The worldview of the Amish stems from aspects of their history, tradition and religion. To greater understand the Amish worldview one must examine their origins, beliefs, and modern lifestyle.
In 16th century Europe there was major reformation, which promoted the concepts of individual freedom and the priesthood of all believers. Also known as "the radical reformation," some religious reformers believed that the Bible should be taken strictly. They preached that the believer should separate themselves from all secular activities.
One of the largest groups, the Anabaptists promoted religious movements that are called "free churches" opposed to the state churches which were normal for the time. They believed only the pure should be involved in religion and that if a member were to fall into sinful actions, he or she should be excommunicated. This practice is called shunning. Shunning is used sparingly by avoiding and excluding a person from the church and community. Most groups were wiped out from wars and organized mass murders, which were organized by various governments and the Protestant and Roman Catholic churches. .
An Anabaptist leader named Menno Simons, along with some of his followers, were able to escape the slaughters by retreating to Switzerland and other remote places of the world. Menno's followers quickly became known as Mennonites.
The Amish began due to a split of the Mennonites during the late 17th century. The Amish founder was Jacob Amman, who based his beliefs and practices on the writings of Simons and on the 1632 Mennonite Dordrecht Confession of Faith. The Amish and Mennonites have retained similar beliefs, but differ in some practices. .
Some Amish migrated to the United States starting in the early 18th century. As a result of William Penn's "holy experiment" in religious tolerance, many Amish started settling in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. During the 1860's, a series of conferences were held in Wayne County, Ohio to deal with modern pressures.
"Although the Amish look like they stepped out of the rural nineteenth century, in fact they do change," (Amish Cultures). ... The Amish keep their materials basic. ... The Amish people are extremely hard workers. ... Amish women do not wear jewelry either. ... (Amish Life). ...
The Amish Life The Amish people believe that God has called them to a life of faith, dedication, humility, and service. ... Although the Amish are involved in many volunteer and relief organizations, they choose to keep their distance from outsiders. ... It may seem strange that failing to send children to school past the eighth grade would be a permitted or acceptable practice but the Amish society is itself a school. ... Since their Christianity demands the Amish lead a simple existence, they have managed to avoid the influences of television, radio, and most technology of today. ... I...
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). ... The Amish are not opposed to paying all taxes. ... In 1965, the Amish tried to expand the law to apply to Amish workers who were not self employed. ... Lee failed for the Amish, they experienced a victory in 1988 when the law was expanded to include Amish working for Amish employers. Today, the only Amish people who must pay the Social Security tax are those who are employed by non-Amish employers (Ferrara, ...
"Amish Culture" All aspects of Amish life are established by written or oral rules, known as Ordnung. The Ordnung defines what it means to be Amish. ... Amish marry only Amish; intermarriage is forbidden. ... The conveniences of modern technology are not encouraged or accepted in most Amish communities, known as the Old Order Amish. ... The Amish style of dress is very simple. ...
"Amish mount rare petition drive to keep horses on property." ... The Amish are a very good example that we can relate to due to the fact that they are like neighbors to us. ... It is very rare to see this happen in the Amish community. ... Years ago, a person belonging to the Amish community wouldn't dare to fight the law. Times sure are changing along with the Amish community....
The Amish way of life is hundreds of years old but is still around today, most commonly in Pennsylvania America. The Amish are a very religious people and have a greatly community based lifestyle. ... The life of today's Amish adolescent is very different to my life (being a typical Australian teenager). ... The community aspects of the Amish, such as barn raising and church attendance are not priorities in my life. ... This kind of attitude would be unacceptable in an Amish community, and I would probably be shunned. ...
The Amish way of life is hundreds of years old but is still around today, most commonly in Pennsylvania America. The Amish are a very religious people and have a greatly community based lifestyle. ... The life of today's Amish adolescent is very different to my life (being a typical Australian teenager). ... The community aspects of the Amish, such as barn raising and church attendance are not priorities in my life. ... This kind of attitude would be unacceptable in an Amish community, and I would probably be shunned. ...
