You have to keep things in perspective.  There's a whole world of people out there living in primitive (to us) conditions, some living in despair.  The Amish are a good people for the most part, don't bother anyone and don't proselytize, that's thebiggest plus for me.  Some of the young leave the farm when they get old enough but most stay.  If they seem happy, they probably are.  They have frequent contact with the outside world and are not ignorant of it so I think most of them know what they are "missing" and probably don't.

Hey, Matt!  Didn't know you lived in PA.  I got tons of relatives there.  Know any Delaney's (including any of more than 10 variations on the spelling), Sharp's, Stuart's or Rush's?  My closest relatives live in Waynesburg, south of Pittsburgh.  Used to go to family reunions there every two years.  Better than going to the zoo! My relatives that is, not the general population.

Peppermint had the chance to rape me and blew it. Too bad for her.

Watch out for those militant Amish.

They may appear nice, peaceful and harmless, but the basis for their society is irrational. I don't like their pacifist additude. There does come a time when it is necessary to fight in war. They just leave it up to others to fight. If it were not for other Americans willing to fight and die to defend their freedom, they would have been exterminated by Nazis, Stalinists or Islamofascists.

Also, they don't have mandatory control over the size of families, so they use land and other resources that causes poverty, starvation for others. They don't develop technology that could improve the human condition and allow more people to live comfortable. So they are as much a part of the problems that cause war and poverty as anyone else, despite their attempt to appear otherwise.

I used to just think that they were an interesting oddity, causing no harm to anyone... If someone wants to live their life that backwards, why not?

But really they are a religious cult. What choice do their children really have? They are brainwashed from birth. It is worse than general religion because without technology or an adequate education what chance do they really have of breaking free?

I think it is shameful that the US government allows a religious cult to isolate and dictate the education of its children.

That probably comes under freedom of religion and the old having to respect it because its a religion. What crap,

Yeah, I agree with the obvious religious negative aspects of such Amish type separatist cults. Even their seemingly lack of "active" public pacifism participation against war etc seems a burden, .... but they do pay taxes.  On the positive side, is the seemingly lack of consumerism frenzy and over all calmness, and smaller environmental foot print.

 Basically I am guessing and romancing as I do .....  Umm, positives and negatives ??? Got more ? This is interesting .... and the earlier Eskimo folks fascinate me ! Live in ice house ! WOW, amazing,  .... Is "enjoy my wife", just folklore ??? Making the rounds in Alaska ! Hell , they don't call you the "fireman" there , do they !!!?

One for the adorning girls,  Firemen 2008 - George Strait 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWdpjqqwU-A

I recommend watching the movie The Devil's Playground, which is a documentary about rumspranga, which someone already mentioned.  Basically, Amish teenagers get to spend some time in the "the Devil's Playground" (which is what they call the outside, or "English" world) before they make the decision on whether or not they want to join the Amish church and way of life.

I appreciate the fact that they are anabaptists, so they don't assume their children will share their beliefs, although they do their damndest to ensure it.  I do not appreciate how outmoded their society is.  They're basically trapped somewhere in the 18th century: no electricity (that doc I mentioned has a scene with a boy in rumspranga playing a video game in his room with the help of a car battery); religion controls practically everything in your life; men are in charge, period.

Seriousness aside now, my favourite Amish joke:

Q: what goes "clop, clop, clop -- BANG -- clopitty clopitty clopitty"?

A: an Amish drive-by.

They practice something called bed-courtship among teenagers that basically lets them share a bed.  I don't know how much fooling around is expected/permitted, but the fact that they are expected to share a bed before marriage is rather different from some current beliefs.

Hi Peppermint,

Bulldog is right on the mark when he says the Amish are good people for the most part and that they don't proselytize. Also, they do have frequent contact with the outside world, contrary to popular belief, so they aren't completely ignorant of it.

On the other hand, EXC is correct when stating that the basis for their society is irrational and that they don't develop technology.... I would go a bit further and add that they don't appear to be interested in most modern technology. Additionally, there is indeed a time when, as Abe Lincoln is said to have purported, "the war is forced upon us".

Having experienced the Amish way, through my own visit to Southern Indiana,  I agree wholeheartedly with what you said about them not learning past the 8th grade and that science studies are essentially non-existent.

To answer your initial question, I'm ok with the Amish. For the most part.

And yup, I've laid out some serious dough for Amish crafted furniture so while I may not be much of an American tourist I can still wear the crazy badge with pride.

There is a guy who started out local and is now national known as "Raymond the Amish Comic." He's fucking hilarious. He was really raised Amish and left. I saw him in person about 12 years ago at the nearest comedy club. I'm too lazy right now but I'm sure you can find him with google.

I live in the other end of Pennsylvania.

I grew up fairly close by a major Amish ... town?  I'm not sure what the appropriate description of them would be.

My impression was mixed.  Some were very nice people; one of my relatives was good friends with some of the Amish who had an agreement of sorts: their Amish friends would show up at 4;30, 5am and cook in this persons kitchen.  Stove, microwave, blender, all the things they didn't have at home.  Clean up (very well) once they were done and slip out by 8am leaving nothing but a loaf or two of bread.  If you didn't get up before 8, you'd never know they were there (and possibly suspect my relatives of having a Magical Bread Faery.)

But there was also the ones that would beat their children sensless for mild infractions.  A man I was in class with had lost his right hand because his father had decided to "cure" him (he didn't know what was wrong) by occasionally making him leave his hand under the rocking chair.  They usually smelled very bad, and the stories of rape from the Amish women would take hours to listen to.  The police don't work with/in the Amish towns; and it usually requires serious allegations of murder before they'd consider trying to arrest anybody.

Some of them are nice people, but really, it is no longer the 17th century.  Advance or be considered what you are: barbaric.

My dad went to watchmaking school in Lancaster (he never finished - he went into the Navy before he completed it.) He said the Amish would always be trying to get refunds by taking them apart and puting dirt in. Apparently they aren't so honest. Many of them don't think much of us "English" (that's their word for non-Amish - sometimes they reserve it for non-Amish who are also not Pennsylvania Dutch - which would exempt me.)