Plain Answers About the Amish Life (6 page)

SHUNNING

What is shunning and when does it happen?

Shunning is a form of Amish church discipline reserved for church members who have committed serious infractions but refuse to confess and repent. As explained in the previous chapter, the disciplinary process in the Amish church starts with a reprimand from a church elder, followed by a temporary probation, followed by excommunication. In most districts, only after all of those steps have been taken—and if there is still no repentance—will the church then move on to the disciplinary step of shunning.

If someone is raised Amish but decides not to join the church, will they be shunned?

No. Those who have never been baptized into the church are not subject to excommunication or shunning. (See chapters 24 and 25, “
Rumspringa
” and “Baptism,” for more information.)

Is shunning permanent?

It doesn't have to be. When a person is shunned, the door is always open to return to the fold as long as that person is willing to confess and repent. When one who has been shunned confesses to the church body with a contrite heart, all is forgiven, and the relationship is mended.

As one Amish man said, “Shunning is usually done with great reluctance and only when there is nothing else left to do. Upon repentance the relationship is restored, and what is in the past stays in the past.”

What is shunning like?

Shunning is painful both for the one who is shunned and the ones who are doing the shunning, particularly the closest family members. In its strictest form, called
Streng Meidung
, members in good standing cannot dine at the same table with those who are shunned, nor can they accept rides or gifts from them or conduct business transactions. When one member of a married couple is shunned, the spouse in good standing may not sleep in the same bed or have marital relations. Conversation is sometimes allowed, but a definite line is drawn between the one who is under the ban and the rest of the community.

What purpose does shunning serve?

The primary goal of shunning is to bring about repentance. If that doesn't happen, then at least the secondary goal is accomplished: to keep the membership free from those who are not willing to follow the rules.

Isn't that a bit harsh?

The practice of shunning is one of the most well-known facets of Amish life. Unfortunately, it's also one of the most misunderstood. Though it's difficult for the non-Amish to comprehend, shunning is actually considered to be an act of love, one that is biblically based and done out of concern for the sinner.

It's important to remember that baptism and its accompanying commitment to honor the
Ordnung
and submit to the authority of the church are made voluntarily, not under duress, and as an adult, not as a child. As such, the candidate accepts from day one that any future infractions of the
Ordnung
will incur discipline.

Those who have been shunned and eventually repent and return to the fold are often grateful for the experience, saying it was difficult but in the end brought them closer to Christ and to the church. On the other hand, those who have been shunned but eventually leave the church often describe the experience as unspeakably cruel, an experience that will haunt them the rest of their lives.

What is the biblical basis for shunning?

In 1 Corinthians 5:11, the apostle Paul urged his brothers and sisters in Christ not to associate with “anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.” In Romans 16:17, he says to “watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.”

11

HISTORY

When and where were the Amish formed?

First came the Anabaptist movement, which started in Switzerland in 1525 during the Protestant Reformation. One hero of the Anabaptist faith was Menno Simons, a Franciscan priest who left Catholicism to become an Anabaptist in 1536. Simons was a wise and influential leader, and his followers became known as the Mennonites. The Amish were a part of this group until 1693, when a leader in the Mennonite church named Jakob Ammann proposed a number of changes to the faith. Ammann's beliefs and practices eventually caused a split among the Mennonites, and those who followed Ammann became known as the Amish.

What were the changes to the Mennonite faith Jakob Ammann proposed?

Unlike the Mennonites, Ammann believed that communion should be held twice a year and should include foot washing, congregational regulations should be enforced to ensure doctrinal purity and spiritual discipline, and members who were excommunicated should be shunned.

What was the Anabaptist movement all about?

The roots of the Anabaptist movement lie with a small group of Christians who began to question certain practices of the Swiss church, in particular the deep intertwining of church and state, the church's financial dealings with the Swiss government, and infant baptism. The Anabaptists insisted that religious preference should be voluntary and free from government oversight.

Believing that the Bible stresses informed, adult baptism, these people eventually stopped baptizing their infants. Things came to a head in 1525, when this group was ordered by the city council of Zurich to do so. In response, the men of the group baptized one another instead. Because they had all been baptized previously as infants, they became known as “re-baptizers” or “Ana-baptists.”

How did the church and state respond to these Anabaptists?

They were not pleased, to say the least. Attempts were made to squelch the movement, but despite numerous arrests and other government interference, the Anabaptists persisted.

Their movement gained strength, spreading so rapidly that within a year the Zurich city council passed an edict that made adult baptism a crime punishable by death. On January 5, 1527, an Anabaptist evangelist named Felix Manz was executed, making him one of the first Swiss Anabaptists to be martyred.

Were many early Anabaptists persecuted for their beliefs?

Yes. Between 1550 and 1625, more than 2500 Anabaptists were killed for their beliefs, often in horrific, tortuous ways. In response, they were forced to go underground and into rural areas to hide, with their meetings held in homes, barns, boats, and other private places. Some Mennonites immigrated to the Alsatian region of France to avoid persecution and compulsory military service.

Is this theme of persecution significant to the Amish?

