In 1998, a strange thing happened in the tiny village of Intercourse, Pennsylvania. Two Amish
men were arrested for drug dealing. A federal indictment alleged both had been sourcing cocaine
from members of the notorious Pagans motorcycle gang and then distributing it to their Amish
brethren. The men, both named Abner, were accused of selling the drugs during Amish hoedowns.
This seems very out of character for the Amish, who are usually portrayed in popular culture as
devout people who prefer a simple, quiet life free of the hassles and distractions of contemporary
society. They do everything possible to avoid contact with people like us—ya know, people on the
internet. These stereotypes have been reinforced in movies like Witness and shows like Vanilla Ice
Goes Amish. And yes, that was an actual, real show that aired on actual, real television.
But on today’s episode of Misconceptions, we’ll be debunking all the myths Harrison
Ford and ‘90s rappers have been telling you about this fascinating—and complex—group. Including the
fact that things like drugs and smartphones can still find their way into this society.
Intercourse, by the way, probably got its name from the early 1800s usage of the word,
which referred to social interactions. Generally
clothed social interactions. Funny town names are for another video.
Intro I’m Justin Dodd, and as I’ve just indicated,
the idea that the Amish are absolutely untouched by the perils of modern civilization isn’t really
accurate. Nor is the belief that they’ve shunned all technological advancements. Like anyone of any
religious affiliation, there are certain nuances to their beliefs. Granted, there’s not much nuance
to blasting lines at a hoedown, but for the most part, the Amish are far more complicated
than you’ve been led to believe. Amish and Mennonite Are Synonyms
What do we mean when we talk about the Amish? For most people, and our purposes, it means Old Order
Amish— there are other groups we’ll address later on. Generally speaking, the Amish in North America
can be traced back to the Anabaptist movement of Europe in the 16th century, which promoted
some beliefs contrary to more widely accepted Christian practices. For example, only Anabaptist
adults were baptized, with the idea being that accepting God had to be a conscious choice.
A few years after the Anabaptist movement came on the scene, Menno Simons joined and became so
important that many Anabaptists started being called Mennonites. Over a century later, down
in Switzerland, Jakob Ammann took things a step further and pushed for a stricter belief system,
with idiosyncratic views on everything from communion to shunning to how to wear
beards. In 1693 his group broke off into a new branch, Amish, derived from Amman’s last name.
To avoid persecution for their beliefs in Europe, in the 18th century many Anabaptists started
migrating to Pennsylvania, including the Amish, who were able to continue to live plainly—at least
until the Industrial Revolution, which introduced challenges to their way of life. Starting in 1862,
Amish communities across the country started to have a yearly gathering to discuss how
to navigate this new world. Conservative elements felt marginalized at these meetings,
so they started breaking off and declaring their preference for the
Old Order, while the more liberal groups eventually merged with the Mennonites.
The invention of the telephone in 1876 sparked renewed debate among
the community. Pretty soon, cars and electricity were something the Amish
had to grapple with. Which brings us to our first persistent stereotype.
It’s believed the Amish are wary of electricity owing to their religious beliefs. And that’s true,
but the reason why is often misunderstood. While individual communities differ heavily on this,
the decision was ultimately made that members should remain off the electric grid—but it
wasn’t because they thought electricity was evil, per se. The idea was that having easy
access to electricity sort of signaled that you were ready and eager—perhaps too eager—for the
latest technological doodad. But if, when you’re considering a refrigerator purchase, for example,
you need to figure out how on Earth you’re going to power it without being able to just plug it
into the wall, you’re likely to be a bit more conscientious about your foray into consumerism.
While the Amish are prohibited from hooking up to a power grid,
they’re generally permitted to use power from 12-volt batteries, diesel generators, propane,
solar panels, or hydraulics. This comes primarily in the form of power tools, which help the Amish
with carpentry duties, though you might also see it in the form of battery-powered headlights and
windshield wipers for their horse-drawn buggies. Which bits of technology the Amish adopt depends
on their specific community. There’s no one Amish group, but a group of smaller sects.
Each one makes a determination on whether something like a battery-powered drill or
gas-powered refrigerator will be beneficial for them. According to Donald Kraybill, an Amish
expert and co-author of the book The Amish: “[The Amish are] more cautious — more
suspicious — wondering is this going to be helpful or is it going to be detrimental? Is it going to
bolster our life together, as a community, or is it going to somehow tear it down?”
Each Amish community is governed by the Ordnung, the German word for “order.” It’s
a kind of policy guideline dependent in some part on the Amish sect. In Pennsylvania alone,
there are hundreds of Amish districts, which means there’s no one single rulebook that applies.
But what about the big two technologies of modern life—computers and smartphones? Some Amish believe
having computer processing power is integral to their business, and so they seek out PC builds
that are as basic as possible. Some companies have even filled this niche market by advertising
computers that have no internet access, graphics, or sound. Even the case can be made out of wood.
