I find this story very sad. We live in Amish country and what people often forget is that the Amish are more of a cult than a true expression of Christianity. They believe that by living without electricity, etc. they are acceptable to God. Christ and his work on the Cross is not sufficient for them to be saved, they believe. They must also do works to show themselves holy and the main work is to live outside modern culture in the purer times of the past. Problem is ~ who/what determines how far one must go in the past? The bishops of the Amish community. However, if a group becomes displeased with a bishop and his rulings, they split off. Hence you can find A LOT of strife among the Amish. It’s just that it often doesn’t get to the state where they allow it to be seen by outsiders.
O.K. I’ll admit I didn’t check this out. I have egg on my face on this one!
BUT in our area there are crimes committed by the Amish, even murder and so I just assumed it was one of those horrid ones. The church fights they have do become very bitter and hate filled ...
O.K. I’ll admit I didn’t check this out. I have egg on my face on this one!
BUT in our area there are crimes committed by the Amish, even murder and so I just assumed it was one of those horrid ones. The church fights they have do become very bitter and hate filled ...
I read this last night and found it very sad, before it was posted here.
It is even sadder that people find it amusing.
During a recent stay at a Lancaster County PA B&B I read (ok, skimmed is a better term) a history of the Amish. I was amazed by the number of schisms, the absurdity of the disagreements and the petty meanness of all parties involved. Give a drink to a thisty non-Amish neighbor? Thou be shunned! Do it again? Thou and thy family be cast out!! Do not let the dutch-doors hit thou in thine buttocks!! Such was the grounds of the first schism, while the Amish were still in Europe living under the German princes, and only a few years after they were founded. It just got worse from there.
We ate at some place that had the "Amish Family Tree" on the placemats. It looked like a pile of spaghetti with the name "Yoder" for meatballs. I lost track at over fifty different groups. Each group has their own laws and customs. Most don't associate with the others. Crazy. Worse than Baptists, and that is saying something.
Darn good cookin', though.