Working in a town with a lot of Amish, I've encountered a bewildering variety of beliefs, or at least habits. I worked on computers, and pretty much every Amish business used one. (I never saw a wooden computer.) A lot of Amish use the horse and buggy, or bicycles, but there are Amish cars and Amish drivers. They're easy enough to spot. They're all black, and any chrome, (bumpers or trim) are also painted black. Almost every Amish business in the area had to do with selling food or woodworking. They often do however, get work in factories or other businesses. All that I've ever met, spoke English, but many, (if not all) speak German. In a predominantly German area, a lot of non-Amish people speak German as well. The German however, is an older, "lowland" form, and there's no telling how much may be the result of the language changing over time. A contemporary German speaker may understand most of it, but probably not all of it. Getting a handle on the local Amish culture must be a little like getting a handle on water.
What you're referring to as Low German is more commonly known as Pennsylvania Dutch. You're probably seeing a mixture of Amish and even some Amish Mennonite/Mennonite people who have various levels of conservativism or rules within their church or sect.
@@spmil999 Yes, the "low German" was an older form also known as lowland German as opposed to the more recent highland German, and there is a mix of Mennonite and Amish with as you said, various levels.
This video was great! My family is from Goshen, Indiana, where there are many amish communities. I'm from a Mennonite background. It's not the point of the video, but I wish you had mentioned that many Mennonites actually are integrated into normal society, just because it's frustrating to say "i'm mennonite" and people always assume that must mean my family drives a horse and buggy!!
Yeah I grew up in Central Ohio in an Amish Mennonite (Beachy Amish to some) setting. This video was the most accurate thing I've seen from people that didn't grow up in the culture!
My family has a family friend who’s a Mennonite, and she’s such a joy to be around. Unfortunately, I don’t remember any of the times save one when I got to meet her, since I was too young. Now we’ve moved too far away to talk to her much except on her community’s phone. She doesn’t live in complete isolation from the outside world like many think, but she does still live in a Mennonite community. One day, I hope to go back to Pennsylvania and visit her and her family and possibly meet others.
I come from a German Apostolic family (GAs are another branch of Anabaptism that is less strict than the Amish but more strict than most Mennonites) and one thing that I think was glossed over in this video is how cruel and damaging to whole families the act of shunning often is. And just because a young person isn’t yet baptized and decides to leave the church does not mean that their family won’t suffer the ritualized shaming in their place. Also, one of the reasons so many return to the church is because of an education that stops at 8th grade, usually taught by an untrained teacher who only has an 8th grade education themself. They are sent out, often at 16 years old, unprepared for the culture shock and without the practical skills necessary.
Shunning is by no means restricted to Amish (and related) sects. If you get the chance, check out Telltale. He's an atheist who grew up as a Jehovah's Witness, but got shunned as a teen. He fights on behalf of people like himself from any faith who have suffered such terrible lives.
Jehovah's Witnesses are the worst I've dealt with for shunning (a close friend was raised JW). They also severely limit what their kids participate in and, though young people are more ready for the world than an Amish teen, they are not encouraged to go to college or study anything that would allow them to do any more than barely scrap by as adults.
My girlfriends mom was raised Amish and her family still all lives in a very amish community. Couple things: -people do drive the amish around and can make some good money doing it as they are in extremely high demand. If there is something like a horse auction going on a county over, you can pretty much name your price bc as said in the video a lot of families are just sitting on a pile of wealth they have no intention of using (kids get a job and are forced to leave school at 13/14 and must give 90% of paychecks to their parents until they are 18 or 21) -men and women sit at different tables. Men are served first and never clean up after themselves. The women come and grab your plate and offer to serve you again while you play games if you’re a man. I got killed in a card game this spring. -they DO certainly have churches. In fact, it is the church that makes the rules for their followers. Some churches allow a flip phone, and if you go down the street to another church they may be completely opposed to them. Your specific church is the only one whose rules you follow. There are no “community” rules. Just church rules. Fun fact to close: she is from a dry town (you have to go a town over to buy alcohol) and they have so much money in the police force that they send out helicopters with thermal scanning to find marijuana plants among cornfields so they can burn them before whoever planted them harvests them Extra fun fact: the only time they will vote is to shut down a tax or ESPECIALLY a school levy. Kids are taken out of school asap so they want no part of funding public schools
I went to residential eating disorder treatment with an Amish Mennonite, I can't even imagine the culture shock for her, she wasn't allowed to watch TV or listen to the radio with the rest of us, her English wasn't great, and she wore her traditional Mennonite clothing the whole time. Every single evening she had visitors who were driven by the services mentioned. Yet she was constantly breaking the rules. So a little bonus fact, Amish/ Mennonite absolutely still deal with mental health issues and EDs are pretty common, it's one of the only ways women can exert any control over what happens in their lives. This girl was 19 and a disappointment to her family for not being married off with children yet.
It sounds like a lot of their practices have really practical purposes towards keeping community strong. This video makes me interested in understanding other ways they go about doing that to apply to my own communities.
I work at a bank with Amish customers. We have a horse hook-up parking spot, and had to explain to an auditor once that no, it wasn't a joke, and no, he could not park there and needed to move his car. I knew most of these things just because of dealing with them for so many years, but it was still fun to watch and think about.
