At our lake house we see the Amish boys playing in the water fully clothed. But the girls just stand on the shore and laugh and clap. Are the women not allowed to go in the water?
Different Amish communities are different. In the area where we grew up women did not go into the water. There were a few that waded a bit never more than knee deep but even that was considered scandalous. There are many other communities that when their young people go to the beach there is nothing about them that you would know they are Amish.
Do different churches, like Lancaster, Schwartzentruber, Troyer, Nebraska, etc. intermarry? Is it assumed the couple will be members of the husband's church from then on?
I am not very well acquainted with these groups other than Lancaster. So I asked my friend Katie Troyer if she would be willing to answer this question. She kindly agreed to do it for me.
I know for certain that the Schwartzentruber and Nebraska intermarry, for their gene pool has narrowed down to being related to everyone, first and second cousins. These couples remain Schwartzentruber or Nebraska, depending on where they live after marriage. Each couple has to decide where they will live after marriage. The bride doesn't always move to his group. Most from the Troyer group (young men)that don't marry within their own, leave the Amish altogether and marry outsiders. Their few groups have oodles of single ladies that never marry, simply because there are not enough men to reach around.
Lancaster Amish are so vastly different from other Amish groups that it is almost impossible for their marriage partner to adjust to their way of life. Most of the Lancaster couples that intermarry outside their specific culture have met in Sarasota Florida as wild Amish youth. Although I don't know of any Lancaster girl that is married to a boy from Ohio or Indiana, or what Lancaster call the "Western Amish". It is usually the Lancaster boy that marries outside a bride from another Amish community like Ohio or Indiana. These marriages have problems all their own, for you can get a guy to move out of Lancaster but you can't get Lancaster out of a guy. The same is with the bride, she can move to Lancaster but she will never be a Lancaster woman. Their best solution is to leave the Amish altogether and remain in Florida.
I have cousins in Lancaster and Lancaster daughter settlements and have to agree. They are definitely different from other Amish.
I would be interested to know what books you would recommend to learn true facts about the Amish.
You can write for a free catalog from an Amish bookstore
Pathway Bookstore
2580 N 250 W
LaGrange IN 46761
Do New Order Amish evangelise? If they believe in salvation by grace rather than works, what is the main reason for New Order Amish to leave?
Some New Order Amish try to do their own brand of evangelising. When all is said and done they still have a very hard time not dwelling on works salvation.
What is the quintessential Amish cookbook?
There are many Amish cookbooks. One of the basics is called simply "Amish Cooking" and can be purchased at the bookstore mentioned above.
Do Amish women wear canning aprons outside of the home?
Amish women always wear an apron, no matter where they are. Most communities don't allow full or bib aprons. They occasionally wear another apron on top of the one they are already wearing if they are doing especially dirty work.
What do you think of the movie Silent Witness, realistic or not?
I have never seen this movie so I really can't tell you. Other than unless the Amish actually produced it, it probably is inaccurate.
I have always heard Amish don't want their faces shown in photos, but I noticed you post photos of faces. So is this no longer true?
Amish do not pose for pictures because of the commandment"thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image......" Strange as it may sound they are delighted to find pictures of themselves or friends in newspapers. Most Amish families have an album with clippings of pictures of their friends and family members. The "sin" is in posing, not in having the picture that was taken without their permission.
This is one area that we do not share their convictions.
I'm wondering if you or the Amish would have any questions for us? I suppose we are called the English? On our ways of life.
Maybe someday I can have a post with questions for all of you to answer.
I also seen a documentary a few years back about the Amish in Ohio. They said that when the Amish turn 18 or 16 they go to the dentist and have all of their teeth pulled. Is that true and I just didn't understand that.
I have heard about that story already. And please don't feel bad for Amish teens. Their teeth are quite safe when they turn 16 or 18. They don't normally visit the dentist unless they have a tooth that is bothering them and certainly never to have them pulled as a weird rite of passage or something.
Do any of the Amish go on to college to become doctors?
No, Amish do not go to college. If any Amish person would want to become a doctor they would have to leave the Amish to do so. There are quite a few Amish communities that have "braucha" or as called among non Amish "pow-wow doctors" Now that is some seriously creepy stuff! I might share about some of my experiences with "braucha" sometime.
I am wondering what religion you practice now and how your family (especially your parents) responded to you making a different choice?
