Misconceptions About The Amish

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 various members of the notorious Pagan's 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

You know, people on the internet. These stereotypes have been reinforced in movies like Witness and

shows like Vanilla Ice Goes Amish. And yeah, 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. Oh, and intercourse, by the way, probably got its name from the early 1800s usage of

the word, which referred to social interactions. Just generally clothed social interactions

Funny town names are for another video. Hi, I'm Justin Dodd, and as I've just indicated, the idea that the Amish are absolutely untouched

by the perils of modern civilization is not really accurate. Nor is the belief that they've shunned all technological advancements

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 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 Amann 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 Amann's last name. To avoid persecution for their beliefs in Europe

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. The Amish Shun All Technology

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 going to power it without being able to just plug it into the wall you 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 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 Craybill, 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

parental? 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

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 Amishization 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. The Amish are all poor. Conjure up an image of the Amish

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 pretty delightful. But make no mistake about it, the Amish are not

obligated to remain poor. Some open businesses in town, like bakeries or other food shops

and then commute back to their more easygoing life at home. These businesses and entrepreneurs

can often be pretty successful. The Times reported that as many as 2,000 Amish-owned businesses

are in and around Lancaster, Pennsylvania, some of which are multi-million 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 why exactly the Amish are so

successful. Maybe it's a lack of distraction or devotion to quality work, but according to Donald

Craybill, just 10% of Amish startups fail. That's compared to the 50% failure rate of non-Amish

small businesses. And don't forget land ownership either, 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

town, how are they getting there? Don't they avoid cars? Well, there's a workaround for that

The Amish don't drive. 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 should not be taking 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 shotgun 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 just run errands. They

might also use public transportation, like a bus. Planes, however, are usually out of the question

If you do 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 Amish. 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 communities will prohibit it. It's part of the Amish tradition of

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 Amish Gone Wild

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. Yeah, 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 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. But there is another reason you can't

really be shunned from an actual Amish church. The Amish have churches. 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 a workshop. That's because the Amish generally

believe faith is 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 and 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. And they don't necessarily attend

every week either. Bi-weekly church services are the norm, with other devotional activities held

during the off-weeks. Because of the schedule, no one Amish family needs to worry about hosting

the others at their house that often. The math comes out to about once a year. Where does everybody

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? Outsiders can't join the

Amish church. 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? 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 U.S., 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 just 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 all disappear. You don't need to be Amish in order to try and slow down and

enjoy your 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