Choosing to Become Amish (part 2)

 

Once baptized in the Amish church, members are expected to remain with the Amish for the rest of their lives. However, this doesn't always occur and some Amish choose to leave their Amish communities after they've been baptized. For the Amish, this is one of the worst sins that an Amish member can commit. If a person chooses to leave the Amish after they have been baptized, they will be shunned from the community and the Amish church. Once a person is shunned, they are no longer able to have any sort of contact or communication with any member of the Amish community, including their parents, siblings, spouses, or children. The Amish believe that only they may be permitted into heaven once baptized, so to turn ones back on the community is the same as turning ones back on God.

 

Choosing to become Amish is a lifelong commitment and can be a difficult one for many young people to make. Oftentimes, young people will leave the strict Amish community and opt for the more liberal Mennonite church down the road. The Amish and the Mennonites both came from the same original sect that formed in Europe in the 1600s, so many of their core beliefs are the same. However, the Mennonites are considered less strict in their rules, such as allowing the use of electricity and the driving of cars. While most Amish parents would prefer their children join the Amish church, the Mennonite option is much preferred over leaving their roots forever in exchange for a life in the modern world.

 

As you can see, choosing to become Amish is a very difficult, yet individual choice for any young Amish person. Try for a moment to imagine what it might be like for you to leave your family behind and join the Amish way of life. Could you do it? As difficult as that would be for you to do, it's just as difficult for an Amish person to choose to live the modern way of life.

Choosing to Become Amish (part 1)