This Amish-ization can also extend to other things. A power tool,
for example, may have the motor taken out and replaced with something air-powered.
Nor have the Amish been able to completely avoid smartphones. When telephones became widespread in
the early 20th century, the Amish began installing them—until prohibitions were placed on them,
citing concerns that community members might resort to a phone call instead of
a personal visit. Phones might, the thinking went, encourage gossip. Speculating on who
Bradley Cooper may be dating may not be an existential threat to the Amish way of life,
but it’s probably not going to help, either. Sometimes, communities will rely on a phone
shanty, basically a phone booth, to make communal use of a phone. But some adults also carry phones
for the same reason they have computers—to engage with employees and customers. And
some younger members of the Amish community are sometimes tempted by the ease of social contact.
Now, you may be wondering what kinds of businesses the Amish are in that
require all this processing power. It’s a myth that the Amish are only farmers,
which brings us to our next misconception. Conjure up an image of the Amish and you
might think of plain-living people with meager financial resources. Granted,
you won’t see many displays of ostentatious wealth from the Amish community. No flashy jewelry,
no rims on their buggies. Although that would be delightful. But make no mistake about it.
The Amish are not obligated to remain poor. According to a 2017 New York Times piece on the
evolution of the Amish community, the wide-open spaces of areas like Lancaster can start to
become a little crowded, leaving Amish business owners to think beyond the country. Some open
businesses in town, like bakeries or other food shops, and then commute
back to their more easy going life at home. These businesses and entrepreneurs can often
be very successful. The Times reported that as many as 2000 Amish-owned businesses are
in and around Lancaster, Pennsylvania, some of which are multimillion dollar success stories.
Amish craftspeople can develop reputations for expertly-crafted woodworking or food preparation.
That, in turn, creates a lot of consumer loyalty. It's hard to know exactly why the Amish are so
successful—maybe it’s a lack of distraction or a devotion to quality work—but according
to Donald Kraybill, just 10 percent of Amish start-ups fail. That’s compared to
the 50 percent failure rate of non-Amish small businesses. And don’t forget land ownership,
which can also add to their wealth portfolio. Now, I’m not suggesting the Amish are throwing
piles of cash around like hay bales. Some Amish businesses may only turn a modest profit. And
broadly speaking, they do tend to have higher rates of cash-poor community members. But the
idea that they’re all INdigent isn’t right. Because of their consumption habits and
ability to support one another, relatively few Amish people rely on public assistance—hardly
any receive food stamps, for example. Amish communities often pool money to
assist members in need, as in the case of a medical emergency. That’s about the extent of
their reliance on financial assistance. They frown upon debt. They also save a nice chunk of money by
growing their own food, making their own repairs, and not running out to buy the latest iPhone.
But if the Amish are running successful businesses in towns, how are they getting there? Don’t they
avoid cars? There’s a workaround for that. Now, this one is partially true. Most Amish
communities were practicing social distancing long before it was recommended. Not from each other,
but from the world at large. One way that’s accomplished is by passing up easy transportation.
In Amish-heavy areas, you might even see parking spaces for a horse and buggy at places like
Walmart or Costco. For the Amish, a horse-drawn cab helps them keep life at a slow pace and also
works to symbolize their faith. After all, a horse can only go so far, which means the Amish can’t
stray far from their community ties. But that doesn’t mean they never climb inside a car.
Some Amish take advantage of a kind of loophole in their religious doctrine that permits them
to be a passenger in a motor vehicle. They can pay for what’s known informally as an
Amish taxi, which is a car service that provides transportation for the Amish.
We actually got a comment on our video covering misconceptions about the 50 states from someone
who claimed to have driven Amish people on many occasions. (I’m inclined to take them at their
word, because that would be one of the strangest lies of all time.) They pointed us towards another
misconception: some people say the amish think photographs will steal their souls.
Though it’s true that the Amish are against prideful acts, and might resist photography
for that reason, that supernatural explanation seems to have been an
outside invention. It’s hard to account for every Amish person in every sect,
but numerous experts on the community say they’ve never heard of that soul-stealing belief.
As a general rule, though, you shouldn’t take anyone’s photo without asking for permission.
Don’t be a creep.
Providing the Amish person in question doesn’t own the car or operate it, riding
is generally agreeable to community leaders. And obviously, the driver they hire can’t be Amish.
Where do they go? In addition to work, Amish may want to travel to go shopping,
see family out of town, or run errands. They might also use public transportation,
like a bus. Planes, however, are usually out of the question.
If you manage to spot an Amish person driving a car, you may have encountered an Amish-Mennonite,
a kind of hybrid faith that blends some of the conservative beliefs of the Amish
with some more liberal ideas. Alongside Beachy Amish, who are sometimes treated as the same,
these groups also speak English, not Pennsylvania Dutch, and may also have more latitude when it
comes to contemporary-looking clothing. But again, when most people, even most experts,
say Amish, they mean Old Order. There is one other motor vehicle
exception. Some Amish teenagers are compelled to learn to drive or even purchase a vehicle for
themselves. And while parents may disapprove, not all Amish communities will prohibit it. It’s part
of the Amish tradition of letting younger members get a taste of the outside world,
which you may have heard of—it’s called Rumspringa. And it’s not exactly spring break.
