Forget going to college, the Amish stop going to school past the 8th grade! They believe that learning anything more than what you do in this grade is unnecessary. Formal education isn’t required because most of the Amish will work on the land or focus on tasks that don’t require a university education.
It may seem a bit sexist, but the Amish, being as conservative and traditional as they are, ensure that men have chosen their life’s profession by then, and the women automatically go into domestic roles. There’s no need for calculus here, it seems!
Choosing the Amish Life
For us “English” people, it’s difficult to imagine wanting to go back to living an inconvenient and somewhat restrictive lifestyle. But hey, who are we to judge? These kids have been raised knowing nothing else, and human nature shows us that we are afraid of what we do not know or understand. Imagine a 14-year-old being thrown out into the world and expected to live and survive in a place totally foreign to them.
After they complete their 'Rumspringa' and decide to return to the Amish community, the teens are baptized and officially welcomed into the faith. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule: some teens decide that the non-Amish world is more vibrant and decide not to return. But with the community, it does not mean they are exiled after a certain time; they are always welcome to return and be initiated into the community.
Electricity and the Amish
There’s a common misconception that the Amish are anti-electricity. But actually, Benjamin Franklin and the Amish are kind of friendly. While there are some extremely devout groups that follow the teachings to the letter, there are many others who understand that sometimes you just need to use electricity.
However, there’s a reason for avoiding electricity - an important teaching in the Amish community called “Gelassenheit.” The term, which can be translated to “letting be”, acknowledges the fact that the earth should be used as was originally intended by God. And also existing as people used to exist before technology. We know it works, because our ancestors did it – albeit everything was quite a bit slower.
They Play Slow-Pitch Softball.
Amish do enjoy sports and they like to play a lot of basketball, volleyball, and softball. And make no mistake, some of the Amish teens are very athletic, indeed good enough to play college athletics if ever given a chance.
For decades, summer weekends consist of large softball games that welcome other teams from all over the country and include some teams with Amish teens on rumspringa.
The Concept of “Rumspringa”
Each teenager goes through a certain phase where they experience that first taste of rebellion – and the Amish are fully aware of this. They know that their lifestyle isn’t accepted by all, so they’ve created an event which is a rite of passage, in some ways.
Known as “Rumspringa”, which translates to “running around”, the event sees teens between 14 and 18 exiting the community for a period of time, to experience “English” life. Because you know, it wouldn’t be fair to not allow Amish kids to experience life outside their world. But in saying this, there’s another side which has led to some members leaving the community!