I took a picture of an Amish woman at a gas station. (The Amish do not like to be photographed, as they believe that their images can be used “for evil”).
I decided to tell about this community.
I found stories in different places and photos in Corbis.
I had a chance to see them myself, I felt like I was on the set of a historical film.
Once I was riding in an elevator with several representatives. The smell, I must say, comes from them...

Sources: Wikipedia; Amish country; BBC Russian Service, Pennsylvania - lost World: how the Amish community lives in the USA.

At first, when you see the beards of men, you perceive the Amish as Orthodox Jews, but the Amish have nothing to do with Jews.

Amish are a Christian denomination of Mennonite origin.
The founder was Jacob Ammann, a priest from Switzerland who emigrated to Alsace in the second half of the 17th century.

Their church doctrine can be characterized as the most conservative version of Mennoniteism.
The Amish did not build churches, but prayed with their fellow tribesmen, perhaps each in turn.

Main feature their creed is a stricter adherence to the Holy Scriptures.
At the beginning of the 18th century, part of the Amish moved to the United States (Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana), where Quaker William Penn (Pennsylvania), who proclaimed freedom of religion, provided the Amish and Mennonites with refuge in the southeastern part of the state.

Main city counties and the center of "Amish country" Cross Keys ( modern name- Intercourse (Intercourse - relations)).

Amish and Mennonites in the United States are collectively called "Pennsylvania Dutch" ("Pennsylvania Dutch").

The Amish call the rest of the United States "English."
Between themselves they still speak a German dialect called Pennsylvania German or Pennsylvania Dutch, and English language taught in schools.

The Amish have preserved their way of life and appearance almost unchanged since the 17th century.

Most of them wear clothes and hats of certain colors and styles, ride in ancient horse-drawn carts, use only steel wheels, and plow the land with a horse-drawn plow.

They are prohibited from serving in the army, being photographed, driving cars and flying airplanes, having computers, televisions, radios, wearing wrist watch And wedding rings.

The Amish marry only with their coreligionists.

As a result of cross-marriages within small communities, the Amish are susceptible to genetic degradation.

They sew their own clothes, only they buy the material in the store.

They don’t go to public schools: they have their own, where they have an eight-year education.

Plain dresses - blue, purple or dark gray, made of thin fabric similar to wool, but with a mandatory apron: married woman he is black, the unmarried one is white.

Men wear black and dark blue suits. The trousers are supported by suspenders; There are no buttons on the trousers; they are replaced by a hook and loop system.

Shirts in pure colors; white for church service.
The wardrobe is completed with a black felt hat.

Children dress the same as adults; boys usually wear straw hats.

The closer you get to their habitat, the darker the roads and streets become.

There is no street lamps- The Amish do not use electricity.

There is a separate kerosene lamp burning in each window of their houses, or they use electricity generated by wind turbines.

The same installations drive fans with large wooden blades hanging from the ceiling.

In the pitch darkness, the sound of hooves can be heard occasionally.
Late fathers of families hurry home on traditional Amish horse-drawn wagons.

The only signs of modernization of these Vehicle- headlights and turn signals, which are necessary in order to avoid getting run over by the cars of restless tourists roaming around at night.

The appearance of Amish women on the streets after dark for no particular reason is considered promiscuity.

The Amish are hereditary farmers.

They grow everything, make butter, cheeses, cottage cheese and sell it at the market in nearby Philadelphia or to customers coming from all over the state.

Amish products are not cheap because they are considered environmentally friendly.
(I drank their milk, it was fatty and smelled like cow).

The Amish do not accept any mechanization and refuse to use tractors.
They do everything by hand: plowing, harvesting, milking cows, mowing grass.

In addition to private lands, there are also public fields under the supervision of the Council of Elders.

With proceeds from the sale of crops from these fields local residents maintain roads in good condition, pay salaries school teachers and a blacksmith.

An integral part of the interior of an Amish home is a blanket made from scraps - called a quilt. (quilt), as well as wooden things - chests, chairs, beds, rocking chairs.