I was an amish taxi driver. Living in the Lancaster PA area, we get so used to driving, living, and eating with the Amish just becomes ordinary. So it's funny that people think the amish are so mystical. If anyone has other questions: post them here.
I know what you mean, about people talking about them almost like mystical beings. I grew up not too far from Lancaster. Hell, used to go to tractor pulls and demo derbies a lot out that way, and there was always a big group of Amish people there.
@@bryanandhallie No. Being religious is basically a requirement. They are raised to be very religious from day 1. And their religion dictates basically everything in everyday life
What do you mean by that? /gen Were you an Amish person who drove for a taxi service, or were you a taxi driver who largely serviced the Amish community? Either way, how did you come to find yourself in that line of work?
My friend and her sis were raised Amish. They stopped when they were 14 or so and cut their hair off. To this day they get a letter telling them they're still shunned every Christmas So they *do* shun, but not every sect
the Amish near where I am freaking love going to the annual air show and take those ‘Amish taxis’ out there and set up chairs to watch. I’ve seen charter buses full of Amish. I also talked to a guy who was an Amish taxi driver and he had apparently taken the group he was with to the zoo. he also offered to set me up with an Amish taxi gig LOL
I must admit, their lifestyle has an appeal. At the end of the day (or your life), family and community are what brings happiness. How many people in our technological world lead lonely, meaningless lives? You probably won't find many Amish elderly waiting alone in a nursing home to die. Then again, no air conditioning sounds pretty bad also...
My Mennonite ancestors hailed from around Niagara Falls, N.Y. Food and dairy products in the late 19th and early 20th century were not regulated but my family was so obsessively clean that customers came from all over the Western New York area to purchase their dairy products. With 10 children working the farm and business they became 'millionaires.' Their obsessive/compulsive cleanliness was an asset in their business but eventually tore the family apart through mental illness, including several suicides. My grandmother was one of those 10 children and my father and me (I'm 82/my dad deceased) struggle still with OCD passed down from our Mennonite past. Because of the small and select gene-pool within historic Amish/Mennonite families, repetitive behaviors abound. On and on it goes! There is always a price to pay from genetic 'inbreeding.'
Unfortunately, some of those businesses are puppy mills, where dogs are housed and bred in awful, disgusting conditions, without modern veterinary care.
As an uber driver in rural PA I can confirm the existence of the Amish smart phone as well as the fact that some of them use uber. I have transported many amish around. I even picked one up from a rehab
I work in the fair food business and whenever Amish people come by, they stay away from all sweets except cotton candy. Taffy? Nope. Candy apples? Sometimes. Cotton candy? EVERY SINGLE TIME. Maybe it’s because it’s as simple as you can get with sweets since it’s just sugar and air.
Another common misconception: the Amish are not Quakers. The Mennonites and Amish make up one of the three categories of what are usually called the Peace Churches or German Pacifist Churches. The Quakers are another category, and the third are the Brethren churches which include the Dunkers. All three categories are pacifists, of German origin, came to the Americas in colonial times, and regionally concentrated. The Quakers are still mostly in PA and the Amish are mostly in PA and OH, but the Brethren churches were more common in western MD and eastern WV. There aren't many Brethren churches left; most of the families have become Baptists or Methodists.
In 2021 when my wife died and was buried in Mount Carroll Illinois we had a family dinner in a park and some Mennonite people gave us some flowers after hearing about my wife. They were driving cars and had other modern things.
The Mennonites in my area are known to purchase large peices of property and homes with cash well over asking. They price out the English and drive up property values to keep expanding their farms. They're not poor. Their community is one of the wealthiest "people" in the state.
I don't particularly trust the Amish dog breeders in my area, but I also worked a vaccine clinic where an Amish woman brought in two cats who were very clearly her babies. I also just don't trust most dog breeders in general...
Why does it seem like Dog breeders seem to always be money focused above anything else? They have a very questionable relationship with basic compassion and integrity also. Not all dog breeders are like this but it's becoming harder to find one that's not. Animal rights in general seem to be overlooked.
I used to ride a Greyhound from the western part of Wisconsin to the Milwaukee metro, a route that took me through, or at least somewhat close to, Ahmish country. I regularly rode the bus with Ahmish folk. Never had many interactions with them, though.
As a recovering Mormon, I have a great deal of respect for the way Amish choose to live their lives without feeling the need to push their beliefs on others. If only all devout peoples could internalize their beliefs instead of desperately trying to inflict them on others.
There's an Amish community up in Northern WI - the girls that run the store got special dispensation to do so. There are also a couple of Amish-made furniture stores that make some *fantastic* furniture
Funny town names: I always found it amusing that you could drive (in PA) from Blue Ball to Bird In Hand, on to Intercourse, and end up in Paradise in one afternoon. Also can confirm Amish do accept rides when they need to.
Our family used to go to a Mennonite church when I was young. Those folks were some of the kindest people I knew growing up. I almost felt bad serving them my mom's hellaciously hot chili at the annual chili cook-off. That stuff was no joke 😂🔥
Back in the 1960s, on a family trip to Lancaster, PA, we saw an Amish family in town, driving. However, it was black, and on the chrome had been painted black as well. I was on a bus trip to Kentucky a few years ago. The bus driver stopped to pick up some Amish passengers, who had been transported to the bus stop in a horse and buggy.
oh man as someone who lives in a community with old order Mennonites, and has a Mennonite sect in my extended family (that's a long story) I can assure that Mennonites do speak Pennsylvania Dutch and Mennonites do not refer to themselves as Amish Mennonites, and new order Mennonites in Canada tend to speak Spanish as their first language given that the Canadian government laws regarding required elementary and highschool drove their communities to move to Mexico for a time before returning to Canada. It is true that they still reject many outside conveniences, the Amish communities and Mennonite communities have grown a part pretty significantly in the last century and you can have Orthodox Mennonite communities where they are still using horse and buggies and wear handmade clothing.
