20 Most Asked Questions about the Amish and Mennonites

By Merle Good and Phyllis Good

Sensitively answers the most common inquiries about Amish and Mennonite peoples. Authoritative, sympathetic, and thorough. 20 Most Asked Questions looks at origins, dress, pacifism, education, weddings, funerals, and food, as well as many other facets of Amish and Mennonite life. This book has sold more than 200,000 copies.

1. What is the difference between the Amish and the Mennonites?
2. When and how did these people get started?
3. Are they a Christian group or do they represent a different religion?
4. Aren’t they a bit naive and backward? Why don’t they accept modern things?
5. Does anyone ever join them? Does anyone ever leave?
6. Why do they dress that way?
7. Is it true they don’t go to war?
8. Why are they against education?
9. Why are they such good farmers?
10. Why don’t they pay Social Security taxes?
11. Do any of the Amish or Mennonite groups believe in missions?
12. What are their weddings like?
13. How are their women and children treated?
14. Is food a part of their religion?
15. Do they go to doctors and hospitals?
16. What about burial?
17. Don’t they believe in having fun?
18. What are some of their problems?
19. Are they growing or dying in number?
20. What, in fact, holds them together?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Good Books
• Release date: Nov 25, 2001
• ISBN: 9781680992182

Merle Good

Merle Good has written numerous books and articles about the Amish. Good is the founder of the publishing house Good Books. He is a playwright and novelist and lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. P. Buckley Moss (Pat) first met the Amish in 1965 when she and her family moved to Waynesboro in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Admiring the family values and work ethic of her new neighbors, Pat began to include the Amish in many of her paintings. She lives in Mathews, Virginia.

Book preview

Cover Page of 20 Most Asked Questions about the Amish and MennonitesTitle Page of 20 Most Asked Questions about the Amish and Mennonites

Copyright © 1979, 1995, 2015 by Good Books Revised edition 1995

Acknowledgements

Statistics in Chapter 19 courtesy of Mennonite World Conference, Kitchener, Ontario; The Mennonite Yearbook 1995 (Mennonite Publishing House); and Stephen Scott, researcher for The People’s Place.

Photograph Credits

Front and back covers, Burton Buller; Daniel Price, 5; Burton Buller, 6 (right), 35, 85; Kenneth Pellman, 6 (left), 15 (bottom right), 57 (left), 76; Beth Oberholtzer, 7, 27 (both), 63, 67 (bottom); J.D. Stahl, 8 (both), 23; Jan Gleysteen, 11; Ed Huddle, 12; Merle Good, 15 (bottom left), 49, 75 (all), 81; Hutchinson News, 15 (top); Perry Cragg, 19 (top), 55; Fred Wilson, 19 (bottom), 40 (right), 65; Glenn Linscheid, 21; Peter Zimberg, 25, 72; Loris Habeggar collection, 29; Shawn Perry NISBCO, 31; Eastern Mennonite Board of Missions, 33; Dawn Ranck, 36; Richard Reinhold, 39, 51, 57 (right), 68, 71 (both); Geauga Times Leader, 40; Wide World Photos, 43; Kevin Shank, 45; Greg Bowman, 47; David Fretz, 53; David Hunsberger, 59; Mennonite Central Committee, 60 (right); Ray Yovanovich, 86; Jonathan Charles, 96

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Good Books, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

Good Books books may be purchased in bulk at special discounts for sales promotion, corporate gifts, fund-raising, or educational purposes. Special editions can also be created to specifications. For details, contact the Special Sales Department, Good Books, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018 or [e-mail].

Good Books is an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.®, a Delaware corporation.

Visit our website at www.goodbooks.com.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

Design by Dawn J. Ranck

20 MOST ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE AMISH AND MENNONITES ISBN: 978-1-56148-185-9

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 95-37851

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Good, Merle, 1946-

20 most asked questions about the Amish and Mennonites / Merle and Phyllis Good. -- Rev. ed.

p. cm. -- (People’s Place book : no. 1)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN: 1-56148-185-8

1. Amish-Miscellanea. 2. Mennonites-Miscellanea. I. Good, Phyllis Pellman, 1948-. II. Title. III. Series: People’s Place booklet; no. 1.

E184.M45G66 1995

305.6’87-dc20

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

  1.   What is the difference between the Amish and the Mennonites?

  2.   When and how did these people get started?

  3.   Are they a Christian group or do they represent a different religion?

  4.   Aren’t they a bit naive and backward? Why don’t they accept modern things?

  5.   Does anyone ever join them? Does anyone ever leave?

  6.   Why do they dress that way?

  7.   Is it true they don’t go to war?

  8.   Why are they against education?

  9.   Why are they such good farmers?

10.   Why don’t they pay Social Security taxes?

11.   Do any of the Amish or Mennonite groups believe in missions?

12.   What are their weddings like?

13.   How are their women and children treated?

14.   Is food a part of their religion?

15.   Do they go to doctors and hospitals?

16.   What about burial?

17.   Don’t they believe in having fun?

18.   What are some of their problems?

19.   Are they growing or dying in number?

20.   What, in fact, holds them together?

Glossary

Bibliography

Index

About the Authors

1.

What is the difference between the Amish and the Mennonites?

Anyone who tries to answer this question in one simple sentence is either naive or purposefully unkind.

Which of us would want our lives summed up in one sweeping statement? Yet many of us demand this of other people’s lives.

The danger of generalizations

As authors, we must declare ourselves on the very first pages of this book. It is impossible to interpret the lives of a people—any people—in one or two quick sentences. It seems a violent act.

When a people become the object of curiosity and tourism as the Amish and the Mennonites have in various parts of North America, a lot of shallow, fast-buck, one-line interpretations appear.

There are dozens of varieties among the Amish and Mennonite groups around the world. Words like always and never seldom apply in describing the whole Mennonite-Amish family. On most of the topics we will cover in this book, there are many shades of belief and practice among our various groups.

There are dozens of Amish and Mennonite groups around the world, each with specific practices and beliefs. It is impossible to summarize these peoples’ lives in one short sentence.

One issue which many of the groups approach differently is transportation. Old Order Amish buggies (center) in Lancaster County have grey tops. But Amish buggies vary in other communities across North America, both in shape and color. Some groups who drive cars illustrate separation from worldliness by painting the chrome on their cars black (left photo). The photo on the right pictures a row of Old Order Mennonite buggies which have black tops.

Our purpose is to qualify generalizations while being as specific as possible. This can be frustrating. We will use the words most and some and seldom a great deal. Many readers will