Discuss. I have been reading up on them, and have started to understand them better. I can find no reason to degrade or otherwise piss on their parade. Anyone else have any thoughts on em?

There's a big Amish community in Ohio. They don't bother me, I don't bother them. Seems like a win-win to me. I work at a medical school, and we had a class a few months ago where they had some live patient demonstrations, and I think it was muscular dystrophy, but they had an Amish family that had four boys who all had it in varying degrees. They get a lot of that kind of stuff because of their inter-marriage.

Regarding their religion, IIRC, they don't believe in being born again, but believe that good works ensures one's entry into Heaven. I've heard worse philosophies, that's for sure.

Oh, and some Amish chicks are hot. Just sayin'.

they're nuts for the belief in god, BUT i admire the fact they leave people alone and want to be left alone. That alone means they're ok.

There are a lot of good things that the amish do, none of which should require magical thinking. You don't need to believe in a sky god or great spaghetti monster to value humility, calmness, family and community.


They often find themselves in conflict with the state over various social welfare policies, and the misconceptions of other religious groups (like the often cited amish sex crimes)

Most amish don't believe in education beyond the 8th grade, so many had to move to avoid state laws that forced children to be educated.

They don't believe in vaccination. Polio sucks, and large unvaccinated populations pose a risk to surrounding communities.

Very high incidence of genetic disorders due to intermarriage and a community that has been "closed" for 12 generations or more, and all can trace thier genetic past to less than 200 people.


The Amish make up only about 10 percent of the population in Geagua County in Ohio, but they’re half of the special needs cases. Three of the five Miller children, for example, have a mysterious crippling disease that has no name and no known cure. - 60 minutes


On top of that the community is intolerant. For example, when several school girls were shot to death, the community forgave the shooter. However, if a girl falls in love with an outsider, she will be shunned and forced out (excommunicated) from the community. Seems a little unreasonable.

The admirable practice of helping your neighbours build barns is often overshadowed by their refusal to use technology like lightning rods.

Posted by splumer Oh, and some Amish chicks are hot. Just sayin'.

It takes about ten generations of careful inbree ...selective marriage to produce such lovely, wholesome, fresh-faced daughters. And sons. Ten generations. The Mormons can do it in five, but they're weirdly aggressive in their approach.

I like the Amish because they're generally decent folk.

And a lot of them have cool beards.

The later editions now wave!

Posted by KublaKhan It takes about ten generations of careful inbree ...selective marriage to produce such lovely, wholesome, fresh-faced daughters. And sons. Ten generations. The Mormons can do it in five, but they're weirdly aggressive in their approach. I like the Amish because they're generally decent folk.

We were camping at a state park in Amish country years ago, and in the shower house I saw an Amish dude without his shirt. I have never seen a dude so ripped in my life. And you know that was all from hard work and not working out at a gym.

The admirable practice of helping your neighbours build barns is often overshadowed by their refusal to use technology like lightning rods.

Or zippers. I can see the shunning technology thing, but not using lightning rods is just stupid. Unless they really dig building barns. I wonder how they decide what technology to use and what not to? Is there a certain year cutoff date they use? As in, nothing invented after this date? Or is it more like the work-avoidance devices that Hasidic Jews use?

I keep looking into them, from what I understand they do not do Baptism at birth, but wait till they are in their late teens to let them decide if this is a life they want. I do like that. And from what I understand, they keep religion OUT of their teachings in school. They also keep Science out, from what I have read due to it "altering" the building blocks God put in place. I do like how they act and behave. I have only met a few, and the few I met were very decent folk. Not preachy at all. I wish mainstream Christianity would adapt more of the Amish folks ways honesty, I feel like a Amish who likes Gasoline

Posted by tekriter Very high incidence of genetic disorders due to intermarriage and a community that has been "closed" for 12 generations or more, and all can trace thier genetic past to less than 200 people.

Yeah, I think they recognize that problem now had I heard they have been trying to mix it up in terms of marriages between the two big groups of Amish in Lancaster and Ohio as well as the smaller clusters of them.

Posted by tekriter On top of that the community is intolerant. For example, when several school girls were shot to death, the community forgave the shooter. However, if a girl falls in love with an outsider, she will be shunned and forced out (excommunicated) from the community. Seems a little unreasonable.

Not necessarily. It depends on the particular community and family and circumstances. For example, I believe if the outsider commits to fully convert to the Amish life style he can. Also, I saw in a documentary some Amish who decided not to return from Rumspringa and were technically excommunicated still maintained contact with their families, etc.

Posted by tekriter The admirable practice of helping your neighbours build barns is often overshadowed by their refusal to use technology like lightning rods.

Those crazy bastards wont use bikes either. My bike repair guy told me some Amish kids brought in a bike his brothers have apparently been hiding for years for fear their parents will find it.


The Amish, like everyone else, are also full of shit I find. Where they wont use a car its okay if you give them a ride. And they can't use a phone, but its okay to have a phone at their shop, because its business and not their home. Or the strangest thing I find is that many own cell phones because by their logic because its not connected via a wire its more acceptable, despite being much newer technology. The Amish at volunteer fire company also hang out to watch TV, play Xbox, and use the computer.

Posted by Soldat222 Those crazy bastards wont use bikes either. My bike repair guy told me some Amish kids brought in a bike his brothers have apparently been hiding for years for fear their parents will find it.

On that same camping trip I saw Amish kids on bikes. They were old ones, though. Maybe they just have to use old-school bikes and not high-tech ones with shock forks and stuff.

Posted by splumer On that same camping trip I saw Amish kids on bikes. They were old ones, though. Maybe they just have to use old-school bikes and not high-tech ones with shock forks and stuff.

Its apparently the chain driven nature of it they disagree with and possibly rubber tires, the kids bike had no tires.

You sure they weren't menonnites? They look alot alike but the mennonites use more modern stuff.

Or could just be a strictness of the family thing, you never know.

Posted by Soldat222 Its apparently the chain driven nature of it they disagree with and possibly rubber tires, the kids bike had no tires. You sure they weren't menonnites? They look alot alike but the mennonites use more modern stuff. Or could just be a strictness of the family thing, you never know.

Could be. It was many years ago.

Posted by splumer We were camping at a state park in Amish country years ago, and in the shower house I saw an Amish dude without his shirt. I have never seen a dude so ripped in my life. And you know that was all from hard work and not working out at a gym.

And what...? You found it strangely arousing? I know. There's nothing quite like seeing ripped, pious, Godly flesh, and flesh made so by devotion to hard, physical work, prayer, community. Amish boys are hawt.

Posted by jeepdave I keep looking into them, from what I understand they do not do Baptism at birth, but wait till they are in their late teens to let them decide if this is a life they want. I do like that.

Yes. There's a period in the Amish teen's life where they are free to go out and experience 'life on the outside.' Totally free to drink, fuck, party, whatever. No moralizing from the parents, or the community elders. The kids go out and have a great fucking time. And then they come to their senses and go back to the farm.