I live in St Louis, and I've witnessed Amish people taking public transportation before. I thought they were actors at first, because the area they got off at is near a heavy arts district, but they were actually an Amish community.
I almost rear ended the car in front of me when I first saw a horse and buggy. I've lived in PA for 4 years now but before that I was from NC. I had only heard of the Amish and Mennonites. This happened only a few months after I moved here. Now I don't even blink
One other reason that a lot of Amish folks get into cars is to visit medical facilities. Because they're often small and tight-knit there isn't a lot of genetic diversity in their communities and there are certain medical conditions that are common. Additionally because of a lack of prenatal care they have a high number of premature births.
I know a convert. A girl I went to school with converted and married a Mennonite. Unlike old order Amish, the Mennonites in Idaho do drive (which is good because they often live 40 miles from the nearest store) and take drivers ed with the other kids in town. I rarely have a conversion with a Mennonite, but they are always polite and kind.
I agree 100% on their theories on Church the Bible says where two or more Gather in my name you are a church and I am amongst you the fact that people think they have to be in a building and have to dress a certain way is absolutely ridiculous and goes completely against what Jesus preached
I live in PA, so you seem to think the name doesnt mean what we think it means???? yet we also have Virginville and Blue Balls in PA. So tell us what those names mean.... I'll wait...
A great very accurate video, I have lived in Lancaster my whole life, 38 years and have worked with, traveled with, and conversed with Amish for many years. I have known 5 or 6 men that have left the faith and lived either a very strict Mennonite life or even a completely non religious life. I did also know some guys that had very nice muscle cars that would come out to car meets with me. Also the Amish Mafia show was completely fake and scripted as I knew people and places that they filmed. Thank you Mental Floss for yet again a great video and teaching me more things that are not only interesting but really make you think. Brad
I live in a heavy Amish area. My friend had a party at his house and about eight Amish people and an Amish baby showed up at this party. They drove their own 15 passenger van and they all got drunk… and drove home afterward. Living with the Amish gives you a very different idea of the Amish than the rest of the world.
Intercourse is just down the road from Bird- In-Hand and on the way to Paradise. Don't take a wrong turn, you'll end up in Blueball. Virginville is only 50 min away. Climax on the other hand, is at least 4 hours away. Keep eye on your Compass.
"Amish Taxies" are definitely a thing. On more than one occasion I have encountered a tour bus full of Amish visiting a national park. Frankly, I think it's hypocritical to claim its immoral to drive a gasoline-powered vehicle but not immoral to be a passenger in one.
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Canada have the German Hutirites another sect of anabaptism, 75% of them live here and the other 25% live in the US The Canadian population lives in Alberta, Manitoba and saskatchewan. The US population live in the Dakotas, Montana and Minnesota. Fried Menonite sausage with cabbage and onions, with a side of perogies is delicious.
Yeah, I always wonder about how they might clash with the modern world. Can you imagine there being a draft into the military. That would be really wild for the rest of us, but how that would be for an Amish person suddenly thrown into that culture?
@@NickRoman - I believe that an Amish person would seek conscientious objector status, or serve in a position (hospital unit, maybe, or rear echelon logistics) where they would not be expected to become an active part of the killing machine.
@@NickRoman read your history. When the Vietnam war was in progress, ( not so long ago) the young men were drafted to war. Those who had religious beliefs against war served in alternative service as conscientious objectors
I went to Kutztown University. There were horse and buggy parking spots in town and on the weekend. You could tell when the weather was going to be good because everything smelled like shit from the Amish fertilizer. You know what gets you super weird looks from the Amish? Putting on a Renaissance Faire and running around in garb
They speak a dialect of German, rather than English though, when speaking amongst themselves. They are much more than a subset of religion. It's like a country within a country. They police themselves except in extreme circumstances, and generally do their own things. They only associate with the outside for work, but even then, the businesses are Amish owned, and still run in their own quaint way. There are a lot of them near where I live. They drive horse carriages or ride bikes mostly. It's a neat culture.
There's actually multiple varieties of Amish and there are also similar groups who aren't Amish but are often called Amish, like Mennonites, who are less tech-averse than proper Amish.
Does the laws we follow also apply to them and why if anything is different for anyone is it because of individual lifestyles get preference and or is it who or what you know and why should I believe this one video and I don’t believe anything right out the gate and I think it’s a commercialism act to get money to live day to day if you ask me I think people become Amish that usually do other things in life in other places not all just some can be playing dress up and you fall for everything and realize that they are as human as you then you know what they are capable of doing ahha moment
8:21 "relatively few Amish people rely on public assistance, hardly any receive food stamps". 🤨In the USA "public assistance" is very very narrowly defined NOT to include tax breaks for political supporters of in-power politicians, and corporate welfare handouts for businesses. The Amish as a religious group already pay ZERO taxes🤤 in accordance with the US Constitution, yet they daily benefit from tax payer provided services like emergency services, road maintenance, snow removal, courts etc. The Amish like all other faux insular religious groups have gamed the tax system so that outsiders end up paying for their privileged lifestyles. Lucky for them (and the other picture perfect postcard pious communities) that Americans are enthralled with the idea of a pastoral paradise where men can 'commune' with God. 🙄 I'll admire the Amish the day they offer to pay reparations💰 to the Native Americans whose land they now occupy! Now THAT would be PIETY. 🙏
7:18 you said after leaving their work place they return to their work day in town “they commute back to their more easy life at home” you totally have no idea what it takes to live off the grid. Living off the grid like the Amish do is not an easy lifestyle. Just saying…..