Children's toys - simple, homemade: rag dolls, wooden trains, cubes.

If any of you have seen the movie "Witness" (1985) with Harrison Ford, you may already have a great idea about who the Amish are and how they live.

Here are some more photos.

Since my photos do not cause any reaction, which is very depressing... considering the rain outside the window... In short, I made a strong-willed decision - to stop doing unnecessary garbage, I will not post them anymore. Instead, we'll have to entertain you with local stories.

The other day, that is, last week, I had a chance to talk with the Amish.

For those who are not in the tank

The Amish are one of the branches of Mennonism. The name comes from Jacob Ammann, a Mennonite leader in Alsace in the second half of the 17th century. The main feature of their doctrine is a stricter adherence to the Holy Scriptures. The Amish place great emphasis on the separation of church and state contained in Paul's letter to the Romans.

Amish leaders are not professional church ministers. They are chosen by lot and carry out their activities free of charge.

The Amish do not have houses of worship. Divine services are held on a rotating basis in the private homes of fellow believers. Services are held every other Sunday. On those Sundays when there are no services (Friendship Sundays), the Amish relax and visit friends. Each Amish congregation has two preachers. The bishop and deacon serve in two communities, holding services in them alternately on different Sundays. The Amish speak to each other in a dialect of German, but generally speak excellent English.

Women wear long, plain dresses, usually black, blue or green, but with an obligatory apron: for a married woman it is black, for an unmarried woman it is white. The dresses are not distinguished by a particular variety of colors and cuts - there are only two of them: a dress with a sewn-in skirt and a dress with an apron (similar to the Russian school uniform of the 70s - 80s). All girls and women wear caps - white or black, covering the back of their heads and tied with ribbons under the chin.

Men wear black and dark blue suits. The clothes are sewn so that there is not a single button. This is because buttons were considered a luxury item and were not used or used minimally, so that they were not visible on clothing. If there were several open buttons on a coat or jacket, then this clothing had to be taken off when entering the church, or rather, the house where they prayed. The trousers are supported by suspenders; There are no buttons on the trousers; they are replaced by a hook and loop system. Shirts in pure colors; white - for church services. A men's wardrobe is complemented by a black felt or straw hat. Children dress the same as adults; boys usually wear straw hats.

In relationships with the worldly environment, they behave withdrawn. They have preserved their way of life and appearance almost unchanged since the 17th century. The Amish live in a community, help each other, conduct subsistence farming, give birth to many children, do not use the products of civilization, such as electricity, motor transport (the Amish are allowed to ride in a car as a passenger, but not as a driver), they sew their own clothes, only buy the material in the store , do not go to public schools: they have their own, where education is eight years. The Amish pay taxes, but they don’t pay taxes to the National Insurance Fund, which means they don’t receive a pension: they take care of their elderly themselves. They also treat themselves, they probably have their own healers, because in eight classes you are unlikely to master the wisdom of medicine. But their health, presumably, is not bad: this is both natural selection and healthy image life. Prohibitions on the use of electricity, cars and other elements of civilization are dictated not by religious, but by moral beliefs of the Emish: it is not the use of technical goods itself that is condemned, but their possible moral consequences. The Amish do not like to be photographed, as they believe that their images can be used “for evil.”

It is extremely rare for the Amish to marry someone outside their community, and only for Mennonites is an exception made. As a result of cross-marriages within small communities, the Amish are susceptible to genetic degradation. If children do not like the life of their parents, they may well choose a different life. The basic law of the Amish is “heaven through hard work.”

At the beginning of the 18th century, some of the Amish moved to the United States (Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana), where Quaker William Penn, who proclaimed freedom of religion, provided the Amish and Mennonites with refuge in the southeastern part of the state. The main city of the district and the center of the “Amish country” is Cross Keys (the modern name is Intercourse).

Strict adherence to Mennonite traditionalism led to a split among the Amish. In 1865, ultra-conservative coreligionists broke away from the Amish. The most liberal groups merged in the 10-20s of the 20th century with the Mennonite Church in the USA and entered the Central Mennonite Conference (founded in 1899).