My parents were devastated when we left the Amish. They have still not accepted it so that part is hard, but it was one of the things we knew would happen if we make this decision so I'm not angry or bitter because of it. I still love them both so much! My husbands parents accepted it much better and will have us over occasionally and my mother-in-law is always happy to baby-sit on the rare occasion that we need a place for the children to stay.
Are marriages arranged or chosen by parents or is everyone allowed to marry whom ever?
You are allowed to marry whom ever, though it is expected that you first ask for your parents approval and blessing.
What do the Amish do about the great commission left by Jesus about spreading the Gospel to the whole world as in the last of Matthew?
The vast majority totally ignore that. They think somehow their clothes and style of life is the only witnessing they need to do.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Answering Questions Part 1
The response from yesterdays post was interesting! I will be doing several posts to answer all your questions .
Why is it so important and why do all Amish wear head coverings? I don't mind them, just always wondering why they do.
The Amish women and girls wear head coverings because of the passage in 1 Corinthians 11:5 where it says; But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. And in verse ten where it says For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.
Do the Amish ever listen to music, or play musical instruments?
Amish churches do not approve or allow listening to music (radios, CD's etc) The only place most of them hear anything is when the ride with a "taxi" Most drivers who haul Amish for any length of time know they love to listen to Country and have their radio turned on for them. New drivers usually didn't to begin with and it was torture trying not to think of what we were missing on a twenty minute drive that could have been filled with George Strait and Alan Jackson. (Funny thing is, since we have our own vehicle and I can listen to anything I want to. I have lost my taste for Country.)
A lot of Amish churches have a no musical instruments rule, including the one I grew up in. But a lot of others allow harmonicas.
I find, what little I know of the Amish way of life, very interesting, comforting, simple. Am I wrong? Why would you want to leave it and do many folks leave that way of life? Do you still practice it at all?
The Amish way of life is so much more than what you can see by just visiting Amish country. The majority of those born Amish will remain Amish until they die. But there are always some who will leave for many different reasons. For some they leave as rebels, others want to see what they are missing in life, others change their religious views, and other similar reasons. We no longer live like the Amish in most ways, but I am sure there are little quirks that we have and some views on different things that our Amish roots show through.
Why did you leave the Amish? Were you shunned?
Since I am chronicling my journey from a little Amish girl to where we are today I will come to the part where we made the hardest decision in our life, that of leaving the Amish. I will share the details then. And yes we were and are still shunned.
Do the kids in the Amish community know about all the stuff as far as technology goes, and have they seen it, and how do they feel about the way other kids dress.
Amish kids know far more about technology than most people give them credit for. They don't think anything about the way others dress. They have seen it ever since they can remember and to them that's just the way non-Amish dress. No big deal to them at all.
How do the Amish view the outside world in general? Do they see the people who do not live as Amish as sinners or just as "others"?
To the Amish the outside world is a dangerous place. Though they would not go as far as to say you have to be Amish to go to heaven they do believe it enhances the chance to get there.
Well, this is something I've always wondered...do Amish women have home birthing? Do they have one particular lady as a midwife?
In the area I grew up most of them went to the hospital to have their babies, but there were a few brave ones that did home birthing and yes there was one particular lady who enjoyed being a midwife. There are other Amish areas where home birthing is the preferred method.
If a bad farm accident occurred would they utilize an ambulance and ER?
If there is a need, ambulances and ER are welcomed by the Amish. And have been used often.
Do the women gossip? Are their any meddlers?
Gossip, sadly is one thing very common among the Amish, and "oh, yes" there are definitely meddlers.
I always kind of wondered why they weren't supposed to attend professional sporting events?
They used to quote scripture, in German of course to warn us about sports. "For that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God."
What do you still retain from your life as being Amish, like what WON'T you change?
This one is a little harder. One thing we still retain from being Amish is the language. It is still the easiest to speak and the one we use 90% of the time we are at home. Some other things are some of the convictions we have, that we were taught by our parents. We see no reason to throw all such things to the wind just because we are no longer Amish.
Why is it so important and why do all Amish wear head coverings? I don't mind them, just always wondering why they do.
The Amish women and girls wear head coverings because of the passage in 1 Corinthians 11:5 where it says; But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. And in verse ten where it says For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.
Do the Amish ever listen to music, or play musical instruments?
