| Religious Beliefs and Practices |
| Central to the Hutterite way of life is the practice of "community of goods" or communal sharing of property and the products of wealth. Private ownership, according to the Hutterites, is against the nature and will of God. When asked why they live in colonies, an elder said, "The only reason we live this way is to obey the will of Godfor eternal life." |
| Individuals are baptized into the Hutterite church after they have reached adulthood and voluntarily make the choice. That vow involves making peace with God, with the community, and with the desire to own property. Individually owned wealth is considered greed and part of the corrupt nature of man. Asked why they practice communism, a leader said: "We do not like that word. It sounds as though we are like the Russians. They do not have real sharing. They have rulers who are very rich. They do not share with the community of the poor. We have community of goods as practiced by the first Christians." |
| The things created by God, such as the air, rain, snow, land, or water, Hutterites argue, should not become private property. This principle is applied to all material property in the Hutterite Christian community. The basis of this major point of doctrine is, according to their interpretation, the whole Christian Bible, especially the teaching and example of Christ. "Whoever cannot give up his private property as well as his own self-will cannot become a disciple and follower of Christ." Surrender of the will without surrender of material wealth as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles (2:44, 45; 4:3235) makes no sense at all to the Hutterites. |
| The Hutterites possess a profound certainty that theirs is the right way. Taught to submit voluntarily to the will of God, Hutterites do not search for a mystical experience to confirm their faith. Rather, the individual finds peace by resignation to the will of God, followed by submission to communal discipline. |
| Hutterites worship on Sunday, morning and evening, and daily |
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