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!
On Being Amish
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."
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.
Not Ones to Gloat
With religion, sometimes it can be somewhat of a contest of whose beliefs are better. This is not the case with the Amish. These conservative pacifists are, of course, against any type of tension. It is not about superiority or competition – rather it is ‘just as it is.’ The Amish are respectful of other cultures, and just because their way of life observes things differently to other religious groups, does not mean in any way that they’re above others.
The Amish see arrogance as a sin, and this idea keeps them grounded and living their lives peacefully.
Everyday Life
“It is very definitely a gray area, in fact, it is nearly black.” In an interview on ' Amish America' , an anonymous Amishman from Lancaster County offered some honest answers about life in the community. It's definitely interesting to hear the thoughts of a person who’s living the Amish life.
“For the most part, (Amish people) are oblivious to and nonchalant about the attention in the media given to us. It is assumed that the information is generally distorted to varying degrees. There is practically no desire amongst the Amish to make sure we only get good press. In other words, we don’t have any highly paid spin doctors.”