01 August 2008
Amish Free to Maintain Traditions in Modern World
Use of technology varies among Amish
Washington -- Driving through Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, a traveler might find a line of cars creeping along the pastoral countryside. Somewhere ahead, an ambling, horse-drawn wagon likely carries members of the steadfast Amish community rooted there.
Visitors might regard what they see in Lancaster as a symbol of people who live a 19th-century style, shun modern technology and prefer a primitive existence without electricity or modern plumbing. This common view of the nearly 220,000 Amish adults and children who live in 27 U.S. states and Ontario, Canada, is somewhat misguided.
Author David L. Weaver-Zercher, an associate professor of American religious history and chair of the Department of Biblical and Religious Studies at Messiah College in Pennsylvania, has studied popular perceptions of the Amish and says much of what people believe about the Amish stems from what the media has depicted.
In fact, the Amish, whose literal interpretation of the Bible dictates separation from the larger world, have demonstrated surprising resilience in maintaining their traditions of honoring community, church and family while becoming adept at selectively adopting modern technology. If a particular technology contributes to the community and does not conflict with traditional values, they will use it without hesitation, Weaver-Zercher said.
DRAWING THE LINE
Because they devalue individualism, however, the Amish often make sharp distinctions between the use of a technology and the personal ownership of it. For example, in Lancaster County, where more than 20,000 Amish are settled, it is not uncommon to see small telephone “shanties” outside Amish homes.
“A phone may be shared by several Amish families, and it may have an answering machine, but it does not interrupt daily activities,” said Weaver-Zercher. “It is useful but they do not want to be too reliant on it.”
In some cases, economics will drive decisions to accept a technology or connect with non-Amish people. In Lancaster County, where the growth of the Amish population is outpacing the availability of farmland, many Amish have opened small retail businesses selling handmade quilts or furniture.
“Interacting with tourists on a regular basis tends to change the way the Amish here relate to the outside world,” said Weaver-Zercher. “In a business, they have to foster a relationship with the customer.”
MANY WAYS TO BE AMISH
Each Amish church district functions independently, and more than 1,500 districts are scattered among the four Amish orders: Beachy Amish, Amish Mennonites, New Order Amish and Old Order Amish. While each order shares basic beliefs, use of technology and adaptation to modern life can vary widely among different orders.
According to the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College in Lancaster County, the Beachy Amish and Amish Mennonites own cars and use public electricity. The Old Order and New Order Amish groups use horse-and-buggy transportation and do not use public electricity. Except for the most conservative subgroups, most Amish homes have indoor bathrooms.
Weaver-Zercher said that in some cases disagreement about which technologies to use or how to use them creates division and development of new communities. “Certainly this has been the case with farming implements. Communities have disagreed on whether it is OK to have a baler out in the field.”
Some of the most common differences among Amish groups involve how buggies are built or equipped. For example, safety dictates that most buggies have reflectors or battery-powered lights for use at night. However, some of the most conservative groups insist on having no lighting.
The color of a buggy sometimes differentiates small groups of Amish people, and some subgroups are known by the color of the top. “You hear people referring to each other as white tops or yellow tops or black tops. If you were to ask an Amish person about it, you might not get a rational explanation. At some point in time, someone just decided to make a point of distinguishing themselves this way.”
Marylee Sauder, a writer, moved to Lancaster from Philadelphia some 20 years ago. She was intrigued by this community of people who dressed in plain and simple clothing and did not lock their doors. Now, on the occasions her activities take her into the countryside, the symbols of their simple life are as ordinary as the McDonald’s restaurant she drives by in town. “Everyone is accepting of the way they live. They just blend in.”
