Anyone who has thought about or contemplated Amish ways will know very quickly that the Amish are all about structure. That is, structure and organization with fine lines. Boundaries. Ways to go about things. And assuredly, driving in further, it will be seen that they do not even agree on all of those. That’s what constitutes the different sects within the group as a whole, the group we just casually label as ‘Amish.’ These beliefs are in accordance with each subgroups personal beliefs, kind of like English church going, though at the same time, quite different. Overall, the Amish are organized very similarly looking at it from a ‘big picture’ perspective.

       Why do the lines exist? Interestingly, I think if we were to ask random Amish people that, a lot of them would probably admit they don’t exactly know. Ah, traditions. A clear cut answer as to why this is done or that is done may not be something that is easily understood and brought to mind. Like, the lack of the use of buttons on clothing. Why don’t they use buttons? If I were to guess, I’d say it’s probably because it would be considered too close to the world’s ways. Or, why are the men’s hats prescribed to certain measurements? Why do have to be designed and cut a certain way? Why not rubber on the buggy wheels in certain districts? How come certain groups only have ‘white’ houses and others can have different colors? Don’t the English have white houses?

       Some things are clear cut, however, I think, from their perspective. The lack of watching television. They don’t want that influence from the world (i.e. advertisements). They don’t want temptation to sin. They don’t care for their people to sit around staring at a flat screen. Certainly there are other reasons. Or, consider the telephone which is allowed. It has to be inconvenient for one. And, it is only to be used when absolutely necessary. It’s not to be used for general conversational purposes. That’s because they desire to retain those face-to-face interactions, right? Those conversations that occur in person. The English has moved away from that. Yeah, the English talk on the phone for a long time, and then they act like something good has been accomplished. (And in all fairness, I think a lot of times something has. I enjoy phone conversations personally). But, we don’t want to neglect those in-person meetings by any chance.

       So, the biggest picture then is the community as a whole, and the preservation of that community. This is a basic, core fundamental goal. We could also say it’s preservation of the church as a whole for the Amish because really, they are one and the same, at least when people join and stay. I guess technically the kids aren’t part of the church, though they go to church growing up. So, you have the community as a whole, which includes even the unbaptized ‘Amish’ people. Then you have the church, which includes those who are baptized. Both groups are made up of individuals and families. And I think things are geared for obedience to God, as they see it, and undeniably for the preservation of the family. It’s a pro-family environment in that the model of the family is held in high-regard. That’s a beautiful thing.

       Then comes the problem of the breakup of the family in the English world, which the Amish protect themselves from. They do not allow divorce. As a matter of fact, it’s like it’s not even in their vocabulary. I don’t think they could even consider it except in an extreme situation, and even then, the couple probably wouldn’t technically divorce but rather just separate. Of course, I suppose one the partners could leave the faith, probably more commonly the man (that comes to mind as more likely). And that would be a ‘divorce’ I guess we would say. It’s a great core value of the plain people. They stay committed for life, and this no matter what. Some English wouldn’t want or like such a setup. They would wish to be ‘free’ agents. Though, personally, the people I’ve met who are like this don’t ever seem to be all that happy. They seem like they’re always searching for happiness somewhere in the future.

       The English sometimes like to mix things up, and not only in relationships, but in a much more general view, living life as a whole. Has this crept into Amish life? I think to some degree by observation. I would say that staying too busy all the time can lead to too much running around from this to that. The Amish seem to pride themselves on staying really busy. I personally do not think that’s a good thing. That would be an area where I would tell them to be careful. Busyness is good, but not being so busy that one becomes a slave to their own schedule. You know this is the case when dread starts to set-in, and lack of enjoyment, and feeling exhausted all the time (that’s been my experience). It’s important to take time to rest, even to schedule it.

       So, in all this the Amish find themselves as witnesses to the world—they are letting their light shine. At least, that’s their goal. Their preservation of their community and church are unlike anything seen in most other places. There are perhaps only a couple other groups that compare—like the Hutterites or even the Hasidic Jews. It is their separation from the rest of the world that makes them distinct. From the clothing to the buggies, just about everything is designed to make them appear separate. Well, that’s one of the purposes. To be sure, these differences might seem foolish or hypocritical to others. They might seem foolish for the very question of “Why?” Why live like they do, in a seeming comparably suffering state, and pass on all the comforts and luxuries of life? And then hypocritical because often some of the practices, on first glance anyway or on a surface glance, don’t seem like they make much sense.

       Let us take, for example, the wearing of the head-covering by the women. Some English folk, even church-going ones, might see that as burdensome. But we know the Amish do it because they want to be as obedient to Scripture as they feel possible. Certainly, compared to the English, they feel they are probably most obedient in this endeavor. And, understandably so, because many English Christian woman do not wear head coverings. Many Mennonite women do, but the Amish would criticize them for allowing their head-coverings to get too liberal—too small in many cases. Watered down. “What’s the point?” they might ask. Personal comfort versus honoring God? “If it’s going to be so small, why wear in the first place?” they might wonder. So, the Amish see the Mennonites as having gone too far past where the line was originally drawn.

