Anonymous wrote:How much more Amish can you get than the ones in PA? Granted, I'm thinking of the ones north of Harrisburg and farther north. They have no modern conveniences at all, so what is the variation between those and the Ohio Amish?

Very possible that northern PA has more conservative Amish, I don't know. I'm thinking of the Lancaster Amish who use refrigeration, have electricity in their barns (to reduce fire risk), use gasoline-powered motors, and so on. I read an article once on Lancaster Amish who have cell phones, but only charge them in the barn or in a non-Amish neighbor's house.

Where I grew up, in Holmes County Ohio, the Amish didn't even use buttons on their clothes. They fasten them with straight pins, because buttons are a military decoration. Mustaches are similarly considered military (you ever see an 18th century German general without a walrus mustache? ) which is why they wear just the beard. They only attend their own schools, usually one-room schoolhouses. Their schools go up to about 12 year olds, occasionally 14, but not all kids go that long. They learn some English in school, but they rarely become fluent.

Interestingly, they are all about modern medicine. As I understand it, the test for allowing any "modern" convenience is, does it bring us together as a community of God, or drive us apart/ allow distances to form? (And, secondarily, how does it square with our principles? This is where the appearance elements come in-- modesty, head covering, no buttons, etc. Also, why they do not attend public schools, because (among other things) that would mean paying taxes, which means supporting the military.) By not having electricity, they are all on God's schedule, dawn to dusk, and they're all in it together. But by accepting modern medicine, they are able to stay healthy and work and care for one another, the way God intended. I kind of like that; they could just as easily have said that illness or death in childbirth is God's will.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm living proof that there is a difference between Amish and most Mennonites. I am a Mennonite, though I was not born one. and yes, there are great differences between types of Amish too.

You must be one of those cool
Mennonites someone was just telling me about I heard there's a progressive Mennonite congregation somewhere in the area.

I am the quoted PP:
I guess it depends on how you define "progressive". My congregation has never been what I call "conservative Mennonite" (though in a political sense most of us would still be labeled conservative)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I'm living proof that there is a difference between Amish and most Mennonites. I am a Mennonite, though I was not born one. and yes, there are great differences between types of Amish too.

What are the some of the things a lot of people confuse between the two?

A lot of people think they are basically the same, driving buggies, wearing plain clothes, going without electronics etc. While as a pp has pointed out, there is at least one über conservative Mennoite group who is more strict then the Amish, this is not at all the norm. You would be hard pressed to point out any of my fellow church members in a crowd. We have no church standards as far as clothing (except that being modest is valued) or really any church rules about anything. While we have beliefs based off of the Bible, you'd have to being doing something drastic to be asked to leave (like sexual harassment or something). There is nothing like shunning in any Mennonite church I'm familiar with. My congregation is not old, it is only been around for 25 years, myself and my family have attended for 15 years now. Before that we went to a different Christian denomination.
Our faith is based on our relationships with Jesus, not a set of rules. Though we all have standards we set for ourselves as far as what we believe God says is sin. For example, and please don't attack me for this, I do believe that homosexual behavior (not attraction, only the choice to act on that attraction) is a sin. BUT I love the people, I have friends and family members that I am close to that I can disagree with but still love and hang out with. I also do not think that homosexual behavior is any "more a sin" than the other sins that can be a temptation for me such as greed, gossip, pride, heterosexual sex outside of marriage and so many more. But it all comes down to faith in Jesus, the way we live should reflect His love, but is not what is most important.

I met an Amish family this summer in PA at their dairy farm. I learned that Pennsylvania Dutch is their first language-the kids did not speak English. I found that fascinating and think it would definitely help encourage one not to leave the community. Their house loOked like a new home, but no lights, ac, the stove was lit by match. They had a couple of battery lamps (which she said was controversial).

I went to law school with a "fine" Mennonite. Really fine. I didn't even know he was one until our third year and we were pretty friendly the whole time. He was from PA I think. Totally blended in. He was even a bit of a class clown, very social and well liked. And f-ing hot. Virgin though. And didn't drink.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Floyd Landis, former cycling star/doper, grew up in a Mennoite community.

Mennonites are totally different than the Amish. Many are not visibly Mennonite, they fold into our community, just like anyone else.

well, Mennonite is a bit of a spectrum -- there are some that are very conservative and very close to Amish; in Lancaster, PA you might know know the difference unless you know what the different bonnets that women wear look like. Others are far more liberal and you would not know from looking at them that they are Mennonite.

Anonymous wrote:They are allowed to leave when they become 19?, to see what life is like outside. It is up to them to return. I think most return and those who do not are shunned.

It is an anabaptist religion, meaning that you are not a member of the church, and therefore required to follow its rules, until you are baptized as an adult. so the ones who leave and do not return are (usually) not shimmed because they have done nothing wrong. if they are baptized and then break the rules, however, they are shunned.

Anonymous wrote:I dated a Mennonite, he was a FINE speciman of a man. Looked just like he crawed out of Austria. Tall, strong, blonde with piercing blue eyes.

Too bad, no sex.

Do they have a strict diet and marry only within their sect?

I dated a Mennonite, he was a FINE speciman of a man. Looked just like he crawed out of Austria. Tall, strong, blonde with piercing blue eyes.

Too bad, no sex.

Anonymous wrote:Floyd Landis, former cycling star/doper, grew up in a Mennoite community.

Mennonites are totally different than the Amish. Many are not visibly Mennonite, they fold into our community, just like anyone else.

Anonymous wrote:I'm living proof that there is a difference between Amish and most Mennonites. I am a Mennonite, though I was not born one. and yes, there are great differences between types of Amish too.

What are the some of the things a lot of people confuse between the two?

Anonymous wrote:I'm living proof that there is a difference between Amish and most Mennonites. I am a Mennonite, though I was not born one. and yes, there are great differences between types of Amish too.

You must be one of those cool
Mennonites someone was just telling me about I heard there's a progressive Mennonite congregation somewhere in the area.

My husband has a colleague who is a chemist and was raised Amish.
They did not shun him because he left before being baptized in the religion.
He looks down on them.

I'm living proof that there is a difference between Amish and most Mennonites. I am a Mennonite, though I was not born one. and yes, there are great differences between types of Amish too.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Floyd Landis, former cycling star/doper, grew up in a Mennoite community.

True, although Mennonites and Amish aren't as similar as many people think. Mennonites don't shun.

Mennonites live in the modern world with modern conveniences are not comparable to the Amish. There are many Mennonites in Ohio and Indiana; I went to college in Indiana with several.

That's true for the most part but there are still some "Old Order" Mennonite congregations that are virtually indistinguishable from Amish.

How much more Amish can you get than the ones in PA? Granted, I'm thinking of the ones north of Harrisburg and farther north. They have no modern conveniences at all, so what is the variation between those and the Ohio Amish?