They have traditions which are firm and religion based. I think that's the only way they could have a society unique enough to comment on. Otherwise, everyone would do their own thing. So, the point is that they don't change. Change invites opinions.
Think of it as a dress code or a school uniform. If everybody looks the same, no one tumbles into the pit of pridefulness, nor are they going to waste money on overpriced clothing trying to 'keep up' with the so-called fashions and trying to outdo somebody else.
It's a lot different than modern standard German, which I speak. I can barely understand Pennsylvania Dutch in it's spoken form, usually. It's called Pennsylvania Dutch in English, but they call their language Deitsch or Pennsilfaanisch Deitsch (Not Deutsch like standard German). Their pronunciation of "Deitsch" sounds similar to "Dutch" in English so that's where it comes from.
Working in a town with a lot of Amish, I've encountered a bewildering variety of beliefs, or at least habits. I worked on computers, and pretty much every Amish business used one. (I never saw a wooden computer.) A lot of Amish use the horse and buggy, or bicycles, but there are Amish cars and Amish drivers. They're easy enough to spot. They're all black, and any chrome, (bumpers or trim) are also painted black. Almost every Amish business in the area had to do with selling food or woodworking. They often do however, get work in factories or other businesses. All that I've ever met, spoke English, but many, (if not all) speak German. In a predominantly German area, a lot of non-Amish people speak German as well. The German however, is an older, "lowland" form, and there's no telling how much may be the result of the language changing over time. A contemporary German speaker may understand most of it, but probably not all of it. Getting a handle on the local Amish culture must be a little like getting a handle on water.
What you're referring to as Low German is more commonly known as Pennsylvania Dutch.
You're probably seeing a mixture of Amish and even some Amish Mennonite/Mennonite people who have various levels of conservativism or rules within their church or sect.
@@spmil999 Yes, the "low German" was an older form also known as lowland German as opposed to the more recent highland German, and there is a mix of Mennonite and Amish with as you said, various levels.
This video was great! My family is from Goshen, Indiana, where there are many amish communities. I'm from a Mennonite background. It's not the point of the video, but I wish you had mentioned that many Mennonites actually are integrated into normal society, just because it's frustrating to say "i'm mennonite" and people always assume that must mean my family drives a horse and buggy!!
Yeah I grew up in Central Ohio in an Amish Mennonite (Beachy Amish to some) setting. This video was the most accurate thing I've seen from people that didn't grow up in the culture!
My family has a family friend who’s a Mennonite, and she’s such a joy to be around. Unfortunately, I don’t remember any of the times save one when I got to meet her, since I was too young. Now we’ve moved too far away to talk to her much except on her community’s phone. She doesn’t live in complete isolation from the outside world like many think, but she does still live in a Mennonite community. One day, I hope to go back to Pennsylvania and visit her and her family and possibly meet others.
I come from a German Apostolic family (GAs are another branch of Anabaptism that is less strict than the Amish but more strict than most Mennonites) and one thing that I think was glossed over in this video is how cruel and damaging to whole families the act of shunning often is. And just because a young person isn’t yet baptized and decides to leave the church does not mean that their family won’t suffer the ritualized shaming in their place.
Also, one of the reasons so many return to the church is because of an education that stops at 8th grade, usually taught by an untrained teacher who only has an 8th grade education themself. They are sent out, often at 16 years old, unprepared for the culture shock and without the practical skills necessary.
Shunning is by no means restricted to Amish (and related) sects. If you get the chance, check out Telltale. He's an atheist who grew up as a Jehovah's Witness, but got shunned as a teen. He fights on behalf of people like himself from any faith who have suffered such terrible lives.
Jehovah's Witnesses are the worst I've dealt with for shunning (a close friend was raised JW). They also severely limit what their kids participate in and, though young people are more ready for the world than an Amish teen, they are not encouraged to go to college or study anything that would allow them to do any more than barely scrap by as adults.
My girlfriends mom was raised Amish and her family still all lives in a very amish community. Couple things:
-people do drive the amish around and can make some good money doing it as they are in extremely high demand. If there is something like a horse auction going on a county over, you can pretty much name your price bc as said in the video a lot of families are just sitting on a pile of wealth they have no intention of using (kids get a job and are forced to leave school at 13/14 and must give 90% of paychecks to their parents until they are 18 or 21)
-men and women sit at different tables. Men are served first and never clean up after themselves. The women come and grab your plate and offer to serve you again while you play games if you’re a man. I got killed in a card game this spring.
-they DO certainly have churches. In fact, it is the church that makes the rules for their followers. Some churches allow a flip phone, and if you go down the street to another church they may be completely opposed to them. Your specific church is the only one whose rules you follow. There are no “community” rules. Just church rules.