       As a matter of fact, they might say that the Mennonites and others who have left their fold are getting too liberal in the belief that they have become too busy. Yeah, we know that seems to come from giving up the horse and buggy for the automobile. Those carriages restrict travel in a great way, and that’s done purposely. It makes community life easier actually in that everyone stays nearby—they can’t get far away very fast or at all. Well, the car on the other hand makes it so that people can travel far. This hurts community life the Amish would argue. Not that the Amish don’t make use of automobile travel; they surely do. But they rent drivers to keep this limited and at a minimum.

       And another question is whether the introduction of the car into the way of life makes it so that people are away from home more? This I’m not sure about. It would probably depend on the person or family. I would say that it means people can live father apart from each other. We know a lot of Amish families (blood-related) will live very close to one another. With the car in the picture, this isn’t necessarily needed. Though, it seems to me that the closer a person is, the more likely people are going to visit that person, even those who have cars. That’s only common sense. Unless a person is particularly determined to see the person or family, naturally they may not find themselves at their house as often. We as humans like what is convenient.

       We know that a lot of things, like cars, aren’t inherently bad in and of themselves. I think even the Amish would agree with that. After all, they even make use of them. It’s what you do with those things, and what they allow you to do, that can become bad. The easier life equals more free time. Greater leisure. What does it all lead to? Where do the blurred lines take us? Do people get to the point where they don’t want anything to be hard? Guess it depends in part on a person, on their personality, in how they ‘see things.’ People like to do different things and have different opinions on what is considered hard work.

       Anyway, as society gets further down the modern, advanced path, will people continue to work, or will they get to the point were they will just sit on the couch and let the government pay their way? We know the Amish don’t take government assistance. That’s a “No way” for them. Free money. Nope. Money has to be earned, by the sweat of one’s brow, as the Scriptures reference. Besides, again, doesn’t the community exist for help when help is needed? Isn’t that what the community is for? But the English don’t really have that. Yes indeed. The Amish have those strong community ties, strong relationships by which they literally help each other frequently. I don’t think the picture is exactly the same for the English.

       Not to get too off track, but it’s interesting to consider here, while we are on the subject of money, that the Amish even use it. I mean, after all, our money comes from the United States government, and yet the Amish still use it. They don’t believe in pictures being taken of themselves, or even having a painting made of their likenesses, and yet they will use money that bears the likeness of secular government leaders on it. I know that’s kind of picky, but I just wanted to point that fact out. Some English might say that’s hypocritical. They might even ask why the Amish doesn’t have their own form of money. I mean, aren’t they relying on the United States’ economic system for their livelihood, even for their survival? We know they won’t connect to the electric grid to be separate from the world, and yet they’ll use the world’s money. Interesting.

       While we’re now talking about similarities between the Amish and the English, they also use the ‘sports’ of the secular world in some cases. The Amish will a lot of times play volleyball. I’ve probably seen that sport the most in the things I have read. No doubt about it. The plain people love volleyball. (I always liked it myself). Another sport I am aware that they play is baseball. The young Amish guys seem to love that sport. I have even seen one account where they played football, which kind of surprise me. I didn’t know they would play football. But anyway, these are secular games from the secular world. But that’s not the point, is it? No, it’s what secular things lead to. After all, the carriage was originally secular, and they use it. It’s about whether a thing supports community, or hurts it. Or, whether it will lead to sin down the road. Trying to think ahead in this way.

       Some in the Amish community, probably the younger folk, often daydream of having one thing or another, a thing that is forbidden, and imagine that life would be better if they had that ‘thing.’ I mean, even the middle-class English do this in a different way. They wonder what it would be like to be rich. How life would be different if we had this or that—all that money. Yet, what is particularly interesting is that the Amish seem to be happy with the lives they have. We know, deep down, that it isn’t stuff that makes us truly happy. It can seem that way on the surface level. But there has been English people who have acquired many possessions and yet still aren’t happy. We all know this.

       The more that is accumulated, I think the Amish would conclude, doesn’t mean a person will be happier. If that is so, they might point out, then why do all the rich people often try to get more and more? When is enough enough? When does it come to the point where a rich person is completely satisfied with what he has? The Amish would probably say that happiness is indeed found in the community, where the clear lines are drawn. It is where one person can depend on the love and help of the others, and can himself be of love and assistance toward others. That’s where the true life is found—where it resides. Life is in people—in loving families and friendships. The English get more and more stuff, and it seems that evermore they are giving up more and more relationships. Given up for digital ones, or none at all. Isolation. Loneliness. Lack of life. No lines, and no life.

- Daniel Litton

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