In this second part of an interview with an anonymous Lancaster County Amishman, we look at the phenomenon of outsiders joining the Amish, using the Amish name to market and sell products to the public, Amish participation in the recent presidential election, and the meaning and purpose of shunning. (And if you missed the first part, here it is: An Amish America Q-and-A with a…
“It is very definitely a gray area, in fact it is nearly black.” An anonymous Amish friend from Lancaster County has offered candid answers to some questions on Amish life. In this first of two parts, he comments on topics such as the Amish presence in the media, Amish internet usage, friendships with non-Amish people, and the benefits and challenges of living life as an…
Millers, Yoders, Schrocks, Stoltzfuses. These names are a dime a dozen in Amish America. Meet enough Amish people, and once in a while you’ll come across an unusual name, one that may sound non-Germanic or even a Germanic-sounding name that is simply uncommon. The Amish have welcomed a fair share of converts to the faith over the years. Last names such as Jones, Jess, Chupp…
Shunning is a widely-known yet controversial social practice of the Old Order Amish. How do the Old Order Mennonites, close spiritual cousins of the Amish, approach the matter? An excerpt on the topic: “Members who stray from the teachings and practice of the church are reprimanded by the deacon. Persons who refuse to cooperate with the church may be “set back” from communion. If they…
The Amish-produced periodical Family Life has a feature known as ‘The Problem Corner’. Readers send in questions for other readers to offer answers on. One problem, sent in by an Amish mother in 1990, goes as follows: “…We send our children to a public school, and I venture to guess 98% of the Amish children that attend there have their yearly picture taken. We know…
In (hopefully) the last politically-related posting I’ll be doing for awhile, I just wanted to draw attention to an article in a WVA paper concerning local Amish and the voting issue. The piece does a nice job of explaining some of the deterrments to voting the Amish encounter as a society that considers itself ‘in the world, but not of it’, including the issue of…
New York state is home to a large number of Amish communities–around 30 settlements–totaling over 70 church districts. New York ranks as the state with the sixth largest Amish population and has attracted a large number of out-of-state ‘immigrant Amish’–in fact, more than any other state since 2002. Brock shares photos from an Amish settlement in Montgomery County, New York. This particular community was founded in 1986 by Amish from…
Though I can’t say that all the info it contains is factually correct, just read an entertaining article on the potential for Amish voting in the 2008 election from the Daily Beast. Some may recall that George Bush made efforts to attract Amish voters in Ohio and Pennsylvania in 2004.  The writer in this piece is asking if McCain shouldn’t be making the same efforts this…
From Living Without Electricity (by Stephen Scott and Kenneth Pellman): “The majority of Old Order Amish use lamps that burn “white,” or clear, gasoline or naphtha. The fuel tank in these lamps is filled with compressed air. The air forces the fuel to the generator tube, where it is vaporized, and then to the mantles, where it is burned. Mantles are loosely woven fabric bags…
Being selected to the Amish ministry is both a blessing and a burden. Due to the challenges involved, the responsibility is not one that many Amishmen dream of and you won’t find anyone campaigning for the office. The position of bishop is probably the most demanding. I was recently on the phone with an Amish friend in Ohio, already a minister. His church had divided earlier…