Amish life style.

plowjockey · #21 04/27/12, 08:08 PM

I work in the oil business.

Curse, those hores-drawn buggys!

mountainlaurel · #22 04/28/12, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tabitha

I don't get why they don't just keep to the spiritual part of their religion and ditch the dress and bans on modern conveniences and electricity since they are essentailly using them anyway.

Worst thing they could do. They would be like everybody else. Their garb and ways is better than any advertising.
They read the Bible in English because the young are not fluent enough in German.

The young, under school age, don't know English either. They speak Pennsylvania Dutch until they go to school. Then they learn English and they also have German classes.

trulytricia · #23 04/28/12, 12:11 PM

The point that was made to me was that a lot of the Amish, while learning to speak German, may never learn to read it very well. So they rely on others[elders] to explain things to them. This group around here only uses a German language Bible. Perhaps it varies in places?

The boy I met was not allowed to have an English language Bible at all. His parents forbid it, even tho he could not read German very well. He hid his Bible because he wanted to know things for himself.

I understand all the crazy rules probably help to bind them together. It is a survival thing in that sense of preserving your culture.

There can be some serious consequences if you step out. The boy I met is now shunned by his family because he joined a different church. Very hard for him and them I have no doubt.

blufford · #24 04/28/12, 12:36 PM

They mostly live on farms, heat and cook with wood and hang their clothes outside to dry. Just like my grands. How could you have a problem with that. I've yet to have had an Amish knock on my door and cajole me into joining their church.

mekasmom · #25 04/28/12, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sonshine

IMO, what they do is their business........If they chose to use or not use electricity, ect, that's their business. If they feel God has led them to dress as they do, who am I to argue? If they feel God wants them to separate themselves from modern vehicles but also believe God doesn't mind if they use them in some cases, that's between them and God. Not sure why anyone should care, since they aren't forcing their lifestyle on anyone else.

I agree. Let he who is without sin.......... It is nobody's business how they live. And when anyone points a finger at them to criticize they are actually bringing destruction to themselves. What you sow is what you will reap. You can't sow hateful words and attitudes yet be blessed in all things. God just doesn't work that way.

Haven · #26 04/28/12, 04:08 PM

I don't care what they do because they leave other people alone and don't preach, convert or bring up religion in normal conversation.

I am only commenting to mention that my neighbors are of the most strict Swartzentruber order. When their son does construction work for me, he will still use power tools, so does his old order friends who help him. I would imagine that this is something they would not share with their strict mother or their church.

Added: These guys are not even allowed to hire drivers, except when really needed.

springvalley · #27 04/28/12, 04:48 PM

I love it when people pass judgement just because others are differant, or they know nothing about them. I happen to like the Amish way of life and wish I could be more like them. On the most part they are fantastic people, but you have to remember they are human, they do sin, and not all of them are good. They choose to live the way they do to keep their family unit close, family is their center. If they lived like the rest of us they would only grow further apart as a community, like we have. All Amish church districts are differant, a few are alike, but not all. The elders of the community make up the rules, if you don`t like the rules you are welcome to leave. If you don`t follow the rules of the church district and don`t leave, you are shuned. By and large they use very little gas and fuel compared to most of us, and most never use electric. Some have started using tractors but must use steel wheels on them, so they can`t travel far on them. Most still use buggies but do hire drivers of cars or trucks to get them long distances if they need to get some place quick. I think the world of some of our Amish friends, but I don`t put them above anyone else, they are just good people. So next time you see and Amish buggy, give them a wave, I bet they wave back. > Thanks and God Bless America. > Marc

J.T.M. · #28 04/28/12, 05:49 PM

My ewe lambs have a great reputation in the Amish community, and they are without a doubt my best costumiers ~ all word of mouth ~ .A few months back ,a family hired a driver to bring them from Ohio to Iowa to buy from me.It blew the buyers mind when answering his questions about how I manage my flock .You know you do things primitive when an Amish calls you primitive ...................

Ken Scharabok · #29 04/28/12, 07:09 PM

Old joke: One Amish to another: "The Mennonites are going to hell for driving vehicles".
Second Amish: "Yes, and there will be an Amish sitting beside him".

big rockpile · #30 04/28/12, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken Scharabok

Old joke: One Amish to another: "The Mennonites are going to hell for driving vehicles".
Second Amish: "Yes, and there will be an Amish sitting beside him".

