Amish Culture Essay

The Amish Culture Ant 101 Amanda Wahmhoff INS: Kristin Akerele April 8, 2013

This is a paper about the Amish culture their society and their beliefs. They have their own way of living and surviving that is totally different then the people that they live around. The Amish culture can be traced as far back as the 16th century. They separated themselves from the Mennonite secondary and both groups came from the Anabaptist tradition that means “rejection of infant baptism reserving the right for consenting adults”(O’Neal,1997,Para2). “The Anabaptist proposed a return to the New Testament Christianity and thus a congressional structure conducting themselves in simplicity with minimal contact with the outside world” (O’Neal, 1997). After sometime the Amish separated themselves from the Anabaptist to start their own community and practice their faith. The Amish have “preserved Christian rituals that have been simplified and re-intereted” (O’Neal, 1997, Para7). The philosophy the Amish go by came from the bible, “to remain apart from dominant cultures,” (wittmer, 1970, Para2). The Amish people feel that their differences put them “closer to god” (wittmer, 1970, Para2). The Amish are a Christian community well known for their simple style of living. They originated from a group that followed Jakob Amman during the religious schism in Switzerland of the Alsatian Anabaptist.”Membership into the Amish starts with a baptism which most often occurs between the ages of 18-25 and the member is expected to follow the Ordung which are the guidelines on the Amish way of living” (Clark97). “Every aspect about the Amish life is conservative; their dressing is conservative, simple, and targets a show of reservation and humility” (Clark 107). The Amish share work from the young up to the old. “There is meaningful work and responsibility for all ages. Everyone is important and needed” (O’Neal, 1997, Para 18). All of the men in the community work together to put up buildings while the women cook food. After they are done eating the men go back to work and the women make quilts. The Amish are “agriculturally- oriented people, who foster large families and seek self sufficiency” (O’Neal,1997, Para12). The Amish people do not depend on modern tools to plant and harvest their crops. The Amish frown on using machinery for farming as well as transportation. The Amish count on their knowledge of farming and other Amish to het their jobs done. The Amish have to work long hours as a family unit to plant, maintain, and harvest their crops. The Amish use horse drawn plows to do their crops. “During crop planting and harvest seasons, all family members help in the fields” (Ennis,2010,Para1). Teenagers even enjoy “a warm summer evening gathering at a farm husking, talking and laughing.”(Ennis,2010). All Amish men do not work on farms. If there is not enough land for a young man to start a farm he will work a different trade such as blacksmith, carpenter, furniture makers or even butchers which is just as important as farming. “Work should be communal, Intertwined with the community and never a source of individuals pride and exhibition (O’Neal, 1997, Para4). No member of the community is ever idol due to the fact there is always work to be done. The Amish belief is “the land keeps them closer to god. The Amish grows, butchers, cans, or bakes most of their own food” (Ennis,2010,Para 3). Weddings are a special time for the Amish and also a big social event “which traditionally takes place on Tuesdays and Thursdays in November, at the home of the bride. Wedding ceremonies, like regular worship services or meetings, are held in homes. The average age for marriage is between 22 and 25. Divorce and

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