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October 10, 2006
Learning From the Amish
by Westmoreland-White
The Amish are not “progressive Christians.” They are patriarchal, having clearing subordinate roles for women. They hold to very traditional sexual mores. They have never heard of historical criticism, process metaphysics, liberation theologies, de-mythologization, quests for the “historical Jesus,” or debates over inclusive language for either humans or God. But I suggest that all Christians, progressive or otherwise, can learn much from the Amish, especially this week.
Who are the Amish? Contrary to media reports, they are not a cult, nor a “secretive sect.” Like the Mennonites to whom they are most closely related, the Amish are descendants of the 16th C. Anabaptist movement during the Radical Reformation. The Anabaptists (or most groups of Anabaptists) shared the orthodox Trinitarian faith of the “Great Tradition” of the early church, and the Reformation emphasis on salvation by faith alone and on the supremacy of biblical authority over earthly traditions, no matter how exalted. But, unlike the Magisterial Reformers (Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, etc.), the Anabaptists rejected all violence, returning to the pacifism of the New Testament and the pre-Constantinian Church. They rejected infant baptism and held to the baptism of believers only as a sign of a radical commitment to personal discipleship. They rejected the swearing of oaths and believed that Christians could hold no government office that would involve the taking of human life. They also believed in living simply (against worldly materialism and the accumulation of wealth) and sharing widely, although only the Hutterites (found mostly in Moravia and then in isolated communities in North and South America) practiced complete community of goods, patterned after the Jerusalem church in Acts 2. The Anabaptists, themselves nonviolent and quick to practice forgiveness, were the object of severe persecution in Europe by both Protestants (who regularly drowned them in mockery of their belief in adult baptism) and Catholics (who preferred burning them at the stake). The origins of the modern belief in religious liberty comes from the Anabaptist insistence that faith be transmitted only by evangelism and no form of coercion, especially no state coercion.
Jacob Amann (c. 1656-c.1730) became convinced that many Mennonites were being lax in church discipline, particularly the practice of “shunning” persons who had been placed under the “ban,” (i.e., excommunicated) until they had repented and been accepted back into the community. He thought the Mennonites were becoming too worldly. So, he started a reform movement among them that emphasized strict separation from the world. The Amish emphasize three verses justifying the separation of believers and unbelievers: 2 Cor. 6:14, “Be ye not yoked with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?;” 2 Cor. 6:17, “Come ye out from among them and be ye separate saith the LORD;” Rom. 12:2, “And be ye not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.” Thus, the Amish prefer minimal contact with non-Amish, although as farmland prices have increased, they have been forced by circumstances to deal more and more with outsiders. Jacob Amann insisted on a very strict interpretation of the ban, so that even family members could not share table with a banned member and even spouses could not have marital relations until repentance and the lifting of the ban. (By contrast, Mennonites and most other Anabaptist groups not only use the ban only for extreme violations, but also make the separation only in personal dealings and in church matters, not in economic transactions, and family members are not forced to “shun” the banned member.)
The Amish came to Canada and the U.S. beginning in the 18th C., but most came in the 19th C., attracted by religious liberty and by plenteous farmland. The majority of the Amish became farmers not because of religious reasons, but because self-sufficient farms were the best way to practice separation and simplicity. Different Amish communities have differing standards of strictness about how much modern technology or non-Amish practices to allow. But all Amish communities maintain the New Testament practices of nonviolence and love of enemies.
The shooting of the little girls in the Amish schoolhouse in Nickel Mines, Lancaster Co, PA is an incredible tragedy. It is as traumatic as any of the other many school shootings in the U.S.—200 since Columbine. But the Amish have not lashed out in anger. Even in the midst of their grief (heightened by the media frenzy for a people who generally avoid cameras), they have practiced enemy love and forgiveness. The Amish community have already gone to the family of the gunman who committed this multiple murder and suicide and offered their forgiveness and their solidarity in the grief of the murderer’s family. They did not respond with revenge, but love and forgiveness. When the non-Amish of Lancaster County set up a fund for the victims (the Amish do not have insurance), the Nickel Mines Amish, especially the families of the victims, insisted that they could accept such generosity only if another fund were set up for the family of the gunman. The people of Lancaster County have complied.
Our society is riddled with what New Testament theologian Walter Wink calls “the myth of redemptive violence.” It is in our cartoons, our TV programming, our movies. To defeat violent evil, we are told repeatedly, the righteous must use greater violence—the same means but aimed toward a different end. Forgiveness and love, we are told, is impractical. The only good response to an attack is revenge, creating a spiral of violence. We have seen this in spades with the U.S. response to 9/11.
The Amish point to a different way—the way of Jesus. Progressive or not, that’s the way for me.
Posted by Westmoreland-White at October 10, 2006 10:04 AM
Comments
Thank you for this very good article!
Charles Carl Roberts may have died but Ed Gingerich, the first Amish man convicted of murder, didn't. In that case the Amish community, including his father, sent a letter bemoaning the short prison sentence and wishing that Gingerich be kept in a mental hospital.
The Amish teen Mary Byler sought to protect her young sister from experiencing what she went through- unending rape since the age of 4- by appealing to the police for help. The Amish were more than willing to offer repeat redemptive justice to these rapists but were far less generous to Mary Byler.
Keep up the great blog!
Posted by: Johnny at October 11, 2006 02:38 AM
I admire the Amish very much for their non-violence and simplicity of life. Indeed, their attempts to avoid materialism are a crucially important part of trying to live non-violently. However, their withdraw from the world has made it hard to make their way of life applicable as a lesson to those of us who believe that Christians have a mission out IN the world. They've fallen behind on ethical and theological advancements, especially in regard to gender and sexuality.
Another great example to look at are the Quakers, who practice non-violence and who also actively work in the world to end the injustices that cause a great amount of violence. They founded organizations like Amnesty International and OxFam, active engage social issues in their own communities, developing the consensus based desicion making practices that are becoming more and more popular in organizations, and so forth. While the Amish responce to shootings in their school is note-worthy, there are better and more practical examples of Christian behavior to model in our own lives.
Posted by: john g at October 11, 2006 10:29 AM
The articles I've read on the Anabaptists indicated that the persecution was initially started because of their rejection of forced conversions. Indeed, one book I read indicated that Luther and the others had little problem with the rest of the Anabaptist beliefs, but became outraged when they referred to forced conversions as sin.
Posted by: Bob Bowers at October 23, 2006 02:48 AM
I found out this week that a good friend of mine at school is a Quaker. We actually have a lot in common!!!
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What magnificiant people the Amish show themselves. With 75 attending the murder's funeral as their own children awaited burial or were in the hospital. Forgiving and donating money to the widow, children and parents of the murderer. I am an athiest myself, but when I see this sort of example it definitely gives me pause. More of this I think I likely would become a believer just bases on faith such as this.
Posted by: Ron at October 1, 2007 10:21 PM
Whanted to comment on another thing. Except for the demise of Indians in the Americas, mostly by disease, Christians have killed more among their own ranks than among the pagans. Ironic that Christians are so divined among themselves and under the least of things. As I said I am an athiest. As such I see poor example in Christian and Islam in general. More to such as Hindi and Buddhism. But those simply make no sense to me. Overall, Christians and Muslims show such bad examples but there are many good sects as well as individuals. One point to consider is I am grinning when I see a car speed past me with a Christian bumper sticker or church identifying decal. 85 in a 65, now that represents your agenda to people like me. I remain unimpressed with most Christians. Just because I am an athiest does not imply that I am not looking for a reason to believe and observing for the examples to be followed.
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