Would you, could you, survive being Amish?

We have many Amish in our area and while they seem self-sufficient and content, they are never especially happy. They rarely look you in the eye in public. They generally speak among themselves (rarely to strangers) in their own German (deutsch not dutch)dialect. They have various strange legalistic loop-holes depending on the particular sect that they belong to. Some have telephones in their barns but not their houses. Some have phone cards and go to payphones to make calls. Some wear all black (VERY hot in the summer)and from what I can tell, don't believe in deodorant. But..... as far as their way of life..... They have a greater respect for their elderly, the land, and simplicity. They are fantastic cooks and the women work together (our society is really missing this - women need relationships with other women) Overall, while I used to be fascinated by them, I now feel sorry for them. As a Christian, I am free from the law. I am under the law of love. Their legalism is slavery. There is no joy in legalism.

It is great the way they help each other and live with what God gave them.But,I really don't know if I could survive that way.God gave his children talents and know how to make cars,computers,tv's,cell phones and so on.So therefore I do not see anything wrong with the way we live,if we have morals too.

I could not be Amish, no offense to people who are. I love technology way too much. I love my computer, I love my television, I love comic books, I love being able to make certain choices, I love wearing t-shirts and jeans, I love rock music, I love "Heroes" (what would Mondays be like without it?), and I could not live without my bathroom (out houses are not for me). Oh, I also have allergies and asthma, there is no chance in Hell that I would survive without my medications.

I don't think I would be happy living the life of the Amish. I don't like to conform all the time would not want to obey rules all the time and as a woman assume an inferior place in society. I would not like to give up education and force my sons to work on the land and deny them following their dreams. I also like the modern conveniences such as electricity and labour saving appliances such as washing machines and stoves. I would rather read a book than stand over a steaming cauldron of water with a washboard and hang out clothes with chapped red worn out hands while 5 or 6 boppli would run screaming through the house. Or maybe the children are always well behaved. I would also like to be happy once in a while and experience joy instead of doing my duty like a beast of burden. There is a large Mennonite community not too far from where I live. They are a branch of the Amish. We got to their market once in a while. The baked goods, sausages, hams, jams and jellies are wonderful. But as someone pointed out the ladies never seem to smile and to me they always look so tired and old beyond their age.

I don't think I could. the culture shock would be too much. I'd be sitting there and everything would be - hey, there's an easier way to do this. Also, my husband would be very unhappy - he's an engineer, so he's at work right now in a place filled with incredibly complex machines.

I think I would find it difficult to live the Amish life. I would find it hard to live without electricity. It might sound fun for the first weeks but then it becomes annoying to stay without modern commodities. I would not mind working hard on a langd. I always enjoy the first day when i go camping but then I start missing all the luxuries that I have in my present life, electricty, my laptop etc. © ronaldinu 2009 – the more people I meet – the more I love my dog.

When I saw the Harrison Ford movie Witness, I thought the very same thing. I love working with my hands and before the internet, did a ton of reading. The only thing I hate too would be those dresses. I own one dress and never more than 5 at one time. My moms keeps giving me hers.

I don't know if I could or not. I like the idea of the way they live but I'm so used to technology. No heat in the winter besides fire, I don't know............

I am sure I could survive being Amish if that was all I knew and I had never been shown anything else. However I don't think if I had to do after living they way I do that I could stand it for very long. I have to have electricity and I am not one to want to wear a dress unless I have to for some reason. I enjoy my computer, my phone, and my car way to much also.