History UsefulNotes / Amish

* InitiationCeremony: The famous ''Rumspringa'' in which Amish teenagers spend some time exploring the world before deciding whether or not to commit and swear to the ''Ordnung'', as traditional Amish Laws are called.

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotHeinous: In 2011 a squabble between a rogue Amish order and more mainstream Amish led to members of the rogue order breaking into Amish homes...in order to cut their hair, which is a serious offense in Amish culture

The Amish are a unique people, almost as well described as a monastic order then a denomination. They are often featured in fiction because their seemingly idyllic lifestyle attracts WishFulfillment.

The Amish are a Christian denomination, originally a subsect of the Mennonites who were in turn a subsect of the Anabaptists (called so because they baptized at maturity rather then birth, in the manner of Roman Catholics). The name "Amish" refers to Jakab Ammann their founder. The original Amish were ethnic Germans and to this day they speak a variety of West Central German as their first language, though most know English as well as that is needed for talking to "Fancy Englishchers" (other Americans, also occasionally referred to as "Yankees" - a slightly more disparaging term). They call themselves "Plain Folk" because of the [[TheSpartanWay studied plainness]] of their lifestyle.

* {{Nakama}}

The Amish fled from Germany during the [[ThirtyYearsWar Wars of Religion]] when Europe was not really a good place for a small and pacifistic sect to live. They settled in America at the invite of William Penn, and Pennsylvania is sort of their headquarters, although there are also large populations in Ohio and Indiana, and in fact Ohio has the highest population of Old Order Amish. By now there are almost no Amish in Europe.

* MoralityPet: Honestly, sometimes they seem to be ''America's'' MoralityPet.

* BeautyEqualsGoodness: At least the faces of Amish chicks on the covers of romance novels seem to indicate it.

** And yet of course [[{{Jerkass}} some people]] publically took the attitude that "this probably wouldn't have happened if the Amish weren't such freaks".

*** They weren't always a MoralityPet. They have had problems because of conscientious objection, and if there was war or simple chaos in the area it was always hard on them (which is why they were never notable as frontier settlers). But they got along better then in Europe and they have become popular of late.

The Amish are a Christian denomination, originally a subsect of the Mennonites who were in turn a subsect of the Anabaptists (called so because they baptized at maturity rather then birth, in the manner of Roman Catholics). The name "Amish" refers to Jakab Ammann their founder. The original Amish were ethnic Germans and to this day they speak a variety of West Central German as their first language, though most know English as well as that is needed for talking to "Fancy Englishchers" (other Americans, also occasionally referred to as "Yankees" - a slightly more disparging term). They call themselves "Plain Folk" because of the [[TheSpartanWay studied plainness]] of their lifestyle.

Tropes connected to them include:

**** This is so very true. Today, the Amish have about three times the chance of facing a home invasion style burglary, mostly due to the fact that they keep their money around the house, probably don't have a phone or gun, and as believers in nonviolence won't normally fight back.
**** [[HumansAreBastards ick...]]

**** This is so very true.Today, the Amish have about three times the chance of facing a home invasion style burglary, mostly due to the fact that they keep their money around the house, probably don't have a phone or gun, and as believers in nonviolence won't normally fight back.

**** This is so very true. Even growing up in pennsylvania, I heard my share of horror stories about (usually) [[TeensAreMonsters teenaged]] kids who did things like kill Amish-owned horses by running them to death, throw rocks into their buggies (killing an infant at least once), and rape Amish women [[ForTheEvulz for some laughs]]. Even today, the Amish have about three times the chance of facing a home invasion style burglary, mostly due to the fact that they keep their money around the house, probably don't have a phone or gun, and as believers in nonviolence won't normally fight back.

** It should be said, however, that it usually takes quite a bit of effort to become "Shunned". And truthfully, if someone makes it repeatedly obvious that they don't care to live by the not-exactly-secret rules of their culture, then getting ignored seems like an appropriate punishment.
*** While I understand what you mean here, it should be noted that your phraseology contains some UnfortunateImplications. If someone has made it clear that they don't want to live by the community's rules, shunning may seem an appropriate ''response.'' However, I would rarely consider it appropriate to seek to ''punish'' someone for living in a fashion that they find suitable and doesn't hurt anyone just because that lifestyle is incompatible with the values of the community into which they were born.
*** "Not hurting people" has some limits here; it is not really possible to be an individual Amish or it is extremely difficult and if enough people ''don't'' follow the Amish culture, no one ''can''. In such a tightly woven society breaking the rules is like breaking traffic laws. It hurts everyone. Community is after all another word for "other people" and a quarrel with "the community" is a quarrel with other people. One cannot apply city-bred individualism absolutely. In any case it is odd that one person should be held to have the individual right to break rules and other people should be held to not have the individual right to refrain from communication. If one can consider the later "hurting someone" why not the former?
*** From what this troper has heard shunning is not inflicted on anyone who has not of their own free will already sworn to live by the Ordnung. In other words the difference between being an Amish who "defied the rules" and one considered worthy of shunning is like the difference between fornication and adultery; in the second case one has promised and must live with it.

