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I always figured back when I was a chick magnet

Got a lot of Amish here in NY. You see a lot of tractors and bobcats in use on their farms but they still insist on driving those damned horse buggies to town. They're always in Stewarts pigging out on ice cream and hot dogs.

Got a lot of Amish here in NY. You see a lot of tractors and bobcats in use on their farms but they still insist on driving those damned horse buggies to town. They're always in Stewarts pigging out on ice cream and hot dogs.

Ever smell one ?

dave

Amish around here weigh 300 lbs, drive brand spankin new john deer and spray hella chemicals

They’ll demolish a Golden Corral. Roll up in 3 white vans and hit it like Omaha Beach

This video was nothing more than good people with common sense acting reasonably. Too bad over half the Country isn’t as bright as them. That’s the truth!!!

Amish around here weigh 300 lbs, drive brand spankin new john deer and spray hella chemicals

They’ll demolish a Golden Corral. Roll up in 3 white vans and hit it like Omaha Beach

Basically, but everyone need not get it. Just enough of the population needs to get it so that pickings are just slim enough so that the virus cannot self-perpetuate, and then it dies off.

The Mennonites around here own and drive their own cars, trucks and vans and everyone I've ever seen was solid black and had either no chrome or chrome was 'blacked' over. The Mennonite kids are something else... They start working as soon as they are able to and seem to look forward to it. They take their jobs seriously regardless how mundane and don't act like kids when working. Very polite and well mannered, too.

Used to shop sometimes at a Amish store down around Sullivan, Ky. Every time we were there a couple of young, average size, Amish sisters were running it. Last time we were shopping there the younger sister was hand hoeing a huge garden out beside the store. While working in the garden she was wearing all the traditional garb Amish women wear with the temperature and humidity already stifling. She acted like she knew it was hot but no big deal,...just another day in Amish life.

Father-in-law was born and raised up in east central Indiana among a fair sized community of Amish. Was visiting once with some of his lifelong friends still living there. They told me the Amish young folk 'court' by taking girls via horse and buggy to church on Saturday evenings. I made the remark about how Currier & Ives / Norman Rockwell innocent they lived. Father-in-law's friend said everybody usually thinks that, but from living around them all their lives you learn the Amish are not all that different than non Amish and that there are just as many young unmarried Amish girls turn up pregnant as in the non Amish world.

Joken2 the Amish don’t have churches your father in law might of been thinking of Mennonites.

I know. I was told by father-in-law's friends that the Amish don't have formal church buildings,...they hold religious services in their homes. I chose to use the word "church" myself just to simplify my post.

And they were Amish, ... not Mennonites.

I saw some them when doing the Hemlock Office building up in your part of the world, some of their tractors will do 80mph...

Mennonites are no more Amish than a Baptist is Catholic.

Amish are just people, like any other people, just Amish.

Being a dumbass doesn't seem to change much about the English community. They are still just people just the same as any other way you want to cut them.

Difference between Amish and Mennonites?
Amish and Mennonites are diverse groups which share similarities

old order mennoniteAmish and Mennonites share numerous similarities. However, this question is more complicated than it may first appear, as the Amish are a diverse group, as are the churches that fall under the Mennonite umbrella. Below, a look at some similarities and differences among different factions of the Amish and Mennonites.
Basic similarities between Amish and Mennonites

Amish and Mennonites of today emerged from a similar cultural and religious heritage. The Amish split off from the Mennonite group in the 17th century in reaction to what one faction saw as liberalizing trends. The descendants of these early Anabaptists have formed a wide variety of Christian churches, though with certain unifying characteristics and beliefs. Though practice varies, today Amish and Mennonites share values of non-resistance, adult baptism, and in some cases plain clothing.
Old Order and Conservative Mennonites

Old Order Mennonites, or “Team” Mennonites (so named for the “team” of horse and carriage together) are closest to the Amish culturally. Old Order Mennonites dress plain, though in somewhat different styles than Amish, and also rely on the horse and buggy for transportation.

