The Amish Explained
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- Опубліковано 23 чер 2024
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The Amish appear a lot in pop culture, but they're also frequently misrepresented and mythologized. So what do the Amish actually believe and practice?
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00:00 Introduction
00:54 Basic Overview
3:16 Origins of the Amish
8:49 Amish "Order," The Ordnung
9:35 The Amish and Technology
11:43 The Amish and Public Life
14:47 Amish Culture and Rumspringa
16:46 Amish Religious Practice
17:29 High-Commitment Communities
18:36 The Amish, Pop Culture, and "Bonnet Rippers"
23:06 Sponsor
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You're always like a whole sentence into the ad read before I realize it's happening. 👍👍
So I live around plenty of Amish, their all about the money, it's Amish built, the Amish don't lie, the Amish a great... not true they use their Amishness to jump up prices on everything, don't be fooled, they treat their women like their animals...poorly. they try to capitalize on the Amish name. Don't fall into their trap
Can you do a video on Eastern Orthodox "Old Believers"?
Not very much is known about them and they rarely get discussed.
To borrow from the aforementioned sociological description of how high-commitment subcultures continuously negotiate their relationships with modernity, I'm calling your smooth segues to your sponsorship promotion "content-provider cultural bargaining".
These people are a creepy misogynistic cult. I can't believe people find them charming.
as someone allergic to candles, i am incredibly fertile
This is some joke i do not get it
I am infertile from eating scented candles. The
You legend the legend is here🎉
This happened to my buddy eric
This also happened to my buddy eric
😮
are we all here because we saw the tweet?
wheres the infertile candle eating guy
As someone that grew up eating candles, I can say its only the scented ones that make you infertile
GUYS! DO EAT CANDLES, THEY MAKE Y-
If you live in an area where there's a lot of Amish, they don't go under the radar at all. They are everywhere, and a huge part of the community. You run into them at the store, on the road, and it's impossible to do any sort of business without running into them because their needs are often unique. Some don't wear the outfit most people are used to, and even work "normal jobs" others are hard-core no-technology and all that. If you want Organic food? or really, organic anything? You can't get any more organic than buying your stuff from the Amish. You want some hardwood for projects? Like walnut? oak? cherry? It's actually pretty hard to find that sort of the thing at the hardware store these days... and very expensive. But every Amish community has a giant, old school, sawmill that runs 24/7 selling that very sort of thing. They buy land/houses, farms... they're often surprisingly independently wealthy. If the Amish buy your house? They pay CASH. So most communities love their Amish folks, though, they don't use modern deodorants and soaps so they often smell bad. But they are also incredibly generous and helpful so, if there's any sort of disaster or problem in the community, the Amish are usually the first people there offering help, prayers, whatever... they'll show up with a dozen very muscular young men and just get to work, because that's what the amish are all about. They are a hard people to dislike.
Their rich because they’re frugal and they don’t borrow from banks and buy crap they don’t need on credit. The ones in my area have really nice bass boats but then pay someone to haul them to the lake.
they literally groom children into marrying adults wtf are you on about. They are extremely easy to dislike
Wait until you hear about their misogyny and child SA
Their produce usually is not organic as most use pesticides, chemical fertilizers and gmo seeds.
@@lb2791 "most" is a very broad term. It really depends on your local Amish community. Those around me do not use chemical fertilizers and pesticides, but like I said, each Amish community varies widely so you have to do your own checking. It's also important to note that "Organic" is a meaningless term to most of them, so it's not like they are going to bother to get certified (regardless of how meaningful that term is in reality) but they are also very unlikely to lie to you about if they use chemicals or not. That's not to say there aren't dishonest Amish... they're just like any social group... they have their bad people just like everyone else. But if they DO lie to you about stuff, and you take that up with Other Amish people, they'll get shunned. It's not like the Amish feel like "Sticking it to the normal people" is "ok" like some subcultures feel. If the person was the type that wanted to "Cheat" it would make more sense for them to just leave the Amish community, than it would to become a "bad amish person" lol
I taught English at a community college in Los Angeles and one semester I had an Amish student on rumspringa in my 101 class. Her "running around" involved wearing make-up, painting her fingernail in all different colors, and dressing like she was in the cast of Godspell! She was a FANTASTIC writer...except... she was evidently never taught punctuation! But she essentially memorized the rules over one weekend! Planned on returning to her community (I guess it was a tiny one in Oregon) after the semester but had always wanted to see what college life was like! As a gift, she made me an apple-peach pie, which was something of a speciality in her community. I remember her bright personality and insatiable curiosity! She wasn't shy at all and enjoyed participating in class discussions.
I worked at an amusement park, where the Amish kids would show up in full Amish dress and change into mainstream clothes for the day in the first restroom they saw. Then back in Mom-approved clothing in time for the 6PM pickup.
