Amish Religion

Can being Christian make a difference in the world? If everyone could forgive, and not act out grudges or vengeance, our world would improve dramatically. Did the Amish forgiveness and kindness to Robert's family impact you? Here is how it impacted her:

Our family wants each of you to know that we are overwhelmed by the forgiveness, grace, and mercy that you've extended to us. Your love for our family has helped to provide the healing we so desperately need. The prayers, flowers, cards, and gifts you've given have touched our hearts in a way no words can describe. Your compassion has reached beyond our family, beyond our community, and is changing our world, and for this we sincerely thank you.

Please know that our hearts have been broken by all that has happened. We are filled with sorrow for all of our Amish neighbors whom we have loved and continue to love. We know that there are many hard days ahead for all the families who lost loved ones, and so we will continue to put our hope and trust in the God of all comfort, as we all seek to rebuild our lives.

The Amish believe:

1. In the Trinity(3 persons in One Divine Being)
2. In the Virgin Birth of Jesus.
3. The Incarnation of God in the man Jesus.
4. The sinless life of Jesus.
5. The crucifixion and death of Jesus.
6. The resurrection of Jesus on the third day.
7. The ascension of Jesus into Heaven.
8. Jesus' sacrifice brought atonement for sins.
9. The soul lives on after the body dies.
10.The soul is judged on the conduct of their lives, the integrity in which they've been lived, and either go to heaven or are punished in hell.
11.Holy Scripture is inerrant and infallible. It is to be interpreted literally whenever possible. While written by men, those men were inspired by God and thus must be believed and followed.
12. Salvation is a pure gift from God and occurs through God's grace. It is not guaranteed and can be lost through ungodly living and sin.
13. Satan is a true living person. He is the personification of living evil and affects and corrupts humanity and their endeavors.
14. Each person must choose baptism as an adult. Children are to be raised to adhere to faith in God and in Jesus, and taught how to live a Godly and committed life, but at the age of 16 they are adults, and must choose to do so for themselves. That baptism is a profound commitment that guides their entire life and all their decisions.
15. In authority and responsibility.

The Amish, and Mennonites everywhere, highly value the American way of separation of Church and State. They are no strangers to government impingement on their rights, and have had to seek redress in the courts. This difficulty continues even now, where RFID chips threaten to eliminate the very way of life the Amish have been peacefully living.

Like other Christians, the Amish believe that their salvation is an unearned, unmerited gift from God. Specifically the Amish believe that the everyday walk demonstrates whether we cooperate with that gift or reject it. They do not preach a 'prosperity gospel' or a warm fuzzy version of the Christian life. It is extremely practical and effective.

Amish devotion to and belief in God is much more than 'mental agreement' or emotional experiences. While those things have their place, the Amish expect that a Godly life is LIVED everyday, that one guides their lives and decisions, and gauges personal responsibility, by doing the things scripture tells us to do. Once saved, always saved, is a perspective that the Amish consider prideful. One can NEVER assume their salvation. Pride always is a grave sin against God and must be rooted out of one's life. 'Once saved, always saved' is a hook used by the devil to allow pride to interfere with true salvation and deceive and mislead people from the true, narrow path.

For example, Scripture tells us to 'be no part of the world so you do not share in her sins.'

Following just this ONE COMMAND has kept the Amish Christian distinctive from all of society, a claim few other Christians can make.

The Amish religious lineage is traced to the Reformation, specifically from Grossmunster, Zurich, Switzerland.

In sixteenth century Europe, the Protestant (protesters) Reformation, for political, theological and social reasons, broke away from the ancient church, forming a shortened and simplified Christianity based on 'solo scriptura'- scripture alone (a new concept added to scripture by Martin Luther, and NEVER taught in the historic church). A Catholic Monk, Martin Luther(Lutheran Church), angry with indulgences being misused in the Catholic Church, and personally frustrated with personal sin, nailed a long list of complaints (theses)to the door of the Catholic Church. This was an astonishing act of rebellion, and quickly adopted as a 'cause' during all kinds of other social/political upheavals. Luther was contemporary to a man named Ulrich Zwingli, a preacher in Grossmunster Church, pictured here.

