Will Amish ever face military conscription again? We can’t know the answer to that question, but Amish and other conservative Anabaptists are preparing for such a worst-case scenario. Amish beliefs about non-resistance include not doing violence against others, extending into prohibitions on serving in law enforcement, political office, and even bringing lawsuits. Amish have faced the military draft many times in the past, with a…
After sharing some of the hard times in her son’s Minnesota Amish community, including health and financial concerns, Anne writes that she has received another letter from Ed and Ruth. When I read the account below I thought about how different this picture is compared to what 90% of America imagines Amish life to be. Â It’s not about idyllic farm life or Amish mafias or…
A version of a songbook used by Amish at Arthur, Illinois. Â This photo was sent in by a non-Amish reader; it contains the English translation beneath the German text. Some Amish use hymn books which are variations on the well-known Ausbund.
The Amish stand out in this world for many reasons. One is their reverence for the Sabbath day. This is something that even those who know little of the Amish are aware of. Â Even their “No Sunday Sales” business signs advertise this key belief. While most Christians shift gears and attend church on that day, Amish take it further, both in degree, and in their…
The short answer is yes. I’m sending out my Christmas cards this week, and will include a number to Amish friends across the country. Amish don’t do Santa, so I try to choose “neutral” ones, though have sent some with a Christmas tree before. You can see Christmas cards displayed in Amish homes. One family I regularly visit hangs them from a string, which is…
From Rules of a Godly Life, Part 3 “Works”. Â Number 8: Be a true servant to Christ, not only by attending church services or by taking part in religious ceremonies, but throughout every area of your life, shunning all sin, and with a true obedient spirit obeying all the commandments of God. Be not satisfied with a reputation for godliness: let your character be equally…
Amish began moving from Lancaster to Parke County, Indiana in 1991. Â Today there are six Amish church districts in the vicinity of county seat Rockville. Along with a similar group in Wayne County, the Parke County Amish are unlike others in Indiana. Â Here you’ll find the Lancaster grey buggy and plenty of Stoltzfuses, Kings and Fishers, all signs of the “Pennsylvania presence” in Indiana. I…
From Rules of a Godly Life, Section 1 (“Thoughts”), Rule #8: If other people praise you, humble yourself. But do not praise yourself or boast, for that is the way of fools who seek vain praise. Be honest in all your dealings and this will be enough reward; then others will praise you. Of all the Rules, this one seems to strike hardest at the…
Like the holy kiss, foot washing is a symbolic communal act performed by Amish. Foot washing occurs during the twice-yearly communion service. The authors of The Amish Way note the words of the Dordrecht Confession on the custom: footwashing is “the true washing, when we are washed through His precious blood and purified in our souls.” The authors also describe foot washing as “an act…
You may remember hearing a while back from Anne, whose son Ed joined the Amish. Â Anne has just returned from a visit to see Ed and her new grandson in Minnesota. Â She also spent some time recently in Pennsylvania. Â I think you’ll enjoy this update in which she sheds light on how others, both Amish and non-Amish, have responded to her son’s decision. Two recent…