And now she's forever back trapped in her cult, likely with fond memories of you and the other people she met when she was allowed off her leash.
I feel sorry for them. Especially the women, who are treated like second class citizens.
@@JackieDaytona1776That’s a pretty terrible thing to say about a person you don’t know from a group of people that just want to live and worship the way their families have for centuries. Who are we to tell them their way is wrong?
@peytonalexander5300 it's not us defining it that way, it's the dictionary.
Cult, noun, a group who tightly controls its members, requiring unwavering devotion to a set of beliefs and practices which are considered deviant (outside the norms of society).
Can a member of the group choose to leave without cutting ties with their entire community or family? No.
Can a member of the group choose to dress in their own fashion and stay in the group? No.
Can a woman in the group choose to marry someone not in this group? No.
Should I go on? Because when people are victims of oppression, it's wrong not to call it out.
I work at a library in Pennsylvania and the popularity of bonnet ripper Amish romance is genuinely astounding. Amish and English alike just want to read the sweet nothings of a strapping young Amish bishop apparently.
( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
What type of people usually do you see reading those book? Is it what he said? Can you tell us a little bit more about it?
Female romance novels are literally something I don't understand....
@@VihMelchior the readers range between the non Amish and the buggy riding devout. The books themselves are pretty typical romance novels, but the Amish setting means they’re a bit more reserved and less sexual and there’s an added layer of forbidden love. There’s an entire series of Amish romance novels set in the Old West, so at a time when the Amish would not have been seen as technologically behind or oddly devout, which leads me to believe the books are mainly for the set up of one partner being religious and conservative and the other partner being an outsider.
weird because "strapping young amish" men seem to only want to groom young girls into marrying them
is it true that eating candles makes you infertile
Yep, he said his homies say he looks good in Black, and they're going to party like it's 1699.
🤣Good one
Is Justice Alito Amish.
@@hfranklin2009 Hardly. It's against their rules to sue someone or become a lawyer.
Alito is trying his o take us back to that era.
@@hfranklin2009 In some important ways it sure feels that way. But that is not very Amish of him. The Amish generally do not think that it is appropriate to force people to believe as they do.
At 1:54
Welcome to INTERCOURSE, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
More fun than Blue Ball, Pennsylvania.
Never thought I'd see Intercourse, PA on ReligionForBreakfast! I used to go to the nearby Dutch Wonderland amusement park quite often, growing up.
Edit: WOW! I love Shady Maple! I have so many great memories from there
I was sure you were joking, until I saw the reply by Religion For Breakfast, then I checked 🤣.
@@ReligionForBreakfast nice
It's better than Shartlesville PA. 😂
Years ago, I used to hang out in a Goth club in Detroit. There was a guy who came in on his rumspringa and went wild. He was about six foot five, very handsome, entirely sweet-natured and soon became the darling of the club...in every way imaginable. I always found it funny that he went from one place where everyone dressed in dark clothing to the libertine opposite where everyone dressed in dark clothing.
Was this at Leland city club?
@@Babyfrootbat Yup
Do you know if he returned to the Amish? Wouldn’t be surprised as 90%+ return
@@barbecueman6352 I have no idea. We lost touch once I quit going there.
thank you for specifying that you weren't paid to promote that store, for a second I was worried Big Amish finally got to you
@ianbarnard5883 - .^_^.
where is candle. The
Weird Al Yankovic explained it perfectly
*Yankovic :)
Most accurate portrayal of them😁
They're just technologically imparted
I was just thinking about Al!
They sell quilts at discount price living in the Amish paradise
Ah, one of my favorite types of content:
Taking something I had a vague idea about, and giving me a more comprehensive view.
I grew up mainstream Mennonite, so living fully integrated in society but with Anabaptist beliefs and many life practices, particularly around pacifism, simple living, and mutualism. I'm really impressed by the depth of your research and understanding.
One thing I'd like to add is that one of the other reasons for the split between Amish and Mennonites is around the "halb-täufer" or half baptized. Many anabaptists received help from sympathetic non-church members during persecution, and the question was were these people outside the church condemned to hell or not? Mennonites took the view that they were saved while the amish viewed everyone living outside of the community as part of the "Devil's playground". I think this is also useful in understanding the different mindsets of the communities.
Funny because it seems that these groups have practises that are collectivist and mutualist which is the dream of anarchists and socialists but their implementation of it in practise seems to be much more successful than the socialist theorising of it which is very often only theoretical.
They really think everyone else in the world is condemned? That's a bit frightening.
Yeah the Amish and the rest of us PA Dutch can ride a high horse better than anyone in the county. All while making America think we’re just old timey homegrown farmers. Great food tho
@@LimeyLassen - Don't the majority of religions preach along those lines? "Join _US_ or spend eternity in hellfire!"