The Main Reason: While the Lutheran Church believes itself to remain part of the historical Christian (catholic) line, Ulrich Zwingli advocated a COMPLETELY NEW Christian Order. Anabaptists separated themselves from the Church AND the protesters, because they believed that it was adults who would determine their own conversion and commitment, so that they should be baptised over again. This view made the sacrament of baptism symbolic, not effective, something neither the Church nor its protestors could tolerate or accept. Zwingli's group- "the brethren" found themselves viciously persecuted.

Given the brethren's experiences during the social upheavals that brought revolution, and the splitting of the church with it, they separated themselves as completely as possible from both church and State.

The Amish, and the christian lines which preceded them historically, are thus NOT descended from either Roman Catholic or Protestant traditions, but represented an entirely new third way of worship, interpretation of scripture, community and order of life.

They have maintained enough basic Christian theological beliefs to continue to be Christian, a danger that not every sect has avoided.

The Amish founder's name was Jacob Amman, but overall the group is a branch from the Swiss Mennonites. Amman,born in Switzerland,ended up becoming an important leader for the Alsace Anabaptist community. In the Netherlands an important leader was Menno Simons, which gave the Swiss group the name 'Mennonites.'

The Amish division among Anabaptists occurred because Amman proposed that church congregations commune together twice a year rather than once, as was being practiced. Amman then moved on to the topic of social avoidance, or Meidung. While the Swiss Anabaptists followed the Schleiteim Articles of Faith by practicing excommunication, Alsatians, in addition to excommunication, also practiced Meidung and the washing of feet. Amman thought all anabaptists should observe both. After several meetings, there was no agreement with his proposals. Amman excommunicated the Swiss Ministers. The Alsatian congregation formed a new religious division known as the Amish under the leadership of Jacob Amman.

The Swiss ministers then became known as Mennonites. They all suffered severe persectution because of the new approach and theology, so the Amish immigrated to Pennsylvania- a haven for persecuted religions. Amish immigration in the 18th century mainly occurred between 1727 & 1770. The Charming Nancy, the primary Amish immigration ship, docked in Philadelphia in 1737. Amish groups settled in Lancaster county. During the 19th century, more divisions occurred the interpretation of The Ordnung, the common order of life for the Amish. Separations occurred between 'conservative' and 'progressive'factions. To conservatives, the Ordnung "gave physical expression to biblical teachings and virtues". To progressives, teachings and virtues could be expressed in other ways as well. "Old Order Amish" and "Amish Mennonite" came to be used to distinguish between the conservative Amish and Progressive.

I've been getting many questions about Amish funerals, given the terrible situation that has arisen.

The Amish worship in their homes, moving weekly from home to home. They don't(for the most part) use church buildings. The schoolhouse is their only public community building. Funerals take place in the deceased's home, as they have for centuries. There is no embalming. The body is washed and dressed for burial, girls laid out in white dresses and a cloak made by their families with a white prayer bonnet, and placed in a home-made coffin. The Amish build simple wooden caskets - narrow at the head and feet and wider in the middle Viewings occur in the home almost immediately after the bodies arrive and are washed and dressed. At the worship service there is a great deal of prayer, and the bishop gives his according to the tenets of their faith and the hope they have. Services typically last about two hours. Then mourners travel in horse-drawn buggies to a cemetery for a short graveside service.

The community provides food and work around the home to assist the family left behind. It is their belief that the deceased are better off with God. The Amish also accept that it was within God's will for the death to occur, and it is important for the living to accept God's Will. This is not fatalist, but hopeful and it is part of the humility they practice. Funerals are their most important sacred event, for they are sending a loved one directly to God. The day of death of any person finalizes the sum of good works and love of God that go with them, or the lack of both.

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