This is a continuation of
comments on an article I recently came across online entitled “25 Facts About
the Amish That Everyone Should Know”—a well-meaning article filled with the
typical misinformation about the Amish which is constantly floating around the
internet...
(http://www.worldlifestyle.com/trending/facts-about-the-amish-everyone-should-know?all=1
13. Mennonites And Amish Are
Distinctly Two Different Communities.
Both communities find it greatly
insulting to be mistaken for one another. The Mennonites, pictured on the left,
are not as strict as the Amish. Mennonites may wear brighter colors, drive
cars, and even live modernly.
The “greatly insulting” part
made me smile!… As far as “strictness,”
both the Mennonites and the Amish vary from group to group. The Mennonites fall on a continuum, with Old
Order Mennonites on one end—horse and buggy and nearly as strict as the
Amish—to modern Mennonite churches on the other end, where dress and lifestyle
are no different than the Presbyterian church where I grew up.
The Amish also fall on a
continuum, but a narrower one. The Nebraska Amish are
so strict that they won’t use screens on windows, or carpets or curtains—but on
the other hand, a few break-off Amish groups, mostly in Ohio, have electricity
in their homes and drive cars.
The photo? The people in the left photo are not
Mennonites—I believe those are Amish women from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, based
on the headgear. The photo on the right,
of the women all dressed in black? I
don’t know who or what they are!
12. The Amish Came To America
From Switzerland In The 18th Century.
The Amish escaped persecution in
Europe by immigrating to America. They found live more peaceful in their new
country and decided to make it their permanent residence.
The greatest Amish immigration
did happen in the 18th century (1700s), when most of the Amish in
Europe came to Pennsylvania, at the invitation of William Penn, for religious
freedom and to escape military service in Europe. A smaller group, even more conservative,
called the Swiss Amish, came in the 1800s.
I wrote a blog post about this.
The photo? Those aren’t Amishmen, and it wasn’t taken in
the 18th century.
11. They Refuse Genealogical
Testing Because of Suspected Inbreeding.
Despite living in small communities
and reported inbreeding, the Amish refuse testing that would tell them who is
related to who as they claim the testing is not of God’s will.
Besides being a blogger about
the Indiana Amish, I am also a genealogist. I’ve done lots of Amish genealogy. as a hobby; I have a
big Amish family tree with over 22,000 people in it. I’ve found that the rate of semi-close
relatives marrying was about the same as it was in the “English” genealogies
I’ve done for the same time periods—which is to say, it was rare, but not
unheard of.
The Amish in my community may
have a limited formal education, but they understand basic genetics! They are aware of the dangers of close-cousin
marriage, and they always know who is related to who—it’s practically a hobby
here! The typical local Amish couple in my tree might have one or two of their 16
pairs of great-great-great-grandparents in common.
10. Jakob Ammann Is Credited
With Starting The Amish Religion.
Jakob Ammann, an Anabaptist leader,
began the Amish movement when he left Switzerland and other Christians decided
to join him. Obviously, the word “Amish” comes from Jakob’s last name.
When Jacob Amman decided to
leave Switzerland, it’s not so much that “other Christians decided to join
him.” Rather, the Amish chose to leave
Europe and come to America. Jakob and
his followers were originally Mennonites, but they broke off back in Europe because
Amman felt that the Mennonites were not strict enough on certain issues,
particularly “shunning.” He is indeed
the founder of the Amish church, and it is named after him.
9. Women Are Considered Second
Class Citizens.
As their tradition and old-fashioned
thinking dictates, women are treated as second class citizens. This means girls
are only destined to become housewives to cook, clean, and raise children.
I think my Amish women friends
would disagree with the “second class citizen” statement. As in many conservative Christian churches,
male and female roles are well defined, though—and Amish families are large due
to the ban on birth control. But I have
seen love and respect in my Amish friends’ marriages, to differing degrees, but
probably in about the same proportions as my “English” friends’ marriages (some
of which have been very short on respect compared to mine)… Also, any Amish woman can choose to remain
single, and some do.
My original Amish friend Glenn
has gone out of his way, over and over, to do things for his wife to make her
life easier and better. One time, he
asked my husband to take them shopping for a good leaf blower; leaf cleanup is normally
the wife’s role, as is all yardwork, but he didn’t like to see his wife tire
herself out in the yard. He and his wife
are partners and best friends and have one of the best marriages I know.
The photo? I don’t know what religious group these women
belong to. It’s very strange!
8. The Average Amish Couple Has
Between Five And Seven Kids.
Amish communities do not believe in
or use contraceptives, which results in large families. It’s also said they aim
to have as many children as possible!
I not so sure about the aim as stated above; but due to the lack of contraceptives, families do tend to be large. Reliable experts say that six to eight children would be typical. http://amishamerica.com/how-many-children-do-amish-have/
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