Fun fact to close: she is from a dry town (you have to go a town over to buy alcohol) and they have so much money in the police force that they send out helicopters with thermal scanning to find marijuana plants among cornfields so they can burn them before whoever planted them harvests them
Extra fun fact: the only time they will vote is to shut down a tax or ESPECIALLY a school levy. Kids are taken out of school asap so they want no part of funding public schools
I guess being LGBTQ isn't an option?
I went to residential eating disorder treatment with an Amish Mennonite, I can't even imagine the culture shock for her, she wasn't allowed to watch TV or listen to the radio with the rest of us, her English wasn't great, and she wore her traditional Mennonite clothing the whole time. Every single evening she had visitors who were driven by the services mentioned. Yet she was constantly breaking the rules. So a little bonus fact, Amish/ Mennonite absolutely still deal with mental health issues and EDs are pretty common, it's one of the only ways women can exert any control over what happens in their lives. This girl was 19 and a disappointment to her family for not being married off with children yet.
It sounds like a lot of their practices have really practical purposes towards keeping community strong. This video makes me interested in understanding other ways they go about doing that to apply to my own communities.
I work at a bank with Amish customers. We have a horse hook-up parking spot, and had to explain to an auditor once that no, it wasn't a joke, and no, he could not park there and needed to move his car. I knew most of these things just because of dealing with them for so many years, but it was still fun to watch and think about.
I was an amish taxi driver. Living in the Lancaster PA area, we get so used to driving, living, and eating with the Amish just becomes ordinary. So it's funny that people think the amish are so mystical.
If anyone has other questions: post them here.
I know what you mean, about people talking about them almost like mystical beings. I grew up not too far from Lancaster. Hell, used to go to tractor pulls and demo derbies a lot out that way, and there was always a big group of Amish people there.
Are there non-religious amish?
@@bryanandhallie No. Being religious is basically a requirement. They are raised to be very religious from day 1. And their religion dictates basically everything in everyday life
What do you mean by that? /gen
Were you an Amish person who drove for a taxi service, or were you a taxi driver who largely serviced the Amish community? Either way, how did you come to find yourself in that line of work?
A Yoder toter is what we call folks who drive them around.
One imagines that the town of "Intercourse" would have to have some kind of rivalry with the town of "Fucking" in Austria!
My friend and her sis were raised Amish. They stopped when they were 14 or so and cut their hair off. To this day they get a letter telling them they're still shunned every Christmas
So they *do* shun, but not every sect
I wonder if being LGBTQ would get you shunned?
the Amish near where I am freaking love going to the annual air show and take those ‘Amish taxis’ out there and set up chairs to watch. I’ve seen charter buses full of Amish. I also talked to a guy who was an Amish taxi driver and he had apparently taken the group he was with to the zoo. he also offered to set me up with an Amish taxi gig LOL
Also had Mennonite neighbors. They had to move because they had too many kids and not enough room lol
Wow! I haven't thought about The Pagans MC or the Amish in forever. Thanks for an updated on both. Good video.
I must admit, their lifestyle has an appeal. At the end of the day (or your life), family and community are what brings happiness. How many people in our technological world lead lonely, meaningless lives? You probably won't find many Amish elderly waiting alone in a nursing home to die.
Then again, no air conditioning sounds pretty bad also...
Can't tell you the number of times I've heard boom-boxes passing those buggies.
We call the Amish taxi a Yoder toter in my area
You must be in south central Kansas.
I’ve had calls with Deaf Amish folks who use a videophone for their needs. Neat to learn more about Amish folks!
Most of what I know about the Amish is from Weird Al Yankovic
This cleared up many misconceptions I had about the Amish. Thank you!
My Mennonite ancestors hailed from around Niagara Falls, N.Y. Food and dairy products in the late 19th and early 20th century were not regulated but my family was so obsessively clean that customers came from all over the Western New York area to purchase their dairy products. With 10 children working the farm and business they became 'millionaires.' Their obsessive/compulsive cleanliness was an asset in their business but eventually tore the family apart through mental illness, including several suicides.
My grandmother was one of those 10 children and my father and me (I'm 82/my dad deceased) struggle still with OCD passed down from our Mennonite past. Because of the small and select gene-pool within historic Amish/Mennonite families, repetitive behaviors abound. On and on it goes! There is always a price to pay from genetic 'inbreeding.'
Unfortunately, some of those businesses are puppy mills, where dogs are housed and bred in awful, disgusting conditions, without modern veterinary care.
The Amish have a booth at Reading Terminal. and it does pretty well.
As an uber driver in rural PA I can confirm the existence of the Amish smart phone as well as the fact that some of them use uber. I have transported many amish around. I even picked one up from a rehab
I work in the fair food business and whenever Amish people come by, they stay away from all sweets except cotton candy. Taffy? Nope. Candy apples? Sometimes. Cotton candy? EVERY SINGLE TIME. Maybe it’s because it’s as simple as you can get with sweets since it’s just sugar and air.
Although the Amish rarely drive trucks or cars, they use electric bikes and trikes often, commonly seen in Holmes County, Ohio.
Another common misconception: the Amish are not Quakers.
