Living in an Amish Paradise
"Weird" Al’s Yankovic song called “Amish Paradise” gave me an idea for this article’s title - LINK. The song itself is a bit goofy, but in many ways it represents the truth about the Amish community.
This is my last article and I think I left the best topic for now. During the last three terms I wrote about different religions (Buddhism, Mormons and Scientology), but this time I want to write about a very special – in my opinion - group of people. Let me present to you the world of the Amish community!
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Where can they be found?
They first settled in Pennsylvania in 1693 and were founded by Jacob Amman – one of religious immigrants from Europe. With years, many new different nodes of this religion were developed - New Order Amish, Andy Weaver Amish, Beachy Amish, Swartzentruber Amish, but the original, the biggest and best known are Old Order Amish. Nowadays the biggest societies can be found in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana, but smaller ones are all over America (some in Canada and Mexico as well). A cult, religion, society, community, family are those words that describe the Amish and all suit them well. They do not have their own sacred book, prophets etc. – they’re Anabaptizes who try to live according to teachings of Jesus Christ in groups/circles of 25-35 families. When one grows larger, around sixty – they split. Each circle has its own bishop, two or three clerics and deacons. Bishops (only men) are chosen by nomination, then lottery and officiate this function till death. But what makes the Amish so original and special?
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People frozen in time
The Amish are well known for their attitude towards technology and the modern world. Before learning more about them, I thought it’s technophobia - that in their opinion electricity and machines are the creation of Satan (I still remember this episode of Dexter’s Laboratory from my childhood called “Ol' McDexter”: LINK or Family’s Guy “Amish Guy”: LINK). And to be honest…? I couldn’t be more wrong. The Amish aren’t scared of technology – they are ‘scared’ of what technology can do and how it spoils modern societies. To clarify now: the Amish are allowed to use modern inventions or even own them in some cases. It all depends on a bishop and a local law – Ordnung; some societies are more restrict than other. For example, they shouldn’t have a car because it’s a luxury, but they can borrow one to visit a family, hitch-hike to travel to a city or when it’s necessary for their job, they’re allowed to have one. The same goes with electric energy, tools, phone lines etc. Why do they choose not to have modern technology in their homes? Because for the Amish, family and work are the most important values in the world (beside God of course). They want to lead simple life and technology could destroy their peace and quiet. To explain it better, they can have an electric line in their house, but the plug could tempt them to have a radio or TV, which later could make them waste time in front of it, lose strong family bonds etc. They do not have modern devices, because they choose not to, not because they’re afraid of them. Most of the time there is a phone, car or other stuff in case of emergency.
A fantastic BBC documentary about the Amish - LINK
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No Ordnung? Then Maidung!
As I wrote earlier – the Amish live in small groups and each has its own set of rules called Ordnung. Twice a year they attend council meetings, where public matters are discussed and only then Ordnung can be changed. This unwritten law describes many parts of Amish’s life – the dress code, amount and kind of technology which can be used, proper behavior etc. If some Amish do not follow those rules – then Maidung happens! Maidung can be described as a warning and temporary exclusion from the Amish social life – suppers, weddings, council meetings, financial support or even trade! After many warnings a bishop can excise one, which is called “Bann”, but if an offender asks for forgiveness and realizes his/her mistakes – he is a full member of the society again.
Another BBC Two documentary (“Leaving Amish Paradise”) about leaving the Amish society: LINK
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What is it like to be the Amish?
For the Amish, the biggest values are family and work, so no wonder that they have a lot of children – six or seven is the average. Another important issue is that the Amish can marry only inside their community, so there are very close connections between families – one can have 30 or 40 cousins. On the other hand, the Amish face many genetic problems due to offspring with close family members. The father is the head and provider of the family, the mother is responsible for cooking, cleaning and child birth, but don’t get it wrong – in Amish communities men and women are equal. A woman can vote during council meetings, husbands respects their opinions, the only thing they’re not allowed is to become bishops. Children, on the other hand, don’t have any rights and nobody asks them about their opinion. They do not get any toys to play with – boys use carpenter’s tools, girls rags and kitchen equipment. It’s also common that they get an animal to rise – it’s believed that it helps them develop, become more independent when they take care of another living being, watch the wonder of birth, grow and sometimes death. Proper raising is very important for the Amish, so their children go to school at the age of six and attend it for 8 years. They learn English, math, writing and reading and basics of geography and history. The Amish do not dance, nor play music, so they’re not taught any form of art in their schools at all. Then, at the age of 14, children can start to work and earn money (but all their wages are held by their parents and given to them, when they’re mature enough), so most of the time they’re taught by their families practical knowledge such as carpentry, agriculture, sawing, how to run business etc. Then another part in the Amish life comes as well – Rumspringa (usually it starts, when youngsters are 16). Rumspringa (“Running around”) is a period, when youngsters are allowed to do what they want, without paying attention to parent’s believes. They usually party a lot, wear different clothes, listen to music, use modern, electrical devices, drive cars, go sightseeing, have premarital sex and sometime do drugs. Usually, around the age of 18, they decide whether they want to stick to Amish beliefs, or they don’t want to belong to this community. This is the only moment when one leaves the society, family still having contact with this relatives (after baptizing, when one leave church – families and friends won’t keep in touch with him/her – it’s called “shunning”). If one decides that he or she still wants to be a part of the church, he or she will get baptized and be treated as a full member of society. Sometimes youngsters get married at this point, but they both need to be part of the Amish society. Rumspringa is believed to be one of the most important part of life, because parents don’t want to push anything on their children and they give them free choice. Maybe that’s why most children decide to be the Amish for the rest of their lives.
