They seem like remnants of a distant past, just memories that wander as if in oblivion in an increasingly modernized society. However, there are still Amish in the world. we explain who are the Amish: origin, norms and religion of this community.
Origin of the Amish
The Amish name will probably be familiar to you if you have seen them in a movie. But we will tell you that they are not characters from another era, although they might well seem so. Today, in the XXI century, in the technological age, in the industrial society and full of social networks and Internet users, there are still communities that live on the margins of social communication and even household appliances.
Live in the most absolute austerity although little by little they are abandoning it and betting a little more towards progress. Is it possible to live without a mobile phone, without what’s App and without Instagram? Is it possible to enjoy the days and rush through our hours without gossiping about our Facebook contacts or sharing our adventures with them? The Amish are the most vivid example that it is possible. Would you be able? This is your lifestyle.
Amish or Mennonites they are a people who have their own languagetheir own customs and their own rules of behavior It is possible to see them scattered around the world, however, they remain isolated and do not follow the ways of life of the place, but continue with their traditions.
The Origin of the Amish community we found it in the year 1693 in Switzerland. Jacob Ammann he is an Anabaptist who, when the radical Protestant reform takes place, decides to separate himself from the rest and form his own community. The Amish live in colonies spread throughout the world, mainly in Canada, the United States, Mexico, South America, and Central America.
The Amish community is characterized by practicing a simple life. Live in rural areas and they do not get involved in the issues of society, they move away from all technology and political issues. They think that Church and state are totally separate. That is why they reject both civil laws and ecclesiastical laws, opting for a free Church. There were even sections of the Amish who were revolutionary. In fact, they settled in these lands of America fleeing from persecution by Europe.
They are a community with archaic beliefs, especially when it comes to the womanwhich family should be prioritizedto community and the Church and submit to them within a patriarchal structure. They go from being under the mandate of their father to being under the mandate of their husband without their personal interests having value or being heard.
the amish dress old clothes, so much so that their outfits are like a trip to the past going back to the eighteenth century. They also don’t use electricity, nor do they want to be photographed or videotaped. They do not watch television or listen to the radio and are completely cut off from the outside world. On the contrary, they are subject to the old Gospel, reading the old bible in german by the elders of the congregation.
Norms in the life of the Amish
The Amish have very strict rules of life such as if a member decides to leave the community, they will have to break all ties, including forgetting their family forever. If you leave, you can never come back. They have it so ingrained that during adolescence, the Amish have a period known as the rumspringa. This takes place before their baptism and they are allowed to go outside to get a taste of the world. Some Amish are dazzled by the freedom they find and do not return, however, and incredible as it may seem to us, the majority return and decide to continue their life as Amish. And it is that the punishment for not doing it is too hard: to say goodbye forever to his family and his friends.
The Amish also do not consanguinity tests, with which they are exposed to genetic diseases. And another very serious one is that women are prohibited from receiving sex education. they educate submissive women who are exposed due to their lack of training and culture, to suffer abuse of all kinds by men. Even if a woman is abused, she can be blamed for not praying hard enough. Incredible but true.
Do you know what the Industrial Revolution was like?
Also, women neither shave nor cut their hair. And the married men they can’t shave the beardHowever, they cannot wear a mustache.
Another Amish custom that will surely leave you stunned is that dolls can’t have faces. On the one hand, it is said that it is because they reject vanity, while it is also said that this is due to the fact that in the eyes of God we are all equal, that is why not differentiating dolls with faces. In addition, children have very few toys.
What is the difference between Amish and Mennonites?
Mennonites are a very traditional sect or subgroup of the Mennonite Church. The founder of this sect was Jacob Amman, and his followers were called Amish. The Mennonites are a group of Anabaptist Christians according to the teachings of their Swiss founders. The name Mennonites comes from the Frizon Menno Simons, who, thanks to his work, calmly gave the teachings of the early Anabaptists.
Anabaptists literally mean “Those who baptize again.” They believe that a meaningful baptism of faith can only take place when a person is old enough to make informed decisions about the future of their life. Only then can people truly commit to living their lives in accordance with God’s teachings. Both Mennonites and Mennonites are Anabaptist. Also, they are very different.
