WHO ARE THE AMISH HISTORICALLY?
The Amish are the most conservative group in the Anabaptist family. Other groups in this family are the
Mennonites and the Hutterites. The
Anabaptists emerged from the Reformation in Switzerland as early as 1525. The Anabaptists felt that Zwingli, Luther,
and other reformers compromised in their stand, and did not go all the way in
bringing the church back to a scriptural foundation. The Anabaptists differed especially with the
popular reformers in that they rejected infant baptism, and insisted that the
church was to be a voluntary brotherhood of adult believers. They were the first to teach separation of
church and state, an idea otherwise unheard of in those days. For three centuries after their origin, the
Anabaptists were persecuted relentlessly by both Protestant and Catholic
authorities.
The word Amish comes from Jacob Ammann, the name of an influential
leader of the late 1600’s and early 1700’s.
WHO ARE THE AMISH TODAY?
Driven by persecution from their homes in Switzerland, Germany, and
Alsace – Loraine, hundreds of Amish emigrated to North America during a period
of 150 years, beginning soon after 1720.
Today there are Amish congregations in at least twenty-four states and
Canada. Also a few have moved to Central
and South America. There are really no
accurate figures but the Amish number about 70,000 baptized members (baptism occurring
about 15 – 18 years old) in about 1100 church districts. The three largest settlements of Amish,
(listed in order of size) are in North Central Ohio, Eastern Pennsylvania, and
Northern Indiana.
WHO ARE THEY RELIGIOUSLY?
Brotherhood
The Amish believe in
a close- knit brotherhood of believers where there is love and mutual concern
for all members. They do not have a
literal community of goods, but help each other voluntarily as the need
arises. They feel the church is
responsible to care for its own poor, aged, and infirm, (Tim. 5:4, 8) and
accordingly do not approve of government subsidies, welfare, food stamps,
unemployment compensation, etc. (I
Thess. 4:11, 12)
Nonresistance
The Amish believe
that the Christian should not take part in any violence, either in war or in
self – defense. Taking the words of
Jesus seriously, “Whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him
the other also,” They have traditionally
chosen to suffer loss or injury rather
than to protect themselves by physical force.
(Matthew 5:38 – 42; John 18:36; Romans 12:19 – 21)
Nonconformity
The Amish feel
strongly that the Scriptures teach a distinct separation between the church and
the world. They believe it is impossible
for a church to maintain it’s beliefs and values if its members associate
freely with people who hold different values, or none at all. In view of this, they have not always
unquestioningly accepted all the cultural changes that have been introduced as
progress. Therefore they are still
driving horses and buggies, not because they think the automobile is wicked in
itself, but because they believe the
trend of life the automobile brings with it is breaking down the family unit
and the basic structure of the
community. They dress as they do because
they do not care to be changing all the time to styles designed to achieve more
glamour and less modesty.
Authority of Scriptures
The
Amish hold the Bible as the final guide in a changing world. It’s teachings are accepted in simple
faith. Many practices that seem quaint
or old-fashioned to outsiders are based on Biblical principles:
1. Amish women wear a covering on their heads in
obedience to the Bible where it says, “Every woman that prayeth or prophesieth
with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head.”
(I Cor. 11:5)
2. Women do not cut their hair. “It is a shame for a woman to be shorn or
shaven.” (I Cor. 11:6)
3. No jewelry is
worn. (I Tim. 2:9, 10; I Peter 3:3, 4)
4. Taking an oath
under any circumstances is believed to be contrary to the scriptures, “But
above all things, my brethren, swear not.”
(James 5:12; Matt. 5:33, 34)
5. Amish will not
go to court
to defend themselves, even when sued unjustly. “Now therefore there is utterly a fault among
you because you go to law one with another.
Why do ye not rather take wrong?
Why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?” (I Cor. 6:7)
6. Membership in
world companies or secret societies is objected to on the basis of such verses
as II Cor. 6:14, 15.
7. Basic doctrines of salvation as held by the
Amish church include the belief that
man is sinful (Rom. 3:23) needs to repent
and be baptized
(Acts 2:38) accepting by grace the atonement of Christ on the
cross (Eph. 2:8, 9; Rom. 5:8). They
teach that
redemption goes hand in hand with discipleship and self-denial.
(Luke 9:23; Matt. 10:38)