Great National Geography's documentary “Amish on Break” about Rumspringa (LINK)
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Amish’s place in the world
As I wrote before, this society does not approve marriage between Amish and non-Amish and we can find similar sense of independency in other parts of life. The Amish do not pay taxes, don’t have social security and don’t picture themselves as members of America. As pacifists, they refuse to join the army and they put Ordnung above the state law. How do they manage to live without the outside law? When sick, they visit a local herbalist, when homeless or old – someone takes care of them, when in a financial trouble – everyone will chip in. Amish can live without outside world, but they’re kind and gentle and they invite anyone to visit/watch their lives. Nowadays more and more people want to learn about their religion and the Amish come across those needs and create hostels where you can stay and live like they do. Some Americans threat that as a holiday or camp, but the Amish religion is growing. Not only because they live in very big families, but that kind of live fascinates “outside” people, tired of rush and work from nine to five. It’s common that after 2-3 years new members of the Amish church realize that they cannot live like that anymore, but locals are aware of that. They have a saying, that you need to be born Amish, because it will be hard for one to get used to it.
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The less, the better?
When I heard about the Amish religion I thought that those are closed-minded people, scared of new things, who think that technology and development is wrong. For many years I was so ignorant to stay in this impression, I was a prisoner of my first judgment. After seeing Family Guy’s episode about the Amish, which I gave you a link to, I caught myself wanting to know more about it (especially I wanted to find out if there is such a thing as “corn hole” – no, there isn’t!). And to be honest, I was fascinated by those people – if needed they will use modern technology, but most of the time they don’t want to. They stay against ruining their humble, modest life, which values the most family, community, strong bonds between humans and true, honest labor. And if you need a proof of that - in 2006, in Lancaster, a man got into the Amish school and killed 5 girls and then committed a suicide. Parents of those kids publicly forgave the assassin, prayed for him and offered his family financial and moral support. There are so many things about the Amish religion that are worth knowing – their language, their customs, daily routines, so if you want to, I highly encourage you to learn more. And finally I would like to ask you a question: How long would you last without modern technology? Leave your car, phone, turn off your radio and TV and work hard every day, get in touch with nature, family and a neighbor. Are you strong enough for that? Six British teens took part in a TV show called “Living with the Amish” (LINK) and I'm sure that this experience changed their lives. Could you do the same?
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ReplyDeleteI must say that in my opinion this was the most valuable article so far. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and thoughts about the subject.
ReplyDeleteI thought the same of Amish people as you described at the beginning. I imagined them as a group of people who don’t want to learn new things and stay updated with the new technology. But with this article you've just completely changed my point of view. Probably thanks to the movies and other media we have such a stereotypical image of Amish culture and only after a deeper examination of the topic you get the real infortmation about them.
And answering to your question: I couldn’t live as an Amish :) I'm just to addicted to my smartphone and my favourite series. When I was on vacation I tried not to use any electronic device. Just a camera but no tablet or laptop. And it was a quite pleasant and relaxing time. It was good but for a week or two :)
Thank you very much for kind words; I treat those presentations as a factor to broaden mine and others knowledge.
DeleteJust to clarify – I wrote about “modern” Amish, the new generation, which reaches and comes across outside world. I’m sure that Amish from previous centuries weren’t so open-minded and willing to invite strangers to their society. I’m also certain that there are groups, who are the perfect example of those stereotypes, but those can be found in every religion.
Maybe giving up tv series is not an option, but I have many friends, who were fed up with Facebook, social media etc. and they went on a “rehab”… and stayed there till now.