@@LimeyLassenand very arrogant.
where is he. the
My father knew a Mennonite man who bought a car (his faith allowed that), but as soon as he owned it, he cut the cable going to the car radio so no one his his family could listen to it. Working in Chicago, I would often see Amish people at Union Station boarding Amtrak trains. Since a horse and buggy couldn’t go super long distances, they make an exception when that need arises. Married Amish men have beards but no mustaches. This goes back to the 17th century in parts of Europe military men had to have mustaches. Having facial hair everywhere except there meant that the Amish were anti-war.
All of the Amish around here have cars, but they have to be black. A few months ago I saw an Amish woman with a black car with a LOT of chrome. She was really pushing the edge of that simple life! I have heard that they can have technology and phones, but only for business.
@@EinsteinsHair They are the Mennoites after their founder Jacob Menno. Yes, the Mennonite family i grew up with did tell me their cars are black.
Yes, i saw Mennonites at train and bus depots when they have to go for long distances. Probably, more conservative Amish, too, since they can't own cars. My grandma knew German and sometimes talk to them, but she told me it is difficult, because they have different dialect. Video explained they spoke an older version of German. That explains it. It is like talking to someone who spoke like King James version of the Bible.
Interesting about the mustache
I have often seen them on the Empire Builder train. I was talking with one fellow from Ohio and they appear to have been buying up a lot of farmland there and are no longer just around Millersburg, Ohio. His family farm was in Highland County, only a few miles from my grandparents old farm.
Here in Mexico there are some menonite communities, specially in the north. It is quite easy to see them selling cheese on the roadside.
Yo that’s awesome
they literally groom children into marrying adults. It's quite easy to arrest them but some corrupt politicians won't set a minimum marriage age because of the amish in their states.
I think there are some communities in South America as well. More affordable farm land and less urban intrusion in general.
@@pcd261Belize, Bolivia, and Paraguay all have quite a few Mennonite colonies. I've met and worked with some people who left those colonies and moved to Canada.
Most of those colonies, at least all of the ones I've heard about, use plenty of gas and diesel vehicles, but they do limit some technology use, and often have uniform dress, tho that tends to be followed more consistently by women than by men in many cases.
Here in Mexico, Mennonite schools are registered with the Secretrariat of Public Educational, with an slightly adjusted variation of the program, including, like Indigenous Mexican programs, classes in their own language, although they are required to learn Spanish as a second language (for most Mexicans the required second language is English).
I enjoy hearing your take. Non-emotional. Just good information.
While listing none of their sources in the description......
@@EU_Red_Fox You mean like these? *Ephesians 6:5-7* _"SLAVES,_ obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as *SLAVES* of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.”
*1 Timothy 2:1-3* “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people - for *KINGS* and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior.”
*Luke 14:26* “If anyone comes to me and does not *HATE* their father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters - yes, even their own life - such a person cannot be my disciple."
The term "bonnet ripper" absolutely cracks me up.
My grandfathers best friend lived directly next to an Amish community, they had told him that they could use technological equipment, but just not own it. So they would often come over and ask to borrow his power tools and newer farm equipment at times. He was paid back generously though.
My family briefly considered joining an Amish community until we realized that us kids would be capped at an 8th grade education, and therefore effectively stuck staying in the community.
That's the whole point Jehovah Witnesses do the same. Nothing higher than high school.
What were some of the reasons your family were considering joining?
Why are education and intelligence conflated?
@@crypto4423because cults have a nasty habit of denying education as a control method.
When people have the freedom and opportunity to gain education, they usually have more freedom and opportunity in life in general as well.
As messed up as it is people dont tend to like inter generational poverty (and the associated lack of education) with someone being intelligent
@@crypto4423 Who said they were?
In modern German, "Gelassenheit" means equanimity, even serenity, letting go, and often coolness - but no hint of submission (Unterwerfung) which sounds almost opposite nowadays in its constraint. Yet, apparently there are older meanings of "gelassen" that mean behave, surrender to god, which became that religious technical term. The wisdom here is to stoically accept the constraints - which enriches my naive concept of the word "gelassen".
But that's just the point- the Amish, and indeed most other Christians, don't see their submission to God as a constraint. We see it as a "letting go," as a way to live peacefully. The expression I grew up with in the Baptist Church was "let go and let God," which I feel captures the same contentment in submission as Gelassenheit.
@@RebeccaGrant-ut7jb That sounds good, and b.t.w. Islam also means literally submission to God in that liberating sense. But unfortunately, many religious communities then proceed to enforce additional submission to their particular customs and traditions, and all kinds of violence is justfied to keep their members and others beyond "on the right path".
My comment was more about linguistics, though, German being my first language - Gelassenheit as serene submission really rediscovers a layer of meaning that is lost to modern usage.
