The Amish people are one of the most mysterious groups of people in America today. The Amish are looked upon as abnormal, primitive people who refuse to conform to modernity. Most often, they keep to themselves and live their own simple lives. However, there are laws and policies in today's government with which the Amish do not agree. Two of these laws include paying Social Security and forced Military enrollment. The Amish have held strongly in their beliefs through the years continually asking the question, "Is there any clause whereby we can live a Christian faith and still be law abiding people?" .
The Amish view of government is the same as it has been since settling in America. Their views on government stem from the bible. Their interpretation of the bible comes three themes. One of the major themes is a rejection of worldliness, which means that they believe God wants them to be separate from the larger society of sin. They remain very strict on separation from the outside world and try to avoid contact with non-Amish people. They also remain very close with their community by stressing self-sufficiency within their community. This separation from the outside world does result in complete isolation. The Amish people stay on friendly terms with non-Amish people who live in close proximity to their farms and also engage in business dealings with non-Amish buyers (Kraybill, 1993). They believe that government is necessary to maintain order, to punish wrongdoings, to protect its citizens, and to provide a police force (Hostetler, 1980). The Amish believe that the government should not encroach into spiritual territory (Kraybill, 1993), just as it states in the First Amendment to the Constitution. However, the Amish's definition of a religious issue is quite different from the rest of society. While most Americans do not consider Social Security, other Welfare programs, and Military conscription a matter of religion, the Amish consider these issues to be a violation of the their beliefs (Niemeyer & Kraybill, 1993).