* FateWorseThanDeath: The ultimate punishment among Amish is "Shunning" (silent treatment) by the whole village. For someone brought up in such a community based culture, being cast out and ignored by said community can turn into this trope. The MoralDissonance as well as ValuesDissonance involved in the shunning process often gets a lot of attention in fiction and public consciousness, to the point that shunning tends to be the next thing an outsider knows about the Amish after "they don't use electricity."

*** They weren't always a MoralityPet. They have had problems because of conscientious objection, and if their was war or simple chaos in the area it was always hard on them (which is why they were never notable as frontier settlers). But they got along better then in Europe and they have become popular of late.

The Amish are a Christian denomination, originally a subsect of the Mennonites who were in turn a subsect of the Anabaptists(called so because they baptized at maturity rather then birth, in the manner of Roman Catholics). The name "Amish" refers to Jakab Ammann their founder. The original Amish were ethnic Germans and to this day they speak a variety of West Central German as their first language, though most know English as well as that is needed for talking to "Fancy Englishchers"(other Americans, also occasionally referred to as "Yankees"- a slightly more disparging term). They call themselves "Plain Folk" because of the [[TheSpartanWay studied plainness]] of their lifestyle.

* BigBrotherMentor: Mennonites are this to Amish. They act as emissaries to the outside world. For instance Mennonite lawyers often handle Amish Estates. The relationship is analogous to that between "Sabbath goys"(gentile associates who handle work for Jews on the Sabbath) and Jews.

* FateWorseThanDeath: The ultimate punishment among Amish is "Shunning" (silent treatment) by the whole village. For someone brought up in such a community based culture, being cast out and ignored my said community can turn into this trope. The MoralDissonance as well as ValuesDissonance involved in the shunning process often gets a lot of attention in fiction and public consciousness, to the point that shunning tends to be the next thing an outsider knows about the Amish after "they don't use electricity."

** Some Amish still practice "Bundling"; that is [[TalkingInBed courting in bed]] between fiancees with two sleeping bags and full pajamas(or variations thereof)to preserve from temptation, and parents in the next room. Apparently it is considered enough. Presumably the idea of an Amish youngster thinking about taking advantage of the opportunity is rather like the idea of a Spartan running in battle.

*** They weren't always a MoralityPet. They have had problems because of conscientious objection, and if their was war or simple chaos in the area it was always hard on them(which is why they were never notable as frontier settlers). But they got along better then in Europe and they have become popular of late.
**** This is so very true. Even growing up in pennsylvania, I heard my share of horror stories about (usually) [[TeensAreMonsters]] kids who did things like kill Amish-owned horses by running them to death, throw rocks into their buggies (killing an infant at least once), and rape Amish women [[ForTheEvulz for some laughs]]. Even today, the Amish have about 3 times the chance of facing a home invasion style burglary, mostly due to the fact that they keep their money around the house, probably don't have a phone or gun, and as believers in nonviolence won't normally fight back.

----

*** "Not hurting people" has some limits here; it is not really possible to be an individual Amish or it is extremely difficult and if enough people ''don't'' follow the Amish culture, no one ''can''. In such a tightly woven society breaking the rules is like breaking traffic laws. It hurts everyone. Community is after all another word for "other people" and a quarrel with "the community" is a quarrel with other people. One cannot apply city-bred individualism absolutely. In any case it is odd that one person should be held to have the individual right to break rules and other people should be held to not have the individual right to refrain from communication. If one can consider "hurting someone" why not the former?

*** "Not hurting people" has some limits here; it is not really possible to be an individual Amish or it is extremely difficult and if enough people ''don't'' follow the Amish culture, no one ''can''. In such a tightly woven society breaking the rules is like breaking traffic laws. It hurts everyone. Community is after all another word for "other people" and a quarrel with "the community" is a quarrel with other people. One cannot apply city-bred individualism absolutely.

*** "Not hurting people" has some limits here; it is not really possible to be an individual Amish or it is extremely difficult and if enough people ''don't'' follow the Amish culture, no one ''can''. In such a tightly woven society breaking the rules is like breaking traffic laws. It hurts everyone. Community is after all another word for "other people"
*** From what this troper has heard shunning is not inflicted on anyone who has not of their own free will already sworn to live by the Ordnung.

*** "Not hurting people" is a limited argument here. In such a tightly woven society breaking the rules is like breaking traffic laws. It hurts everyone. Community is after all another word for "other people"

** Some Amish still practice "Bundling"; that is courting in bed between fiancees with two sleeping bags and full pajamas(or variations thereof)to preserve from temptation, and parents in the next room. Apparently it is considered enough. Presumably the idea of an Amish youngster thinking about taking advantage of the opportunity is rather like the idea of a Spartan running in battle.

** And yet of course [[{Jerkass} some people]] publically took the attitude that "this probably wouldn't have happened if the Amish weren't such freaks".

** And yet of course [[Jerkass some people]] publically took the attitude that "this probably wouldn't have happened if the Amish weren't such freaks".

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