Amish

The Amish (AFI pronunciation: [ɑmɪʃ]) are a group Anabaptist Protestant ethnoreligious, known mainly for their simple lifestyle, modest and traditional clothing, their resistance to adopting modern comforts and technologies, such as those related to electricity.

Amish are a cultural community united by religion, origin and traditions, organized in more than forty subgroups. They are descendants of German-speaking immigrants of Swiss origin, from southern Germany, and from Western Austria who arrived on the American continent in two waves from around 1730 to 1880. Currently, Amish communities comprise approximately 700 settlements located in the United States and Canada.

Some of the characteristics of the Amish are the belief in the New Testament, life in settlements away from the metropolis, isolation from the outside world, defense of values such as pacifism, humility, simple living and work.,^{[citation needed]} as well as 19th century style clothing.

When people talk about the Amish today, they almost always refer to the Old Order Amish. In the second half of the 19th century, the Amish divided into several subgroups, of which the Old Order Amish represent a third of the total. Most Amish subgroups have lost their Amish peculiarities and have assimilated into North American society. In addition to the Old Order Amish, the Kauffman Amish Mennonites, the Beachy Amish, and the New Order Amish have preserved parts of ancient Amish culture.

large groups similar to Amish are the Mennonites of the old order and the brothers of Schwarzenau traditional (for example the ancient German baptist brothers). The German Mennonites of Russia conservatives, who live mostly in Latin America, and the Huteritas who also dress in the style of the century XIX and speak German dialects that are different from the dialects of the Amish, emigrated from other European regions at different times.

HISTORY

The Anabaptist movement, from which the Amish arise later, began in Switzerland in 1525. In this year Conrad Grebel and George Blaurock practiced the baptism of adults between them and then with others. This Swiss movement, which starts from the radical reform, later became known as Swiss brothers. The Amish as a separate group emerged in 1693 when Jakob Ammann, a leader of the Swiss brothers in Alsace, demanded a stricter discipline in the church, which led to a division. Ammann's followers later became known as the Amish.

Most of the Amish communities that were established in America after immigration waves did not maintain their original identity; In fact, most of these communities finally decided to abandon their Amish identity and gradually acquired a Mennonite identity. The most important division, which would result in the loss of the identity of most of the Amish, occurred in the 1860s. In the 1862 to 1878, the Amish had lectures of their leaders (in German: Dienerversammlungen ) in different places about the way they had to face the pressures of modern society. In 1865, these meetings failed as long as a commitment to the traditionalists could not be reached, so the traditionalists retired from the assemblies and organized as the " Amish of the old order " In the following decades. Then the progressives initiated a modernization process that led to their unification with the Mennonites and then, in most cases, to their assimilation in society. Only about a third of the Amish became Amish of the old order, the others became Mennonites or fully assimilated.

Geographic distribution

North America

Currently the Amish reside in about 500 communities in the United States, as well as in Ontario. Their communities are divided into "church districts." The largest concentrations are in the United States, in Lancaster County (Pennsylvania), Holmes County (Ohio), and LaGrange County (Indiana). By number in each state, the largest Amish population is in Pennsylvania, and the second largest in Ohio. As of 2017, there were about 313,000 Old and New Order Amish in the US and about 5,000 in Canada.

The first attempt by the Old Order Amish to settle in Latin America was in Paradise Valley, near Galeana, Nuevo León, Mexico, but the settlement only lasted from 1923 to 1929.

Central and South America

There was an Amish settlement in Honduras from 1968 to 1978, but it also failed. In 2015, a new New Order Amish settlement was founded east of Catamarca, Argentina, and another in Colonia Naranjita, Bolivia, about 120 km southwest of Santa Cruz. Most of the members of these new communities come from the Old Colony Mennonite communities, speak Plautdietsch, and have lived in the area for several decades.

In Belize there are some Old Order Mennonite communities that are in most ways very similar to the Old Order Amish. Noah Hoover's Mennonites are very restrictive about technology and dress in a very traditional Anabaptist manner. Its main settlements are Upper Barton Creek and Springfield.

