OT Amish

[Guest guest]

Hi Colleen,

While there may be some differences in various Amish communities, for

the most part they attend Amish schools (which go to 8th grade) and are

taught by Amish women who have graduated from Amish schools themselves.

They learn a lot more practical things than most of OUR students learn in

public schools for 12 years or more. Reading, writing, arithmetic using

your head, not a calculator, and so forth. Plus religious teachings.

Deaf children might well attend schools for the deaf, and learn

signing, but it is the exception rather than the rule.

It is easy to confuse Amish and Mennonite, because they dress in

similar fashion. And married men have beards, while single men are clean

shaven. Married women wear their hair up and under a cap. Girls &

young women also wear caps over their hair, and the women's hair is

never cut, nor seen by anyone outside the family. Similar to the Muslim

head coverings. But in this case it's a small white stiff cap and a

bonnet that goes over that.

You can tell if an Amish family has a daughter ready to go courting by

the way the living room drapes are hung. If they are tied back, they

have an marriageable daughter. Hung straight down, no body ready for

marriage.

While Amish do not use cameras to have their own pictures taken, they

will allow photos of animals and farm implements especially if they are

trying to sell them. There is no law against taking a picture of an

Amish person, but certainly politeness would indicate that you don't take

someone's picture without their consent. And of course, the Amish would

not consent. It's all about not having " graven images " as the Bible

says. Amish dolls don't have faces on them. Just head shapes, but

nothing to indicate eyes, nose, mouth, etc.

Because the Amish marry within their religion, they are developing a

lot of genetic disorders. And a deafness gene seems to have sprung up.

Even though an Amish person from Ohio would try to marry an Amish person

from Michigan or Pennsylvania, it is a very small community, and almost

everyone is very closely related to each other. Yoder and are the

most common last names. If an Amish woman is married, her name changes

to his, but in this fashion. marries Ben Yoder.

becomes Ben Yoder, so they know she is the wife of Ben Yoder. An

Amish woman takes both the first and last name of her husband.\

Mennonites follow many of the same customs as the Amish, but are more

worldly, and drive tractors, and can use cars. They also have buttons on

their clothes. But the women do keep their hair covered with a cap and

bonnet, and the men, I believe, grow a beard once they are married. Both

religions originate with Mennon, and the Amish - or Old Order Amish

- stick to the letter of the law that laid down. The Mennonites,

are more liberal.

I think we'll be seeing a lot of genetic diseases cropping up in this

closed community. I know hemophilia is already a problem with them.