The Amish Essay Research Paper Both the

The Amish Essay, Research Paper Both the Amish and the Mennonites were part of the early Anabaptist movement in Europe, which took place at the time of the Reformation. The Anabaptists believed that only adults who had confessed their faith should be baptized, and that they should remain separate from the larger society. Many of the early Anabaptists were put to death by both Catholics and Protestants, and many others fled to the mountains of Switzerland and southern Germany. Then began the Amish tradition of farming and holding their worship services in homes instead of in churches. In 1536, a young Catholic priest from Holland, Menno Simons, joined the Anabaptist groups, who were nicknamed Mennonites. In 1693, a Swiss bishop named Jacob Amman broke off from the Mennonite

church. His followers were called the Amish. Although the two groups have split several times, the Amish and Mennonite churches still share the same beliefs concerning baptism, non-resistance, and the Bible. They differ in matters of dress, technology, language, form of worship, and interpretation of the Bible. The Amish and Mennonites both settled in Pennsylvania as part of William Penn’s holy experiment of religious tolerance. The first sizeable group of Amish arrived in Lancaster County in the 1720s or 1730s. Since the early colonial days the Amish have lived in the United States preserving their distinctive culture, dress, language and religion in peace and prosperity. What does it mean to be Amish? Well, first and foremost is the inner renewal, having peace with God and

with fellow believers. They see themselves as humans living as individuals under God and blending together in relation to Christ and his church. Also, they need to uphold a simple lifestyle where they depend on each other, the more they can maintain, the better the community. They are to be an example of one who cares for and considers others. And lastly, they must be separate fromt he world. In addition, they feel that training the child is very important. Obedience and respect of athority must be taught at home. The home, church and school should teach the same things. They’re way of life should be in harmony with their faith and the Bible. The Amish are a very conservative Christian faith group, they believe Christ died for our sins. Many of their beliefs are the same as

Fundamentalists and other Evangelical churches including baptism and a literal interpretation of the Bible. The Amish believe in remaining separate from the rest of the world, and they reject involvement with military or warfare. There is no centralized Amish organizagion but all Amish follow an unwritten set of rules called the Ordung. The Amish have also faced a few conflicts throughout the years. They are frequently threatened by laws and regulations made for modern industrialized society. They are at a disadvantage when it comes to defending themeselves in courts. They do not believe in going to court to settle human conflict but instead, to turn the other cheek. They had problems for awhile with the schooling, because the Amish do not attend regular high schools, and their

education only goes up to the eighth grade. Some confusion has arose about the way the Amish dress. The Amish dress alike because they believe more in the community than the individuals, it gives them a sense of belonging. They can recognize each other by the manner of dress. They also don’t have to worry about fashion which they think of worldly and vein. They think fashion has something to do with getting noticed, which they do not want. Jewelry is also forbidden, because it is considered unnecessary and an expression of pride. There are three required elements of a woman’s outfit. There’s a one piece, long sleeved dress in a solid dark color that is knee to floor length. They then have an apron and a cape to wear over their dress, black stockings and shoes. The whole