Well know a group of Amish that drive vehicles and a group of Mennonite that are Horse and Buggy.

big rockpile

springvalley · #31 04/28/12, 08:13 PM

We have no old order Amish here, we do have beechy Amish who are mennonites, they have most of the same things we do. We have a very good friend in their community, they all drive dark color cars(black mostly) no TV`s, limited computers, Men wear bib overalls,(dark blue) and caps(without logo`s) married men have beards. Women are very traditional with the long dresses and prayer bonnets. They are wonderful people, they don`t like to tell you much of what goes on with them, but are friendly. I do look up things on my computer for them as they can`t get much on theirs. > Thanks Marc

poppy · #32 04/28/12, 09:01 PM

The Amish run the gamut. I admire many of their ways like keeping to themselves and teaching their own kids, etc.. Some of them are true craftsmen and some others, after seeing some of their work, I wouldn't want them building an outhouse for me.

J.T.M. · #33 04/28/12, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by poppy

Some of them are true craftsmen and some others, after seeing some of their work, I wouldn't want them building an outhouse for me.

I hear ya.... Some are as dishonest as it gets as well .
The claim is that for anything Amish built , bred or trained add 20 % to the cost. I know where these Amish bred sheep come from ,as well as the Amish bred/trained work horses ....

Meh.........If they can make a buck ,more power to 'em .

Haven · #34 04/29/12, 09:35 AM

I live on the edge of a very dense and thriving Amish region.

There are 2 sides to the "Amish Country". The region is littered with so-called Amish shops and stores on the main roads that are filled with Chinese goods. These are places the tourists frequent. I was at Lehman's Hardware a few days ago and bought 3 items that were Made in USA - I also picked up 6 other items that I wanted to purchase and put them back because of the Chinese label. There was a man and his wife standing behind me that were also putting Chinese products back on the shelf, saying "made in China" to each other.

If you travel deeper into the back roads you will find true Amish business' with nothing but handcrafted, local goods. This is where local residents shop.

The self-sufficiency of this area is really amazing. You can have pretty much anything you need crafted here by hand. Lumber, blacksmithing, raw honey and veggies, baked goods, livestock, canvas tarp stitching, German pottery and crocks, off grid tools and energy sources. It is a homesteader's dream.

big rockpile · #35 04/29/12, 02:33 PM

I just don't like them using their faith in their marketing when many of another faith can do just as well.

big rockpile

my3boys · #36 04/29/12, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hollowdweller

The amish are a crock.

They were working on a house near me and they have some dude drive them over from Ohio because they aren't allowed to drive.

They were doing a story on tv about how the recreational vehicle industry is booming again and were showing this camper plant in Indiana and all these Amish men and women were running around screwing down the siding on these trailers with electric screwdrivers and nail guns.

Because their birth rates have exceeded their "range" now most of them have to work for the man like the rest of us. I don't get why they don't just keep to the spiritual part of their religion and ditch the dress and bans on modern conveniences and electricity since they are essentailly using them anyway.

You don't get it because you don't understand their beliefs. They have a strong sense of community and they shun the modern conveniences because they know that things like phones and cars will weaken that and eventually tear apart their community. For the same reason they also limit contact and interaction with those outside of their faith to limit temptation and bad influences. The exception would be a non-Amish neighbor, at least in most cases. Some do drive and operate equipment such as power tools if it is necessary for them to do so in their off-farm jobs. Many must take jobs outside their farms and family businesses to make ends meet.

Why the hostility towards the Amish?

mountainlaurel · #37 04/30/12, 05:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by springvalley

We have no old order Amish here, we do have beechy Amish who are mennonites, they have most of the same things we do. We have a very good friend in their community, they all drive dark color cars(black mostly) no TV`s, limited computers, Men wear bib overalls,(dark blue) and caps(without logo`s) married men have beards. Women are very traditional with the long dresses and prayer bonnets. They are wonderful people, they don`t like to tell you much of what goes on with them, but are friendly. I do look up things on my computer for them as they can`t get much on theirs. > Thanks Marc

Beachy Amish are not Mennonites. They are from Amish, my son in laws great grandfather was Mose Beachy who started the church. He pulled away from the Old Order church so they could keep their young people from rumpspringa and become more mission minded.
We are Mennonite. My kids have had lots of dealings with Beachys. And my kids will tell you that among the plain people, the Beachy kids are known as the ' Wild Beachys' for a good reason. What you described is just one kind of Beachy church. There are very different churches. Just go on facebook and type in a Amish name such as Yoder, Stoltzfus, Hostetler and check out what the Beachys are up to.

trulytricia · #38 04/30/12, 08:09 AM

I'm very, very glad that Amish and Mennonites live in this area. They do add a lot to this county.