The Amish, who were not affiliated with the Mennonite Church, established the conservative Amish Mennonite Conference in 1910, which was renamed the Conservative Mennonite Church in 1954.

The number of Amish in the United States at the end of the 20th century. - 90-120 thousand people living mainly in Ohio. Amish and Mennonites in the United States are collectively called "Pennsylvania Dutch" ("Pennsylvania Dutch"). The Amish call the rest of the United States "English."

In 198, a film called “Witness” was released with Harrison Ford in leading role. Many people believe that best film it’s hard to find about the Amish, because the director showed the Amish community with great respect.

The Amish family I spoke with was impressive. Stately, thin, in old, slightly baggy clothes. The Amish are very tall: men are about two meters, women are about 1.80 meters. Men do not shave their beards and wear straw hats. So good and strong open people, real peasants. Big, strong, hard-working hands. For some reason I immediately thought that it was thanks to these people that the West was conquered. They speak English very clearly without an accent. Respect for elders is strictly observed; if the head of the family speaks, then everyone else remains silent.

This family came to Canada from the States to visit friends. However, the Americans got mad at them for something and gave them, in addition to their American passports, a paper indicating that they had no citizenship. So it turns out that in the States they are not very fond of them, and according to them, with Bush coming to power, everything only worsened and they began to gradually survive. In Canada, they are also unwelcome guests, given the good neighborly relations between Canada and the United States. In short, the Amish decided to tear their claws…. That's right, to Russia. They say, we have been told so much that Russians are evil, that they are bad, but we are convinced that this is all wrong. We have been to your country and really liked it there. So, they say, we want to get a residence permit, move to Russia (they are thinking about the Kaliningrad region), we are actively learning Russian (the daughters are already writing and chatting tolerably well, the adults are reading printed text and continue to actively croak). We wrote a letter to the Minister of Agriculture Gordeev and the governor of the Kaliningrad region with a request for assistance... In general, things are moving...

The whole world is gradually divided into those who welcome any vice, calling it a person’s choice, and those who strive to live righteously. Unfortunately, last group much less. But not so few in number. The Amish are among the righteous. followers of the teachings of Jacob Ammann, a Swiss who correctly decided that civilization and vice are one and the same thing. He lived in the 17th century and belonged to a very strict sect of Mennonites (a branch of Protestantism). But he was not happy with the fact that society was sliding into an abyss. In his opinion, a righteous person cannot even communicate with others. He gathered a group of followers around him. They moved to New World to build a different society, cleansed of vices.

Modern Amish - who are they?

There are many communities in the United States and Canada that lead isolated lifestyles. They try to communicate only within their circle. The rules of their life are strict. ensures their existence. There are about 200 thousand Amish people. In connection with the upcoming end of the world, their ranks are constantly being replenished with new adherents. The largest Amish community is located in Pennsylvania. Lancaster County is another name for their country.

What the Amish Believe

Who came up with the idea that the Devil, and not the Lord, rules the world is unknown. But the Amish sincerely believe in it. Human souls are like fragile sprouts in the field of a breeder - the Devil, who tries in every way to instill in them numerous vices. Only the most persistent are given the opportunity to resist in order to unite with the Lord when the time comes to go to heaven.

These righteous people live in oases of goodness - Amish settlements, where it is very difficult to succumb to devilish temptations, since the entire way of life here is strictly regulated. Communities are subject to a strict charter - the Ordnung, which literally spells out every step of the righteous.

Humility is the main virtue that the Amish revere.

Who said that vice must be fought with force? Not at all. The Amish believe that only through humility and non-resistance will they pave their way to Heaven. Their whole life consists of trials and suffering, which they must endure without complaining or resisting. Even if you spit in the face of a believer, he will not be offended or angry. Anger, malice, pride - this is terrible vices. The religions of the world do not know another movement where believers are pure children. They will pray for the salvation of their executioner. At the same time, earnestly and sincerely.