Some Amish of the Beachy Amish group have emigrated to Central America in an attempt to escape the influences of modern society, founding an important settlement near San Ignacio, in Belize.

Amish subgroups

The Amish are not a unified group as they are divided into many subgroups. In 2013 there were 42 Old and New Order Amish subgroups. All Amish subgroups dress in a modest, traditional manner, use horse-drawn carriages and buggies, and speak a variant of German. Regarding the use of modern technology, Amish subgroups differ widely: while more modern groups use motorized lawnmowers, propane gas, mechanical milkers, mechanical refrigerators, flushing toilet in the house, running water bathtub, tractors, pneumatic tools, mechanical saws, pressurized lamps and electric washing machines, the most traditional groups do not use them.

The strictest Amish groups are the so-called Nebraska Amish, Troyer Amish and the Swartzendruber Amish, the most modern ones that use the latest technologies They are the Amish of the new order.

Another classification: the Amish are classified into:

• Amish from the old order. They are characterised because their main language is deitsch, they retain centuries-old traditions and carry a simple lifestyle of plain people with lyrics. They also reject military service, be military, be members of security forces and take sides in any kind of war. The history of this group of anabaptists is characterized by repeated migrations in search of places to be established and where their practices are accepted without interference from the state or society (more than 50 kilometers from modern civilization). They reject new technologies including electricity or telecommunications. Depending on the community and variety of religious groups, they are more or less radical.
• Amish of the new order. They act very similar to the previous group: all communities use deitsch in the same situations as the amish of the old order, but they are more receptive to modern life. Although they generally reject radio, television, computer science and own cars, some communities use mobile phones. His clothing is similar to that of the amish of the old order.
• Mennonitas amish. They emerged through reform movements among the American amish, mainly between 1862 and 1878. These amish went away from the ancient Amish traditions and approached the Mennonites, becoming Mennonites of Amish origin. Over the decades, most of the Mennonite groups Amish removed the word "amish" from the name of their congregations or merged with Mennonite groups. They usually use their own cars and radio, but not television. Some communities use internet, computer, computers and mobile phones. They actually act as a traditional evangelical church. This branch in Spain is known as Anabautists, Mennonites and Brothers in Christ - Spain (AMyHCE).
• Beachy Amish. They are in many aspects similar to Amish Mennonites and are often considered part of them.

Religious practices and beliefs

The Swiss and German ancestors of the Amish sought various reforms within Protestant Christianity, which included insistence on the separation of Church and State, support for a non-resistant or non-violent lifestyle, and advocated for adult baptism. For this reason, the Amish practice an Anabaptist-type doctrine (they do not believe that a child should be baptized, since being baptized must be a personal decision).

Two key concepts practiced by the Amish are the rejection of Hochmut ("pride, arrogance, haughtiness") and the high regard they have for Demut ("humility").) and Gelassenheit ("calm, composure, placidity"), often translated as "submission" or "letting be." Gelassenheit as a reluctance to stand out, self-promote, or vindicate oneself. The Amish willingness to submit to the "will of Jesus," expressed through group norms, is in contrast to individualism. Amish anti-individualism is why they reject technologies that would facilitate individual work, which would decrease the dependence that each person has on the community. Modern innovations such as electricity promote competition for status-defining goods, and photographs may encourage personal vanity.

For them, religious meetings have a special relevance. These are held every two weeks on Sunday in private homes or barns. The location where religious services are held rotates among the member families of the congregation. The benches for this service are transported to each of these locations in a special car. Biblical interpretation is usually carried out by bishops or elders of the congregation.

In Amish congregations, versions of the Bible translated into an early modern German language are used, which is quite different from the Pennsylvania German dialect, making the book difficult to read for those who are not very versed in the language. standard German language, especially children and young people. Reading Bible versions in English or Pennsylvania German is not recommended in more conservative communities.

The Amish interpretation of Christianity places special emphasis on the importance and necessity of humility and work, and the rejection of many modern luxuries and entertainments, which are considered unnecessary. That is why they also refrain from using technology, operating electronic machines, watching television, or listening to multiple types of music, since they consider entertainment a tactic that can be used by the devil to create evil, distraction, and pride. They also have It is prohibited to be recorded with video cameras.

