Verified Document

Amish Life Research Paper

¶ … Amish are a well-known religious group in America. "The Amish culture is known for simple living, reluctance to use modern technology, and a heavy emphasis on church and family relationships." (Rogers, Horst, Rogers, Lee, & Reihart, 2013, p. 916). They are known for their beliefs and practices and their desire to live in a clean and virtuous environment. They are hard workers and discourage lives of excess and greed. A brief into their religion and beliefs helps shine light into a popularly researched and examined religious group. Some of the aspects of culture to be briefly explained involve rules and dress. For instance, the Ordung or the list of oral or written rules outlines the fundamentals of Amish religion, helping to define how to live and be Amish. The Ordung can and does dictate every facet of an Amish person's life. This can include hair length, beard length for males, dress, and even how Amish people farm. The Ordung is different within each community. Some Amish for instance, drive automobiles, while others do not use electricity.

Amish dress is another important aspect of Amish culture. It is a symbol of their faith and encourages separation and humility from the outside world. Amish fashion is simple avoiding most ornamentation. Any clothing worn is usually made at home using simple fabrics and is typically dark in color. Amish men where coats with no collars, pockets, or lapels and then women wear full length skirts, aprons, and capes along with some form of head covering, usually a bonnet. Any stocking worn are usually made of black cotton.

Some of the fundamental beliefs of the Amish include their belief in the Bible. The Amish see the Bible as the inerrant and inspired word of God. They believe in Communion which is practiced two times a year both in the spring and fall. The Amish vehemently believe in humility and practice disbelief in eternal security. Although...

The Amish, like many Christian sects, believe in Baptism and practice adult baptism. The reason they perform baptism on adults is because they believe at that developmental stage, the person is old enough to make a decision. Amish also believe in heaven and hell and must follow the church's rules in order to get access to heaven.
Certain forms of social control are practiced by the Amish in order to control their children's behavior as well as their wives. Such behaviors include separation and shunning. Separation means the Amish isolate themselves from society and practice this as a fundamental belief. Their belief lies in the idea that secular culture contaminates their religion and the people within. In order to keep separation active within Amish culture, they prohibit or avoid watching and using radios, televisions, computers, and any other modern appliances. They typically live off the grid.

Shunning, a controversial Amish belief, is the practice of business and social avoidance of individuals within the Amish community that violate the rules. Because this practice is so controversial, it is not seen often within the community. It is seen and applied as a last resort. Members who are excommunicated can be welcomed back if they show remorse and repent.

Women are a vital and integral part of Amish society. However, they are not seen or treated as equals. Women are allowed to work and do so as teachers or hired help in households but must remain in the household when married. Women are also not allowed to become leaders in the church but can and do vote on church and community matters. Women can be educated but there is some restriction. Women ultimately in public are supposed to fall back to the opinion…

Sources used in this document:
References

Howley, A., Howlet, C., Burgess, L., & Pusateri, D. (2008). Social Class, Amish Culture, and an Egalitarian Ethos: Case Study from a Rural School Serving Amish Children. Journal of Research in Rural Education, 23(3), 1.

Rogers, A.B., Horst, M., Rogers, F., Lee, J., & Reihart, M. (2013). From the barn to the operating room and back: The Amish way of life leads to improved throughput and outcomes following trauma. Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, 75(5), 916.

Thompson, W.E. (1984). OLD ORDER AMISH IN OKLAHOMA & KANSAS: RURAL TRADITION IN URBAN SOCIETY. FREE INQUIRY IN CREATIVE SOCIOLOGY, 12(1), 40.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Amish Are a Long-Standing Religious Sect, Created
Words: 1394 Length: 4 Document Type: Research Paper

Amish are a long-standing religious sect, created in the 17th century after the first Amish broke from the Mennonite Protestant tradition because of "what they perceived as a lack of discipline among the Mennonites" (The Amish: History, belief, practices, 2011, Religious Tolerance). The original Amish were of Swiss and German extraction. Many migrated to the U.S. In the early stages of the sect's formation, settling in Pennsylvania, and gradually branching

Amish -- a Culture of
Words: 1813 Length: 5 Document Type: Term Paper

They do not pay taxes, as they do not collect Social Security or other welfare benefits, as the Amish community takes care of its 'own.' Interestingly, despite the allowance of "flings in the English world, the number of Amish teenagers who join the church has risen over the past 50 years...In 1940, only about 60% remained in the Amish faith...[now it is] hover[ing] around 90% and is even higher in

Amish Health Care the Problem
Words: 997 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

The proposed health care program for the Amish would include, providing doctors that would travel to the Amish community for home visits. Another aspect of the program would be to offer an advanced medical education to some of the Amish young people in order to establish local medical treatment centers managed and maintained by these same Amish individuals. One of the health issues that might be more appropriately addressed by these local

Amish Tourism Developing Sustainable Models
Words: 2993 Length: 9 Document Type: Term Paper

) They are, in the popular imagination, a peaceful people who spend their time going to church and making preserves, while the rest of us lost our spiritual way, got jobs moving paper around, became obsessed with buying stuff, and watched our families fall apart. (Issenberg, 2004, p. 40). Today, tourism is second only to agriculture as Pennsylvania's leading industry and Lancaster County accounts for $1.6 billion of the state's $20.5

Amish Religion
Words: 2993 Length: 10 Document Type: Term Paper

Amish Religion Women in the Amish religion are committed to living a life that is subordinate and subservient to the male members of the community. Many women within the Amish community complacently accept this role, as it is the role that was assigned to women in ancient biblical scriptures. There are many that would argue that women within the Amish community are unfairly suppressed, however all women living within the community

Anthro Reality Television Shows About Amish Lifestyle
Words: 630 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

Anthro Reality television shows about Amish lifestyle and culture reveal an eerily ironic fascination of one of the only ethnic groups in the United States to deliberately eschew technology. The use of technology to capture ethnographic data on the Amish communities in America is therefore as problematic as the reality television shows are at trying to capture Amish life using the very tools the Amish shun. In "Researching the 'Un-Digital' Amish

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now