OK, the idea of bonnet-rippers being made by, basically, Amish-weebs makes so much sense.
It’s not weebs. It’s just another subset of cottagecore geeks.
Ameeabos
"amish-weebs" is taking me out
Thank for the most useful PA travel tip ever! The Shady Maple Smorgasbord!
It's fantastic! I have cousins that worked there for years.
I miss that place - bring a few friends and it was free on your birthday
Shady Maple is amazing
There's a really nice Channel 4 series called Living with the Amish where some british teenagers live with the amish (not Old Order) for a while. The friendship between Jonathan and James made me actually tear up.
@ReligionforBreakfast, you nailed this one. Having married a former Mennonite, and having a brother-in-law who is Beachy Amish, I was wondering how correct this video would be, but you knocked it out of the park. Well done! If you're looking for more interesting Anabaptist content, German Baptists and several of the Mennonite communities are very fascinating. German Baptists, for instance, will actually integrate into society, wear modern clothes, and even sometimes attend public school until they are baptized, at which point they adopt Plain Dress and customs.
Those amish don't seem very funny though..
“Beachy Amish” makes me think of a surfer dude riding waves in plain dress
@@vajra1171 - How many Amish people do you know? I know lots of non-Amish who are not very funny, either.
I live in an area where there has been a large influx of Amish people moving to in Maine. It's been pretty fascinating. The individuals that seemed to move away from the core populations in Pennsylvania appear to be a bit more liberal. A number of them keep cell phones, actually a few got in trouble when they did that emergency testing that had everybody's phone go off. Haha. They will regularly buy homes in and around people in rural areas, of course detach them from the grid. But some of them have phones at the edge of their property near the street. And some of them have no problem being driven around by other people for jobs.
The uncle of one of my friends lives near a number of Amish families, and he once had some of the kids over at his house and made them frozen pizzas and it absolutely blew their mind. Haha.
The Amish where I live have a sort of patriarch leader who has a lot of the final say in terms of people's businesses and things. Our community has seen a lot of infighting and it's funny when they sort of break apart, they move to the completely other side of the town. Which of course is like is a 30 minute car drive. But for them it's like a 4-Hour buggy ride. My mother also lives 4 hours away, but by car and it's like at the other side of the state.
They absolutely love love love yard sales. And they've actually been able to be extremely competitive locally as construction firms.
A lot of the older people seem to like them, it reminds them of the old days that their grandparents told them about. But I am a little worried about their growth potentially creating some head bumping, because it has been exponential growth.
But I guess we will see.
I met an Amissh man from Maine. His church was more liberal; they had church every Sunday instead of every 2 weeks. The services were in English instead of German.
A lot of Amish have adapted to cell phones. The "cultural bagaining" discussed in this video has not been as strong in the past few decades, and Amish have been less resistant to new technologies, especially if it integrates into their businesses somehow. So they have smart phones but no cars lol.
The patriarch guy you mentioned is probably the bishop. The community collectively decides on their ordnung (rules), and elects a bishop who is a leader tasked with enforcing the ordnung.
Im a descendant of swiss anabaptists though my family had assimilated long before i was born. Thank you for helping me to understand how my ancestors thought and lived and there history.
Me too, with Hans Herr. Who’s yours?
7:20 "peace in the Alsace didn't last" made me laugh. At least they avoided the next two hundred years of some of the most brutal warfare this planet has ever witnessed.
Amazing video. Both my parents were Amish and 90% of my extended family is still Amish. We are from Holmes county Ohio. I would say our area is similar to Lancaster county. A big variety of different groups and levels of conservatism. If you’re ever in the area I can introduce you to different people show you some great food spots
Bruh hate to break it to you but your folks literally groom children into marrying adults; the Amish/Mennonites are extremely easy to dislike and there is no reason to ever be tolerant of their behavior
I have lived in Lancaster county my entire life, which made this an interesting watch. I work with them every day and actually noticed a few of the clips used in this video were of my workplace. 😃
I was born Amish and this is about as well researched and articulated as any video I’ve ever seen about the Amish great work
What was it like?
There is a significant Amish community in West Michigan near where I live. I interact with them at their stores, where I shop for bulk foods, and occasionally for other services. I used Amish businesses to purchase and install my metal roof, for example.
I appreciate the in depth explanation of their origins, which gives me a better understanding of their guiding principles. Though a few things have stood out to me that underscores what you've said.
The relationship with technology is one significant area that tells a lot. Those that do business with the "English" will often have telephones, but virtually never have answering machines or voicemail. You just have to call until they answer.
They use modern plows and cultivators, but pull them behind horses.
They often have solar power installed at their homes, but usually for very limited services.
