Uncovering the Amish

...

It is also looked down upon to use cellphones. When tourists come to the area, they are fascinated by the old world culture of this community and don’t understand how anyone could live without a cell phone or way to communicate. The Amish are very good at hiding it, but they do use cellphones. To test how many Amish really do violate this enforced law, I headed to the mall to observe how many Amish people I could see using cell phones. After sitting in the main lobby for an hour, I viewed twenty Amish people and fourteen of them were seen using a cell phone. This shows that their old world ways aren’t as true as everyone believes. When the world around them is evolving and changing, the use of technology is needed.

It is also know that they are not able to have electricity or plumbing in their house. It is seen as too worldly and unneeded. My neighbors are Amish and I have been over to their house multiple times and have seen indoor plumbing and electricity. I wondered if this was just something that only one family violated. I decided that I would drive around at night and see the number of houses that had indoor lighting. It is easy to spot an Amish house compared to a regular house because Amish must hang green curtains in their window. After driving by thirty Amish Farm houses, twenty-three of them had light bulbs. In all of the houses that tourists are able to tour, they used gas lamps to make them believe that they don’t use electricity. However, most of the houses do indeed use electricity.

Buggies are the only way that the Amish get around. Or at least that’s what they want you to believe. When driving down the streets of Lancaster, it’s common to see up to thirty Amish buggies. They line the streets causing a delay in anyone’s commute. Some would question the need for this old time tradition, but not all of them actually follow it. Although they try to hide it, there have been multiple occasions while driving where I have seen an Amish man in the drivers seat. They try to distance themselves from the modern world, but there are many ways in which they are the same. Driving cars is one of them. It’s a modern convenience that is very hard to live without.

Something that not everyone knows about the culture is called a rumspringa. At the age of sixteen, the Amish boy or girl is technically not a part of the church yet but they are no longer under the control of their parents. For one year, they are able to experiment with worldly things such as going to the movies or buying a car. They are able to do anything they want and, for the year, do not have to be associated with the religion at all. This is their time to decide which life they would like to live. After the year is up, they have to decide if they want to be baptized into the church or leave the religion all together.

All of these common traditions that people believe in are really just a cover up. When you actually live in the middle of the Amish, you see that they are really just like us. They use all of the modern conveniences that we do but try to cover it up. They want everyone to believe that they are good and following the laws of God, but with the world changing around them, it’s hard for them not to want to change their ways too. A cell phone makes communication so much easier and a car is faster than a buggy any day. Now instead of going to an outhouse they can use their indoor plumbing. I feel as though the whole idea of the Amish is merely an act to get money from all the tourists that are amazed by their old world culture. The Amish Culture isn’t old world or different from us, it’s equal.

Work Cited

"Amish 101 - Amish Culture, Beliefs & Lifestyle." About.com Pittsburgh. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2013.

"National Geographic Society." National Geographic Channel. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2013.

"Pennsylvania Amish History & Beliefs." PA Dutch Visitors Bureau. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2013.

"What Drives The Amish Culture?" Understanding The Amish Culture. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2013.

"What Is Rumspringa?" WiseGEEK. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2013.

"What Is the Amish Ordnung?" Amish America What Is the Amish Ordnung Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2013.