Secret Lives of the Amish

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butlersrangers
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Secret Lives of the Amish

Post by butlersrangers »

They are always up to stuff!
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FredC
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Re: Secret Lives of the Amish

Post by FredC »

Did the man pulling the boat stop at the stop sign? Inquiring minds want to know.

You suppose biker tourist stopped to see what an Amish church looks like inside?

Moving a barn that way would be faster than doing it with a truck. Any of the building movers I have seen jack up a building then wait months to actually move it. Hiring Amish to move a barn or house will certainly be quicker and maybe cheaper.

Over all your post is pretty funny, I sometimes over think things.

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King carp
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Re: Secret Lives of the Amish

Post by King carp »

What goes clipity klop, clippity klop, bang, bang, bang? ans.
An amish drive by shooting.

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butlersrangers
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Re: Secret Lives of the Amish

Post by butlersrangers »

FredC - The Amish don't have Churches. The services rotate between the homes of members of a Congregation.

They have a special 'bench wagon' to transport needed furniture in advance of a Prayer Meeting.
They don't use music instruments, to accompany their religious hymns & 'chants'.

The building you thought was a Church, is a round barn. It was moved, (see a pattern?), to an education center at Napanee, Indiana.
The 'barn' is now a theater at Amish Acres, a museum complex, that seeks to present some of the story of the Amish.

If it was not for cultural museums, like this one, and Mennonite public relations efforts, little would be understood about the Amish.
The Amish do not do 'outreach'.
The similar appearing Mennonites have Churches, do Missionary work, and seek converts to their faith.
The Mennonites make an effort to explain the history, common origin, and beliefs of the various Anabaptist sects and Churches.
The Baptist, Mennonite, and Amish faiths have common roots.

Northern Indiana has a large Amish population. Besides farming, Amish men are heavily employed in barn restoration, cabinet making, furniture making, and Vacation Trailer manufacture.

FredC
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Re: Secret Lives of the Amish

Post by FredC »

Interesting.

I do not know a single Amish person here. There is a store that advertises on TV Amish oak furniture. The advertisements make it sound like it is made here in Texas, if it is so the source is not close.

So the Amish and Mennonites work together to promote each other?

Is it possible the bikers are tourists visiting the barn/museum? The bikes look like the kind the Southern California Motorcycle association would drive. Not sure if I got the name of the club correct. I let my membership lapse about 45 years ago. Funny story about how someone that never lived in California became a member of that club.

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butlersrangers
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Re: Secret Lives of the Amish

Post by butlersrangers »

Not exactly, as I understand things, the Amish don't "promote" themselves, that would be prideful and offensive to God.

The Amish generally don't seek to mix and engage with the 'English', (the outside World).
They are industrious, quiet in their devotion and seek to live plain and simple lives.
The Amish are born into their religion and beliefs. Outsiders don't become Amish.

Mennonites are probably more inclined to interact discreetly with outsiders. They accept converts and communicate about their religion.

I have only encountered Mennonites and Amish people at businesses and farmers markets at Kitchener, Ontario, and at Shipshewana and Napanee, Indiana.

It is not unusual to see Amish buggies in rural areas throughout the middle of North America. It is not uncommon to see Amish people at Fairs, amusement parks, airports and historic sites. They do travel on buses and airplanes, on occasion.

p.s. The motorcycles were tourists visiting Amish Acres. I saw an irony in their presence in front of Amish buildings.

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Culpeper
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Re: Secret Lives of the Amish

Post by Culpeper »

I have a different take on the Amish

There are English and there are Amish. If you aren't Amish you are English, that goes for black folks too. Don't ever accept the word of any body who claim the Amish are simple poor folk who shun modern things or are poor. When my grandpa's farm was cut up and auctioned off the Amish got 14 of the 15 parcels. How? The various family churches pool their moneys in a private Amish bank and can pretty much pay cash money for a farm or open land in a good location. They have no need to take out a loan in the regular fashion like us English do. Granted it is no different than what the Japs, Koreans, a certain ancient religion from the old testament, and immigrant groups have done and continue to do. But back to the farm. The family tore down the old farm house and barn and they put up an outstanding looking new house. ...with solar panels. Oh no. We chust aren't allowed to use electric appliances but we can as long as we don't have a power line.
They also have cell/smart phones for emergencies and their businesses. But no phone line in the house. For years they would have phone huts up on the township roads.

An Amishman bought one of my great-uncle's farm back in the late '70s. Fast forward twenty years and he goes to the next farm up the road that is still owned by a cousin. The guy wanted to get ten acres from my cousin because he didn't want to cut up his place. He had something like eight kids and, of course, in that area they tend to stay on the farm. When they do stay they just build a second or third house next to Muuty un Poppy and Grand muuty and grandpoppy. It starts to get crowded and somebody has shuffle on down the road. That's why you see Amish in Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia and other places. They take the go forth and multiply thing seriously and breed like rats. When I was a kd if you came from a large family you were either Roman Catholic or Amish. Catholics lost their faith and started taking birth control. The Amish <sigh> fortunately have kept the faith.

I do agree they are discreet. However, if you talk to the right person you start to hear of the rampant drug and alcohol abuse by the young people in that community. And it is not just in a localized hot spots. And then there is the incest. Oh yes. They are very tight lipped about that. The word has gotten out on how much of a problem it was and the State is now aware of the it and is quietly getting it tamped down. Nobody knows how wide spread it was in the various sects but secrecy veil was torn just open enough.

Marrying your first cousin is not just for the stereotypical hillbilly.

They make stuff no better and no worst than and an Englishman can make. All this bunk about "Amish-made X" is so much better than "English-made X" The Amish have good marketing.

I could go on but then it would be considered ranting.
Deacon in the Church of the Mighty Krag. Member of PETA (People Eating Tasty Animals).  Liberty Works Radio

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King carp
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Re: Secret Lives of the Amish

Post by King carp »

Don't stop ranting. My uncles farm outside kalamazoo had amish on two sides for neighbors. They were always ready to sharp you if you let them. They would put fencing on his land and file papers in town to lay claim to it. He would fire up the john deere tractor and pull the fence out. We would have a bon fire with the fence boards. It was like a game. When you ran into them in town or at farm auctions they were self righetous asshats. Looks like i'm ranting, better sign off.

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butlersrangers
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Re: Secret Lives of the Amish

Post by butlersrangers »

Amish Collusion and insider trading! Some Western Canadian farmers have similar grievances with the (communal farming) Hutterites.

Thank goodness for Industrial Farming! When we realize the implications of "Chinese Holdings" in the U.S.A., the Amish will smell pretty good.

I am sorry, that I started this thread.
It was meant to be humorous ... showing some pictures containing incongruities ... I thought it was worth a chuckle, not intended to stir resentments.

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Dick Hosmer
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Re: Secret Lives of the Amish

Post by Dick Hosmer »

Yes, I was a bit surprised by the thread - goes against your pretty squeaky-clean image. Out here in CA we don't see much of them. They ARE clannish, but good solid farmers, respected in the community. As to China, I doubt that few here vote Democratic, but THAT is where the REAL problem lies . . . We should just nationalize all their holdings and tell them to f**k off, but, that would affect the income of a certain crime family . . .

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