Amish life

This population group lives separately. Engaged in subsistence farming. Families are created with fellow believers. There are a lot of children in them, so the settlements are growing quickly. There is a possibility that this human population will suffer from its closed nature, due to the limited choice of mates. But now so many people are fleeing civilization that such fears are no longer relevant. The Amish provide shelter for many people who want to escape the world. Who is it that is so eager to get away from blessings? Many people who in this way express protest against the ugliness that is happening in modern world. They are not satisfied with the unbridled morals, the ubiquity of sex, the inability to have anything personal, since even the most secret things immediately become known to the public. This is not the life of the Amish. For them, the sacred exists. They don't watch TV, don't surf the Internet, even radio is prohibited. Women walk around fully clothed, and not half naked, as is customary in advertising. Men grow a beard and never swear. These are very kind and nice people.

Strictly speaking, the Amish are a religious movement. But I write about the Amish because many here in the USA know them and often cite them as an example. So they say: “Well, you are a real Amish!” Are you interested? - Well, listen.

I'm currently watching the series Friends. I’m slowly getting through episode by episode, putting on the English soundtrack. I like it, and at the same time I’m improving my tongue. So in this series or sitcom, the Amish are remembered two episodes into the third.

Basically it looks like this. For example, one of the characters in the film is going to make a simple table on the computer. And the second one asks him: “Why on a computer, isn’t it possible with an ordinary pen on paper?”

To which he receives the answer: “No, Amish boy!” That is, as if: “You can’t, Neanderthal!” Did you catch the Amish thing? These are people who... further from Wikipedia:

...are distinguished by their simplicity of life and clothing, their reluctance to accept certain modern technologies and amenities. The movement of followers of Jacob Amman arose in 1693 in Europe, but then most of the Amish were forced to emigrate to America to escape persecution. Currently, the majority of Amish live in the United States and Canada.

That is, there are separate Amish settlements in America. Moreover, unlike, for example, Dutch settlements, which are more theatrical and staged, for the Amish this is normal life.

There are many Amish in our state of Illinois, and also nearby in Indiana and Michigan. Well, in general, they settled well across America. Many Amish also live in Canada.

Amish appreciate manual labor, simple rural life, practically not used modern technology. They ride in horse-drawn carts and do not have cars.

Interestingly, the Amish usually have 7 children in a family. This makes it clear that the Amish population is one of the fastest growing in the world. If in 1920 there were only 5,000 Amish, then in 2011 there were already 261,150.

The fact is that the Amish do farming the old fashioned way. This means that their cows graze in the meadows and they do not add antibiotics to the chickens’ feed. It's easy to go crazy! 🙂

That is, their food is natural. At the store, my wife is always looking for cartons of Amish eggs. They are more expensive, but the eggs have a yellow yolk and are delicious.

Amish furniture is made only from wood, without particle boards. The furniture is quite expensive, but very strong and reliable.

These Amish guys are interesting. They live on their own and do not disturb others. I thought for a long time whether it was worth writing about them on this site, and then I decided that it would be interesting to someone.

Here are some photos of the Amish. The photos are not mine, I haven’t visited their village yet. But something tells me that I’ll go there! 🙂

By the way, the Amish themselves never take pictures. And so the government developed passports without photographs specifically for the Amish. Look, most of the photos are from behind or sneakily!

P.S. It turns out there is a film about the Amish with a very famous artists. Starring Harrison Ford and Kelly McGillis (remember the doctor from Top Gun with a young Tom Cruise). And the film is called "Witness". Here is his promotional video.

Many of you have probably never even heard of the Amish.

The Amish are a unique people living primarily in the United States. Unlike the Mormons, who can be said to belong to the state of Utah, the Amish do not have their own country as such, although they own lands. Amish Country is a figurative expression referring to areas where the Amish live. This is a full-fledged people - with its own culture, its own customs and traditions.

Amish- Christian movement of Mennonite origin. The founder is Jacob Ammann, a priest from Switzerland who emigrated to Alsace. Amish church doctrine can be characterized as the most conservative version of Mennoniteism.

