Inside the Bruderhof

[CleverCatty]

This was on last week but only a 30 minute programme.

I felt it seemed very short and a bit sneery by some of the Bruderhof teenagers who had 'decided to live outside Bruderhof world for a year', they seemed to think you had no life if you didn't live like they did.

The men seemed nice to a certain degree but one who left the Bruderhof and returned seemed to be very much into fishing, riding bikes in countryside and 'work' in the Bruderhof community. Seemed to me very much a way of opting out of normal life with mortgage, savings, ambitions etc.

Anyone else see it?

There is a very interesting site on the web by a group who have left. It is called Keeping in touch and is very old. Most of the comments are from the 90s. It raises the subjects of members allegedly being excluded from the group and the leadership. One of the comments specifically relates to the practice of sending children out for some real life experience which is anything but eg an example was Working with and visiting death row prisoners in the US

Who are the "powers that be"?
Elders(?), I don't know who is in charge.

With the clothes, it's another false dichotomy- fast sexualised fashion vs hideous peasant clothes. It's perfectly possible to make or buy quality, "modest", simple clothing that isn't ridiculously out of place in the modern world. Most of my Muslim friends manage fine.
Exactly.

What's also interesting about the women's clothes is they have to make the skirts because there's nothing like them available to buy. Whereas the men have moved on from Serge to denim because you can buy them.

Imagine the men wearing homemade serge trousers and feeling fine about looking different in the outside world!

I live near the Peckham bunch. The women used to volunteer with my local playclub and I sometimes see them around. Always seemed friendly and open enough.

This is the site if anyone is interested www.perefound.com/knsltrs.html

I was interested, but the program was so short. I wasn’t sure if it was propaganda or something else.

DH had never heard of them, despite living in the near by town for years.

I could see the draw, to give up responsibility and live communally. But for men it’s perfect. Poor women in the dowdy materials and no makeup or hair dye.

I’d like to see more or Louis Theroux go in and investigate.

I found this fascinating. It was supposed to be on earlier in the year but was pulled at the last minute. On iPlayer at the end there's a statement pop up at the end saying some ex members have made allegations.

I presume that's why it's on 6 months late!

Lots that I find very compelling. No consumerism, wonderful childhoods, equal society.

But why do they have to fuck over women to do it. Why can't a woman wear jeans? Or operate the precision engineering bit of kit? Why can't the men chop a lettuce.

Why can't the men chop a lettuce?

Exactly. I don't recall any bit of the Bible saying men can't do the communal laundry

@felineflutter

Do they use our health care system? Do they manage all their sewarage and water systems etc? This documentary was very safe.

Do they have safeguarding measures in place? Surely communities like this are high risk for abuse and yes how are they educated?

This documentary threw up far more questions than it answered tbh.

'Do they use our health care system?' 20 years ago there was a lady from there in my post-natal exercise class. She was very pleasant and would come to the cafe with us for coffee after the classes but she did not keep in touch after that, when everyone else formed a group taking turns to meet in our homes.

I thought it was a poorly made programme. It needed more background, some information on how all the American members are allowed to settle in the UK, how the young people who left found work or were these just placements which the group had set up for them rather than actual jobs they had to search out themselves. Agree the clothing thing was a joke, that poor girl having to walk around outside the community in a hideous outfit whilst the men can wear jeans and sweatshirt so not look like outsiders in the "real" world.

The documentary was interesting. The organisation is a bit cult like to me, being moved around the world with no say so (who is at the top of this patriarchal organisation?) but the members seemed happy.

@minnieok I thought they seemed very flat.

@Toddlerteaplease I agree. And after reading accounts by ex-members on that website I linked earlier I did wonder whether they may have been scared of saying the wrong thing and being excluded from the community

Hey all,

I am moving to the Darvel Bruderhof today with my husband. I was not raised a Christian and I am 26 years old. We have visited before and we are not joining fully yet but intend to stay around a year to see if we want to join.

It does make me sad that a lot of people on here feel that the peak of womens freedom is jeans and makeup. I see the people in the Bruderhof as liberated from the vanity and social expectations of fashion and it is in line with the bible of not worrying about what you will wear and rejecting the folly of spending money, time and headspace on make up/ jewellery.

ultimately this is a religious choice and not a lifestyle choice as I think some people are confusing it with. I feel God calling me there and the question is not if I like it, it is if God wants me to be there. Christian’s are called to be salt and light in the world and I think following Gods law and guidance has lead to a very successful society they can point to. They are the first people to tell you they are not perfect and have had issues in the past- they are ultimately lead by sinful people as we all are (Christian or not!). If you look at their communities, Children are happy and not all glued to phones, there are very low levels of mental health issues (but they recognise people have them, I met a lady very open about her bipolar) and they have very high self reported satisfaction in their simple but meaningful life.

I think people here need to realise this is a very old Christian tradition and groups such as the Hutterite’s have been living in community since the 1500’s. They are not a cult (I can leave, I’m keeping my mobile and family and friends can visit!). My main worries are that they are not doing enough day to day evangelism and if living in a community is how I am called to live my Christain life.

Hope this maybe helps some of anyone is still on this old thread lol!

@MOMMYCHAN is there anywhere in the bible that it says men can wear jeans but women can’t?

I hope you are happy and it fulfils your expectations. Do be cautious as it might be hard to leave later if you don’t have a deposit saved for a house in the outside world etc.

Jeans are a fashion for women that started in the 40/50s. Men started to wear jeans for their practicality that skirts serve for women. The point of their dress is to oppose fashion trends.

we do have savings that we keep until we decide to join permanently or not. They help people if they choose to leave as best they can.

I appreciate it is a weird thing to do! I just feel a lot of people have misunderstood the goals of the community.

@MOMMYCHAN good luck!

But I don’t wear jeans for fashion, I wear them as they are comfortable and practical for my life including doing my job. I would be asking questions about any way of life that said for religious reasons jeans are a fashion while skirts are not.

Best wishes with your new adventure. If you would like to, it'd be interesting if you could post after you have had time to settle in to the community.

It isn’t about the jeans and make up they are symbols of the fact that the women are in subordinate roles .

Will you be allowed social media once you join?