This is the final installment
of my 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
7. The Population In Amish
Communities Is Steadily Growing.
Because Amish get married so young
and have so many children, their communities actually see a yearly growth rate
of 3.6%!
The Amish don’t get married
that young, typically early- to mid-twenties around here—but they do have a lot
of children—and in Northern Indiana, 90% of them remain in the Amish faith. Experts agree that the Amish population is
doubling about every twenty years.
6. Their Modesty Extends To
Their Opinions Of Others.
The Amish are not arrogant people,
as they see that as a sin. This being so, they do not judge or condemn people
of the modern world for their lifestyle choices.
I would think that Amish
opinions about those of us in the modern world would vary widely from person to
person. I know that my own Amish friends
seem to accept my faith and lifestyle as being okay for me, at least—they sometimes
close their letters to me with “Love” or “God Bless You.” It seems that they feel that if a person is
born Amish, then God probably wants him or her to be Amish; but if a person is
born something else, then they wouldn’t really expect us to convert.
The photo? These girls in their printed dresses, one
with long braids, are not Amish, but perhaps they are German Baptists or
another conservative group.
5. They Wait Until A Person Is
Old Enough To Make The Decision To Be Baptized.
Unlike some Christian branches, the Amish
believe in waiting until a person is old enough, typically around age 16-24,
before accepting the religion.
This is true. “Joining church” is a serious and lifelong
commitment, so they want their young people to count the cost, so to speak, and
be sure of their decision. In Amish
Indiana, I’ve been told that age 17-20 is typical.
Interesting photo, but
certainly not Amish. The Amish are
baptized by “sprinkling,” not immersion.
4. There Are More Amish People
Than You Would Guess To Be Living In America.
There are reportedly over 300,000
Amish people living in America! It would be hard for anyone not familiar with
Amish communities to know just how many people actually reside in these
communities.
The Young Center’s Amish
Studies project and other reliable sources agree with the 300,000+ number. Since so many live in rural areas, it does
make them less visible to the outside world.
3. The Amish Are Pacifists Who
Will Never Serve In The Military.
Not only are the Amish soft-spoken,
but they are also against violence in any form. Because of this, no men are
allowed to join the military. If they do join, they are banned from the
community.
The Amish are conscientious objectors
who will not serve in the military, although, historically, they have accepted
forms of peaceful “alternative service” in times of war. They are against violence in any form,
including self-defense; they call this belief “non-resistance.”
2. Building Barns Is A Form Of
Fun And Socialization In Communities.
Building barns is one way the men in
Amish communities pass the time and socialize in large groups.
Barn-raisings are still an
important part of the Amish community.
During one recent visit with some Amish friends, the husband told me he
had spent most of the previous week at a barn-raising. Shortly after I first met him and his wife,
the ancient barn on their own farm was torn down and replaced with a newer,
better one by a barn-raising group of local Amishmen. The women come along, and the young kids, and
there’s plenty of good food and socializing, that’s for sure. When a number of families converge on one
farm to help accomplish a big task like a new building or a big remodel or a
new roof, they call it a “frolic”—I love that name!
The photo accompanying the
article looks quite fake, however; no one would build a barn like that.
1. Contrary To Popular Belief,
The Amish Don’t Mind Having Their Photos Taken By Others.
While the Amish aren’t opposed to
allowing people to take their pictures, they do not take photographs themselves
or keep them in their homes.
This is not true. Nearly all Amish very much object to having
their faces appear in photos. As an
example: In 2007, six of my Amish friends came to my wedding in suburban
Chicago. One of them walked over to the
wedding photographer before the service started and asked him not to take any
photos of them.
I do, however, take lots of
photos of “My Amish Indiana” for my Facebook page and
blogging website, and my Amish friends are perfectly
fine with that. One time a friend was
showing me a brand-new bench wagon, and he actually asked me if I might want to
take some photos. (I did, and used the
pictures for a post on bench wagons.)
If I am taking photos for a
post on, for example, doughnut-making, then when I move in for a picture of the
process, they simply step back out of the way.
It’s the same if I take photos of the farm—if they are nearby, they just
step out of the frame. (My blog posts
have been freely passed around among my Amish friends; I print them out and
they circulate in big zip-lock bags.)
******************
I would guess that the author
of this article meant no harm… But it is harmful, misleading, and confusing to
spread this kind of disinformation. The
Amish are misunderstood enough as it is!
I don’t know everything there is to know about the Amish, not even in my
own community (Lagrange and Elkhart Counties in NE Indiana), and customs do
differ somewhat from one Amish community to another—but I hope this helps.
