Amish Religion Essay

There are many branches and different understandings of the Christian faith. Some believe that Jesus is not the son of God, some honor and pray to the Virgin Mary, and some branches of Christianity will go as far as diminishing certain things from their lives to honor God. The American society’s view on religion have changed drastically over the years. The small percentage of North Americans are some of the only types of people that have been staying true to their religious beliefs; that being the Amish. Although the Amish hold such a small percentage in North America, (an estimated 250,784 people identify themselves as Amish in the United States and in Ontario) (Gannon, 2012), they have been one of the numerous religions that encounter negative energy from the outside world. Some of the main stereotypes about the Amish include that they are non-materialistic, very simple, they have no connection to the real world and that they are extremely strict. Although some of these stereotypes are true, it is always wrong to make false assumptions about another group of people. The purpose of this report is to clear all the assumptions made about the Amish. The Amish religion will be further dissected in this report through the understanding of the history, experience of the sacred, sacred writing, beliefs, morality, symbols and traditions and the family and gender roles of this religion.
History
The origin of this religion dates back over four hundred years ago during the Radical Reformation. The Amish religion started in the 16th century in Europe when the Anabaptist movement encouraged the start of the three communities including the Amish, the Mennonites and the Brethren. Members of this types of conservative Christian faiths escaped pe...

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...a family. (Belton, 2012)The elderly are valued for their wisdom and knowledge that they pass down to the younger generations. The Family unit is an important aspect in the Amish community. By having a family, no one will ever go through the struggles of life alone. (Facts, 2007)
From the beginning of this religion, to the present day family roles, the Amish religion has been dissected thoroughly to prove that they are not as boring as perceived by American society. To date, the largest group of Amish people live in Lancaster County, home to about 30, 000 Amish people. Prior to researching this religion, I had many bias thoughts and assumptions about the Amish people. Through weeks of research, I have enlightened myself to a new religion that I did not have much appreciation for, but most importantly, group of people whom I share many of my values and beliefs with.