The July editorial (“Migrants, pushed and pulled”) makes an important observation that many Anabaptists have lost the idea of resisting assimilation. One development that leaves me uneasy is the tendency for some Mennonite congregations to seemingly conjure up new opponents as they turn to right-wing evangelicalism. Is there a satisfying element of martyrdom in adopting biblical inerrancy, etc., while the rest of the Mennonite constituency embraces a centrist faith? One could draw parallels between today’s theological conservatism and the 19th-century Russian privilegium that was thought to be God’s blessed initiative for preserving Mennonite values. Our forefathers duped themselves into thinking this would bring spiritual freedom, security and self-governance.

Karl Dick, Waterloo, Ont.