The Amish Culture: Anabaptist Of Sixteenth-Century Europe

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Running Head: THE AMISH 1 THE AMISH CULTURE Jennifer Stotts ANT 101 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology Prof. Debbie Cassetta December 12, 2011 Running Head: THE AMISH 2 The Amish people of America are in old religious sect; they are direct descendants of the Anabaptist of sixteenth-century Europe. They migrated to America in the eighteenth centuries to escape persecution in Europe. They initially settled in Pennsylvania, but later waves of immigrants settled in New York, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, and Ohio. There are over two dozen Amish affiliations and all of their practices vary from one another. The Amish are best known for their nineteenth-century way of life. While many people…show more content…
This code of ethics rejects sex outside of marriage, it also states that divorce, homosexuality, and public nakedness are sins forbidden by God. On the other hand modesty and humility are vital virtues that are important to all members of the Amish community. While every Amish community has their own set of rules and certain beliefs, all Amish people are extremely religious and respectful individuals. The social organization of the Amish is one that implores pride, humility, obedience, and the yielding of oneself to a higher authority. One important principle that exemplifies these beliefs is Gelassenheit, and although it is rarely spoken its meaning is woven into the social fabric of the Amish’s everyday life. The main idea behind Gelassenheit is that a believer should surrender to God by living a life that is pleasing to him. It also takes on various other meanings: self-surrender, self-denial, resignation to Gods will, yielding to others, and a calm and contented spirit are just a few. Being humble is another important belief of the Amish, which they teach the importance of in their actions in everyday life. The Amish abhor pride and all actions that scream for attention and recognition. Humility and obedience are twin virtues that the Amish are taught at a very young age. They believe that humility is a sign of respect for others. The dignity of every person is also important to the Amish. Everyone in the Amish community learns to obey those with authority over them: children their parents, students their teachers, wives their husbands, members their leaders, and younger ministers their bishop. God is the utmost authority and everyone is expected to do his will as stated in the Bible and taught in the

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