It highlights the value that mutual and community help has for them, which characterizes them as a community that is very collaborative and charitable with each other.

Similarly, it is very important for them to thank God before each meal, which they do with a prayer in the name of Jesus. Prayer, then, is especially important in the privacy of the home. It is common for old Christian hymns to be sung occasionally in which the whole family participates.

Although many Amish beliefs have foundations in the Bible and in the teachings of Christ, there are some beliefs and practices that have been imposed by past traditions and passed down from generation to generation. Some Amish believe that people who are not Amish, They do not have much hope of salvation and are on the road to hell.^{[citation needed]} From this derives a characteristic aspect of Amish religiosity, which consists of the possible expulsion or excommunication of members who violate norms considered important.^{[citation required]}

As expected, throughout Amish history not all members of these communities have agreed with the traditions socially imposed by the community. This has caused some members among each generation to abandon Amish traditions and/or convert to other aspects of Christianity. Currently, it has been estimated that 10-15% of the "Old Order" Amish leave the community, ^{[citation needed]} which results in them being excommunicated from the Amish community by their religious authorities. Some documented cases include that of Ezra and Barbara Yoder, an ex-Amish couple who wrote a book about their conversion, pastor Gerry Stoltzfoos, who grew up Amish, and the marriage of Ephraim and Amanda Stoltzfus.

Lifestyle

Languages

All Old Order and New Order Amish speak a dialect of High German, known as Deitsch (or Pennsylvania German), used particularly in the home; However, the self-described "Swiss Amish" speak two different German dialects, which they call "Swiss" (English: "Swiss", Pennsylvania German: "< i>Shvitzer"). These two are Alemannic dialects, one is a form of Bernese German (German: "Berndeutsch") and the other a form of Alsatian (German: "Elsässisch").

The common term "Pennsylvania Dutch" comes from the original use of the word "Dutch" (it is an archaic form of Deutsch, "German"), which referred to all those who spoke German-Dutch dialects and not only those originally from Holland.

The Amish also speak English, but the latter is reserved for communicating with the world outside the community. For the sermon and songs in the service and for reading the Bible they use an older form of Standard German, also called Hochdeutsch.

Ordnung

The Amish lifestyle is dictated by a strict set of rules and traditions known as the Ordnung (in Spanish "the Ordinance or regulation") of the community. The Ordnung differ between different communities and within the same community from district to district, so that what is dictated as a norm in one community may not be the norm in another. No summary of the Amish “way of life” can be completely accurate, since there are few rules applicable to all Amish.

Each Amish district can change the rules of its Ordnung, if the majority wants it and the minority accepts it. If it is not possible to agree on a change, there could be a division, but in most cases there is a process of selecting where families who do not agree move and join the districts where they agree with the change. Ordnung. Twice a year there is a meeting, which is called Ordnungsgemeine (regulations meeting), where the members of the church discuss the Ordnung. Only if an agreement is reached on the Ordnung will there be a Eucharist in the district.

The rules of Ordnung must be observed by all members. These rules cover most aspects of daily life, including prohibitions or limitations on the use of external electricity, telephones and automobiles, as well as regulations on dress.

Many members of the Amish church do not have insurance or accept government assistance, such as U.S. Social Security. As Anabaptists, the Amish practice nonresistance (i.e., a form of extreme nonviolence).) and they do not perform any type of military service either. Those members who do not accept these principles and cannot be convinced to repent are excommunicated. Furthermore, these members are "rejected" especially by religious authorities and in general, which limits their social contacts to shame the member by pressuring them to return to the Amish church.

The differences between communities are observable in details of the dress code and the use of technologies. Even trivialities about clothing, such as shoulder straps or how many pleats a hat should have, can cause disagreement among the religious authorities who dictate the Ordnung.

Groups with similar standards consider themselves "in communion" with each other, each other as members of the same Christian church. When this is the case, members of these groups are allowed to visit and marry each other, this being a way to avoid problems related to endogamy.

