What's Going On With The Amish?

[silas]

They seem to have become more worldly. Years ago, they began selling electric Amish fireplaces made with genuine Amish labor, marketing their community image and reputation. Last year, Discovery Channel premiered the reality series Amish Mafia, an Amish mob that sometimes extorts money for protection. This wiki description of cast member Esther Schmucker suggests that she is not above manipulating men with her feminine wiles:

 

Esther Freeman Schmucker knows Levi sees her as more than a friend, and she uses this knowledge to lead Levi on, to the benefit of her brother, John.

 

Today, some Amish men are headed to jail for hate crimes.

 

Does anyone have an explanation? The Amish have resisted worldly influence for so long. What has changed?

[C T]

"A thousand years ago, five minutes equalled forty ounces of fine sand."

--- Vladimir Nabokov

[Samurai Mountain man]

Maybe they're reaching a point of social stagnation as generations progress.

Have you noticed how little kids today seem to develop mentally and physically faster than they used to? how they're able to comunicate, sit up straight and reach out to technology and complex concepts at an amazingly fast pace? It's probably related to over-stimulation in and out of the womb, what the hell do I know? But one can't help but to connect the dots an look at how a geist is rising all around us. Maybe the age of wireless coms is affecting us in ways we couldn't have forseen making us restless and shifting; the first unconcious steps into transhumanism.

 

Or maybe the Amish got bored with whisking butter or whatever is it that they did.

[thelerner]

Hmnn, judge everything by the standards of reality TV and you find people seem stupider, violenter and sexier then ever. I pitched a show to the Real TV network, called Nuns by day, Jello wrestlers by night, but they turned it down, too tame .

[oildrops]

I watched a documentary a number of years ago that followed a group of Amish teens as they went out into the world to try life outside of the community. Some went back, some didn't, but I guess they promote this for their youth.

[silas]

[Tom Lin]

what is suppressed will eventually be expressed.

[Ya Mu]

Having had several interactions with Amish people due to my interest in horses I can tell you that it is not good to generalize. Each group has different rules depending on the ordnung. Some allow things that others do not. My dealings have proven to me that they are just like everyone else or any group of people. Some really outstanding, nice, and generous and some not so much.

[Eric23]

My brother in law lives in an Indiana region with a fairly large Amish community. When I was there for the wedding, my observations were of a rather traditional, yet practical group. They rode in carriages to the Dairy Queen so their kids could enjoy ice cream. I did notice a carriage or two with "Indiana Pacers" vanity license plates:). If you do some checking on line, those reality tv shows incorporate some fiction, ok lots of fiction.

[zerostao]

there is a split going on between mennonite and amish is casey county ky. the mennonites have just bought land (paid 5 million in cash) in tennessee and look for further isolation from the modern world and its influences. thwey view the amish in casey county as becoming too close to the outside world.

when asked if worldliness might creep into the new tennessee community, the answer "We're gonna be hard pressed to prevent it"

http://www.kentucky.com/2013/04/06/2589101/ky-mennonites-moving-to-tennessee.html

 

there was a similar split previous in ohio that brought them to casey county originally.

[hydrogen]

Is there any famous Amish inventor? The curious minds want to know.

Edited April 12, 2013 by hydrogen

[thelerner]

I watched a documentary a number of years ago that followed a group of Amish teens as they went out into the world to try life outside of the community. Some went back, some didn't, but I guess they promote this for their youth.

 

 

what is suppressed will eventually be expressed.

The Amish do have a curious tradition of giving teens, usually 16 year olds, a 'free' period to explore outside there strict tradition. This might act to let loose some supression and consciously choose there life style. Note its not the Amish Gone Wild experience as portrayed on TV.

 

 

"The purpose of Rumspringa

Contrary to belief, Amish parents do not “encourage” their youth to leave home and experiment with sinful behaviors—nor do they condone it. At the same time, there must be at least a semblance of free choice in the decision to become Amish. Amish parents may disapprove of their teens’ behaviors, but do not necessarily exercise authority to prevent some of those behaviors.

 

Rumspringa, according to one Amishman who has studied numerous portrayals of the adolescent period, is a time when an Amish youth enters into a more formalized social world, interacting with others in his age group in a variety of settings.

 

Rather than an angst-filled period of existential choice, it is primarily “a time to find a marriage partner”. As opposed to a sinful exploration of the world, typical Rumspringa activities are much tamer. They may include attending church singings, participating in games and activities with one’s “buddy bunch” or “gang” and of course, dating."

Edited April 12, 2013 by thelerner

[oildrops]

I've always though the Amish were really great. They always had the best sweet corn where I grew up too.

 

This is related to a thought I was having the other day. I was considering the state of early childhood education, and the absurd culture children in US are brought up into. If I were a parent I would not have television, we would eat organic food, and meat in small quantities, and never fast food. And I would have to deliberately shield my child from consumerism. That's a daunting endeavor. Is it possible ?

[thelerner]

I've always though the Amish were really great. They always had the best sweet corn where I grew up too.

 

This is related to a thought I was having the other day. I was considering the state of early childhood education, and the absurd culture children in US are brought up into. If I were a parent I would not have television, we would eat organic food, and meat in small quantities, and never fast food. And I would have to deliberately shield my child from consumerism. That's a daunting endeavor. Is it possible ?

Yes, but expect them to rebel like hell and become hardcore right wing fundamentalist republicans when they leave the house.

 

Actually I'm half 2/3rds serious. The Amish can pull it off because they offer a whole package, job, marriage community. You have tofu, veggies and classic books vs their friends Happy Meals, Internet and Cable.

 

As a parent, you learn compromise. Plans and ideals are somewhat jettisoned in the face of necessity and peace. The more you try to control the more systems will slip through your fingers . So you find balance. Like no TV Monday through Friday, and you watch TV w/ your kids so you discuss whats right wrong and ludicrous with them. Stuff like that.

Edited April 13, 2013 by thelerner