Rumspringa is a period of time in an Amish person’s life—typically in their mid to late
teens—when it’s permissible to experience more of the outside world. To get a taste for modern
society. If you believe the media, Rumspringa is also a time when kids are encouraged to drink,
have premarital sex, and generally live out a John Hughes movie,
all with the full consent of their parents. Not quite. Rumspringa, which usually begins at
the age of 16, does indeed allow young Amish the freedom to step outside the boundaries of their
Amish household and see new places or make new friends. But at no point do parents encourage
their kids to binge-drink or act irresponsibly. While kids can use Rumspringa to get slightly
wild, they’re still held accountable to their parents. And not all communities are
as freewheeling as others. Some may simply allow kids to meet their peers in social
settings. Others might just go swimming in a pool or listen to music. Most Amish teens who venture
into this rite of passage don’t wind up drunk or experimenting with drugs. The most indulgent thing
they do could be walking into a bowling alley. Nor is Rumspringa—which means “running around”
in Pennsylvania German—set up as some kind of ultimatum. It’s not really designed as a
last chance for young Amish to decide they don’t want to officially become a member of the church,
though some kids may make that decision on their own. Rumspringa is, in many ways, a method to
satisfy their curiosity about the outside world so it doesn’t come creeping up later in adulthood,
when their absence would be more damaging to their culture. The rite of passage also plays a role in
finding a spouse. The expectation is that young people will come back, get baptized, get married,
and settle into Amish life. That’s what roughly four out of five Amish teens wind up doing.
And if they do decide to leave the church, they’re not excommunicated or shunned. They can’t be
because they were never a formal member to begin with. That doesn’t happen until they’re baptized.
There’s another reason you can’t really be shunned from an actual Amish church.
Have you ever seen a big, impressive Amish church full of congregants? No?
That’s because there aren’t any. While the Old Order are deeply religious
and subscribe to a strict set of values, they don’t attend a formal church built
for the express purpose of worship. Instead, the Amish typically congregate in their homes
or in nearby buildings like a barn or workshop. That’s because the Amish generally believe faith
is in an interior experience that doesn’t require dedicated buildings. It also means they don’t
have to spend time or money on the upkeep of a building meant strictly for religious services.
Because each congregation is made up of 25 or 30 families, they have to live close enough to get to
each other’s houses for worship. Having smaller groups also helps the Amish form tightly-knit
bonds with others in their community. They don’t necessarily attend every week,
either. Biweekly church services are the norm, with other devotional activities held during
the off weeks. Because of this schedule, no one Amish family needs to worry about
hosting the others at their house too often. The math comes out to about once a year.
So—where does everyone sit? The Amish have a plan for that. Wagons devoted to
transporting benches are utilized so church members can be comfortable for the services,
which can last as long as three hours. Of course, I don’t have any first-hand experience
with anything we’ve talked about, because as someone who mainlines Netflix, talks to Alexa,
and is mildly interested in who Bradley Cooper is dating, I would be prohibited from living in
an Amish paradise. Right? Not necessarily.
There’s no question that Amish communities prefer to keep their distance from outsiders,
not wanting to risk mainstream culture polluting their simple lifestyles. But does that mean they
would refuse a former suburbanite? Nope. The Amish, especially the aforementioned
Amish-Mennonites, do sometimes welcome what’s referred to as a seeker—a person raised in
another religion who wants to pursue the peace and relative solitude of an Amish community. These
seekers approach the Amish with a desire to learn more about their culture and a willingness to
adopt their beliefs, work ethic, manner of dress, and language. They’re looking to leave behind the
conveniences of the modern world. If the Amish community believes that person is sincere,
and that person remains convinced they want to join the Amish after experiencing their life,
then it’s possible they could be welcomed in. This is, admittedly, a rare occurrence. Of the
300,000 or so Amish living in the United States, no more than 200 are estimated to
be converts. Most of the people who wish to be Amish simply adopt some of their customs,
like avoiding technology, but remain in their own communities. For most, it’s too difficult to give
up the modern world. Imagine spending 18 or 25 years of your life enjoying air conditioning,
cars, and pop music, only to have it disappear. You don’t need to be Amish in order to try
and slow down and enjoy life more. Much of what the Amish practice isn’t
about finding anything evil or corrupt with modern society. They just want to focus on
what matters most—family, civility, and happiness. If you think about it, you probably have more in
common with the Amish culture than you think. We hope we’ve cleared up some misconceptions
about the Amish, and to any Amish watching on a smartphone, we apologize for any harm
Vanilla Ice may have caused. He does not speak for us. See you next time.