However, the main characteristic that distinguishes the Amish from the Mennonites is the resistance of the Amish to the advent of modern technology. The Amish use very little technology and generally have very little contact with the outside world, no more than is necessary. They dress very traditionally and live in very small, close-knit communities. Men, on the other hand, wear civilian clothes but are often indistinguishable from others. They have no problem using technology and are not isolated from the outside world. Mennonite Central Committee established its own worldwide disaster relief organization. Volunteers are available not only after the disaster, but also plan long-term programs to implement and complete international support programs. They have programs to carry out the affected population in Africa, tsunami victims in India and Thailand, war-affected areas in Afghanistan and the Middle East. The Namnonites provide food, blankets, first aid kits, clean water, open school education, HIV education and more.
The Amish Mennonite community often hosts services in members’ private homes. In addition to their strong commitment to a simple life with minimal use of technology, the Amish are also strong believers in non-resistance. For the same reason, they rarely defend themselves in court. Members who do not follow the rules of the church are often excommunicated but given the opportunity to correct their behavior and return to the church. The Mennonites have their own churches but do not live in separate communities. They live among the common people. Although they lead a simple and straightforward lifestyle, they are much more restrained in their use of modern technologies and do not shy away from them.
Are the Amish polygamous?
Amish marriage is deeply rooted in family, faith, and society. The Amish themselves are a fairly self-contained orthodox group, although they have been forced to become more modern to keep up with the economies of areas like Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
But in most cultures, marriage is a practice that is considered the foundation of the culture and its continuation. Much of this also applies to the Amish. Amish marriage is male and female, and as far as we know, there is no deviation from this structure.
The man is considered the head of the family and the woman is the one who teaches the children. This system of assigned gender roles is similar to outdated notions of a traditional family, which you may have seen on some television shows.
One of the reasons this tradition exists, especially in Amish communities, is that the Amish change very slowly. Limited Transportation Amish families who grew up together are almost always in constant contact. As families grow, they mix, mingle, and multiply over generations.
However, the Amish think twice about the inner workings of their faith, no matter what denomination they belong to. This means that the traditional (and conservative) interpretation of marriage between men and women is the only marriage that occurs in Amish communities. One of the most common questions about Amish marriages is whether they practice polygamy. Bottom line: No, the Amish do not practice polygamy.
The religion of the Amish
The Amish bet on the church-state separation. prohibit violence and are baptized as adults. They also bet on the community and not on individualism, for this reason they are in against the technologies.
They meet every Sunday as a family so that the elders or bishops interpret the Bible for them. They defend the need to be humble and workers above all, rejecting any action or element that promotes what they call vanity. They usually pray, sing religious hymns and pray to thank each meal.
The Ordnung is the rules of coexistence and amish lifestyle. It contains the prohibitions and limitations of the community around the different aspects, such as the electricity or technology.
Where are the Amish?
There are two main areas of the world where we can find Amish communities. The first one is for North America. There are no less than 500 of them in the US alone. It is not uncommon to come across Amish in places like Lancaster, Pennsylvania; by Holmes County, Ohio; and by LaGrange County, Indiana.
The second of the areas where they have decided to settle Amish is in Central and South America. It is currently concentrated in Argentina, east of Catamarca. And by Colonia Naranjita, in Bolivia. This is not to say that there are not other areas where some small community cannot exist, but most have failed or are very small.
How many Amish subgroups are there?
It must be said that the Amish do not make up a single unified group, but there are many subgroups. Among the most notable are the Old Order Amish, whose main language is deitsch. Like the rest of the Amish, they are very plain and simple people who do not use technology in their day to day life. Here we find, for example, the Nebraska Amish, the Troyer Amish, and the Swartzendruber Amish.
Then there are the new order amish. They are not very different from the previous one, although some do dare to use the mobile phone.
Then there are the Amish Mennonites, or Mennonites to dry, because they reject the qualification of «Amish». Here we see a bit of an opening, because in some cases they listen…