Old Order Mennonites have an agricultural heritage and maintain small labor-intensive farms as the Amish do. They also speak Pennsylvania Dutch, a key cultural marker. They practice social shunning to a degree, though are generally more lenient than Amish in applying Meidung (the German term for social avoidance). Old Order Mennonites and Amish run joint parochial schools in some parts of Lancaster County.

There are a number of differences between the two groups, especially when it comes to technology. Old Order Mennonites generally allow electricity in the home, as well as telephones. They make greater use of tractors as well. Old Order Mennonites worship in meetinghouses, while all but one group of Amish have retained home worship. Old Order Mennonites have developed home enterprises as the Amish have, but have tended to remain in agricultural occupations more so than the Amish.

Conservative Mennonites share theological similarities with the Amish, though they accept more technology, most notably the automobile. “Black-bumper” Mennonites are classified as a Conservative Mennonite group, so named for the standard dark color of their vehicles. Conservative Mennonites also maintain a degree of plain dress, including prayer coverings for women’s heads.

Beachy Amish

The Beachy Amish are an offshoot group that began in 1927 when a group in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, under the leadership of Bishop Moses Beachy, split from the Old Order church over the issue of social shunning. Beachy Amish are theologically similar to Amish, and retain plain dress and somewhat similar appearance to Old Order Amish, though they accept certain technologies, notably the car and the computer. Some consider the Beachy Amish to be a Mennonite and not Amish group.
“Modern” Mennonites

There are a wide range of churches among the over one million Mennonites worldwide. Many are quite modern in what technology they use. Many Mennonites are no different in appearance than any other person in terms of dress and lifestyle, acceptance of cars, using the internet and modern technology, and going on to higher education and professional jobs. Modern Mennonites have founded a number of higher educational institutions, such as Goshen College in Indiana, and Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Many Mennonites exhibit a mission-oriented approach which takes them to distant corners of the world in relief and evangelical efforts, while the Amish tend to focus spiritual and charitable efforts closer to home. However, some Amish do cooperate with Mennonites on charitable efforts. Amish may contribute financially or by donating labor to higher-church Mennonite organizations, such as Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) and Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS).

Though as Anabaptist groups they reside under the same religious umbrella and may share some beliefs, modern Mennonites and Old Order Amish can seem very different. At the same time, many Amish and Mennonites (particularly Old Order and Conservative Mennonites) share an affinity for one another. One sees this through their common language and similar style of plain dress, cooperation in areas such as schooling and disaster relief, as well as shared religious beliefs.

Now that you know how Amish and Mennonites compare, what about Old Order Amish and New Order Amish? Or, learn about the extreme customs of the most conservative of all Amish, the Swartzentruber communities.

The Swartzentruber Amish are among the most conservative of Amish groups

swartzentruber amish houseSwartzentruber Amish are a subgroup within Old Order Amish society. Swartzentruber Amish use more limited technology, dress more plainly, and typically have a lower standard of living than more progressive Amish.

Swartzentruber Amish occupy a distinct place on the conservative end of the Amish spectrum. They may see themselves as holding to tradition more steadfastly than other Amish. The Swartzentruber faction originated out of conflict over the issue of social shunning.
Swartzentruber Amish differ from “mainstream” Old Order Amish in various ways:

technology allowed-Swartzentruber Amish are much more restrictive in technologies used
style of dress–Swartzentruber clothing tends to be heavier and plainer, especially in the case of women
use of motor vehicles-riding in cars is prohibited, except in emergencies
length of church service-Swartzentruber services tend to be longer, even up to four hours
social distance from non-Amish-Swartzentruber Amish are less likely to have close relationships with non-Amish people
education-Swartzentruber schooling is more basic than the typical level of Amish education




Origins

The Swartzentruber division happened over the years 1913-1917 in the Holmes County community in Ohio. Similar to the original Amish split from the Mennonites in 1693, the issue that precipitated the conflict concerned shunning. A conservative faction felt that Amish who were excommunicated and subsequently joined another church, not in fellowship with the original one, should continue to be shunned.