The line doesn't seem to be at any technological level, but rather on how technology affects their relationship with the world. By remaining off the grid, away from motorized transport, and without external communication that is beyond informal pleasantries and customer service, they are able to keep their membership from some of the temptation of the world outside their own community.
very interesting, i knew it was always complex but i didn’t know they had telephones let alone solar panels
@@romanmay2867 Amish rules are pretty much always community to community. Many communities will have a telephone for emergencies, but it will be in an outbuilding. You shouldn't call your neighbors, you should visit them.
Some communities will also allow one to use power tools to build furniture, but only if you're selling it. Furniture for Amish use is handmade.
I've traveled through Amish counties before, it's not "Little House on the Prairie." While Amish women wear flowing dresses and bonnets and the men wear suspenders and brimmed hats, they also love Crocs. Well, the Sketchers version.
Those amish don't seem very funny though..
@@romanmay2867 Only some, and then only for limited use.
@@vajra1171 All their jokes are about farm animals.
Wow. The anti-technology stance of the Amish is so much more clever and subtle than I thought. 100% support it now.
I wouldn’t. They’ve also been known to use these tactics to isolate members and keep any free thinking contained
@@ezrafriesner8370It’s a double edged sword, I agree with the fact that connectivity promotes higher education/information access while also being tools that can degenerate a community like with gamification of dating or endless content that is mostly brain rot. It makes sense why they would limit access for community reasons, I don’t believe it’s an ulterior motive to prevent education but simply to prevent division and lost time on entertainment.
@@SCIFIguy64 all the issues with technology you say can be solved by removing the primary motive being profit. The issue isn’t tech, it never was, it’s capitalist ideology forcing them to be primarily for profit, not people.
"i'm a free thinker"
*just repeats stuff he heard on TV*
I know a former Amish guy. He explained that it's fairly common for families to move from one community to another to find one with rules they agree with. That said he also thinks it's a coercive cult that operates businesses on the borderlines of the law.
Education amongst the Amish is curious, girls tend to be better educated as they're the ones that must keep the books while the men do the outside work. Unfortunately because women are kept indoors they have far less opportunity to exercise religious freedom and leave.
When I was in highschool, there was an annual senior skip day where the seniors would skip school and go to Shady Maple. Good times
Who’s here eating they candles rn?
🙋♂️
Some suggested corrections: This is based on my local Amish community, and these communities very dramatically from community to community so your millage may very. SOME Amish actually do reject modern healthcare and won't get vaccinated or allow a doctor to cut them open. But that seems to be highly variable. They don't allow phones in the home, but what they often do is have a payphone that's installed on the farm somewhere. So usually you have a farm that has multiple homes on it for the extended family. So aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc... and then those homes surround a central area that has the "Community" stuff... which would include the payphone. That way, if there's an emergency, they can call 911 or whatever. They don't like being connected to the electrical grid, but they'll often have diesel generators that will provide power for certain equipment. But they (for some reason that I don't understand) they prefer Diesel fuel, but reject regular gasoline. Also, if there's a way to use something other than electricity, they will. They would prefer to use hydraulics, or belt driven equipment if that's an option. So often their sawmills are run by belt off an standing engine... but they'll also have a small generator to provide electricity for lighting... because open flame lighting and sawdust are a bad thing.
Yep. And on occasion, there are Old Order Amish who have basic (flip) cell phones for business, but do not use them for purposes outside of their business.
I imagine though, that most of those communities who reject modern healthcare are _not_ the ones doubling in population every two decades.
@@digitaljanus if they breed a lot to make up for the infant mortality they could
@@digitaljanus Do they allow contraception ?
@@chendaforestThe YT channel Amish America goes into far more detail about daily life and the answer is no to birth control.
This is fantastic. I’ve been needing a condensed explanation about this very topic.
I worked at a hospital that handled Amish. They had an insurance plan set up with the hospital that was basically Medicare rates.
The shady maple shout out lollol. One of the most promiscuous girls in my school grew up to join the Amish! Such a fascinating life! And that food!! Mmmm
What a wonderful and fascinating video! As another former Central Pennsylvanian (Lebanon County in the house), who grew up next to an Amish family farm, this was a trip down memory lane. Thank you for this, and all your work.
I really recommend listening to the back catalog of The Plain Peoples' Podcast! They sadly haven't posted since 2022, but it has so many moving stories from former Amish and Mennonites. While they are obviously critical (otherwise they wouldn't be "former") it also gives a vivid image of the diversity of rules and norms between different plain anabaptist groups.
From what I hear, a new season is coming.
I drove a Greyhound bus for many years, and I used to see the Amish all the time whenever I drove passengers up into the Wooster Ohio area.