The Mennonites and Amish make up one of the three categories of what are usually called the Peace Churches or German Pacifist Churches. The Quakers are another category, and the third are the Brethren churches which include the Dunkers. All three categories are pacifists, of German origin, came to the Americas in colonial times, and regionally concentrated. The Quakers are still mostly in PA and the Amish are mostly in PA and OH, but the Brethren churches were more common in western MD and eastern WV. There aren't many Brethren churches left; most of the families have become Baptists or Methodists.
Quakers are actually of English and Welsh origin, but yes they are a peace church.
In 2021 when my wife died and was buried in Mount Carroll Illinois we had a family dinner in a park and some Mennonite people gave us some flowers after hearing about my wife. They were driving cars and had other modern things.
The Mennonites in my area are known to purchase large peices of property and homes with cash well over asking. They price out the English and drive up property values to keep expanding their farms. They're not poor. Their community is one of the wealthiest "people" in the state.
Wish Amish dog breeders would take more animal rights into consideration, though... :(
I don't particularly trust the Amish dog breeders in my area, but I also worked a vaccine clinic where an Amish woman brought in two cats who were very clearly her babies.
I also just don't trust most dog breeders in general...
Why does it seem like Dog breeders seem to always be money focused above anything else? They have a very questionable relationship with basic compassion and integrity also. Not all dog breeders are like this but it's becoming harder to find one that's not. Animal rights in general seem to be overlooked.
I used to ride a Greyhound from the western part of Wisconsin to the Milwaukee metro, a route that took me through, or at least somewhat close to, Ahmish country. I regularly rode the bus with Ahmish folk. Never had many interactions with them, though.
As a recovering Mormon, I have a great deal of respect for the way Amish choose to live their lives without feeling the need to push their beliefs on others. If only all devout peoples could internalize their beliefs instead of desperately trying to inflict them on others.
There's an Amish community up in Northern WI - the girls that run the store got special dispensation to do so. There are also a couple of Amish-made furniture stores that make some *fantastic* furniture
Funny town names: I always found it amusing that you could drive (in PA) from Blue Ball to Bird In Hand, on to Intercourse, and end up in Paradise in one afternoon. Also can confirm Amish do accept rides when they need to.
Our family used to go to a Mennonite church when I was young. Those folks were some of the kindest people I knew growing up. I almost felt bad serving them my mom's hellaciously hot chili at the annual chili cook-off. That stuff was no joke 😂🔥
Back in the 1960s, on a family trip to Lancaster, PA, we saw an Amish family in town, driving. However, it was black, and on the chrome had been painted black as well.
I was on a bus trip to Kentucky a few years ago. The bus driver stopped to pick up some Amish passengers, who had been transported to the bus stop in a horse and buggy.
oh man as someone who lives in a community with old order Mennonites, and has a Mennonite sect in my extended family (that's a long story) I can assure that Mennonites do speak Pennsylvania Dutch and Mennonites do not refer to themselves as Amish Mennonites, and new order Mennonites in Canada tend to speak Spanish as their first language given that the Canadian government laws regarding required elementary and highschool drove their communities to move to Mexico for a time before returning to Canada.
It is true that they still reject many outside conveniences, the Amish communities and Mennonite communities have grown a part pretty significantly in the last century and you can have Orthodox Mennonite communities where they are still using horse and buggies and wear handmade clothing.
Did anyone expect the 2 in Intercourse Pennsylvania to be arrested for something else?
There’s some Amish people where I live and they often shop at Walmart
You have grown on me as a host brother.
I live in St Louis, and I've witnessed Amish people taking public transportation before. I thought they were actors at first, because the area they got off at is near a heavy arts district, but they were actually an Amish community.
Great vid as usual but I’m dying to know about that gingham shirt 😍
I almost rear ended the car in front of me when I first saw a horse and buggy. I've lived in PA for 4 years now but before that I was from NC. I had only heard of the Amish and Mennonites. This happened only a few months after I moved here. Now I don't even blink
One other reason that a lot of Amish folks get into cars is to visit medical facilities. Because they're often small and tight-knit there isn't a lot of genetic diversity in their communities and there are certain medical conditions that are common. Additionally because of a lack of prenatal care they have a high number of premature births.
I had an Amish sociology professor. He taught me how to use the scanner 😂
Amish people have “slow moving vehicle “ triangles on the back of their horse drawn carriages along with flashing lights on their carriages.
It depends on what order, Amish. Most do, some do not.
The headlights and such on their vehicles may have been required by State law to drive on public roads, legally, and rightfully so.
I could only find one "Weird Al" reference. Shame on you for not having more or shame on me for not noticing more.
I live on a farm outside of west chester pa, we know an Amish family and they travel to our farm to hunt deer.
Okay, you have got to do a funny place names video now! You said it yourself. It could easily be a top 100 list just based in the USA alone (side-request; US place names taken from other countries - New *York* being the most obvious - and New England's region could fill a long show on its own lol. Though it would be good to learn of other nations' influence on settlement naming). Add the UK and a top 1000 could be reached 😂!
There are multitudinous silly names in (I would guess) the vast majority of the world. I know that Europe, especially as English becomes more ubiquitous, has a pile of them which are seen as hilarious by monolingual English speakers (or the more childish polyglots amongst us) but don't mean anything daft or offensive in their own language. I do believe that the (Austrian???) town of, er, F*©king (I am trying to be literal but can't without being offensive!) changed its name fairly recently. I think it was partly down to the town "welcome" sign being nicked a lot... Of course there's Hell in Norway which is a very famous one, but there are _many_ more your researchers could find which could be a part 3 or 4 of a series on this subject! It could be a lot of fun just doing the research lol. I'd be *very* interested to see a whole series of such videos, mainly out of curiosity. I have a passion for etymology for words in any language.