A significant part of modern Amish (more than 200 thousand) live in the USA and Canada. The most conservative Amish groups in the United States retain the Pennsylvania German language (Pennsylvania Dutch, distorted deutsch) in everyday life.

After long and widespread persecution to which the Amish suffered in their homeland for the custom of baptism in adulthood and opposition to the union of church and state, they finally found a safe haven in America thanks to the prominent Quaker William Penn. The Amish, radical Mennonites from Switzerland and the Palatinate, were repeatedly martyred in their homeland at the hands of intolerant opponents, often being put in sacks and drowned in rivers. With the very lives of the Amish at risk, they moved en masse to Pennsylvania at the invitation of William Penn, as part of his “holy experiment” in religious tolerance. 1727 Empire Total War game (Sega 2009)

The main feature of their doctrine is a stricter adherence to the Holy Scriptures. The Amish attach primary importance to the provision contained in the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans on the separation of church and state. The majority of them, if possible, refuse any technical means connecting them with the outside world: electricity, running water, central heating, telephone, etc.

The Amish are adherents of an old traditional way of life. Most of them wear clothes and hats of certain colors and styles, ride in ancient horse-drawn carts, use only steel wheels, and plow the land with a horse-drawn plow. Children and women walk barefoot in the warm season. The Amish are prohibited from serving in the military, being photographed, driving cars or flying airplanes, owning computers, televisions, radios, or wearing wrist watches or wedding rings. The Amish marry only with their coreligionists. In their free time, Amish men make furniture, Amish women sew clothes, in both cases everything is done by hand and according to the fashion of the early 18th century. Since the Amish marry exclusively with representatives of their communities, genetic diseases of one type are common among them, and women very often experience miscarriages, nevertheless, the birth rate among the Amish is traditionally high, families have 8-10 children, as a result of which in each generation their numbers double. Upon reaching a certain age, the Amish have the right to leave their father’s home for 3 years and go to live in the “outside world”, where they can sin as their soul pleases, but after this period the Amish is obliged to return home and make a decision: either he is completely immersed in the traditional the Amish way of life and remains in the community, observing all the rules of behavior, or he leaves the community forever, lives as he wants, and then even his closest relatives will never again give him a helping hand, no matter how much he needs it. As a result, the Amish, unprepared for life in modern society, often becomes an outcast from this society and, not finding his place in it, returns to live in the community. Most often from " outside world“Amish women are not returning to the community. On the tombstones of the dead, the Amish do not write their names, surnames, dates of birth and death, because they believe that the dead no longer need this.

Despite their whole way of life, the Amish are very rich people. They sell furniture, clothes (all this self made, made in an antique manner), and since the Amish lead natural Agriculture, then with the advent of fashion for a healthy lifestyle in America by the early 90s, their agricultural products began to be bought en masse and at high prices by Americans concerned about their health.

Most Amish do not have special places of worship, and meetings are held alternately in the homes of community members. Services are held every Sunday. On those Sundays when there are no services (Friendship Sundays), the Amish relax and visit friends. Each Amish congregation has two preachers. The bishop and deacon serve in two communities, holding services in them alternately on different Sundays.

The Amish number more than 200 thousand people, according to ethnic origin they are mostly Alsatians. Although they perceive themselves as belonging to one denomination, the Amish, however, are divided into different groups. The most conservative is the Old Order Amish Mennonite Church. In 1866, the Evangelical Mennonite Church was founded in Indiana as a result of the Amish spiritual awakening movement. In 1910, the Conservative Mennonite Conference was created. Its adherents began to hold services in special meeting houses and organized Sunday schools. Another breakaway organization, Beachy Amish Mennonite Churches, allowed the use of automobiles, tractors and electricity. The same organization also conducts missionary activities, which is not practiced by other Amish. In the CIS there is a small Amish community called Beachy in Cherkassy (Ukraine).

