Mennonite Religion

            Over four centuries ago in Zurich, Switzerland, a new group of Christian believers was.
             The governments of western Europe were in control of the Catholic.
             Church. Catholic priests were becoming corrupt and immoral. People, mostly layman.
             began seeking out other forms of spirituality. These people were called Protestants.
             because of their opposition to the pope and his party. People like Martin Luther and.
             Urlich Zwingli separated themselves from the Catholic Church for both political and.
             spiritual reasons (Baergen 4). The new fellowship, led by a man named Conrad Grebel,.
             was formed primarily for spiritual freedom; to give men and women the opportunity to.
             follow Jesus according to the bible. This group who rejected infant baptism was named.
             "Anabaptists". .
             The Anabaptists had radical beliefs for those of their day. They rejected infant.
             baptism with the feeling that one should be baptized when they are an adult and capable.
             of making the decision to follow Jesus, this is sometimes referred to as "believers.
             baptism" (Kauffman 2). Although this was the major controversy of Anabaptists, there.
             were other strong beliefs that set them apart. They stood for a complete separation of.
             Church and state, detachment from the world, and complete non resistance. .
             One of the greatest leaders that the Anabaptists had was a man named Menno.
             Simons. Menno was a Roman Catholic priest. He served as a priest faithfully for twelve.
             years while internally struggling with the mass and overall infant baptism. He later.
             reported having spent much time as a priest drinking and playing cards with other priests.
             (Baergen 30). It was not until Menno had lost his brother, who was killed because of his.
             unpopular Anabaptist beliefs, that Menno began to speak out. Menno Simons gathered.
             the scattered Anabaptists of Northern Europe into congregations. These groups were.
             soon called Mennonites.
             In Europe the persecution raged on. In 1648 a treaty was signed to end the.