Technological abstinence

Many Amish avoid using various elements of modern technology. Objects such as automobiles, televisions, telephones, and electricity are excluded from the lifestyle permitted by the community because they are considered distracting elements in life. For example, for transportation they use horse-drawn carriages.

However, this modality is not uniform and some Amish may accept the use of certain technologies within their lifestyle. In some communities, church leaders meet to discuss the admission of certain elements; In others, this is done whenever necessary. Because the Amish, like other Mennonites, do not have a centralized, hierarchical government structure (unlike Catholicism or Anglicanism), communities often have different ideas about what technological elements are acceptable and which are not. Some, for example, consider that driving a car is prohibited, but accept the possibility of traveling in it when necessary, such as in cases where medical attention is required. On the other hand, the "Black Bumper Amish" (Beachy Amish) accept cars without chrome, which is widely considered un-Amish by other groups.

Electricity, for example, is seen as a connection to the "outside world." The use of electricity could also lead to the use of household appliances that would complicate the Amish tradition of simple living; In certain Amish groups electricity can be used in very specific situations. In some groups, for example, this has to be produced without accessing outside power lines. 12V batteries are acceptable for these groups. Electrical generators can only be used for welding, recharging batteries and powering milking machines. The reasoning behind the 12V system is that it limits what the individual can do with the electricity and serves as a preventive measure against potential abuses and distractions. Most 12V power supplies do not generate enough current to power devices considered mundane such as televisions, light bulbs and hair dryers.

Clothes

The dress code of some groups includes the prohibition of wearing buttons, only allowing the use of hooks and eyes to keep clothing closed. Other groups allow their members to sew buttons on their clothing. In some communities, some items may have buttons and others may not (the reason for the restriction on the use of buttons is their original association with the armed forces). The Amish stand out for still making their garments by hand, and the quality with which they make their quilts.

Generally, an Amish man will always be clean shaven while he is single, and once he marries he will grow a beard. In some communities, however, a man grows his beard after being baptized. Also, the beard cut should not be too short. Men generally wear hats.

Mustaches are generally prohibited because they are seen as symbols of militarism. This is most likely due to the political and religious persecution they suffered in Europe during the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, a time when the German nobility and members of the upper class who served as military officers generally grew mustaches but did not. beards

Work and occupations

Men are generally dedicated to farm work, furniture production or construction. They stand out for their efficient work in agriculture. They try to produce their own food as much as possible, although this does not mean that they do not buy products from outside, even from small stores.

The majority of Amish farms are non-organic, meaning that most Amish farmers use a variety of pesticides and fertilizers, but a growing minority are organic, especially producers who grow organic vegetables. There are often Amish farms to make their own dairy products, such as milk, cheese, ice cream, etc.

Women, meanwhile, are dedicated to the home and raising of children, although parents also participate in it. Decorative articles usually have no relevance in the life of the Amish,

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Rumspringa

Main article: Rumspringa

Amish children are expected to be obedient to their parents in all respects, but when they are older, during adolescence (around age sixteen), some parents allow the youngsters to go through a period known as rumspringa. Other parents do not allow their children to participate in rumspringa; This varies between communities. At this stage, they are allowed to experiment more widely with the "world" for a time. Later they will have to choose between being baptized within the Amish church or leaving the community. In this way, they choose what lifestyle they want.

Generally, many young people decide to return to the Amish community to be baptized and live near their family, with a minority being the number of young people who decide to leave the community and live the rest of their lives in the external society. The latter entails in some communities a rejection of the Amish church and sometimes the loss of contact with their families, although this does not always happen, as there are those who do maintain a family or social relationship with those who have left the fraternity.

Conflicts faced by Amish communities

Some scholars^{[chuckles]Who?]} consider Amish culture to be pushed by the modern world since the centuryXX.. The laws on child labour, for example, threaten their way of life.^{[chuckles]required]} Children begin to work from an early age, which conflicts with modern laws on child labour.