More about the Amish

The history of the Amish goes back to the 17th century chronologically, and to Germany and Switzerland geographically. The Amish have nothing to do with Denmark and Holland. Accordingly, the language of the Amish is German. They still speak their own language, which is different from modern German. That’s why in the USA they call the Amish “Dutch”, and they call the Americans “English”. There is even a community in Indiana where the Swiss dialect of German is used.
The Amish are an offshoot of the Mennonites. Let me remind you that the Mennonites are a Protestant movement characterized by Anabaptism (rebaptism), which arose in the 40s of the 16th century. Mennonites, like all Anabaptists, do not recognize the baptism of children and believe that faith is a conscious matter, and everyone must decide the choice of faith for themselves. Therefore, they were baptized again, at the age of 16-20, without counting early baptism (which was a clear heresy for Catholics). The Amish not only share this position, but it greatly influences the very structure of their society. Already taking into account this position of the doctrine, talking about the Amish as a sect is not entirely correct. The Amish have always recognized religious tolerance both in theory and in practice, although with reservations, because the Amish society itself is still mono-confessional. In addition, the Amish, unlike other Protestant movements and sects, never preached their teachings. This is partly connected with another important point of Mennonite teaching - nonviolence. Mennon rejected the political, militant purpose of the church (which was preached by the Anabaptists Münzer and John of Leiden), and even wrote a special essay against John of Leiden and his claims to power. The Amish, like the Mennonites, have always stood outside of war and politics. Therefore, it would be incorrect to say that the Amish do not recognize the US state; in principle, like consistent Mennonites, they ignore politics and wars. Pacifism is a strict rule of the Amish, who are not only not allowed to fight or use violence, but even to keep weapons. The Amish did not participate in any war.
So, we have established that the Amish are descended from German Mennonites. They can be called “conservative Mennonites,” and this conservatism related not only and not so much to faith, but to a way of life. Or to put it another way, the Amish perceived their way of life as something closely related to faith and soul. The history of the Amish church (and by extension the people) began with the split of the Mennonite group of Switzerland and southern Germany in 1693. The leader of the “schismatics” is Jacob Amman, after whom the Amish got their name. Like all Mennonites, the Amish were persecuted and persecuted, and therefore their emigration from Europe is quite understandable. At the beginning of the 18th century, at the invitation of William Penn, the Amish moved to the south of the American state of Pennsylvania. And now it is Pennsylvania, or rather the “county” of Lancaster, that can be called “Amish country.” More than 20 thousand people live here, and many Amish live in Ohio. In total, there are now about 225 thousand Amish living in the United States (22 states) and Canada (Ontario). How did someone like this move? big people, where did it come from and how was it preserved? The answer is simple - it didn’t come from anywhere and didn’t move in any way! In the 1720s, about 300 people moved to Pennsylvania, and from them the Amish people originated. Emigrants also came in the 19th century, but in any case, the people as such had already formed in America. Amish large families(usually 7-8 children). Demographers estimate the Amish population is doubling every 16-20 years. Of course, this growth is especially surprising against the backdrop of today’s general demographic crisis in developed countries. Therefore, do not be surprised that the Amish did not play a role in the history of the 18th and 19th centuries - they were perceived as a bunch of eccentric settlers, and America was full of them. Although in the 19th century they did not look very eccentric in their everyday life. In every second article in a magazine or on the Internet you can read that they have preserved the way of life of the 17th century. Of course, these are fairy tales. The Amish themselves deny this, as is emphasized in the words included in the epigraph. Why do superficial observers say this? Because for them, anything different from modern life is “17th century,” although the Amish have a lot from the 18th century, and from the 19th, and even from the 20th. The Amish are indeed very conservative, but their conservatism is meaningful. Only when we look closer will we understand that the Amish are not an isolated society, they are included in the general civilization. But it has significant autonomy in all aspects - from political to moral and everyday. So. The people as such arose and began to form - according to culture, according to the principles of faith, and also according to blood - at the end of the 17th - beginning of the 18th century. Its history is not so eventful, but it itself is no less interesting. Here we come exactly to the question, why are the Amish important to us, why are they so special? In what ways are they different from Mormons, for example?

