How did John Ronald Ruel Tolkien's famous little heroes stand out from The Hobbit, or There and Back again, and The Lord of the Rings - the hobbits? Do you still remember this funny people? They stood out for their isolation. But in the world written by Tolkien, all nations or states lived more or less closed. However, the isolation of the hobbits was of a special kind. It was due not so much to objective as to subjective reasons. The hobbits did not know and did not want to know outsiders. They were quite comfortable in their little world. And they perceived any penetration from the outside into this little world with extreme displeasure. Roughly the same, with a fair amount of exaggeration, of course, can be said about the Amish.
Religious commoners
Indeed, the Amish are religious commoners. Moreover, in this case, the main thing in the word "commoners" is not an indication of a low position in the estate sense (although not a count, of course), but an indication of the simplicity and unpretentiousness of life. Although, about simplicity, this is also not entirely fair. The Amish are still entertainers. At least in order to fulfill all kinds of restrictions they have invented for themselves, they resort to such ingenuity and tricks that the most notorious adventurers would be envious. So the Amish is a religious group. Extensive enough. And yet, let's take a closer look.
Conscious choice
The Amish are, in short, a conservative offshoot of Mennonism. Which, in turn, is closely associated with the sixteenth-century reformation movement in the Netherlands, driven by the Anabaptists. Hence the emphasis on conscious (and not in infancy) baptism. Hence, radical pacifism - not the use of force and even non-resistance. Hence the forced emigration every time they tried to force them to serve in the army. Mostly Mennonites and, of course, Amish flocked to distant America. But, for example, at the invitation of Catherine II, the Mennonites emigrated to the Russian Empire. As for the Amish specifically, they mostly settled in the modern USA and Canada. The Amish, like most Protestant denominations, interpret the Bible very strictly, almost literally. Most of them do without religious buildings and are very closed in their community. They are mostly not engaged in missionary work and are very, very reluctant to accept so-called "outsiders", people from the big world. However, the main thing is still a conscious choice of baptism. And we'll come back to this later.
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Let's say no to sectarianism
But for all that, the Amish are not sectarians at all. Closed - yes. They insist on their innocence as the ultimate truth - yes. But not sectarians. If only because they do not finally break ties with the same Mennonites and do not set too rigid boundaries between themselves and the larger society. In addition, unlike most sectarians, the Amish, as mentioned above, are not infected with annoying missionary work. They just want outsiders not to interfere with their simple rural life. In general, although the line between the sect and the Amish as a denomination is thin, it still exists.
Their faith is their fortress
In general, when you get acquainted with the way of life of the Amish, there is a clear feeling that their community in the modern world is like a besieged fortress. In our turbulent world, again erasing both external and internal boundaries, like a sea tide, drawings in the sand, the Amish strive to preserve not so much identity as banal common sense, to somehow get out of the emerging circle of universal madness. Another thing is that this desire from the outside also sometimes seems to be madness.
The family is the unit of society
But one cannot but do justice to some of their pillars. As we would say now, it is a scrap. And the most important of them is the family. The Amish have large families. They believe that this is what God wants. The main life purpose of the Amish is to live in accordance with this desire of the Almighty. That is, to bring up children, get along with each other, with neighbors and, of course, relatives. This is a kind of Amish response to the general madness in the form of the admiration of modern society for unbridled egoism and the atomization of human life, when everyone is an individual, but hardly a person. Simply because personality is impossible without accommodating other personalities and interpersonal relationships. Amish for communication versus communication. Perhaps this is why they restrict the use of communications in their lives, believing thatthat live communication will not replace anything - neither the telephone, nor, especially, social networks. So family is everything to the Amish. Even the size of the community is considered not by the number of individual adherents, but by the number of families.
… for our happy childhood
Amish are very attentive to children. They don't just breed them in platoons, they take responsibility for them before God. The man has a special role. He is responsible for the whole family. And if he treats this mission without due diligence, then he will violate the will of God. In general, Amish children are brought up in severity. From childhood, they are taught to work and discipline. This does not mean that the child has no right to vote, but any foul language, any antics or tantrums we are used to are unacceptable. Moreover, this applies to youth. It is believed that at such an "adult" age, you may well express your dissatisfaction, if it takes place, in a proper way.
In terms of education, the Amish give their children compulsory primary formal education - eight grades. Further education is considered optional, since everything that is useful to a person in a simple rural life, the family can teach itself.
Old people are honored everywhere …
You know, old people in Amish communities don't have a problem of loneliness. They do not end their lives in nursing homes or other similar boarding schools, where grateful descendants, who always have no time in the struggle for a career and money, happily push their parents out. Not. Old Amish people maintain their socialization in the community until death. He is not closed in four walls, they are not isolated from life. They participate in everything to the best of their ability. They even work if they want to. At their own pace, of course, doing what they can do. And if an elderly Amish gets sick, he can be firmly convinced that his family will take care of him just as he once cared for her. This tradition is held sacred in Amish communities.
Homa Brut and a kerosene fridge
As mentioned above, in defending themselves from the madness of modern individualized society, the Amish themselves go too far and look like they are crazy. Ordinary Amish looks, at times, like Gogol's Homa Brutus, outlining a chalk circle to save himself from evil spirits. For example, they are famous for their extremely limited use of modern technology. It has already been said about the phones. But sometimes it just gets ridiculous. For example, they may use a lawn mower or other gasoline powered field equipment. No problem. But this technique will move in space due to the traction power of a horse or even a person.
In general, the Amish do not consider technology to be diabolical inventions and find ways out of the cage of those restrictions that they set for themselves. For example, their conservatives do not accept bathrooms in their homes or refrigerators, or any other amenities that make life easier, especially mains electricity. However, the more advanced Amish circumvent these bans by using batteries or off-grid electricity. And some families manage to use household appliances that work without electricity. How do you like kerosene fridges, for example? But there is a total ban on watching TV among the Amish. And when you see what television is turning into, you think: maybe this is right.
Think for yourself, decide for yourself …
And now, as promised, once again about the conscious choice of the Amish. Baptism in infancy is not accepted by them. They believe that a person should make his own choice. Moreover, not only the choice to be a Christian or not to be, but having made a choice in favor of Christ, a person must decide for himself whether he wants to be a member of the Amish community or is ready to look for another Christian denomination. So, boys and girls over the age of sixteen must pass a certain trial period. They are allowed to see everything and decide whether they want to stay in the community or are ready to set sail on the dangerous waters of the big world. Nobody is forcing anyone.
The last bastion
There are many unusual things in Amish life, ranging from clothing to gender relations. For example, members of the Amish community marry or get married only to their own people. This does not mean a choice in a particular community, but it does mean a choice among the Amish or, in extreme cases, among the conservative Mennonites. Which entails hereditary traits in this religious group, including the presence of hereditary diseases. But, be that as it may, we must admit that the Amish are unlikely to withstand as a bastion amid the raging battle around. No, in the end, the walls will fall down and they will assimilate one way or another. Another question is that now many people have again remembered their identity, about what cannot be destroyed even in the global society, on the threshold of which we are standing. Your faith, your traditions, your language - this is whatwithout which the global society first reduces personality to a simple individuality, a unit in a pair of binary code, and then simply erases it into dust. Knowledge does not live outside the cultural shell. It is like the cover of a book, without which the pages strive to crumble and scatter in the wind. And you won't read it.
Mark Raven