It may be different depending on what part of the country you're in, I guess. Some groups may have different rules. I'm not sure.
Not being cruel or anything, but do you think incest would be a problem, in those types of closed communities?
I've actually heard rumors that they take steps to avoid that problem, such as paying for the services of outsiders to bring in fresh blood. I have no idea if those rumors are true, though.
Quite a few yrs ago a friend was over on the Eastern side of the states and traveled north into Amish country. She brought me back a gift made by the Amish w/the name of city and state on it .... Intercourse, Pennsylvania. I had found the Amish rather interesting and had done some reading on them and their way of life..... they're hard working, simple people - clannish, close-knit, neighbors always helping neighbors, then I read something that I'll never understand how people can do that. Like the Jehovah Witnesses, they believe in 'shunning'..... regardless of who the person is among them, a parent, spouse, even child (who I'm sure would be an adult) - if that person does something that the Amish disapprove of, that person is shunned by all........ So, I can't say the Amish have a 'good, loving, gentle heart' when they can shun even their own child. IITC, there are different sects of the Amish and don't remember if all of them do this or just some...... The Amish are known for not using electricity. Well, it's not allowed in the homes, but the men use electricity in their shops to make their crafts to sell.......
When we first moved to this area, we hired some Amish to help do restoration on some of the structures on the property and keep to the methods of the time. We became good friends... well as good as the Amish get with the English. Fast forward 10 years, we are still friends... and see them at least once a week for various business/trade things. I can answer questions about (our) Amish... this is in VA, and they are a bit different than PA Amish... each community is a bit different. Yes they speak German. Yes they pester you for rides, will not wear seatbelts and cross their arms over their chests while they ride along. They know that you will be going to hell, so they try not to get very close, and with their history (with "the English")... distrust you inherently. They have serious inbreeding issues. They are very community oriented, just not your community. The notion that they are not greedy, or are inherently honest is a mistake. They will rook you in a horse or land deal in a heartbeat. They are abusive and criminally negligent to their livestock and their children. It has to do with their belief system. You put a 7 year old on a steep roof to repair, and if he falls and dies it is God's will that it happened that way. Their children love fear and respect them. When you take them home, children come flooding out to hug and greet their father. Women are, as you might expect, second class citizens meant for heavy breeding and obedience. They are incredibly hard working. This is also part of their belief system. Their carriages are amazingly well crafted... if you really want to see Amish workmanship, take a good close look at their carriages. Chances are if you buy something labelled as Amish made, it is not. It is an offensive notion to use their religious affiliation to sell products. Almost EVERYTHING labelled as "Amish" furniture is actually Mennonite.
Thanks for such an informative post. Seems a v mixed bad with them then, some good stuff, some not so good. Do they tend to vote? I would imagine not.
Good info about another culture I've always been glad I wasn't born into.... I tho't I'd also read about their cold indifference towards losing their child to death, but it was late, was tired, didn't feel like looking it up - thanks for confirming it... How's Ctrl, Jr. and the pretty little pirate? Doing great, I hope......
I can't say I'm a fan of the Amish. I live in the most heavily populated Amish state, in a area that's considered 'Amish country'. For the most part, Ctrl is correct. From my experiences dealing with them, they Amish men treat their wives like second class citizens, work their kids like slaves, treat their animals in a fashion most would consider unsatisfactory or even disturbing. They'll pull out a stack of cash to pay for something then argue over a penny. They often act cold or disinterested towards people outside their community - unless you're paying them for something. They love sneaking onto other people's land and killing their deer, then playing dumb when confronted. Not my cup of tea.
I don't know if exempt, but I doubt they are registered for the most part. They are sort of left alone, as they don't harm the communities around them, and still provide tax dollars. They are sort of viewed as pathetic by the government and ignored typically... they have to have blinking red lights on their carriages in VA which really bothers them. If they WERE drafted, they would be conscientious objectors... they are largely off the grid and hard to track... I think harassing them to be non fighting parts of a fighting force is just more trouble than it is worth. Some of our Amish do use things like chainsaws for hired work and such. Again, I call them "our" Amish not like they are pets, but because the Amish in this area are not going to be exactly the same as some elsewhere... they don't have cellphones and such... there is no uniform handbook outside of the bible (Germanic Martin Luther version for those curious...) and traditions before migrating... and of course snail mail. They are hyper conservative. They really want nothing to do with the government. Like so many branches of Christianity, they have a persecution complex and really just want to be left alone. In case of zombie apocalypse they are high on my"best bet to survive" pool.
They do live side by side here outside of Bellefontaine. Amish own good portion of the land east of the city, where the Shawnee Nation is located. No idea their relationship though.
Beat their animals, and they run puppy mills like crazy. I'm sure google has tons of info on Ohio Amish puppy mills.
This happened down the road a month ago. http://www.examiner.com/article/neglected-dogs-rescued-from-amish-puppy-mill-farm-ohio
I watched the first part of "Living with the Amish", a British tv show (probably last century) and I was impressed with the kindness and wisdom of the Amish families that took the Brit young people into their lives. If there were more people like them the world would be a much better place.