Yes. The Amish focus heavily on their history and heritage, including past persecutions. The subject is often fodder for sermons, written works, and even casual conversation. Popular in many Amish homes is the
Martyrs Mirror
, a book with more than 1100 pages of text and artwork that depict the persecution suffered by many martyrs of the Christian faith.

When did the Amish first come to America?

The first American Amish settlements were begun in Berks County, Pennsylvania, in 1737 when a ship called the
Charming Nancy
sailed to America with 21 Amish families on board. More Amish followed
in the years to come, and in the mid- to late-1700s, the early colonies of the present-day Lancaster County settlement were established. A second wave of Amish immigration began in 1815, when about 3000 adults surged into North America.

Did they settle in Pennsylvania as well?

Many of these second wave immigrants first came to Pennsylvania, but most of them moved on to other states, particularly Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and New York, as well as Ontario. By the mid-1800s, Amish settlements were dotted across the country.

Did the Amish church stay unified?

No. Sadly, internal disagreements and divisions would plague the Amish church for many years despite earnest attempts to resolve differences. Amish leaders struggled to find compromises and solutions in disputes about various Amish regulations. Groups that found themselves at impasses over nonnegotiable points sometimes split and formed new affiliations. The Old Order Amish were formed this way in 1865, followed by a number of other groups, such as the Beachy Amish in 1927 and the Andy Weaver Amish in 1952.

How were the Amish received by Americans?

In the early years, the Amish lifestyle and practices were not that different than those of other Americans, so they tended to blend in. But as the country changed and began adopting more industrialized/modern practices, the Amish began to stand out more and more. From the 1920s to the early 1970s, the Amish were viewed with suspicion and even hostility—especially during wartime, due to their pacifist stance.

In the mid-1970s, however, a new attitude about the Amish began to emerge as suspicion and contempt gave way to compassion and curiosity. Time passed, and ill feelings engendered during the World Wars faded into the background. As “diversity” and “tolerance” became American buzzwords, the Amish gained a new level of acceptance.

Did these problems with the non-Amish finally came to an end?

The days of blatant Amish persecution and ostracism may be gone, but now the Amish face a whole new set of problems as the pendulum
has swung to the opposite extreme. With such a wide acceptance of and curiosity about the Amish, an entire branch of the tourism industry has developed, bringing with it overcrowding, intrusiveness, rising land costs, and outright exploitation. See chapter 29, “Tourism and the Media,” for more information.

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EXPANSION

How many baptized Amish adults are there?

Statistics differ, but most estimates come in between 120,000 and 125,000. (Add to that number unbaptized children and teens of Amish parents, and the total comes to almost 300,000 Amish currently living in the United States and Canada.)

Are the numbers of Amish increasing, declining, or staying the same?

Increasing. In fact, according to current statistics, the Amish population doubles about every 18 to 20 years.
¹

Why are their numbers increasing? Will this trend continue?

Future projections for Amish population growth vary widely, but most experts say this increase shows no signs of slowing anytime soon. Growth is propelled by two factors: the high birth rate and the high retention rate. About 85 percent of those raised in Amish homes decide to join the Amish church once they are grown.

How many children are in the average Amish family?

Statistics differ, so an exact figure is hard to come by. Experts quote averages as low as five and as high as nine, but the general consensus seems to fall at around seven.

Where do the Amish live?

Amish communities are in 30 U.S. states and one Canadian province. As of July 2012, the five most Amish-populated states, in order, were:

1. Ohio

2. Pennsylvania

3. Indiana

4. Wisconsin

5. New York
²

What happens if an Amish person wants to move away? Are they allowed to leave?

Yes. Migrating Amish may move away to join an established settlement elsewhere or start a new settlement from scratch.

Why do some Amish choose to move away and start new settlements elsewhere?

The number one reason the Amish might leave an established community and head to a new area is to find available and affordable farmland. This is especially the case in Lancaster County, where family farms have been divided and subdivided over the years and most have reached their limits and can be divided no further. Even when new land is available there, prices have climbed so high that young farmers cannot afford to purchase large tracts.

Other reasons Amish families will migrate out of an established settlement include:

•
to get away from excessive tourism

•
to avoid conflicts over zoning laws and other municipal issues

•
to escape areas with particularly weak economies and poor job markets

•
to sever relations with a particular church district and start anew elsewhere

How do the Amish decide where to establish new settlements?

When choosing a location for a new settlement, the Amish consider criteria such as:

•
reasonable land prices

•
fertile soil and good farming climate

•
occupational opportunities

•
proximity to relatives or other Amish communities

•
proximity to similar districts within an affiliation

•
non-Amish neighbors' acceptance of the Amish and their ways

Do any Amish live in Europe?

No. In various European countries, settlements of what is known as the “Beachy Amish” exist, but the Beachy Amish are actually closer in practice to Mennonites than what we think of as Amish. The Beachy Amish wear Plain clothing and put some limits on formal education, but unlike the Old Order Amish, the Beachy Amish worship in church buildings, conduct a full range of theological education classes, and are involved in missions. They also allow a wider use of technology, including cars, electricity, and the Internet.