Amish behaving strangely (county, credit card, woman, kids)

[bernitt]

I am not Amish but my daughter was raised by an Amish family while I worked. This was a wonderful arrangement since she was being raised almost the same as I was in the 1950’s. It was a simpler time and people had to be self-sufficient and do without some things. Food, clothing & shelter were the necessities. We learned how to plant, harvest, store, hunt, sew, knit, crochet and build. Simplicity is the key. That is how the Old World Amish sect that live in our area survive. That is how other people in our area survive. I am concerned about the people that will not know what to do when finances get tight.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by PA2UK

As far as I know, the Amish don't own restaurants. Whatever restaurants you ate at, they might have been spinning it as an Amish-style restaurant. At best, the real owners simply hired Amish to work at their restaurants. But the fact is, the Amish aren't allowed to own anything that requires electricity - I can't imagine running a successful restaurant without electricity. Do their guests eat by oil lamps and candlelight or something?

I have eaten at an Amish-owned restaurant. And they found a really clever way to get around "owning anything that requires electricity" -- they rent the place instead of buying it.

[PA2UK]

Originally Posted by Drover

I have eaten at an Amish-owned restaurant. And they found a really clever way to get around "owning anything that requires electricity" -- they rent the place instead of buying it.

Well the Amish where I grew up would never have set themselves up like a tourist attraction like this. You have to imagine that different Amish communities are different. The communities I got to know are completely the opposite.

[canibeyou]

Originally Posted by PA2UK

Well the Amish where I grew up would never have set themselves up like a tourist attraction like this. You have to imagine that different Amish communities are different. The communities I got to know are completely the opposite.

And might I add that you should accept people's personal experiences with them as just that... their experiences... and apparently they differ greatly from your own... but there encounters that others have experienced nonetheless. They're not something to be told didn't happen/ couldn't happen/ would never hapen.

[Drover]

Maybe the Amish community near where you grew up is large enough to be more self-sufficient. The Amish in Illinois are a pretty small enclave and they simply would not get by without highly involved interaction with the "outside" world. At any rate, I've had contact with Amish groups in Illinois, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, and none of them were too proud to make a buck off of tourists. If anything they seemed to take a modest but perverse pleasure in a sense that they were taking advantage of us. "Silly tourists paying $8 for a block of cheese... but it helps keep my family fed, housed and clothed, so we'll go ahead and sell them overpriced cheese."

[bernitt]

I’m wondering if the Amish you are describing as owing restaurants, selling products etc. are actually Mennonite’s. The Old World Amish forbid owning electricity, phones but they will accept rides to town and using the phone of people. Mennonites on the other hand can drive cars, have electricity, phones and own businesses. People even in our area find it hard to tell the difference just from seeing the way they are dressed. You will never see buttons or bright colors on Amish women in our area but Mennonite women will wear bright colors and have buttons. At a glance they look similar but look closer and you can tell the difference. The Mennonite group in our area has stores and sells products at very high prices. The Mennonite’s in our area also raise dogs and sell to pet stores and have dog auctions. The Amish sect in our area does not do that.
Each group is similar in that they both have a network of people to help them if things get bad.

[PA2UK]

Originally Posted by canibeyou

And might I add that you should accept people's personal experiences with them as just that... their experiences... and apparently they differ greatly from your own... but there encounters that others have experienced nonetheless. They're not something to be told didn't happen/ couldn't happen/ would never hapen.

I readily admitted that other people's experiences might be different. I was just trying to point out that their experiences may have been a misjudgement: ie, the Amish don't think they're better than us, they probably just resent having their entire way of life become a tourist attraction. Wouldn't you?

Btw, interesting to see you be rather respectful on the public part of the forum, considering the absolute down right nasty things you said to me in a PM. Don't worry, I won't repeat them and ruin your rep.

[MB2]

Originally Posted by PA2UK

Btw, interesting to see you be rather respectful on the public part of the forum, considering the absolute down right nasty things you said to me in a PM. Don't worry, I won't repeat them and ruin your rep.

Well.....since you have posted it, publicly, I have to put my "MOD hat" on, again.....and address EVERYONE here to follow City-Data ToS (Terms of Service), as well as rules of conduct !
No need to get nasty here....by any means, shape, or form.....ZERO TOLERANCE!
We are adults here (at least SHOULD be), and can dis-agree and properly debate....all WITHOUT pushing someone's personal view down somebody else's throat....just because their view differs.

Again....back on topic, mind your conduct....or I am very certain, this thread WILL be closed as a result of it.

Also...just a little "FYI"....., DM (direct messages) CAN be viewed by senior Mods and/ or Administrator.
So, chose your words, language and the way you address someone very carefully, or the possibility can present itself for it to be held AGAINST you.

Play nice....and back on topic, please!

[Jaxson]

As with any community, culture or families there are some that do the wrong things that make the whole group look bad. As a whole I would rather have an Amish community around me than some other cultures. They are not worried in this economic mess our country is in because they know, that they know, that they know their families and friends will stick together and they will all get through any set backs in whatever form that comes.

I must disagree with some posters that say Amish do not buy/sell their property I see Realtor signs on Amish homes a lot. Curious about it I asked and found out just as the English do they also down size when getting older, upgrade when growing a family, health issues bring about issues of needing to move in with other family members. No matter what the situation is they do take care of each other. It says a lot about our English ways when we put our parents and grands in nursing homes and let somebody else deal with them. There are going to be many Americans that won't know the first thing about how to survive if our economic world collapses because we are use to going to buy whatever whenever. There are lessons we all could learn from the Amish about being self supporting that would prepare us better.

In northern IN a lot of Amish work in the RV factories, women in the restaurants we all line up in to eat their cooking. Because they don't put their money in English banks doesn't mean they don't need or want to earn more income. They are generous within their sects when needs arise to pool their money and get it done. Huh they do this without raising taxes, food stamps, health insurance or government stepping in to mess things up.

Some posters said they don't buy food that is not true either pick up an Amish cookbook and you will see the ingredient lists of having Campbell's soups, French's fried onions, Taco Bell sauces etc. Yes they raise and grow most of their food supplies but they do buy other foods too.

I buy my eggs from a local Amish store that is ran with a generator not only are they cheaper than buying from any grocery around me but I know they are pretty much "organic" since that seems to be a hot term now days. Bulk foods and spices are a little higher than if I went to a bigger Amish community up north but having this store so close to me is a blessing. They sell canning supplies in bulk too and beat Wal Mart hands down on their canning prices.

Guess I am trying to say go and be friendly you will find they are very approachable, sharing in their knowledge/ways and I wish my home was less cluttered with all the junk I thought I just had to have.

[MB2]

Jaxson.....a very refreshing and nicely put post !

What I can see and observe is, that the Amish are pretty much "hands on" though.
What I am getting at is.....yes......they might buy in "bulk" (and why shouldn't they ?), but process the food further....canning etc.

These are practices (aka "homemade", "home making") I do still remember from my mom and grandma.
But, I can't recall ANYONE (seriously !!) in my age group to be doing anything like this, even though, it would be a much cheaper and safer way to eat and store food items, and "self preserve".

Could THAT be the reason on "WHY" they are not THAT concerned about the economy today ?
Because they KNOW how to do things themselves?
Because they ARE prepared ?
Because they've certainly got the "back up" 100 % from and in their community ?

I really do believe, that all of those reasons can and should be factored in, and give a good "inside look" on the "Why" they are not really concerning themselves with, what the US Government, Society and Economy is doing.