Amish Beliefs

It was 15 years ago – October 2, 2006 – that the school shooting at the West Nickel Mines School took place. I made a video looking back at that day, but especially focusing on what came afterwards – the forgiveness shown by the Amish. The forgiveness story went around the world, covered in media […]

Continue Reading Nickel Mines & Amish Forgiveness. 15 Years Later (Video)

In this new video I look at a simple question: can Amish people marry non-Amish people? I also discuss a couple of related situations, which fall under the same or similar umbrella. Those two situations are cases when someone joins the Amish, and cases when someone in a married couple leaves the Amish. I hope […]

Continue Reading Can Amish Marry English? (Video)

In this video I talk about Amish friendships and the idea of “separation from the world”. What’s the Biblical basis of this idea and what does it translate into in practice? Do Amish people have non-Amish friendships? Can you attend Amish church service as a non-Amish person? I also share a couple of photos from […]

Continue Reading Amish Friendships & Separation From The World (Video)

Gloria Yoder writes an introspective Amish Cook column this week, on why she is Amish. As she often does, Gloria first notes that there are many different types of Amish people and that she can only speak for her community (Gloria belongs to a New Order Amish church). She then explains: Of the thousands of […]

Continue Reading Gloria Yoder: Why Am I Amish?

“Amish Atheist” certainly feels like an oxymoron. That’s what I thought when first hearing about the turn in Kenneth Copp’s life in a story four years ago. Copp originally appeared on this site even earlier than that, when he was still with the Amish and living in the Unity, Maine community. In 2013 one of […]

Continue Reading A Short Film on Former Amish Convert – Now “Amish Atheist” – Kenneth Copp

It’s been a while since we had an Amish singing clip. I think it’s a nice time to post this one. This is described as an “Amish Hymn-Sing at the Historic Nicholas Stoltzfus Homestead”. It’s a good time because the homestead just celebrated its 250th anniversary this past week, with a gathering and benefit auction. […]

Continue Reading Listen To Amish Sing 2 Hymns – German & English (Audio)

In yesterday’s second emailed post on five Amish religious practices, I included the custom of home worship. I noted there are some exceptions, linking to my post on the Somerset County, PA Amish community. As it happens, a writer named Layne Deakins recently published an article about his visit to this same settlement. Somerset County […]

Continue Reading What An Amish Meetinghouse Looks Like

Anna Schrock continues with part two on her time as part of the Lancaster County New Order Amish. If you missed part 1, you can find that here. Beautiful Farms & Simple(?) Living As you drive through the Lancaster County countryside, you may notice that most of the farms and homesteads are very neat looking. […]

Continue Reading Anna Schrock: More On Growing Up In The Lancaster County New Order

Anna Schrock has an unusual backstory for a person who grew up Amish. Her family was a part of the New Order Amish movement in Lancaster County. The New Order Amish are primarily associated with Ohio, and particularly Holmes County (though today there are communities in quite a few other states). As the Ohio New […]

Continue Reading The New Order Amish in Lancaster County

Writing in to the Finger Lakes Times in early December, a reader made the following claim as part of a review of communism and socialism through history: The only form of communism today that is the same from several hundred years ago is the Amish. Yes, they practice a true form of communism right here […]

Continue Reading Do The Amish Practice Communism?