Amish churches do not approve or allow listening to music (radios, CD's etc) The only place most of them hear anything is when the ride with a "taxi" Most drivers who haul Amish for any length of time know they love to listen to Country and have their radio turned on for them. New drivers usually didn't to begin with and it was torture trying not to think of what we were missing on a twenty minute drive that could have been filled with George Strait and Alan Jackson. (Funny thing is, since we have our own vehicle and I can listen to anything I want to. I have lost my taste for Country.)
A lot of Amish churches have a no musical instruments rule, including the one I grew up in. But a lot of others allow harmonicas.
I find, what little I know of the Amish way of life, very interesting, comforting, simple. Am I wrong? Why would you want to leave it and do many folks leave that way of life? Do you still practice it at all?
The Amish way of life is so much more than what you can see by just visiting Amish country. The majority of those born Amish will remain Amish until they die. But there are always some who will leave for many different reasons. For some they leave as rebels, others want to see what they are missing in life, others change their religious views, and other similar reasons. We no longer live like the Amish in most ways, but I am sure there are little quirks that we have and some views on different things that our Amish roots show through.
Why did you leave the Amish? Were you shunned?
Since I am chronicling my journey from a little Amish girl to where we are today I will come to the part where we made the hardest decision in our life, that of leaving the Amish. I will share the details then. And yes we were and are still shunned.
Do the kids in the Amish community know about all the stuff as far as technology goes, and have they seen it, and how do they feel about the way other kids dress.
Amish kids know far more about technology than most people give them credit for. They don't think anything about the way others dress. They have seen it ever since they can remember and to them that's just the way non-Amish dress. No big deal to them at all.
How do the Amish view the outside world in general? Do they see the people who do not live as Amish as sinners or just as "others"?
To the Amish the outside world is a dangerous place. Though they would not go as far as to say you have to be Amish to go to heaven they do believe it enhances the chance to get there.
Well, this is something I've always wondered...do Amish women have home birthing? Do they have one particular lady as a midwife?
In the area I grew up most of them went to the hospital to have their babies, but there were a few brave ones that did home birthing and yes there was one particular lady who enjoyed being a midwife. There are other Amish areas where home birthing is the preferred method.
If a bad farm accident occurred would they utilize an ambulance and ER?
If there is a need, ambulances and ER are welcomed by the Amish. And have been used often.
Do the women gossip? Are their any meddlers?
Gossip, sadly is one thing very common among the Amish, and "oh, yes" there are definitely meddlers.
I always kind of wondered why they weren't supposed to attend professional sporting events?
They used to quote scripture, in German of course to warn us about sports. "For that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God."
What do you still retain from your life as being Amish, like what WON'T you change?
This one is a little harder. One thing we still retain from being Amish is the language. It is still the easiest to speak and the one we use 90% of the time we are at home. Some other things are some of the convictions we have, that we were taught by our parents. We see no reason to throw all such things to the wind just because we are no longer Amish.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Looking For Inquisitive Minds
Inquisitive minds like to learn new things. They enjoy exploring and discovering and finding answers to things they have questions for............ It is something I still possess and find myself looking for answers to things I am curious about.I'm in the mood to do something different today. Ever since I started blogging I have been getting emails from people who have found my blog and had some questions. I enjoyed reading all of them and try to answer every one but sometimes it takes a while until I have time.
So I'm giving all of you the opportunity now to ask me anything you want to, about the Amish, or anything else you feel like asking me, and tomorrow I will have a post to answer your questions.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Of Songs and Properties
Several weeks after our first trip to Somerset County, Daddy and Mom went back to do some land shopping. They left the three of us children at Uncle Eli's.
Eli and Sadie never had any children of their own and were happy to have us stay with them. Sadie had a lot of fun things for us to play with. The first day was very enjoyable, by the second day we had already played with everything they had and were beginning to miss Mom and Daddy.
By the third day we were bored and very homesick. I was sitting on their little rocking chair, rocking my doll and singing cute little children's songs to it, but my heart wasn't in it. And so I started singing a song that I had heard Mom sing occasionally. " Tell me why my Daddy don't come home" I started singing it lustily, but the words were too real as I sang the next line, "I know I'm much to big to cry" my eyes started burning a little and my voice started quavering. I went on. "Why don't he come and play with me again" Tears were rolling down my cheeks and I could hardly go on. "Mommy, why did Daddy say good-bye?" By the time I got done all three of us were crying. And we immediately started singing it again though we were sobbing as we wailed out the words.
