Could you live in an Amish community?

[hellokittymania]

Could you adapt to that way of life after living life with technology and everything else? What do you think would be the hardest part?

I would not like to have to make all of my food and store it like that. I came across this video of an Amish house, and I was really surprised. I don't know what I pictured an Amish house to look like, but I didn't think it would look so modern.

I think I would miss things like running hot water and electricity. And technology.

[KickAssAngel]

I also live in an area where there are Amish and Mennonite communities. They live in places where land is cheap, and wouldn't be considered that wealthy - there are plenty of bigger farms around. Several people I know have around 5 acres just as their 'garden' for a family home.

They do interact with the modern world to a point. There are Amish furniture stores around, and quilts get sold. They also help out with restoration of old buildings, particularly traditional style barns. They drive their wagon to a neighbor who has a phone, then conduct a phone call via the neighbor, but won't actually talk into the phone themselves.

If you get enough Amish men together, they can put up a barn in a day.

[KickAssAngel]

[PyongyangKipperbang]

They drive their wagon to a neighbor who has a phone, then conduct a phone call via the neighbor, but won't actually talk into the phone themselves.

How very convenient. So they dont use techonolgy but still use technology.

This is why I loathe any form of organised religion (not faith, religion) because there is always a reason why X is not ok....women getting jobs or having minds of their own, but also a reason why Y is ok......when it makes the rules makers life easier.

[Kursk]

I would love to live like that! We kinda do anyway.

[SapphireSeptember]

hellokittymania

Smith, I hadn't thought of that, is it similar to the church of Latter Day Saints in that they marry girls off at 14 or 15?

Er, no. Latter Day Saints don't marry their kids off that young, neither do the Amish. There are some quite frankly disgusting fundamentalist cults who do, and they need sorting out sharpish. Even most of the groups that still practice polygamy stick to the age of consent, and although I don't agree with that personally as long as everyone concerned are consenting adults I'm not going to judge.

A quick Google, the average age of marriage in Amish communities is 21-22.

I don't know what the average age for Mormons to get married is, I was 26, but again, average is probably early 20s, particularly in Utah, based on the people I know from there. The rest of the world I reckon is later, (I'm in the UK.)

To answer the question of this thread, hell no! I like the modern world far too much. No internet, no showers, no rock music, no make up, and I wouldn't be able to dress the way I do, which would make me sad.

[TheKrakenSmith]

It's not so much marriage, and I don't wish to generalise at all, I just happen to know a fair few ex-amish women from across the world and they all have similar stories about abuse. For example, men eat first, then boys, then women, then girls. Sometimes, this means girls don't eat, and often end up very malnourished. Some focus a lot on the sin of eve, and women and girls can be physically beaten for disrespect. It can be very damaging.
And one more time, this is all anecdotal, from friends who have survived this. I don't assume it applies to all amish communities.

[Teabagtits]

Religion and "traditional gender roles" aside I think I'd quite like it, as long as I was allowed to paint. I love times when I have no technology etc. the simplicity of life would be very welcome. The sexism and god crap less so.

[libbyliz83]

I absolutely could live like that. No tech would be bliss and I could read books right? I'm lazy so I'd have to get used to the hard work but I'd get it done eventually. Only problem I'd have is I'd probably get shunned for telling blokes to f**k off if they expected me to do everything going they said.

[BeachyKeen]

Yes, I have lived that way.
I grew up off grid self sufficient back to the land style. My parents built us a cabin and we raised about everything you can think of.
It is a super hard, but satisfying. It takes 24 hour a day commitment, and isn't for the weak of spirit or flesh.

[hellokittymania]

September, I remember reading one of Warren Jeffs wives books about what her life was like as a member of the latter-day Saints and I think she was married at 14.

[friendlessfred]

No, I wouldn't last 5 minutes before being ostracised because of my militant feminist views.

[user1491572121]

Teabag you wouldn't have time to paint. You'd either be looking after babies or pickling vegetables or baking. They make quilts which they then sell to tourists at high prices.

Embroidery is done but it's usually religious in theme.

Girls and women defer to men all the time. It's not romantic.

[sashh]

No.

I think they are utterly selfish as a group, they believe their way of life is ordained by god but don't encourage others to join.

Their children leave school at 14 so if they do want to leave after Rumspringa their options for work are severely limited. It also means that anyone who is truly brilliant born in to an Amish family will never be able to achieve the things they could otherwise, I mean someone with a brain like Einstein.

As for shunning - abhorrent act.

[WellThisIsShit]

How do they access healthcare? And do they accept modern medicine at all?

[TheKrakenSmith]

Well from what I know, that largely depends on the group and their own beliefs. I'm not certain but I think it varies on what group you're in, and also, to a degree I'm sure, your place in the group. For example, they may well let a women go through a virtually intervention-less childbirth as 'God's Way', but if an elder had a heart attack he may well get an ambulance.

[Ecclesiastes]

Like a pp, I would hope I'd be shunned within five minutes.

The thought of willingly submitting to any of their vile patriarchal crap revolts me.

[user1491572121]

WellThisIsSHit the community will pay for medical care for any member that needs it. They have access to and use services for chidren with additional needs and view the birth of a child with a disability as an "extra blessing"...something to celebrate. I assume because they feel God has trusted them to care for a more vulnerable child. Though they don't in the main, use modern innovations, I read that a child with cerebral palsy had a state of the art wheelchair...when something modern is considered necassary, they do use it.

[Temporary2002]

I would have liked to live off the grid when I was younger, but not in a religious order. The hardest thing for me would be not having air filters and conditioning, which I need when we have humidity and poor air quality.

[TestTubeTeen]

I could do the low / no tech and back to basics off grid rural living, no problem.

I couldn't do the society: closed, insular, gender roles, men as head of household, fundamentalist religious observation, shunning people, etc etc.

[CricketRuntAndRashers]

I think (and I may be wrong) I would adapt to the low tech rather quickly. Reminds me of camping when I was little.

However, the stance some communities have on medicine, on divorce even in the case of abuse, all the other issues with organised religion. Oh. And their clothes. So much fabric. And not even trousers for women.

Nope. No way.

[CricketRuntAndRashers]

*All the other issues with organised religion, especially one with close monitoring.

[CricketRuntAndRashers]

My maternal grandfather grew up in a similar community. But in Europe.

No way I'd do that.

[londonrach]

Dh and i lived in a house on a memmonite (similar to amish) farm once and yes yes yes we could. If they didnt have the religion bit i move to bird in the hand or intercourse and live there in a shot.

[CricketRuntAndRashers]

the community will pay for medical care for any member that needs it


But depending on the community that care will not be what one may call "standard" modern medicine...

[RueDeDay]

I so want to watch Vanilla Ice going Amish! Thanks for the link.