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ReplyDeleteWhenever I see this vehicle pulled by a horse I wonder what it is like to be Amish, it is hard for me to imagine but on the other hand, they are always happy, smiling, certainly they have less problems than we…
ReplyDeleteAdmittedly the Amish are non-Christians, but they show one thing: their attitude that everything in the world is the vanity and a striving after wind. From the our perspective we say: How can they be so cut off from civilization? But they see this slightly from a different perspective. The Amish do not avoid people altogether, they only shun that what leads to sin and what is bad, for example harmful and immoral content. Maybe it is hard to understand, but it is just the way they prefer, so we should respect it.
I respect their differences, but I could not live in such a way. Probably because I was born and grew up in a different environment and because I am addicted to technology.
"Western people" try to be more green, bio, fit etc. and at some point they can try also try different approach and try to become Amish or try to live like them. As I wrote more and more people want to try simple life without rush, with high moral values, so maybe this society is an answer for them? Many businessman from Europe pay to live with monks for 2-3 weeks. Without cell phone, eating only bread, vegetables and meditating, so it's not only American thing to try finding inner peace, without technology.
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DeleteA very interesting presentation. When reading about
ReplyDeleteAmish people reminded me of the movie ”The Village“. Have you seen this movie?
He lived in a forgotten forest
a group of people like someone living with the Amish.
I have no idea whether I would be able to live like them even for a month. This would be difficult. We used to loose lifestyle, phones, Facebook and other time wasters. We forget about the regular meetings with family and friends. We want to surround themselves with luxurious things and be cool. But is it really so we need?
I see behind that I'm addicted to the Internet. I probably would not durable week :)
I think that it was an interesting experience would be like Amish for a certain period of time. Maybe we would see what it really is most important in our life.
I saw this movie. “The village” and Amish have many things in common, but I don’t think they (SPOILER ALERT!!) dress up like monsters to scare other members of society :D But besides that – I think that community presented in this movie has similar customs like Amish.
DeleteHow long would you last without modern technology? Leave your car, phone, turn off your radio and TV and work hard every day, get in touch with nature, family and a neighbor.
ReplyDeleteAre you strong enough for that?
I think that leaving all modern technology, especially the laptop and the cell phone, could be difficult for me. On the other hand I've resigned from watching TV over a year ago. I try to avoid driving a car. Everyday I go to the work by SKM. The problems start when I must resign from the cell phone or the laptop. My work and studies are based on the Internet. Without Internet I couldn't communicate with people and exchange information. Otherwise once a year, I have a moment that I resign from it. This is in a summertime or winter break - when I go to the vacation. In that time I don't take my laptop with me and I don't use Internet for at least over a dozen days. I know that I have free Wi-Fi points but I try to never connect to an unknown network (Internet over the phone when being abroad is too expensive). During vacations abroad I only use phone to call my parents. It's a wonderful feeling that I could be free from the Internet and everything related to it.
Could you live with the Amish?
Yes, maybe for a few days. I think this could be difficult for everyone from the modern world because we didn't grow up in an Amish's enviroment. We are not accustomed to their habits. Living with them could be a huge challenge because this must be done in accordance to their rules - resigning from the ways we grew accustomed to.
I am sure that could be a very positive experience and I could learn a lot from them.
Because you usually respond quicker than other to articles here, I noticed that you have a talent to find out and answer question hidden in text – it can be quite useful in life. So I will reply… your reply:
DeleteHow long would you last without modern technology? Leave your car, phone, turn off your radio and TV and work hard every day, get in touch with nature, family and a neighbour. Are you strong enough for that?
I think that leaving […] It's a wonderful feeling that I could be free from the Internet and everything related to it.
In some way it’s Amish way of life. Many of them have permission to use phones, cars etc. if they need it to work. They try to use it as little as possible, but some communities isn’t that harsh to prohibit usage of some devices.
Could you live with the Amish?
Yes, maybe for a few days. […] I am sure that could be a very positive experience and I could learn a lot from them.
Teenagers from the show “Living with the Amish” had no choice. Many viewers thought that this show/experiment would show how odd Amish teenagers are, with their customs, but in the end spoiled teenagers realized that those “rules”, they got used to, “old-fashioned” way of life were more “normal”, than their previous life. I think we need moderation between old and new, so harsh camp of Amish way of life could do wonders with modern teenagers.
I'm a really big entusiastic of modern technology as smartphones, ipads and that stuff. The life without these devices would be difficult for me, I can't even imagine a day without my mobile, sometimes when I forget to take phone to work the wole day is lost, i'm nervous and I can't wait to go home. It sounds like mental illness, but it was the best example what technology can do with people, so maybe Amish culture is not so bad, as we think??
ReplyDeleteSo maybe you need some Amish-style detox?
