The Ordnung in the Amish Community

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The Ordnung is the rules of the church, which is an oral tradition of rules agreed on by specific church communities. They are the rules of living and discipline for an Amish community. These rules stipulate the ways in which members may interact with outsiders. Each church maintains its own Ordnung. Once the individual is baptized, he or she is committed to keep the Ordnung. I think all these rules in the Ordnung are just a way to create uniformity in a community, where all its members dress, live and act within strict parameters. Any rules created in this community are to enforce the qualities of humility, modesty, God’s will and purity, doing everything to keep them separate from the rest of the world. Amish use these rules as a way to visually show others their beliefs. The Amish believe that God has called them to be completely separate from the world and its negative influences. They believe that choosing to wear clothing that sets them apart as different, divides them from the outside world. The Amish community is a community that believes in the good of the group, not the individual. In addition, humility is an important and central part of the Amish beliefs. According to them, if one individual stands out within a group, that person tends to develop arrogant ideas about his or her individuality. Instituting a dress code, then, is meant to keep the Amish away from pride so that they can spend their time focusing on the state of their heart and soul, not the outward appearance. The Amish style also highly stresses modesty. The women must cover themselves almost completely, down to keeping their hair hidden under a cap. They believe that this type of modesty in dress is necessary to keeping their hearts and bodies pure. Ordnung provides stability to the community because it establishes long-standing traditions, and strict standards of behavior. Their moral

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