A majority of Amish in the community felt that a more lenient approach should be taken, with the Bann removed by the original church if the individual were accepted by a new church. Despite some concessions on issues of dress made to the conservative side in hopes of alleviating conflict, the groups split in 1917, with the conservative faction under the leadership of bishop Sam Yoder. The division meant that families and neighbors were split from one another, and in some cases could not longer interact formally in church services or marry one another.

A number of other conflicts resulted in later years, with the Sam Yoder group maintaining a conservative Ordnung. After Yoder’s death, the two conservative districts were both led by bishops with the last name Swartzentruber, leading to the entire group taking the Swartzentruber name (see An Amish Paradox, Charles Hurst and David McConnell, and New York Amish, Karen Johnson-Weiner, for more on Swartzentruber origins). Today the Swartzentruber Amish are found in locations well beyond Ohio (see below).
Restrictions on technology

Swartzentruber Amish emphasize tradition and resist change more than the majority of Amish groups. As a result, they are among the most restrictive when it comes to use of technology. Swartzentruber Amish do not permit automobile travel except in emergencies.
swartzentruber amish buggies

Swartzentruber Amish buggies lack both a windshield and the SMV safety triangle

Swartzentrubers do not have in-home plumbing or hot water. Outhouses are used, and bathing occurs less regularly. Swartzentruber homes typically have a rough appearance, with peeling paint, dirt driveways, and lacking flowerbeds and manicured lawns common to higher-order Amish.

Perhaps the easiest way to tell a Swartzentruber church member is by their carriages. Swartzentruber buggies do not carry the SMV triangle, reflecting Swartzentruber beliefs against wordly symbols and emphasis on reliance on God. Swartzentruber buggies also use limited reflective tape and lamp lighting, in contrast to the often very highly illuminated Old Order Amish buggies. Some higher-order Amish criticize the Swartzentrubers for their resistance to adopting safety symbols. Swartzentruber buggies also lack windshields, mirrors, or electric lighting.

Swartzentruber restrictions on technology also affect the ways they can make a living and the level of income they can earn. Swartzentruber businesses are limited to the technology they can use. Builders are forbidden from using cars, which limits their range.
swartzentruber amish school

A Swartzentruber Amish schoolyard doubles as a pasture for sheep

Swartzentruber shops do not use pneumatic or hydraulic power, and are limited to line shafts powered by a diesel engine. Businesses are generally less marketing-oriented and less likely to advertise. While advertisting for other Amish may consist of high quality color catalogs and newspaper ads, for the Swartzentrubers advertising is tyipcally simple hand-stenciled signs at the end of a lane or a hand-written business card.

Swartzentruber farmers typically do not use cooling tanks, and provide milk in metal containers. This restricts their milk to grade “B” quality, making it suitable for cheese-making but not as drinking milk, and subsequently fetching a lower price.
Where do Swartzentruber Amish live?

The Swartzentruber Amish live in over a dozen states today, as well as Ontario. The highest population is found in the Holmes/Wayne county community in Ohio. Other significant Swartzentruber populations are found at Lodi/Homerville in Ashland and Medina Counties in Ohio, as well as at Ethridge, Tennessee (both communities founded over 40 years ago, and numbering over 10 or more church districts). Swartzentruber settlements can also be found in states such as New York, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Maine.

Swartzentruber Amish life and customs

Swartzentruber Amish lead a plainer and more restricted lifestyle than other Amish. Swartzentruber Amish may be less likely to make use of medical services. As Hurst and McConnell explain in An Amish Paradox, member of this group may rely more on traditional remedies. Due to generally lower income and larger families, they may rely on cheaper food products and have a less healthy diet compared to other Amish.

Swartzentruber people generally do not hire cars except in emergencies. When traveling to visit other communities, this means they would travel by train or bus, rather than hiring a passenger van like other Amish would.