DeleteI have the same problem with my phone or even my car. I heard about vacation without technology, where guest give up their smartphones in exchange for off-the-grid experience. There are no digital technology, networking, phones, internet or screens, work-talk or even clock. I think it's worth trying this kind of holiday.
DeleteHere is nice example! http://digitaldetox.org
And @Jakub thanks for interesting article :)
DeleteJakub, your article was very interesting and well prepared, thanks for that.
ReplyDeleteDuring reading I've gained some thoughts about Amish way of live;
I think being an Amish requires a lot of discipline from the members. People have to work hard everyday, a modern ways of entertaimnet are completly banned it their world.
But we should understand that Amish are growning in this different world, so those things are normal for them.
I think that Amish people founds a joy and happiness in a faith, also in belonging to a strong community, which I guess support its members in hardest moments of their lives, guess they are satisfied with family live, and becouse of work.
Personally I try to avoid using computer and smartphone in a "bad way" I mean i don't wanna to waste a time for doing simply nothing online - just wathing silly records on youtube, or scrolling facebook, but I cannot imagine live without modern goods at all!
Thank you for kind words. I'm glad you enjoyed this article. I don't think that they need more discipline then "regular" people. They lead normal lives, with passions, moments of joy and fun. They only try not to get tempted by spoiling technology.
DeleteVery reliable and interesting article.
ReplyDeleteThe Amish are enough, we can say, "strange" people like for modern times, although the rules which they go they seem to be very fair. The values held by them are timeless and regardless of whether they use modern facilities they will be valid and appropriate.
Personally, I could not stand without such a car or phone too long but I can not compare it because probably otherwise would have been, if I had from childhood grew up in such a community.
Or sometimes you can get fed up with your life and start everything from scratch. Many people become Amish after living in big cities for all their lives.
DeleteBefore reading your presentation I've treated Amish'es as a sect. Nothing have really changed after that :) Don't get me wrong, I don't mean it's good or bed. Simply - this is not my fairy tale. Human race differs from animals because they still develop (in many aspects). I can't imagine life when you resign of things which can help you discover unexplored. I respect their choice, but I can't understand it. Of course, there are some things which I admire in their community - taking care of family bonds the most. I think, it's a really big problem in modern world, but still, everything depends on us all.
ReplyDeleteI am enthusiastic of modern technology, but I have no problem with leaving all electronic and going to Bieszczady for example :)
I don't say you're wrong. They chose their own lifestyle and I think that they're happy with it. As I wrote couple of replies above - moderation is the key.
Delete1. How long would you last without modern technology? Leave your car, phone, turn off your radio and TV and work hard every day, get in touch with nature, family and a neighbor. Are you strong enough for that?
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'm strong enough, so I think that I can last without modern technology quite a long time. Maybe even ten minutes! :P
Just kidding... I'm addicted from technology and gadgets, so I even can't imagine me as a Amish guy.
2. Six British teens took part in a TV show called “Living with the Amish” (LINK) and I'm sure that this experience changed their lives. Could you do the same?
Visiting and spending few days with Amish people could be a great experience for everyone, but still I will need at least my smartphone.
Diagnosis: ADDICTION! :D
DeleteAbsolutely :) Without chances for cure :P
DeleteHow long would you last without modern technology? Leave your car, phone, turn off your radio and TV and work hard every day, get in touch with nature, family and a neighbor.
ReplyDeleteAre you strong enough for that?
I think that it is easier to live without all amenities such as radio, television or cars usually when you do not have that on a daily basis than in the case when we are suddenly cut off from it. When a person suddenly loses something if it lives in rehab, but if a person is taught from a small co-existence with nature is easier to experience. If you would live in a community where everyone works the same hardware without contact this crazy world that surrounds us is the thought that I would be able to live and be happy.
On the other hand, I think that if there had been, for instance to discharge the sun and all that technique has been damaged, many people were not able to take care of this to try to get food for themselves. In this case, many people wanted to from the Amish their coexistence with nature and tranquility in which they live.
Thank you for this article. It was a true eye-opener. Until now I guess my views on the Amish community were based on prejudice. Now I believe I can see a bit better why the choose to lead their lives in such an extrodinary way. Resigning from the whole range of facilities most of us cannot picture lives without does not neccesairly mean you're weirdo! It may just be a way to live your life more fully. Answering your questions I guess I wouldn't be able to last too long without the modern techonology. I guess having troubles with putting aside the aforementioned technology and leaving a life of an Amish does not state you're not strong enough. It just states you're simply used to a different style of living. On the other hand the experience the British teens went through could prove to be an interesting adventure.
ReplyDelete