Back to this video, despite now being a born-again atheist (long story!), there are aspects of Amish life that I do respect and wish the rest of the world would pay heed to. The most important one we could all benefit from is to take time over making decisions. We tend to rush headlong into life-changing acts without much thought - including getting married and having kids. Our faster & faster connection to the online world seems to have removed a lot of the natural patience and consideration that we had to have when things took more time to accomplish. You were also far more likely to not send that blistering letter to your boss/ex/whoever, because writing it down was a cathartic event in and of itself. It's far too easy to cock-up a relationship of any sort via email (if you suffer from such impulsivity, try keeping a handwritten journal. It helps!)
I think that one of the most important features of their success (both in business and in remaining living in the manner in which they choose to, despite all the distractions of the rest of the world) is the typical Amish work ethic, something which is shared by many Protestant sects. I know, I was part of a very large, very open one, but that "work hard to better yourself" ethic is something I still practice despite being virtually housebound. With the aim of not being left too far behind by my kids' modern education (my school life basically ended back in 1982 - no calculators for maths. I still have my log book lol!), I got two degrees in a multitude of subjects and am now learning two languages. Sadly, they still managed to make me feel like an intellectual luddite... The idea of _not_ doing anything, even watching UA-cam videos to learn something, is anathema to me! Besides, I'd be bored in 5 minutes flat lol!
For example, in their case, not rushing into starting a business, but most likely taking advice from successful community members and undoubtedly saving enough money to start the business on a solid foundation, along with the natural willingness to work hard themselves and not leave it to underpaid employees to do it for them, are major factors in their success. A 90% success rate for new businesses is something that most communities can only dream about!
We should probably all give ourselves an "Amish holiday" at least once a year. (I say this with respect, not flippancy.) Take ourselves "off the grid" for a few days at least. Not necessarily off the national grid, but away from all things internet, along with doing some things the old-fashioned way. Make your own bread - by hand! (Kneading dough is by far one of the greatest stress relievers around, because the harder you go at the dough, the better the bread turns out. Honestly!) Stay away from social media. Only watch one news bulletin - or better, listen to one on the radio - if you just can't miss it entirely. I think if we all did this, our overall stress levels would decrease. I'm fortunate to have access to a small boat. Hubby, the dog and I take a few days offline; we cook simply on a small oven, and just take time to watch the world go by. When we get home, we appreciate the various gadgets and other luxuries a lot more.
I know a convert. A girl I went to school with converted and married a Mennonite.
Unlike old order Amish, the Mennonites in Idaho do drive (which is good because they often live 40 miles from the nearest store) and take drivers ed with the other kids in town. I rarely have a conversion with a Mennonite, but they are always polite and kind.
We lived in a town in Arizona with a small Hispanic Mennonite congregation.
I agree 100% on their theories on Church the Bible says where two or more Gather in my name you are a church and I am amongst you the fact that people think they have to be in a building and have to dress a certain way is absolutely ridiculous and goes completely against what Jesus preached
I have partied with alot of amish... they know how to party. And my mom taxis the amish around 5x a week for construction jobs
I live in PA, so you seem to think the name doesnt mean what we think it means???? yet we also have Virginville and Blue Balls in PA. So tell us what those names mean.... I'll wait...
A great very accurate video, I have lived in Lancaster my whole life, 38 years and have worked with, traveled with, and conversed with Amish for many years. I have known 5 or 6 men that have left the faith and lived either a very strict Mennonite life or even a completely non religious life. I did also know some guys that had very nice muscle cars that would come out to car meets with me. Also the Amish Mafia show was completely fake and scripted as I knew people and places that they filmed.
Thank you Mental Floss for yet again a great video and teaching me more things that are not only interesting but really make you think.
Brad
Okay bud, great video, but now I'm looking forward to funny town names.
Churn Butter once or twice
Living in an Amish Paradise
I'm very disappointed that the handkerchief on the mailbox wasn't mentioned.
I thought the belief of a photograph stealing one's soul was attributed to some African tribe.
Interesting map you've got there
Don't forgot about Blue Balls, PA.
I live in a heavy Amish area. My friend had a party at his house and about eight Amish people and an Amish baby showed up at this party. They drove their own 15 passenger van and they all got drunk… and drove home afterward.
Living with the Amish gives you a very different idea of the Amish than the rest of the world.
Which sect has lots of puppy mills?
The captions are not right at 10:28.
He says "Riding shotgun", but the captions only detect "riding".
Strange, innit.
I want a funny town name video now.
Intercourse is just down the road from Bird- In-Hand and on the way to Paradise. Don't take a wrong turn, you'll end up in Blueball. Virginville is only 50 min away. Climax on the other hand, is at least 4 hours away. Keep eye on your Compass.
The idea that having one’s photo taken would result in losing one’s soul is believed to be true in certain indigenous peoples.
Sorry for the paparazzi photo 📸
"Amish Taxies" are definitely a thing. On more than one occasion I have encountered a tour bus full of Amish visiting a national park.
