Random Fascinating Facts About Amish Beliefs and Culture (21 items)

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  (#9) The Amish Don't Evangelize

  Differing from many other religions, most Amish don't make any efforts to boost membership of their religion. They prefer to stay a closed society, and focus on improving life in the community. Not only do Amish not actively recruit, their rigid lifestyle makes joining relatively prohibitive.

  The Amish don't deny those who wish to join their ranks, but learning Pennsylvania Dutch and giving up all technology are often hurdles that few choose to cross.
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  (#16) The Amish Drive Buggies, But May Call A Taxi If Necessary

  Buggies are perhaps the most iconic Amish accouterment. A horse and buggy is a stark symbol of their commitment to living sans technology. The Ordnung outlines specifics of buggy design, with the color of the buggy's roof often indicating the Amish community to which the owner belongs. 

  Despite being forbidden to drive cars, the Amish aren't forbidden from riding in them. They are allowed to, and often do, accept rides, even sometimes hiring chauffeurs to do what they can't. 
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  (#17) Women Are Expected To Be Subservient

  Because of their conservative, biblically motivated views, the Amish have specific expectations regarding how women should behave within their society. When at home, husbands and wives can create whatever power dynamic best serves their household. In public, however, a wife is always expected to defer to her husband in order to maintain an image of subservience. She is also prohibited from participating in any position of church leadership.

  Traditionally, the roles of an Amish women are wife and mother, and her job is to maintain her home. Some Amish women, especially those who are young and single, do choose to venture out of the house and into the work force. Common jobs for women include helping with their family's business, teaching, waitressing at Amish restaurants, quilting, and sewing.
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  (#1) The Amish Have A Lot Of Babies

  Inspired by the Bible's call to "be fruitful and multiply," the Amish typically abstain from birth control, leading to a rapidly increasing population. With most Amish families in the U.S. averaging 6 or 7 children, the group's numbers have increased from approximately 180,000 in 2000 to nearly 320,000 in 2017.

  Unfortunately, some of these births are plagued by genetic defects. As a closed society, most Amish and Mennonite people are descendants of the original 200 families that first settled in America. Due to this limited gene pool, recessive genes linked to birth defects are frequently present in both parents of a given family, thus allowing the defects to be passed down.
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  (#13) Photographs Are Looked Down Upon As "Graven Images"

  Despite opening their communities to tourists for financial gain, you'll often see signs prohibiting photographs during a trip to an Amish village. That's because the Amish look down on photography, and often decline having their picture taken. They believe the practice contradicts the biblical notions of humility and idol worship.

  Many Amish make a distinction between naturalistic images/videos, in which they are photographed candidly within their environment, and posed photographs. Most Amish don't approve of posed images, going so far as to receive their government identification cards without a picture.
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  (#18) They Prefer Plain, Sensible Clothing

  The clothing of the Amish, while plain, boldly advertises their traditions, identities, and values. They prefer their garments to be simple, standard, and practical in order to promote their beliefs of uniformity, humility, and community. 

  For men, no pockets, zippers, or belts are allowed. They also reject buttons and collars due to their perceived resemblance to military uniforms. They must always have on either a straw hat or a formal black felt hat. 

  For women, the closet holds only four dresses: "One for wash, one for wear, one for dress, and one for spare." Each of these is long and patternless. To church, single women wear a white apron and cape, while married women wear a black apron and cape. They also must keep their heads covered by prayer caps at all times.

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