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The Amish

The Amish were a group of Mennonites, but they broke away from the Mennonites over differences in beliefs about how they should worship and how they should dress. The first Amish settlement in America was established in 1730, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The Amish were attracted here because Pennsylvania allowed people to practice whatever religion they wanted to. There are many different types of Amish, because each community has its own Ordnung. The Ordnung can be compared to the Bible; it tells the Amish how to practice their religion, although it is not a physical thing. It is passed down through the family when parents teach their kids about being Amish. The Amish speak English so that they can get along with other people in America, but traditionally they speak German, and many communities only speak German in their homes. Many of them came from Denmark and Germany when they immigrated to America, and they have kept that traditional language. There is no practical reason for them to speak German anymore, but many of them still teach it in school. They view it as an important part of their heritage and tradition. As stated above, the Amish people are a division of Christians. They follow their Ordnung, and many communities have slighly different Ordnungs. One of the main beliefs the Amish have is Gelassenheit, which means obeying God's commands as he relays them through the community's leadership. As is part of their beliefs, they do not educate children past 8th grade; they believe it may make the children too competitive if they continue formal education. One value in Amish culture is humility. They do not wear embroidered or patterned clothes, and favor instead solid colors. Another value is loyalty. An Amish man cannot marry a woman who is not Amish in many communities, and Amish expect each other to help the community. Another value of Amish culture is that they believe that communities should stay small. They don't allow businesses to grow to large, but they enjoy having big families. Their communities are usually not large, but there are exceptions. The Amish have many unique behaviors. Because many of their Ordnungs forbid using cars, they travel using a horse and buggy. Many Amish communities make goods just like they did many years ago. They may grind wheat and spin yarn. Then they trade amongst each other in the community. The Amish are very family oriented. They do many things with their families, like work, eat, play, and pray. We do these things in modern society too, but they do much more of it in Amish culture. To recap, the Amish are a unique group that first settled in Lancaster, PA in 1730. Many of them came from Denmark and Germany, and many of them still speak and teach German to their kids. The Amish are very humble and believe in a strong family. They have businesses, but communitites don't allow businesses to grow too large. One of the main things that define the majority of Amish people is that they do not use electricity. Different communities have different exact guidelines, but many Amish do not use electric lights, cars, or farm equipment. There is an Amish community still in Lancaster today, preserving their heritage and continuing their traditions.

The Amish's culture has changed in a number of ways. First, they immigrated to America from other countries like Germany and Denmark. Since they aren't in their homeland, it is easy for them to lose some of their culture. Technology has imparted pressure on some Amish communities to adopt some of these technologies. Many communities do not know if they should stick to tradition, which says to not use electricity, or to use things like cars and farm tractors to make their way of life easier. Commercialization has not affected the Amish that much, they make most of the goods they need themselves. However, if an Amish company gets too large, the community may need to split it up.

Bibliography

Powell, Albrecht. "Amish Culture, Beliefs, & Lifestyle - Amish Dress, Amish Technology, Amish Education, Amish Family Life." //About Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Pennsylvania for Residents & Visitors//. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2011. []. This source helped introduce me to the beliefs and the culture of the Amish. It was not very in depth, but it did a good job giving me the basics so that I can understand more complicated articles.

Tenner, Ed. "Plain technology: the Amish have something to teach us." // Technology Review // [Cambridge, Mass.] 108.7 (2005): 75. // Student Resource Center - Gold //. Web. 25 Jan. 2011. This article helped me to understand more about the Amish's religious beliefs. It gave me a fairly advanced look at their culture.

"Different business model." // The Christian Century // 127.21 (2010): 8. // Student Resource Center - Gold //. Web. 26 Jan. 2011. This journal helped me understand Amish business ideals. They do not let businesses get too big, for they believe that "bigness ruins everything".

"Amish Family." //WIkispaces//. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2011. 

This picture helped show me how the Amish dress. The way they dress is because of their beliefs and values.

"Amish Horse and Buggy."//Britannica//. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2011. . This picutre showed what the Amish horse and buggy looked like. Many Amish still use the horse and buggy today because of their beliefs.