Interest in the Amish awakens in everyone who hears about them for the first time. The Amish are in many ways analogous to the Old Believers. But the point here is not traditionalism, the point is that the Amish do not recognize modern civilization! And it is not just words. Amish society is not an archaic society unfamiliar with civilization, it is a society of people who have not accepted progress in all its negative manifestations, perceive it very warily, and borrow innovations only when necessary. Precisely out of necessity - after all, such a sharp increase population size gives rise to many problems. Nevertheless, a significant part of the Amish still live according to the old way of life.
The Amish do not recognize modern technology and electricity, although they do not consider them something diabolical. Rather harmful, for the soul and for the community. They believe that modern technology divides people and makes them individualists. Moreover, it is a whim, a luxury not needed for life. Therefore, they do not live in the 17th century, but they are not present in the 21st century either. This is like another dimension, a real alternative history (which, according to the usual unfounded idea, is the lot of only science fiction writers). That's why I talk about Amish society as a real dystopia - they live in real world, not on paper. This is not a utopia (as some ordinary people perversely interpret Amish society), but a practical dystopia. The Amish turned “as if” into “it is,” showing us that our civilization and way of life are not the only possible ones.

A few words about the life and rules of Amish society (= people).
The Amish do not use cars. None, including tractors. Carts, horses, plow. This immediately distinguishes the Amish from modern society. Of course, the Amish, when absolutely necessary, buy a bus ticket or ride in a car - they have no superstitions. But owning a car and driving it is out of the question.
Further. Electricity is not used for any purpose. The houses are heated with wood. Traditional stoves or gas are used for cooking. The utensils, as you can see, are more typical of the 19th century than of the 17th-18th centuries. But the cut of the clothes is old - single-color dresses and caps for women. Black trousers, white shirts, and long-brimmed hats for men. Buttons are not allowed because the Amish associate them with military uniforms and thus with the army.
They do not use any computers, televisions, radios, telephones, washing machines or other things. For Americans, hand-washed linen dried on a line is, of course, exotic. Curiosity about the Amish is aggravated by the fact that they do not allow any images of people (more precisely human faces). Photos of an adult Amish man are rare. Why an adult? Yes, because the prohibitions do not apply to children so much - they are not baptized, and the commandments do not apply to them with such severity. But note that the Amish are not against photographs and cameras per se - but against images of people. In this, by the way, they follow the ancient Hebrew tradition.
The picture that emerges is more than surprising, especially since the entire life of the Amish cannot be called archaic - they use modern materials in the construction of houses and agricultural buildings (which is clearly visible in the photographs), plumbing, and fabrics. But at the same time they have forges and they produce a lot of things, primarily furniture and embroidery.
Until recently, the Amish were predominantly farmers, but nowadays they are increasingly engaged in crafts, because there is not enough land. All this once again shows the dynamism and vitality of the Amish society, which is not banal retrogrades and orthodoxies. I repeat, the Amish are not a sect, nor an island from the past. This is a unique alternative society.
What attracts the observer to this society, besides the unusual way of life? Undoubtedly the social and cultural foundations themselves. The Amish live in communities; there was and is no “patriarch” or “prophet” (like the Mormons). Moreover, community elders can make their own decisions, due to which differences exist between different communities, but do not lead to confrontation. The Amish are pacifists and do not serve in the military. They do not recognize the state and do not participate in elections. At the same time, they pay some taxes (forced, of course). No medical insurance is provided. And as far as I understand, they don’t have passports. This is such an amazing antisocial society, anarchism in action. But at the same time there is no confusion, this is a monolithic society with its own way of life. Most of all, the Amish resemble peasants, only free peasants.
About religiosity. Yes, faith plays a big role in their lives. But the Amish have little in common with other sects and even churches. To begin with, they do not have temples or houses of worship. There are no icons, of course, and therefore no home “red corner”. There is no priesthood either. Baptism occurs at about 18 years of age, on average. And baptism is not just a ritual, but entry into the church, a change in life. So much for a “religious sect”! How much people still love to attach labels, instead of understanding the essence of the matter. I think the picture will be completed by mentioning the frequency of services - they are held every other Sunday, that is, twice a month. And their life itself is not at all imbued with religious rigorism, as we will see later (a description of the life and customs of the ladies is in the second article).
The Amish are not at all ascetics; they fully appreciate games, decorating things, and delicious food. Even their attitude towards sex is not as strange as in ordinary Christianity - they do not treat it as a sin. Morality is completely present here. And the foundations of morality are simplicity and modesty. Again, our observation shows the unity of everyday life and psychology in the life of the Amish. Moderation is a virtue for them, but not an ideal, but rather a norm, an everyday occurrence. Well it expresses it women's clothing- dresses different colors, but all are plain, long and without cutouts. The furnishings of the rooms are simple and uncomplicated, but they produce a very pleasant impression thanks to the comfort and neatness.

