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Following are answers to questions we received as part of our "Ask the Amish"
feature. The answers were given by the Amish-Mennonite experts at the Mennonite
Information Center in Lancaster:
"What are the beliefs of the Amish?"
"It is difficult to explain in a few sentences what the Amish people believe.
This is a very simplified statement. As Amish and Mennonites, we believe that God loved the world so much that
he gave his only son to die on the cross and that through faith in the shed blood of Jesus we are reconciled to
God. We believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God, that as Christians we should live as brothers, that
the church is separate from the State, that we are committed to peace, and that faith calls for a lifestyle of
discipleship and good works. More information on Amish and Mennonite beliefs can be obtained by contacting the
Mennonite Information Center, 2209 Millstream
Road, Lancaster, PA 17602-1494."
"What are the basic beliefs of the Amish?"
"Both Mennonites and Amish believe in one God eternally existing as Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit (Romans 8:1-17). We believe that Jesus Christ, God's only Son, died on the cross for the sins
of the world. We believe that the Holy Spirit convicts of sin, and also empowers believers for service and holy
living. We believe that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ, a free gift bestowed by God on those who
repent and believe.
One scripture often quoted in Amish worship services is: "Be not conformed
to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable
and perfect will of God." (Romans 12:2) They are admonished to live a life that is separate from the world."
"What is this thing called the Ordnung the Amish live by?"
"Donald B. Kraybill in his book, The
Riddle of Amish Culture, writes: 'The Amish blueprint for expected behavior,
called the Ordnung, regulates private, public, and cermonial life. Ordnung does not translate readily into English.
Sometimes rendered as "ordnance" or "discipline," the Ordnung is best thought of as an ordering
of the whole way of life . . . a code of conduct which the church maintains by tradition rather than by systematic
or explicit rules. A member noted: "The order is not written down. The people just know it, that's all."
Rather than a packet or rules to memorize, the Ordnung is the "understood" behavior by which the Amish
are expected to lfe. In the same way that the rules of grammar are learned by children, so the Ordnung, the grammar
of order, is learned by Amish youth. The Ordnung evolved gradually over the decades as the church sought to strike
a delicate balance between tradition and change. Specific details of the Ordnung vary across church districts and
settlements.'"
"Do the Amish practice shunning fellow church members?"
"The term "church members" means those who are baptized as adults
and voluntarily commit themselves to a life of obedience to God and the church. Yes, those who break their baptismal
vows are shunned by the Old Order Amish. "Belonging" is important and shunning is meant to be redemptive.
It is not an attempt to harm or ruin the individual and in most cases it does bring that member back into the fellowship
again. Actually, the number of members excommunicated and shunned by the Amish is small.
The Biblical basis for shunning is found in these two verses: "But now I
have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or
an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat" (I Corinthians
5:11)
"Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and of fences
contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them." (Romans 16:17)
The families of a shunned member are expected to also shun them. Families shun
the person by not eating at the same table with them. The practice of shunning makes family gatherings especially
awkward."
"Why do Old Order Amish not like having their pictures taken?"
"Old Order Amish and Mennonites forbid photography of their people, and their
objection is based on the second commandment, Exodus 20:4: "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image,
or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under
the earth"."
"Do the Amish look upon the rest of society, those who are not of an Anabaptist
tradition, as heathen?"
"The Amish have deliberately made decisions as to what will or will not be
allowed among members of the Amish community. The Amish do not pass judgment on outsiders."
"If the Amish interpret the Bible literally, how do they relate to Christ's
command to go "into all the world and preach the gospeI to every creature?"
"Early Anabaptists, the ancestors of Amish and Mennonites, were very evangelistic,
going everywhere preaching and teaching. This was a sharp contrast to the "Christian" society in which
they lived. Persecution followed and many Anabaptists died for their faith and their zeal for evangelism. In the
years that followed, missionary zeal decreased. The church succumbed to persecution and discrimination. Gradually
Amish and Mennonites became known more for their traditional practices and their quiet, peaceful way of life and
less for their active evangelism. This trend continued until it seemed almost wrong to send members out of the
close community to evangelize. Old Order Amish, along with some Old Order Mennonites, have retained this position
and desire to remain "the quiet in the land." However, missionary zeal experienced a strong rebirth around
the beginning of this century in Mennonite circles and more recently among the Church Amish. As a result of this
rebirth of evangelism, Mennonites today number more than one million people in over 60 countries around the world
and speak 78 different languages."
"I understand your belief in nonresistance and pacifism. Does this principal
extend to personal situations where you are confronted with imminent evil - say a known murderer confronting you
and your family in your home? Can you use force to preserve your life in this situation? To what extent? What is
the Biblical basis for your position?"
"Both Amish and Mennonites are committed to a lifestyle of peace and non-violence.
Yes, this pervades every aspect of life. However, no one can predict with certainty how anyone would really react
to an absolutely unprecedented crisis such as described above. Emotions as well as thoughts are involved and the
situation is personalized. Having said this, we would hope that as people who have practiced a lifestyle of peace,
we would not resort to force and violence in a crisis situation such as the one described.
We must briefly make several points:
- There is no assurance that use of force would save my life or the life of my
family if confronted by an attacker.
- We could recall many accounts of unhoped for deliverances, whether by mediation,
nature, or divine Providence, when Christians refused to use force when confronted by an attacker.
- If the result is death at the hands of the attacker, so be it; death is not threatening
to us as Christians. Hopefully the attacker will have at least had a glimpse of the love of Christ in our nonviolent
response.
- The Christian does not choose a nonviolent approach to conflict because of assurance
it will always work; rather the Christian chooses this approach because of his/her commitment to Jesus Christ as
Lord.
The analogy to war in the situation described above tends to break down when we
think of the vast preparations for war -- accumulation of weapons, training of the military, etc. War is planned
and seldom is aggression so clearly defined with the defense staying on its home turf.
Some of the Biblical references for peace and non-resistance are: Matthew 5:38-48; John 18:36; Romans 12:18-21;
and I Corinthians 6:18."
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Amish Video (DVD)
Amish Video (DVD)
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