I grew up Mennonite, and probably the one trait that ties all plain groups together is child Sa and other abuse. It’s often not reported or dealt with properly due to the focus on dealing with problems internally. Thankfully the group I grew up in was a bit more secular, but there was still rumors and actual cases that were dealt with properly.
But none of these groups deserve the reputation of being simple wholesome folk.
I've listened to every episode of The Plain Peoples' Podcast, and it's really striking of how much of an overarching theme that is in the stories on there.
I'm sure it's the case with a lot of insular communities, but sadly the way that these plain groups work really seem set up for it...
An unfortunately common thing in any group that has any involvement with kids. It doesn’t matter if a group is Secular or Religious, all that matters is if one creep has access and the means to do what they want.
I know someone who was raised Mennonite and while she didn't suffer SA herself she told me she's still not allowed to talk to her own parents because she left the community to marry an outsider, and that there's so much opportunity for the community authorities to do bad things with no accountability to a state.
@@dukeofmania6504 Sure it can happen in any group, but the problem with groups that enforce separation from the rest of the world and shun anyone who steps out of line is that there's often no recourse if the creep has respect in the group.
It's however true that these kind of high control groups don't have to be religous.
@@dukeofmania6504you are discounting the particular level of this in the Amish and Mennonite communities. But yes high control groups all share this issue, but religious groups tend towards high control especially in small insular communities with no accountability.
A couple of things. The beard but no mustache originated in the 19th century when it was fashionable for military men to sport great mustaches. Also, when it comes to clothing Anabaptists don't use buttons because they're considered fancy, they use zippers and hook and loop fasteners, this is the same reason why little girl's dolls have no faces, fancy is prideful and a pretty face on a doll would be fancy.
It strikes me as hypocritical that the women have to cover their hair but the men can show off their luxurious beards without shame 😅
I've lived in Amish country, and it's always amusing to walk into a traditional farm and find something like a working bulldozer hiding behind the barn. Just to stereotype the whole movement, I look at it as the Amish are trying to maintain freedom from the power/water/other grids. The carpenter who I bought piles of unfinished bits from had a forklift and kept an old PC running quicken for the books.
There are a couple of Ex-Amish on UA-cam if you want to hear better from the horses mouth.
As an Amish I can say this is my favorite yt channel
what are you doing online?
@@Godfrey544 - Apparently, the same as you.
@@MossyMozart I'm not amish though, so for me its not forbidden
@@Godfrey544 Perhaps he/she is on Rumspringa?
@@LangThoughts I suppose.
Can I say I've been looking forward to this video since I first subscribed many years ago?
I grew up around many Amish. Amish neighbors, Amish classmates, Amish friends. There is so much more about the Amish that could be talked about. For example its shocking how little many people who live in close proximity are so ignorant to their practices. Indeed, I often found myself shocked by how much animosity is out there towards the Amish in areas where they are present. There's also a lot to be said about conflicts between Amish communities and 'English' ones, like the danger buggies pose to both their occupants and to other motorists (e.g. a classmate of mine was killed in a buggy/4wheeler accident). We could talk about conflicts within the communities themselves, like the assaults we had a while back now where several Amish men found themselves dragged from their beds and beards shaved by Amish attackers. But of course we can also talk about how much Amish and the communities around them coexist and collaborate. Tourism, buggy lanes, community assistance, it's all there. Our Amish babysitter was basically a second mother to my siblings and I.
It really is a huge and interesting topic. I think this served as a great introduction and hopefully helps dispel some of the common misconceptions about them.
Cheers!
I really appreciate the neutral take on this. Often when I'd hear about Amish, there'd be emphasis on the lack of technology and "backwards ideas" with gender and child-rearing, and little to no talk about things like communal efforts. It's not about saying they're good or bad, but about what they actually are like, in their entirety.
I appreciate the neutral take from a scholarly perspective, but on a personal note I THOROUGHLY dislike Amish people. My family is from the Allentown & Lancaster areas, and we are Pennsylvania Dutch going back to the Colonies, so this isn't "I saw it on TV" informed, but "I've seen it firsthand" (I even grew up speaking a little PA Dutch). They have a real problem with xenophobia, misogyny, mistreatment of animals (they're notorious for puppy mills), psychological manipulation (conform or lose all familial & communal support)...
So, yes, I can appreciate the academic neutrality, but I also don't want people to think the community isn't overflowing with extremely problematic and troubling behaviour.
@@Emillang1000 Oh for sure, there's certainly a time and place to call out the problematic aspects
Fair
@@Emillang1000 they literally groom children into marrying adults; the Amish/Mennonites are extremely easy to dislike and there is no reason to ever be tolerant of them
yeah its almost like this channel is run by a scholar who is mostly describing various topics while other people dont owe you ignoring misogyny and bigotry of these "wholesome" communities
I grew up by an Amish community, loved going to their markets they had the best apple butter
Those amish don't seem very funny though..