Swartzentruber Amish also tend to be among the “slowest” of Amish in numerous ways, not just in use of technology. Swartzentruber church services include slower singing and are typically longer, lasting up to four hours.

During the after-church meal, Swartzentruber Amish eat bean soup from a common bowl. Members of this group are less likely to find sports or other worldly amusements acceptable. Karen Johnson-Weiner also notes that Swartzentruber Amish are more restrictive about reading materials allowed in the home than are other Amish, and follow a more basic school curriculum as well. (New York Amish, Johnson-Weiner).

Despite, or perhaps because of their stricter lifestyle, Swartzentruber youth have a reputation for wildness. Swartzentruber youth have been involved in accidents. Higher-order Amish in particular who live among Swartzentruber Amish sometimes criticize their youth parties and wild behavior.

Swartzentruber Amish and other Amish groups

Swartzentruber Amish are also seen as different by other higher order Amish groups, and vice-versa. In the Holmes County community, for example, David Luthy notes that Old Order Amish make fun of the long hair and beards of the plain faction, calling them gnudle Woola, referring to the kinks in sheep’s wool (New York Amish, Johnson-Weiner). In An Amish Paradox, Hurst and McConnell make the surprising observation that “many Old Order Amish comment that the social distance between Old Order Amish and non-Amish is far less than that between Old Order and Swartzentruber Amish.” Other Amish may look down on Swartzentrubers for what they perceive as stubbornness in matters of technology or road safety, while some respect them for their tradition-anchored stances.
swartzentruber amish business

Swartzentruber Amish rely on word-of-mouth or simple signs to advertise their businesses

Swartzentruber Amish, on the other hand, may see Old Order Amish as somehow “less Amish”. Karen Johnson-Weiner notes the comments of one Swartzentruber woman who said that “I think we’re more in the Amish side [in comparison to the more progressive Amish groups]. They [those other Amish] are strange or different.” A second Swartzentruber woman classed her friends among Old Order Amish as sotleit, a word meaning “others”. She commented that “they’re still Amish because they don’t drive cars. Those that drive cars are Mennonites” (New York Amish, Johnson-Weiner). One Swartzentruber person said that the more progressive Amish are “not a group that we’d want to live up to” (emulate) (An Amish Paradox, Hurst/McConnell).

At the same time, some Amish will work with Swartzentruber people in various ways. This may come in the form of providing them employment or in acting as a go-between on certain issues such as safety matters, in which Swartzentruber Amish may be more wary of dealing directly with non-Amish.

Divisions within the Swartzentruber Amish

Amish society has been rent by church divisions over time. The Swartzentruber Amish are not a unified group either. A few divisions have occurred since the original break from the Old Order Amish. One internal Swartzentruber division occurred in 1993 in an incident sparked by youth provoking a minister by playing loud music and which resulted in excommunication, national mediation, and eventual division. Later disagreements over parochial school and drip irrigation resulted in a further division around the turn of the 21st century. The result is that there are now three distinct non-fellowshipping Swartzentruber groups in Holmes County.

Swartzentruber Amish represent conservative Old Order life

The Swartzentruber Amish, along with a few other highly conservative groups such as the Nebraska Amish, probably most closely fit the stereotype of the Amish as “stuck in time”, though the label is misleading even for Swartzentrubers. The amount of change the Swartzentruber Amish have accepted in the form of new technology, however, is minimal.
swartzentruber amish farmer

Swartzentruber Amish have stayed in agriculture to a greater degree than most other Amish groups

While Swartzentruber Amish may be criticized by more progressive Amish groups, they themselves would most likely say that they are holding to the true Amish ways, while regarding the openness to technology and adoption of “faster” ways of other Amish as suspect. Regardless of how they interact with other factions of Amish, the Swartzentruber Amish are an example of the diversity in Amish society, occupying a firm position on the conservative end of the Amish world.

The really strict Amish, leave their horse tied to a telephone pole on hot asphalt half the day while they sit on their asses in the shade under a fireworks tent with a fan blowing on themselves


Got to respect that. They really have their shît together