This week for Fun Friday
Facts, I'm going to blog about the Amish, because I've always been
fascinated by them. Besides, they've come up in conversation several
different times with several different people recently, and that's
got to be a sign, right?
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| From God. |
In any case, it's not like
they're going to read this, is it?
1) The Amish are descended
from a 16th century religious movement known as the Swiss Brethren. The Brethren were one of the many Protestant sects that
formed during the Reformation. Like the Brethen, the Amish are
Anabapists, which means they don't get baptised as babies, like many
other Christians do. Instead, they believe in adult baptism, on the
grounds that the person to be baptised should be old enough to make
an informed decision about the matter.
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| Makes sense to me. |
For most Amish, baptism
occurs between 16 and 25 years of age. They must be baptized in order
to get married, and they're only allowed to marry other Amish people.
2) In the 18th
century, many of the Amish emigrated to North America. They did this
to escape persecution and religious wars, and to make better lives
for themselves. They settled down first in Pennsylvania, but later
began to disperse throughout the American South and Midwest. The
French and Indian War, also known as the Seven Years' War, provided
some motivation. Many Amish communities were assimilated into the
general population by 1860. Those who remain identify as either Old
Order Amish, who are very traditional, or Amish Mennonites, who are a
bit more progressive.
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| Pictured here. ~ Gilabrand |
3) Due to their Swiss German
roots, the Amish continue to speak a dialect of German known as
Pennsylvania Dutch. They speak High German during church services,
which usually occur in a community member's home. They learn to speak
English at school, which they typically attend in schoolhouses run by
the community. Most Amish finish school in the 8th grade,
and don't go on to high school or university. Children who require
additional training, such as in a trade, may receive it from their parents or another community member after finishing their basic
education.
4) Contrary to popular
belief, the Amish do take some advantage of modern technology (as you
may have noticed in that picture up there). While most Amish
communities place severe restrictions on the use of electricity,
telephones, televisions, radios, and the like, these decisions are
usually made democratically on a district-by-district basis. Some
communities are more strict than others, but many Amish use
telephones, computers, electricity, and other modern conveniences
when necessary.
For instance, many Amish
sell their farm produce and handicrafts to the general community for
a profit. They'll normally contract with local non-Amish friends to
do the actual selling, but some communities will use computers and
telephones to organize business deals. While Amish women usually make
most of the clothing for themselves and their families, there are
some things they may prefer to buy. These things include socks,
underwear, work gloves and hats.
An Amish family might accept
a car ride, but only if the journey is long enough to stop them going
by horse-drawn buggy. They wouldn't make a social phone call, but
they might use the phone to notify their family members if someone
becomes ill or dies.
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| They also ride around on these. ~ Ad Meskins |
5) Unlike some religious
orders, the Amish do take advantage of modern medical care. They're
pretty much all descended from the same group of about 200 original
immigrants, so genetic diseases that are are rare in the general
population occur more frequently in the Amish one. Thanks to the
Amish and their detailed geneologies, doctors have learned a lot
about many genetic diseases, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and
dwarfism. They've even come up with effective treatments for some
previously deadly illnesses, such as maple syrup urine disease.
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| That is seriously a real disease, you guys. |
6) Also contrary to popular
belief, the Amish do pay taxes. They pay most of the same taxes as
any other Americans, except for Social Security taxes. In 1961, the
IRS decided that the Amish weren't required to pay Social Security
taxes, since it's against their religion to buy insurance or accept
government benefits. The exception became law in 1965.
Since the Amish don't buy
insurance, they pay their own medical costs. If a member of the
community needs medical treatment, the others will generally pitch in
to help. According to this website, many Amish seek major procedures in Mexico, where it's cheaper.
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| "Amish in Mexico" sounds like an excellent feature film. ~ Jorge Martinez |
7) In many Amish
communities, teenagers over the age of 16 are allowed a period of
relative freedom known as “rumspringa,” or “running around.”
During this period, they're allowed to fraternize with non-Amish
teenagers, go on dates, drive cars, wear modern clothes, drink booze,
and all that fun stuff. They're not baptized yet, so they don't have
to adhere to the strict religious rules that adult Amish follow.
They're supposed to use the time to explore the outside world, so
that they know what they're getting into if they decide to become
baptized and make a lifelong commitment to the Amish faith. Most
Amish teenagers sow their wild oats and then settle back down to the
quiet life.
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| "Mexico wasn't that great, really." ~ Ernest Mettendorf |
8) Most young Amish don't
date, as such, but they are given plenty of time to socialize with
eligible bachelors and bachelorettes in the community, or in nearby
communities. Many Amish are fully aware of the dangers of inbreeding,
and will try to find marital partners from other communities in order
to avoid it. Socializing among the Amish occurs in the evenings,
after the farm work is done, and on Sunday, after church. Picnics,
barn raisings, baseball games and other activities give young Amish
people time to get to know each other.
While it's apparently not
cool for a young Amish lady to let her sweetie escort her to events,
it's okay for him to take her back home again, even if it's already
dark and they're alone. A young man may visit a girl at home, but
only late at night, after her parents are in bed.
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| I don't care what the Internet says, I don't believe that. Not one bit. |