Frankly, I think it's hypocritical to claim its immoral to drive a gasoline-powered vehicle but not immoral to be a passenger in one.
ha. the example picture of the big ostentatious church is from my hometown. it is certainly far too big and far too ostentatious
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Canada have the German Hutirites another sect of anabaptism, 75% of them live here and the other 25% live in the US
The Canadian population lives in Alberta, Manitoba and saskatchewan.
The US population live in the Dakotas, Montana and Minnesota.
Fried Menonite sausage with cabbage and onions, with a side of perogies is delicious.
I think they spell it Hutterite.
Ever arm wrestle and Amish guy?
Don't.
You won't win.
Unless you're a Swedish woman from Northern Sweden.
@@Njald touché
They're not good to their horses unfortunately.
OK I need to know this if they are to them selves wouldn't there be some inbreeding?
Not really surprised by Amish owning businesses. I mean how are they supposed to pay for property taxes? With milk?
Yeah, I always wonder about how they might clash with the modern world. Can you imagine there being a draft into the military. That would be really wild for the rest of us, but how that would be for an Amish person suddenly thrown into that culture?
@@NickRoman - I believe that an Amish person would seek conscientious objector status, or serve in a position (hospital unit, maybe, or rear echelon logistics) where they would not be expected to become an active part of the killing machine.
@@NickRoman read your history. When the Vietnam war was in progress, ( not so long ago) the young men were drafted to war. Those who had religious beliefs against war served in alternative service as conscientious objectors
Liberals gives there lowdown on any religion is priceless
I went to Kutztown University. There were horse and buggy parking spots in town and on the weekend. You could tell when the weather was going to be good because everything smelled like shit from the Amish fertilizer.
You know what gets you super weird looks from the Amish? Putting on a Renaissance Faire and running around in garb
Like, what in God's good grace are those English up to now!? lol
Depending on the garb, that can get you strange looks anyway - and not just from the Amish!
I'm in the UK and have no idea what The Amish is.
*Edit*
Ahh, another subset of American religionists.
They speak a dialect of German, rather than English though, when speaking amongst themselves. They are much more than a subset of religion. It's like a country within a country. They police themselves except in extreme circumstances, and generally do their own things. They only associate with the outside for work, but even then, the businesses are Amish owned, and still run in their own quaint way. There are a lot of them near where I live. They drive horse carriages or ride bikes mostly. It's a neat culture.
It sounds so nice to be Amish and have such a close knit community!
"...a group of smaller sects."
sects. s-e-c-t-s. (4:43-4:45)
There's actually multiple varieties of Amish and there are also similar groups who aren't Amish but are often called Amish, like Mennonites, who are less tech-averse than proper Amish.
Does the laws we follow also apply to them and why if anything is different for anyone is it because of individual lifestyles get preference and or is it who or what you know and why should I believe this one video and I don’t believe anything right out the gate and I think it’s a commercialism act to get money to live day to day if you ask me I think people become Amish that usually do other things in life in other places not all just some can be playing dress up and you fall for everything and realize that they are as human as you then you know what they are capable of doing ahha moment
8:21 "relatively few Amish people rely on public assistance, hardly any receive food stamps". 🤨In the USA "public assistance" is very very narrowly defined NOT to include tax breaks for political supporters of in-power politicians, and corporate welfare handouts for businesses. The Amish as a religious group already pay ZERO taxes🤤 in accordance with the US Constitution, yet they daily benefit from tax payer provided services like emergency services, road maintenance, snow removal, courts etc. The Amish like all other faux insular religious groups have gamed the tax system so that outsiders end up paying for their privileged lifestyles. Lucky for them (and the other picture perfect postcard pious communities) that Americans are enthralled with the idea of a pastoral paradise where men can 'commune' with God. 🙄 I'll admire the Amish the day they offer to pay reparations💰 to the Native Americans whose land they now occupy! Now THAT would be PIETY. 🙏
I lost a lot of respect for Amish communities after discovering the amount of animal abuse that occurs.
And sexual abuse (specifically against minors)
Interesting how you skipped over the less savory aspects of Amish life, like the mysogyny, racism, and normalizing child abuse.
You skipped over the role, and treatment, of women.
7:18 you said after leaving their work place they return to their work day in town “they commute back to their more easy life at home” you totally have no idea what it takes to live off the grid. Living off the grid like the Amish do is not an easy lifestyle. Just saying…..
I don't get it. You can lead a minimalist life with little modern tech but what's with the whole oldy worldy dress up thing?
They have traditions which are firm and religion based. I think that's the only way they could have a society unique enough to comment on. Otherwise, everyone would do their own thing. So, the point is that they don't change. Change invites opinions.
Think of it as a dress code or a school uniform. If everybody looks the same, no one tumbles into the pit of pridefulness, nor are they going to waste money on overpriced clothing trying to 'keep up' with the so-called fashions and trying to outdo somebody else.
Pennsylvania Dutch? I think you mean German.
It's a lot different than modern standard German, which I speak. I can barely understand Pennsylvania Dutch in it's spoken form, usually. It's called Pennsylvania Dutch in English, but they call their language Deitsch or Pennsilfaanisch Deitsch (Not Deutsch like standard German). Their pronunciation of "Deitsch" sounds similar to "Dutch" in English so that's where it comes from.
Amishconceptions?😜
Absolutely kicking myself right now.
silver fingernails, so hairy...🤤
Amish are not taxed. And also they spend allooooot of money on vapes here. So like. They kinda rich.