.
The two health units were fully justified in invoking Section 22. We deserved it. We have sown in disobedience and we shall reap the consequences.
There are many of us who have sought to obey the regulations for the protection of us and our fellow man. We are as dismayed at what has taken place as the authorities. If only all of us would have sought to live up to our professed faith, in obedience!
Aden Horst,
Elmira