Amish People

The Amish community is often misunderstood, which is inevitable as they avoid contact with the outside world. They are of Swiss and German descent and speak a German dialect known as Pennsylvania Dutch, English and Swiss German. The Amish people can be found in different pockets of America and in Ontario, Canada. Their largest population is in Ohio and Pennsylvania. The Amish communities are largely self sufficient with a reliance on agriculture. Their way of life is based on dependence on each other, humility and a rejection of modern technology. However, there are different orders within the community and some are more liberal than others.

Most orders live without cars, electricity, tractors or telephones. Tourists love to see their elegant horse and carts when they come into town. The decision to live without the aid of modern devices is because the Amish people place a high priority on working together as a group and they don't want anything, which brings them individual isolation. Manual labor ensures a reliance on communal living. They also don't want intrusion from the outside, as a telephone would bring. The avoidance of vanity is another of their priorities and most orders have a strict dress code. Amish people dress plainly and don't want to draw attention to themselves. Even buttons can be considered as a vain display.

Some newer orders are more relaxed in their attitude to modern inventions, and some have taken up crafts for tourists in order to supplement their income. Amish people have large families, the population is growing and there is less farming land to go round. Many younger people are going outside of their order to take up jobs in the nearby towns and cities. The Amish are only educated up to the eight grade, as education is only valued for it's contribution to learning the Amish way and to working on the farm.

It's a very difficult decision for a young member of the community to decide to leave and enter the outside world. The older, stricter orders may turn their backs on such a person and they will no longer be welcomed as a member of the Amish people. They are expected to marry within the community and follow rules to the letter.

There are things, which the outside world could learn from the example of the Amish people. Their rules seem severe at times, but they do have a sense of community and they look after each other. They are pacifists and will not join the military. Perhaps it would benefit us all to take a closer look at their way of life.

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