With this comunity being thrown into the spotlight, I have come to realise that there is a LOT we could learn from them. They are the ultimate Preppers. Totally self sufficient (from what I can see)as a community. Is this not what we’re trying to achieve? The Amish don’t have to prep, they are isolated and need very little from the outside world.
Also, I hope the world takes notice of how they have handled this situation. There are huge lessons in forgiveness to be learned from them. A lot of countries including the US and the Arabs countries could learn from them. How much longer are we goint to tit for tat until there’s nothing left of this earth?
These people may, very well, be in a position of authority after BF. They have the know how of how to get on without luxuries and a community spirit that will be priceless after a pandemic.
If I lived near them, I would be selling my house and begging them to take me and my family in!
I think they have taught much to anyone willing to pay attention this past week.
You are very correct, there is much they could teach us about being self sufficent. Perhaps we English ought to pay better attention to their way of life.
Poppy- I was just going to make a comment about the Amish on the good news thread, when I saw this one. Yes-it is refreshing to see that there is a group of people who practice what they preach, their reaction to the terrible murder of their children is almost unheard of in a world where we kill us each other in the name of religion.Yesterday they attended the funeral of the killer and let the widow know that she and the children were always welcome in their community.- and yes-they are well prepared for a pandemic. they don’t depend on the grid and are almost totally self sefficient. as the threat of a pandemic is getting bigger every day, I had downsized my goat herd to a few animals in the spring-and I send all my favorite does to the Amish. i have to say it was one of the most pleasant business transactions ever, and I feel they will be well taken care of there.
They are teaching us about forgiveness, humility and love for our fellowman. I have visited Lancaster County many times and love to be around them; I have actually studied their way of life and found it very appealing, except for the shunning part. The world is watching the highest level of human behavior at a devastatingly low point. Although they are suffering just as any of us would, their behavior is outstanding and a lesson to us all.
Polio is showing up in Amish communities (Minnesota I think), because they refuse vaccination.
Tragic that their community is suffering that way. The media could have given them more privacy (as they should survivors of any of these incidents).
If they don’t know about pandemic like 1918 or worse, and contagion possible before symptoms, the close-knit and helping-each-other farming communities may have high fatality rates; and they do have needed skills, just, I hope they aren’t too fatalistic about “God’s Will” to try and avoid contagion.
And the Amish certainly can’t take in refugees. They would be overwhelmed by the unprepared.
Caring for own’s own dead is a good ability each community needs to revive (as it were) but, large public funerals may just let the living spread pandemic (or other diseases, when medical care is unavailable).
I live in a community with a lot of Amish and Mennonite families. They have been an inspiration. They live without alot of the bells and whistles that we have and believe make us happy. These people are happy without material things. When I first moved here I had several misconceptions. One big one was that they were serious and gloomy. The opposite is true. Their homes are loud and full of fun. My neighbors house is the place of chioce for the neighborhood kids.
We have lost something as a society they seem to have preserved. I know if the worst happens and society falls totally apart I too can live with much less and still be very happy. Helping one another is practiced daily. Im much richer for knowing these wonderful people. Faith and living what Jesus taught is an everyday experiance for them, they walk the walk. We can learn from them.
FYI Im not willing to give up indoor plumbing though especially in the winter!
I live in a community with a lot of Amish and Mennonite families. They have been an inspiration. They live without alot of the bells and whistles that we have and believe make us happy. These people are happy without material things. When I first moved here I had several misconceptions. One big one was that they were serious and gloomy. The opposite is true. Their homes are loud and full of fun. My neighbors house is the place of chioce for the neighborhood kids.
We have lost something as a society they seem to have preserved. I know if the worst happens and society falls totally apart I too can live with much less and still be very happy. Helping one another is practiced daily. Im much richer for knowing these wonderful people. Faith and living what Jesus taught is an everyday experiance for them, they walk the walk. We can learn from them.
FYI Im not willing to give up indoor plumbing though especially in the winter!