Just the sight of them riding past in their buggies is always a joy to see.. I drop everything just to watch them go by. Can't say that about the average car!

They work hard, sell lots of produce and shop at the local stores and go to lots of rummage sales and auctions.

Oh yeah, I hope they never have reason to leave.

haypoint · #39 04/30/12, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by my3boys

You don't get it because you don't understand their beliefs. They have a strong sense of community and they shun the modern conveniences because they know that things like phones and cars will weaken that and eventually tear apart their community. For the same reason they also limit contact and interaction with those outside of their faith to limit temptation and bad influences. The exception would be a non-Amish neighbor, at least in most cases. Some do drive and operate equipment such as power tools if it is necessary for them to do so in their off-farm jobs. Many must take jobs outside their farms and family businesses to make ends meet.

Why the hostility towards the Amish?

Very well stated. It is their "backward ways" that forces them to stay connected to their family, community and church.
But, just like the rest of us, every person is a unique individual and every community has adapted in different ways.
I was on an Amish farm today. They milk into buckets. Their buggies don't have hyd. brakes and there isn't a rubber tire on the place.
A few miles away, I've seen a 8 foot wide rototiller with a 100 horse engine pulled by a team of draft horses, on an Amish farm.
I've seen 100 horsepower John Deere 4WD tractors with steel wheels, operated by Amish. I've seen new tractors without wheels, just used to power a thresh machine and later, to operate a baler that baled the straw and at the rear of the baler, a chute that allowed the baler to push newly formed bales up into the hay loft, without an elevator.
In Ohio, I was at a Amish home. They had an engine powered air compressor. It ran the dairy's gutter cleaner and ran the milk bulk tank cooler. An air line crossed the road and his SIL ran a machine shop equiped with air motors. In his house, he used Coleman lanterns. But he had replaced the side air pump with a valve stem. In the evening, instead of pumping up the lanterns, he just aired them up from the air hose on the back porch. He had a natural gas well on his property and heated and cooked with the gas on his property. The majority went to the Gas company that put the well in.
Today, I also bought some canned Lime Pickles, canned peaches, a bag of homemade noodles and a bag of chocolate Moon Pies. This family has 14 daughters and 5 sons. 4 are married and on their own. They have a large garden and sell lots of canned goods and baked goods, as well as plenty of fresh vegetables.
The only motor on the farm runs the chopper/silo filler. At corn harvest time, they harvest with a corn binder. Pulled by horses, it cuts the corn stalk and ties a string around each bundle. Then a teenager drives a flat wagon into the field and throws the bundles onto the wagon, untill it is heaped up full. Then, they go back to the barn. Once there, he tosses the cornstalks, with ears attached, into the chopper. It blows it up into the huge silo. But since there are 8 or 10 kids doing this, there is lots of resting on the way to the field, on the way back, waiting for your turn at the chopper. At lunch, the horses are fed in the barn. after lunch the guys and the girls lay around the front lawn and have group conversations. Then they go back to work. Once all the corn is harvested and the silo filled, they will work at other Amish farms until everyone has their corn harvested.

Each person is different. Makes me laugh when I hear someone, " The Amish make the best furniture." or "Amish make the best pies.".

springvalley · #40 05/01/12, 06:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mountainlaurel

Beachy Amish are not Mennonites. They are from Amish, my son in laws great grandfather was Mose Beachy who started the church. He pulled away from the Old Order church so they could keep their young people from rumpspringa and become more mission minded.
We are Mennonite. My kids have had lots of dealings with Beachys. And my kids will tell you that among the plain people, the Beachy kids are known as the ' Wild Beachys' for a good reason. What you described is just one kind of Beachy church. There are very different churches. Just go on facebook and type in a Amish name such as Yoder, Stoltzfus, Hostetler and check out what the Beachys are up to.

I know Beachy is a name in some Amish communities, but other than that I don`t know about that. This is what I was told by these Mennonites, I did not make this up. I just wrote what I was told, I had not heard of it myself, but there is a lot about the Amish and Mennonites we don`t know. All I know is most of them are very good people, and if you are a friend you are a friend for life. > Marc