Sadie had been ironing but came to try to cheer us up. We weren't in the mood to smile and be happy as all three of us wailed out the words again "Mommy, why did Daddy say good-bye?" And then paused to cry loudly again. Finally Sadie told us we aren't allowed to sing that song again since we have to cry and got us occupied with something else.
After supper that evening Daddy and Mom came to get us and go home. It seemed wonderful to be with them again. After we got home they told us that they bought a property in Pennsylvania and we would be moving once springtime came. We were very excited at the prospect of a new adventure and went to bed happy to be safe with Daddy and Mom and eager to see what would happen once spring came.
Eli and Sadie never had any children of their own and were happy to have us stay with them. Sadie had a lot of fun things for us to play with. The first day was very enjoyable, by the second day we had already played with everything they had and were beginning to miss Mom and Daddy.
By the third day we were bored and very homesick. I was sitting on their little rocking chair, rocking my doll and singing cute little children's songs to it, but my heart wasn't in it. And so I started singing a song that I had heard Mom sing occasionally. " Tell me why my Daddy don't come home" I started singing it lustily, but the words were too real as I sang the next line, "I know I'm much to big to cry" my eyes started burning a little and my voice started quavering. I went on. "Why don't he come and play with me again" Tears were rolling down my cheeks and I could hardly go on. "Mommy, why did Daddy say good-bye?" By the time I got done all three of us were crying. And we immediately started singing it again though we were sobbing as we wailed out the words.
Sadie had been ironing but came to try to cheer us up. We weren't in the mood to smile and be happy as all three of us wailed out the words again "Mommy, why did Daddy say good-bye?" And then paused to cry loudly again. Finally Sadie told us we aren't allowed to sing that song again since we have to cry and got us occupied with something else.
After supper that evening Daddy and Mom came to get us and go home. It seemed wonderful to be with them again. After we got home they told us that they bought a property in Pennsylvania and we would be moving once springtime came. We were very excited at the prospect of a new adventure and went to bed happy to be safe with Daddy and Mom and eager to see what would happen once spring came.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Monster Cookies
Our family enjoys good homemade cookies. I have three recipes that we really like that I usually choose from when I feel like baking cookies. Which is kind of sad considering the fact I have lots of other recipes to choose from.
I was looking through one of my old Amish recipe books recently and found the recipe for Monster Cookies that my Mom used to make when I was a little girl. And last week I finally got to go to a bulk food store and purchased a big bag of M & M's. I forgot to buy peanut butter though so I will have to wait a little longer to bake them, but that doesn't keep me from sharing the recipe with all of you. (I dare you to make a whole batch.)
Monster Cookies
12 eggs
4 cup white sugar
4 cup brown sugar
2 cup softened butter
1 Tbsp vanilla
3 lb peanut butter
18 cup oatmeal
2 cup flour
8 tsp baking soda
1 lb M & M's
1 lb chocolate chips
Beat eggs; add sugars, vanilla, and butter. Mix and add peanut butter. Mix well. Add dry ingredients and mix very well. Shape into 2" balls. Flatten slightly and bake at 350 for 10 minutes.
On another note. Rosebud was so excited about all the M & M's that the first thing she told her Daddy when he came home that evening was. "Daddy, Mom bought a lot of enemies today!" It gave us a good chuckle and showed me that I really need to buy M & M's more often since our children don't even know the proper way to call them.
I was looking through one of my old Amish recipe books recently and found the recipe for Monster Cookies that my Mom used to make when I was a little girl. And last week I finally got to go to a bulk food store and purchased a big bag of M & M's. I forgot to buy peanut butter though so I will have to wait a little longer to bake them, but that doesn't keep me from sharing the recipe with all of you. (I dare you to make a whole batch.)
Monster Cookies
12 eggs
4 cup white sugar
4 cup brown sugar
2 cup softened butter
1 Tbsp vanilla
3 lb peanut butter
18 cup oatmeal
2 cup flour
8 tsp baking soda
1 lb M & M's
1 lb chocolate chips
Beat eggs; add sugars, vanilla, and butter. Mix and add peanut butter. Mix well. Add dry ingredients and mix very well. Shape into 2" balls. Flatten slightly and bake at 350 for 10 minutes.
On another note. Rosebud was so excited about all the M & M's that the first thing she told her Daddy when he came home that evening was. "Daddy, Mom bought a lot of enemies today!" It gave us a good chuckle and showed me that I really need to buy M & M's more often since our children don't even know the proper way to call them.
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