@@vajra1171 - What is it with you that you keep posting this over and over? Do you do stand-up and are resentful of an Amish competitors who has a lot material to draw on than you have?
This is such a well done video. Extremely detailed and a wide range of topics covered.
I used to work at a bookstore and spent a summer remodeling the local stores overnight. There were SO many bonnet-rippers. Right next to vampires and kilts were the Amish romances.
On the one hand I understand the appeal of chaste and wholesome romance novels (the fantasy of a guy who's a great dad and he's a skilled craftsman and he actually listens to you is pretty obvious)...
On the other hand, Amish and Mennonite communities have abuse and violence the way that other very insular, high-commitment societies do, and the emphasis on collectivism and conformity can mean that you are pressured to (publicly or privately) forgive someone who hurt you to avoid drawing attention and being selfish. Not to mention the spiritual undertones of this emphasis on forgiving instead of resenting.
It feels kind of icky for outsiders to romanticize these communities to the degree that it's kind of flat and dehumanizing
Great points!
Also, female victims of SA tend to be blamed for "having tempted" the person who SAd them in these (often very misogynic) societies. Another problem is the lack of s*x ed. for both boys and girls and the emphasis on submissiveness for women. This must cause so many ghastly wedding nights
they literally groom children into marrying adults; the Amish/Mennonites are extremely easy to dislike and there is no reason to ever be tolerant of them
@@mailill "ghastly wedding nights" indeed. I feel so sorry for them... men and women both. Totally avoidable suffering is my least favorite kind :(
I understand this but I also feel like Americans are not afraid to criticise toxic traits in the Amish community but will en afraid to criticise toxic traits in the Muslim community or in the Black American community because it'll automatically be called racist. And romanticising these communities is considered okay lol.
@@gamermapperYouve not got out much if you think Amish get more hate than black and brown people in America.
The Bonnet Rippers section was wild lol. Always learn something new watchin Religion for Breakfast.
It’s been a thing since at least the 90s
Shady Maple is where you go when you skip school as a senior! LOL, I knew from your accent you grew up near me in ChesCo. I love your channel. I've been watching for years now. Thank you for the high quality content. Would you consider a video on the wide variety of religious sects that early PA? I always found that topic interesting growing up in that area. I wish you and everyone who helps with this channel the best life has to offer!
When the apocalypse comes, they’ll have the last laugh. The ultimate preppers.
Until enough people who are better armed decide that god won’t stop brigands. You don’t need to know how to farm to carry a gun.
@@Dap1ssmonk They have guns and they don’t require fuel to get around. Fantasy preppers are stuck as soon as the gas tank runs dry.
@@robertwarner-ev7wp true, but don’t underestimate the power of a desperate mob. Those who win the fall of societies are usually upper echelon society who can afford to keep people with weapons around. See the fall of rome or the Bronze Age collapse.
@@robertwarner-ev7wpthey got broke legs or sumthin lol they ain’t the only ones with horses either
And are these guys packing old school rifles or are they loaded for bear like every other good ole boi
And in worst case scenarios they gettin wiped like most of us
Unless your a billionaire with underground bunkers bruh
@@Dap1ssmonk - The vicious may be better armed, but they are not prepared to farm acres of land and raise herds of livestock or build builds from scratch. If they harm the Amish, they shoot themselves in the foot.
As a german, I would say, "Gelassenheit" is better translated as "Chillness"
Ich zweite dies. Obwohl ich die hier gestellte Definition auch sehr akkurat finde.
Especially in this context - being chill because you can only accept what God is doing with your life.
They don't speak standard modern German; they speak a different dialect. The word has different connotations and meaning for them than it would for you. Just because you are German doesn't mean you have complete insight into their language.
@@_oaktree_ I'm from the area in Germany where the Amish are from, and Gelassenheit means just what the original commenter said. They don't speak an ancient, mysterious dialect.
@chegu613 this video is about Amish communities in the US, not Germany. German dialect here in Texas is also different from the kind of German spoken in Amish communities.
Brilliant summary, well done.
Very informative! Thanks for the illuminating video.
About to finish it on nebula. Thanks for your videos!
Woohoo, Nebula for the win
where is candleman. The
I've only found this channel recently, but I really love the way you present things. I've heard a lot of this individually focused in videos and articles before, but never in such a concise, yet holistic way and in context with their origin and history, and all that while not being boring or dry, which helped clear up some of my misunderstandings of their culture, particularly in respect to their rejection of modernity and the differences between communities. Thank you and keep up the great work!
Filled in a lot of gaps in my understanding. Thanks 🙏
Been to Lancaster a couple times (20ya) and ate with an Amish family a couple times. Very nice people and interesting to a kid like me.