While I admire the Amish and Mennonites, there are few people who could live that rigorous a lifestyle unless born into it. We English need far more in the way of diversions and amusements. Part of their lifestyle is back breaking work for the men, and pretty much a full day for their ladies. A good movie was “Witness”. A little peek into that way of life.
I live in the a Amish community as well. Not in Pa. In Ohio.
There are differences among each community. Here most Amish homes use natural gas to operater their appliances. The Amish homes have gas stove, gas refrig. gas lighting etc. If the natural gas supplies are disrupted they will feel it as well. As for the health of thier families, lots of children lots of sick kids. My friend is a nurse in a local doctors office and says a mother will bring a child for treatment and then ask for the same meds for the other sick 11 children at home. With no health insurance, you can understand they may not seek doctors care as we might. For those of use living, working, shopping from these neighbors it is the children we deal with. The children pick and sell the produce at the produce stands. The teenage girls work as waitress and sales clerks and clean the homes and the B&B’s here. They are in harms way for dealing with the public and they also could be a source infection to others. I am truely grateful to live in this community. I am glad for each and every one of my neighbors. I will not be a burden on them in times of trouble. They will have troubles enough of thier own.
To Worry Wart…
What kind of goats do you have ? Are they “fiber” goats ?
Gracie at 23:39
I do not agree with your “lots of sick kids” statement. You make it sound as though illness runs rampant in the communities. They have bigger families so if the whole family gets sick then there is more than the typical family. They have a different view of medicine than most English. They often pitch in as a whole community to help a family with medical expenses. And they are much more open to alternative and natropatic medicines often traviling across the country to go to specialists. With much better results than that of conventional medicine.
My grandmother drives for the Amish, my aunt is a doctor for the Amish and all of my ex-in-laws are Amish. I grew up near an Amish community.
I have always admired their way of life and wished we could adopt some of their philosophies.
the Amish have moved into my area,(upstate n.y.), about a year ago, and there was some noses put out of place among the community, which surprised me. I was happy to hear it was the amish moving in, and not convincted pedifiles. at least our crime rate hasn’t jumped a notch.
I was also surprised that they do use our modern conviences. I have seen them in walmarts, our local store, and various other locations, and it struck me as odd. I believed they did not use such places. These people are very friendly, and will be helping my brother in law, whose on disability, put a new roof on his house next summer. All they require is that he accept a bible. That totally just blew me away. This summer, I bought my jam from them, and my, my. I hope I have some put back. I’ll have to check.
Anyhow, the community has their noses back in joint, and I have met some really nice people, and my husband whom has always admired their way of life, got to see first hand how they live. He’ll take his Lazy Boy.
I’ve seen Amish girls bicycling along the boardwalk in Atlantic city. They come for our rummage at the Fairgrounds. Hundreds of carloads of every sort of people come for the Sale. They have their shops everywhere from Reading Terminal in Philly on to little towns and established indoor fleamarkets like Rices in PA, They look healthy and happy. I think everyone in an Amish community has a role and a place and above all a work ethic. I don’t think they are isolated in their little communities, they do go out and about.
I’ve seen Amish girls bicycling along the boardwalk in Atlantic city. They come for our rummage at the Fairgrounds. Hundreds of carloads of every sort of people come for the Sale. They have their shops everywhere from Reading Terminal in Philly on to little towns and established indoor fleamarkets like Rices in PA, They look healthy and happy. I think everyone in an Amish community has a role and a place and above all a work ethic. I don’t think they are isolated in their little communities, they do go out and about.
I think each group/community of people has its strengths and weaknesses. The Amish, as a group, are very hardworking people who are self reliant and help each other out within their communities.
