Thursday, April 28, 2022

X ~ eXcommunicate

     Knowing we would be excommunicated from the Amish church was not something we approached lightly when making the decision to leave.
    It has not been easy being cut off from family and friends.
    It has been humiliating, frustrating, irritating, and downright awful at times in the way we were treated, but not once did it make us feel like rejoining the Amish.
    As a matter of fact, it had quite the opposite affect on us. The more they shun, avoid, and treat us badly the less we ever want to be a part of that culture again.
    Do I miss the closeness of community? Yes.
    Do I miss all my growing up friends? Yes.
    Do I wish things were different. Yes.
    Am I happy that some Amish churches are no longer as strict about excommunication when someone leaves? Yes!!
    Another one of my brothers and his family recently left the Amish church. Their experience is quite different than ours was sixteen years ago. They have not been excommunicated. They can still freely visit their family, eat with them, etc. 
    Some other Amish communities will still shun them, but I'm so happy that their closest relationships remain intact. I'm so happy that they will never have that visit from the ministry to inform them that they are being handed over to Satan. I'm so happy that they won't have to experience the loss of everyone they loved.
    I am also happy that a few relationships I had thought were lost forever in my own life have been somewhat restored.
    I am happy that it seems as if there's a shift coming in some Amish churches in the way they use excommunication and shunning.

6 comments:

  1. That is so tremendously sad, Mary Ann. I never realized that the choice to leave the Amish way of life resulted in the loss of friendships and relationships. Glad there are some church communities that are not shunning former members.
    Blessings!

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  2. Seems so hard, so unfair, and so un Christ-like.

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  3. The Amish community seems to not understand that God never shunned His people due to their sin and that it should not be acceptable behavior in the Amish church community either.

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  4. Doctrines can be interpreted many ways. I'm glad you found your way.

    Beth
    https://bethlapinsatozblog.wordpress.com/

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  5. Been there...we left 16 years ago and I have not seen or been able to connect with some of my own siblings since. My parents both passed the end of 2019. I went to my dad's funeral but I wasn't allowed to talk to or see any of my 7 sisters. Neither be in the same house as they were. I had to sit at a neighbor's house during the service and was only allowed to briefly view my dad. Sucks... haven't gone back since tho I only live 20 minutes away. Some of my brothers couldn't stand the thought that no inheritance was left to me so they sent me a box with a few odd and end items and$50.00. To me...that was the kindest gesture in years. God is greater then this. We are blessed!

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  6. I'm glad many communities no longer do that.

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Thank you so much for taking time to comment. I love hearing your thoughts.