Amish motivations

Why do the Amish live this way and not otherwise? The simplest answer is because we are used to it. Of course, habit is always present in everything. A student, moving from class to another, gets used to new teachers and classmates. A lot of examples can be given. But habits, and even more so rules and principles of life, can be consciously developed! Those who talk about the natural, spontaneous development of society should not forget about this. Civilization is not nature, and society largely lives according to developed principles, voiced ideas, turned into commandments. Only among the Amish these principles are more meaningful, more reasonable and natural. They are not just protest, they are positive. By rejecting violence and politics, the Amish placed themselves outside the society of their time. Rejecting modern technology, they place themselves outside all civilization. But the refusal did not occur through cutting off, not through impoverishment, but through the preservation and strengthening of one’s own, built on different principles. Amish society is a living alternative society, the goal of which is not protest, but a full, friendly life. This is not paradise; in the everyday life of the Amish there is a lot of work, sometimes difficult (but not “work” for strangers). A hard, but at the same time more natural and joyful life than we are all familiar with. And let’s not forget about the closeness to nature, which may not be recognized by the Amish, but is beautifully visible to us from the outside. This is such an anachronism, from the point of view of the majority - stupid archaism that has no future, sectarian quirks. But look at the photographs of children playing, look at the pictures of everyday life ordinary people, not striving for the stars. Personally, I get the feeling that I’m in a fairy tale, and I become kindly envious. There are also disadvantages in Amish society, and we will talk about them later. But we simply must study such a unique society of people who consciously live differently from everyone else. If, of course, we want to understand ourselves better and see our possible future. To illustrate, it is an everyday parable, a story about tourists visiting the Amish. The story is taken from the Amish website (let me clarify: the websites are not made by the Amish themselves, but by their friends and well-wishers, so this is more of a website about the Amish).
“So let me tell you a story. Several years ago, a group of 52 people came by bus to see how the Amish lived. A meeting was arranged for them with an Amish man who answered their questions. The first question was, “What does it mean to be Amish?”
Amish thought for a moment and then he asked his own question. “Which of you has a TV in the house?” Fifty-two hands went up. “Now tell me, how many of you think that perhaps you would be better off without TV?” Again fifty-two hands went up. "OK. Now, how many of you are going to go home and get rid of the TV?” Not a single hand went up.
“Now I’ll tell you what it means to be Amish. In our church, if we see that it is harmful to our soul, we will do without it. And the rest of the world does not know what to do in this case. We believe that posing for photographs is part of a global misconception aimed at glorifying our bodies. The Bible tells us that inner man It has higher value. And facial features should not influence our attitude towards a person, their assessment. We are dust and to dust we will return. Why take pictures and decorate the walls of the clay house in which we live with photographs? Let us be careful not to exalt ourselves by becoming an idol.”
The ideas of the Amish not only lay at the origins of their society, but also continue to guide the thoughts of today's Amish who are trying to distinguish themselves from modern America, and thus with the modern civilized world as a whole.