As a local Lancastrian, I applaud you pronouncing Lancaster correctly!!! Which county did you grow up in? York, Lebanon, or somewhere else?
Legitimately the smoothest ad transition I have ever witnessed. *chefs kiss* Completely threw me off my buggy once I realized what was going on.
This was great. Thank you.
A friend of mine has a sister who married into the Plymouth Brethren. Although not Anabaptist, they live similar lives to the Amish.
The sister was part of a strict sect within the Plymouth Brethren and was banned from the use of technology. However, if she wanted information, she would go to my friend's house. There, she would use the Internet, read newspapers, watch television, and so on. This is just one example of how she did not fit into the culture into which she had married.
However, what shocked me more was that other members of her particular sect broke their own tenets on a regular basis. I guess that it is easier for the Amish to remain true to their beliefs because they live in rural areas. The Plymouth Brethren leads more urban lives and faces greater temptation.
Personally, I find all of them to have beliefs verging on the weird, but then I do not align myself with any organised religion. If I did, it would most likely be the Unitarian Church.
The name Pymouth Brethren evokes an ominous feeling.
They are kind of right about the internet being a corrupting force. I'll give them that.
Cool to know you're a neighbor! I grew up in Lancaster and this video is 100% spot on.
Great overview Andrew! I learned a lot (and am now hungry 😆)
This is a great video.
An interesting group for sure. Also he's not kidding about Shady Maple the food is delicious!
This channel is one of my preferred content creators
Great video. Thanks
I appreciate the bit about romance novels. They’re such an interesting reflection of social status and wants but get dismissed as total junk.
@kickasschemist7229 - The books are also a refection on the sexual fantasies of Amish women who have desires and wants like everyone else (both the writers AND the readers). In a Cinderella-type way, though, longing for rescue from sin by the equivalent of a noble and dashing Prince Charming.
I haven't watched the video yet, but as someone who was born into a family of practicing Roman Catholic Belgian's, and also a person who spent ages 5-8 being fostered by an Old Order Amish family in Holmes County, Ohio, I am super excited to see what you will cover!
Especially as I'm pretty sure my early indoctrination into two such vastly different interpretations of what it looks like to be a good Cristian was what sparked my deep and persistent fascination with religious faith and how/why it motivates us all as human beings.
Damn, now I need to see if I missed any videos on Roman Catholicism. The horror! 😊
great video !
I'm Mexican and there are a lot of people here we call "menonites" but they seem to fit the description you give for Amish really well. They usually come to the city to sell cheese or cookies (which are delicious btw)
Indeed. I just remember watching a Mexican movie called Silent Light, about a menonita family. Very good film, by the way. Anyway, abraços desde Brasil
I can't believe you went the whole video without mentioning Dwight Schrute
I know, I’m not from the US so I didn’t know such community existed and the first 2 minutes already screams Dwight and Moses Schrute
@thrashmetaldad - I am sorry to be the one to break this to you, but Dwight AND Moses are both _fictional_ characters. I know it must hurt to learn this, but there we are.
That’s really sad. There’s more to life than a dumb show like the office
that Segway into the ad read was slick. good stuff
Excellent information
candleman where are you
where is this man
Great video, thank you!
Very interesting, I appreciate the nuanced view
What a great thing to find on a Friday!
Perhaps you should consider a vid on the Buddhists that live in Scranton. Now, there's a good story. I don't know if you've been, but the temple interior is stunning!
This was excellent. Especially the bit about the Evangelical romance novels. Well done.
A very humanizing detail, too.
A pleasant surprise to learn you're from around the same area I am from! 😅 Love Shady Maple.
Great video:) I would love to see your scholarly perspective on Thai Forest Buddhism or Theravada as a whole, I feel like Theravada often gets passed over by western educators which is a shame! The history of Buddhism's southern transmission is beautiful and rich
I'm in the western corner of New York, and there's a significant Amish population here, and it's not weird to see them at Walmart. I bought a shed from an Amish builder (it's fantastically well-built, too, and reasonably priced to boot) last year. I'm used to their presence around town, but I can see how they come across as so alien to the rest of mainstream American society. They're interesting, different people, but it's weird how they're treated as a tourist attraction and/or oddity.
Fantastic deep dive as usual✌️. 9/10 sponsorship segue too
@Crono921 - I personally do not like embedding the ads into the narrative. It is too sneaky and devious for me. Like an ambush. Remember the soda can that was "accidently" left in that _Game of Thrones_ scene? Suuuure, "accident".
@@MossyMozart pretty sure it was a Starbucks cup, but that's fair. I guess I think if you're gonna do it, I want to still be entertained, so I like it.
great episode. 10/10 ad break.
My aunt lives near some Amish people, and she describes them as nice and wholesome people, willing to help and socialize. They sell furniture, exchange labor, and gifted her some apples.