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The Amish. Can you name these states?. THE AMISH. A gentle people living a simple life. Where do the Amish Live?. First. Read the article Answer the questions on the back Discuss the answers with a partner. Who are the Amish?. Christian denomination
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THE AMISH A gentle people living a simple life
First . . . • Read the article • Answer the questions on the back • Discuss the answers with a partner
Who are the Amish? • Christian denomination • Known for their simple living, plain dress and for resisting modern conveniences like technology. • Communities are usually entirely self-sufficient andseparated from the outside world. • The Amish way of life originated in Switzerland, but these days exists only in the U.S. (mainly Pennsylvania) and some parts of Canada.
The Amish church’s rules • The rules of the Amish church=the Ordnung • Strict and must be obeyed by all. • These rules cover aspects day-to-day living. • Don’t follow the rules or repent = excommunicated/shunned from the church/community.
These rules include: • No powerline electricity • Limiting the use of phones • Not owning or using motor vehicles • Wearing a specific style of dress • Not buying insurance • Not receiving any form of government welfare • Not serving in the military • Marrying partners from within their own community • Only being schooled up until 8th Grade • Using corporal punishment to discipline children • Practising manual labour, mostly in rural chores
The “clash of cultures” between the Amish and the “outside world” can make for some unusual observations.
Video: Introduction • Inside the Amish Church (start 2:00)
Rumspringa: What is it? • 14 to 16 years old • Choose whether to leave the community or be baptized in the Amish church • Some go to live in the “English world” to see what it’s like • 90% return to the Amish community
Rumspringa • Documentary: Devil’s Playground • National Geographic show: Amish: Out of Order • Amish in the City
The Amish in popular culture • Perhaps the most commonly known of these is the film Witness • It is about a police investigation into a murder which an Amish boy witnessed, and the clash of cultures which ensues between the detective and the boy’s community. • The film won an Oscar for its screenplay in 1985.
Other films… • For Richer or Poorer, starring Tim Allen and Kirstie Alley. • It is a comedy about a rich city couple who “hide out” amongst an Amish community after being caught by the government cheating on their taxes.