The final question asked was “if you weren’t Amish, what do you think you would miss the most about being Amish?” The Lancaster Amishman answered quite simply and profoundly.
The man answered, “The family being together at home without interference from an electronic cacophony. Living with a devoted wife who is also your best friend, without the specter of divorce looming just over the horizon.”
The Light of the World
For the Amish, the most important calling is that of being a light to the world. The light that’s referred to in the Holy Bible is not one “of the media, but rather the truth of Christ.”
So, to better understand the Amish, one must understand their relationship with God, and their commitment to serving Him and spreading his word, at least within their community.
Hunting for the Prize
It is no secret that the Amish live off the land. This of course extends to the forests nearby, where tasty critters live their days. Therefore, Amish men like to hunt to provide for their families.
Commonly a male past time, the women traditionally stay at home and wait for the men to return with some nice game meat for dinner! Sometimes women can join in on the hunt too, though this is more common in families where there are more boys than girls.
Not a Fan of Birth Control
Just as it is within similarly strict religious communities, the Amish strongly believe that birth control is completely unethical and unnecessary. In the bedroom, the Amish again look to their tenet of “letting be” – so whatever happens is what God intended. They do not believe that they can play God and choose to not interfere with the natural order and way of things.
Contraception is something the Amish don't believe in. In fact, for them, it’s important to have a big family. Being pregnant is a miracle and is viewed as God’s blessing. The average Amish couple can have as many as 7 children! That’s quite a lot of mouths to feed.
Love Thy Neighbor
It is fitting that, within a Christian community, the all-important tenet of “love thy neighbor” is closely observed. This is particularly important within the Amish community, especially given the fact that their cohort is so small and relatively secluded.
As mentioned earlier, there is the activity of “barn-raising”, which helps to bring the community together. It’s important to note that every act of physical labor is performed without modern technology or physical aides – so this highlights how truly selfless the Amish are!