One thing we have forgotten, though, are some of the negatives. One in particular is shunning. I think our perceptions of the Amish may not be the same if the school situation had turned out differently. For example, if the girls had been molested/raped at gunpoint instead of shot, they would have been shunned for having sex before marriage (it doesn’t matter if it was forced or not). Their families and community would force them out and they would be treated as if they were dead - they would not be welcome anymore and would have to fend for themselves. These children would have had to be placed in emergency foster care and would have to try to assimilate into a totally different society than what they were used to - just because they were victimized.
cottontop at 16:07, you mentioned that your community had their noses out of joint initially because members of an Amish community had moved to your area. In my state, there are many Amish communities too, and while people do not have any issues with individuals within the Amish community, there have been other problems. When Amish buy property, the first thing they do is take out electrical wiring, all plumbing and septic systems(running water and indoor toilets), and furnaces. This makes the property value drastically drop and places a much higher tax burden on the remaining property owners. Smaller communities have a big problem providing basic services when the property values go down (police, fire services, etc). Another problem has to do with fair business practices. Because the Amish claim their lifestyle is a religious one, they do not follow any work related laws/regulations. Other business owners that are in similar businesses (construction, furniture manufacturing, grain mills, meat markets) cannot compete with them because they have to follow the state and federal laws which adds costs to their overall prices. The Amish routinely do not follow child labor laws and have been recently lobbying out East (I believe Philadelphia)to create exemptions for themselves at the federal level so young children (family members) can legally perform highly hazardous work. Relaxing child labor laws will not help anyone.
As I said in the beginning of this comment, there are positives and negatives to each community. It is good to view both sides.
My understanding is that only members of the church are shunned, and these girls would have been too young to be church members. Also, shunning lasts for several weeks, not forever. One recent show made the point that the punishments for molesting someone and for getting drunk are the same - shunning for 6 weeks .
Bottom Line, they are good people, and as stated above, we could learn a lot from them.
NoFluingAround
Yes, they are. The main problem we are having at this point is the use of our heavily traveled route. I live very close to the St.Lawrencwe River, so in the summer, the road I live on is the main artery to the river, and the tourist towns. At night, the Amish travel and are not visible until you are right up on them. For them to be traveling at anytime in their buggies, on this road is very dangerous, not only to them, but to us. Their horses make such messes in the road, onces leaving a nice deposit as they went by our driveway. The wheels are tearing up the sides of the road as well. It’s the “we pay the taxes, and they don’t” thing. That is the only gripe we have.
Oh yes, my little community was up-in-arms, about them moving in, and I couldn’t see the problem, on a social level. They seem to have accepted it now, fairly well, and life goes on.
cottontop – at 20:01
The Amish in your area don’t pay taxes? I thought the Amish normally pay all taxes except Social Security taxes (they don’t receive Soc Sec benefits, so they don’t pay into it).
Its true each group has their own set of rules. What we need to keep in mind is that they are self sufficient to a great degree. Another thing we can take away from their lifestyle is their sense of community, they are their brothers keeper. We can learn a lot from them
West- at 20:29
To my knowledge, no they don’t. Now, I could be wrong, but this was one of the issues people had around here, that they don’t pay the taxes we normally pay, state and federal taxes. Only land and school taxes, that I know of, come out of their pocket. That is all the taxes they have to pay. It’s hard for people who work long hard hours, week after week, that have to apy all the taxes that we do, to look at the amish and not think they are feeding off the people who work to support the state the amish live in. The conversations I heard spoke of this more than anything. I personally don’t have an opinion. It is what it is. We co-exist together peacefully, and that’s all that matters to me.
Beloe is a snip from an article detailing what taxes the Amish do and do not pay.
“The Amish live within self-sufficient communities and do not collect Social Security, unemployment, or welfare benefits. According to their religious beliefs, paying Social Security, an insurance premium for the elderly, is tantamount to not “taking care of their own.” Amish people who are self-employed are not obliged to pay Social Security tax, but they do still pay all other taxes, including property, income, and sales tax. If an Amish person decides to work outside of the community, he or she must also pay Social Security tax like any other American.”
And some more info on the Amish
not Amish, but i’ve spent some time with these folks, also religio-spiritually-oriented, and think we have alot to learn from them as well. they have such a fabulous sense of community. i have never been surrounded by such overall well-balanced, grounded, and yet spiritual and community-oriented, genuinely happy and authentic people i don’t think in all my life.
funny to me sometimes how a life based on an ethic of simplicity can be so very much work to achieve, without joining a group already doing it.
these folks tho, like the Amish, have made it work, and…all the power to em!
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