During World War I, young Amish men were drafted and forced to report for duty despite refusing to take up arms. Many were physically and mentally abused in prisons like Alcatraz, but little is spoken of this abuse today. During World War II, those who objected to the draft were still required to work under a program known as 1-W, or alternative work.
Many suffered emotional trauma and cultural shock from being exposed to the outside world. On the other end of the spectrum, some assimilated into American culture and never returned to their families. World War II shows that even hundreds of years after leaving Europe, the Amish commitment to pacifism still causes problems. Today, the rising costs of farmland have led to many Amish people needing to look into jobs outside of agriculture.
Some have their own businesses, some turn to traditional crafts, and others find jobs in local factories. One of the biggest changes in recent years is the introduction of tourism. Hoards of tourists are flocking to these sights hoping to catch a glimpse into this never before-seen lifestyle.
This is both a blessing and a curse. While it brings in a lot of revenue to the community, this also means a loss of privacy. Like many other fundamentalist groups, they believe in life after death through Heaven or Hell.
According to the Amish, salvation is a gift from God. For the Amish, salvation is an everyday experience. These key beliefs form the foundation of their daily lifestyle and commitment to God. One of the biggest facets that lead to the confusion surrounding Amish culture is their separation. The Amish try to remain separate from the rest of the world.
This is both a physical and social separation. The Amish refer to people in the non-Amish world as "English," and these people have the potential to corrupt the community. While many find this perplexing, consider the history we just outlined. Since the start of the Anabaptist movement up until the modern day, the Amish have experienced endless persecution at the hands of outsiders. Each congregation is known as a district, and it remains completely autonomous. Believe it or not, the Amish do pay taxes on both a state and federal level.
Each Amish district includes around 30 families. There can be several districts within a single settlement. The community itself is led by a bishop, several ministers, and a deacon. They all play a unique role in the church, which is the spiritual center of Amish life. The Bishop leads the community by deciding which issues need to be voted on, while the ministers and deacon are more involved with church life. The ministers are the ones who do the actual preaching in Sunday church services.
Most districts have ordained ministers, and these individuals have the full respect of the community. Amish preachers do not use notes or rehearse their sermons. Instead, they rely entirely on the Holy Spirit to draw words from them.
Finally, the deacon collects money for the community and talks privately with members about transgressions or other broken rules. The choosing of these leaders is particularly unique.
While members of the community nominate their spiritual leaders, the final choice is random. Those who receive the most nominations are gathered into a single room, and, depending on the tradition, are chosen randomly. In one ceremony , a verse is written on a piece of paper and inserted into a hymnbook. The nominee who chooses the one with the verse is the elected leader. These traditions of random selection are based on the idea that God should have the final say in their leadership.
Amish beliefs tie into every aspect of their life. Because they believe salvation is an everyday experience, they take great care to protect their conservative values. One of the biggest differences between the Amish and other religious fundamental groups is the lack of evangelicalism. The Amish base their culture on the tradition of the past. They take great pride in respecting the tried-and-true, and they take a skeptical eye to innovation.
The Amish actually speak two languages. The most common language is German, but most members speak a dialect known as Pennsylvania Dutch. During worship, they use something known as High German. The other language is English which is spoken and learned in school. Where did this German blend develop in the first place?
The primary cause is the sheer number of German speakers who immigrated to Pennsylvania in the 18th century. This language is kept alive as a way to feel connected to their spiritual heritage. While not much is openly known about Amish culture, many American people have heard of the term Rumspringa. This is probably because of the popularity of the show Breaking Amish on American television.
The specific practices, once again, vary depending on the community. In most cases, these youth are free to explore the world beyond Amish communities. This might mean wearing non-Amish clothing, going to the movies, or even buying a car. Why would such a conservative community encourage young people to explore beyond their traditions, especially if it means trying things that are forbidden by the Ordnung?
It all comes down to rebaptism. The Amish people base their faith on the concept of choice. People must choose for themselves if they want a place in the church. Education has long been a source of contention between the Amish and local governments. Other than these basics, education is seen as no longer useful for living a life devoted to God, and children will be expected to learn a vocation like farming, carpentry, or factory work.
Though most states require students to stay in school until they reach 16, many states allow an exception for the Amish based on their religious beliefs. The Ordnung promotes the shunning of those who continue to reject key values of the community, but it is not something the Amish enforce lightly. After being shunned by the community , the Amish can no longer give any form of aid or help to the ex-member.
The most common example of sinful behavior resulting in shunning includes the use of forbidden technology. This practice of shunning sinners from the community is intended to preserve the integrity of the entire church, once again returning to the common thread of separatism.
The women wear long, modest dresses with the characteristic bonnets covering their hair. The men are always dressed in similarly conservative outfits like dark suits and wide-brimmed hats. While it might look like an exaggerated costume, the Amish style of dress is just another way to express their faith. Unlike much of our American fashion of today, there is a purpose behind everything the Amish wear and how they choose to style themselves.
They are taxed on their earnings. According to the Young Center, "They pay all the taxes — income, property, sales, estate, corporate, school — that other people do. In fact many of them pay school taxes twice — for both public and private Amish schools. Instead, they believe that members of the church should care for one another's physical and material needs.
In some states, according to the Young Center, the Amish have also been exempted from workers compensation for the same reason. Amish also are exempt from military service due to their belief in non-resistance, a term they prefer over pacifism. This applies not only to war, but also law-enforcement, politics and legal actions. Technology Amish life is governed by the "Ordnung," a German word for order. The rules vary from community to community. According to the Young Center, "Most Amish groups forbid owning automobiles, tapping electricity from public utility lines, using self-propelled farm machinery, owning a television, radio, and computer, attending high school and college, joining the military, and initiating divorce.
According to the Young Center, the Amish do not consider technology evil in itself, but believe that it has the potential to bring about assimilation into the surrounding society. Horse-and-buggy transportation keeps the community anchored in its local geographical base. In addition, most Amish are not permitted to drive motor vehicles but are allowed to hire outsiders — known as "English" — to drive them.
Their right to end school at age 14 was confirmed by a ruling of the United States Supreme Court. Instruction is in both English and their German dialect. Diversity The Amish are not a single unit. There are four main groups — the Old Order, the New Order, the Beachy Amish and Amish Mennonites — with many subgroups and different rules within these categories.
Old Order Amish do not operate vehicles with motors, which also means they do not use tractors in their fields. The Amish will, however, use horses as well as mules to pull modern farm equipment. Between the ages of 14 and 18, Amish teens can join the English world, which is known as Rumspringa. Yes, believe it or not, Amish do enjoy an occasional trip outside of their local community of Lancaster, PA.
Men without a beard are waiting for marriage to begin growing them out as a symbol of their transition into manhood. In the earlier days, wearing a mustache meant you were associated with the military Amish are exempt from the military , which is why in Old Order Amish traditions, men shave them off entirely.
Researchers believe that the Amish have lower cancer rates because of their lifestyle. Amish eat and grow their own food and also do not allow alcohol or tobacco.
0コメント