Amish, or life outside of time
'01.06.2017'
Is it possible in the 21 century to preserve the life of the century like 18, even if you live in one of the most developed countries in the world? Of course! But only on the condition that you were born and raised in one of the Amish communities.
I first heard of the Amish a few weeks before my trip to Pennsylvania. When I told my American acquaintances that I was going to Lancaster, they all smiled and said: “Ahh, this is to the Amish!”. Amish live, of course, not only in Pennsylvania, but it is our town, or rather Lancaster County, that is considered the center of Amish life, although there is not even their largest community there. However, there are really many of them, and it is simply impossible not to notice them: strict clothes in the style of Victorian novels, a horse and a cart instead of a car, the absence of a mobile phone in hands and no electric wires near the house. Few strangers manage to look into the house itself. The Amish strictly guard their isolation, as a result of which real legends go about them, and Hollywood shoots series like Amish Mafiawhich, in essence, do not tell anything about the lives of these wonderful people, only spoil the attitude of many Americans towards them and so is not the best.
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The Amish are not an ethnic group but a religious movement. Probably the most conservative in Christianity. It originated at the end of the 17th century in Europe, but most Amish were forced to emigrate due to the persecution of the Catholic Church, primarily due to the fact that they refused to baptize their children. Faith is the center of their lives. Children are undoubtedly raised in faith, but to be baptized or not is their personal choice, which they make at a conscious age.
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Modern Amish technologies are perceived as temptations that lead them away from the community and from God, therefore there is no electricity or telephone in their houses (but they have all the means for working or business, so they have electricity there), they drive mostly on carts and scooters, who can't take them far from home. In addition, they are not photographed, because they perceive photos as a variant of idolatry, which is strictly prohibited by the Bible.
In the photos and on most of the cards, they are also from the back, because they always turn away when they see a camera. However, there are exceptions. Some Amish gladly talk about their culture, on the Internet you can find documentaries about the Amish, including in Russian. Amish should not be confused with the Mennonites, which look almost the same, but are not averse to enjoying the benefits of civilization. ⠀
My experience with the Amish was always very positive. When we lived in Pennsylvania, we went to one of their farms every weekend for fresh dairy products, vegetables, and meat. Each of our visits usually lasted a long time, so much my husband loved to communicate with the owner of the farm, asking him about the Amish life, whom he sincerely admired. He even asked to work on their farm, but, fortunately, he was not allowed. And then, God forbid, he would have liked, and he would have gone to the Amish.
Amish among themselves speak the language, which is called here Pennsylvania Dutch (Dutch), although in fact it is very outdated German (Dutch Americans got it because of the wrong pronunciation German). In addition, they learn English, and all non-Amish, regardless of skin color and nationality, are called British (Englishmen).
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