Like many Mennonites, the Amish reject life insurance and health insurance, limiting themselves only to the financial support that their church and community can provide them. For example, if a barn is damaged by fire or some natural disaster, the repair is planned with the community, which will try to rebuild it in a single day.^{[citation required]}

Health

Almost all the Amish who exist today are descended from a few hundred founders who lived in the 18th century, so this inbreeding gives rise to cases of hereditary diseases, some of which are quite rare, others practically unique< sup>[citation needed] and a few become very serious. These disorders have caused an increase in infant mortality in these communities. Most Amish accept this as Gottes Wille ("God's will"), rejecting any genetic testing of adults prior to marriage to prevent these diseases, and refusing genetic testing. in the fetus.^{[citation needed]} However, there have been cases in which parents of affected children have given in to investigations. In any case, children who have a physical or mental disability are loved, cared for and cared for just like healthy children. Sometimes genetic diversity does occur between communities, given that the relationship between them is sufficiently distant. Thus, genetic disorders present in one community may be absent in another. For example, although within the Amish of Lancaster County there are only a few founding families, these are very distant from the founding families of the Amish community of Perth County, in Canada.

According to a new study from Northwestern University School of Medicine in the United States, a particular mutation identified among the Old Order Amish in Indiana causes carriers of this mutation to live about ten years longer than others individuals in this community. Many parents of disabled children are making use of modern technology to care for their children.^{[citation needed]} The vast majority have received special permissions from their religious leaders to use certain electrical devices, but in some cases it was impossible to obtain such authorization, which has led some parents to abandon the Amish lifestyle, thus being "expelled" by their community.

Although the Amish are exempt from Social Security in the United States (under the Medicare bill enacted in 1965), it is notable that they pay taxes, but as part of their rejection of insurance, they do not accept aid of the government neither in health nor in food.

Film and documentaries

• Documentaries Trouble in Amish Paradise, Leaving Amish Paradise and Amish: Secret Life produced by the BBC, they have revealed details of the religiosity and traditions of the Amish. These have been produced in order to present the lifestyle of Amish members and families (on the verge of excommunication) that were left to record voluntarily, without permission from the church, to help expose aspects of the life of the community. For its part; National Geographic has produced a series of ten chapters, entitled: I was Amish: exiles from his Past, where there are cases of deserters from the Amish communities who immerse themselves in the lifestyle of modern society.
• Love without condition (United States, 2017). When Levy, a young Amish returns to his home, he discovers his murdered stepfather and his mother shot. Desperate come to ask for help in the nearest farm, where Grace is temporarily living, a doctor...
• Amish Witches: The True Story of Holmes County (TV) (United States, 2016). When a TV team moves to Holmes County, Ohio, to document the lives of an isolated sect of Swartzentruber Amish, production is stopped by the death of a Brauchau, an amish witch.
• decisive step (TV) (United States, 2015). Emma is a young amish who doesn't feel comfortable in her community. Her concerns drive her away from established customs and she doesn't want to marry her fiancé. Concerned about her, her father decides to send her to Ohio in the summer.
• Harry & Snowman (United States, 2015). Documentary. Drama. Dutch immigrant Harry de Leyre travelled to the United States after World War II and developed a transformative relationship with an Amish shooting horse he rescued from a truck. Harry paid $80 and called Snowman. In less than two years, they won the triple obstacle jump crown, overcoming blue-blooded nations and soon became famous, traveling all over the world. His casual encounter at a Pennsylvania horse auction saved the two of us and created a friendship that lasted all life. Now, at his 86-year-old, Harry narrates his first-hand story, while he continues to train in the jump circuit with Snowman.
• Amish Haunting (TV series) (United States, 2014). Members of the Amish community tell their experiences when they were apparently haunted by breaking their religious vows.
• The Amish: Shunned (American Experience) (United States, 2014). Documentary Δ Religion. Rural life (North America). Amish
• The decision amish (TV) (United States, 2014). A group of Amish boys, following the tradition of their community, are preparing to spend a few days outside their society, in order to strengthen their religious convictions when they return. Enjoy the advances, comforts and diversions.
• A stranger in Sugarcreek (TV) (United States, 2014). Rachel Troyer (Sarah Lancaster) is a police woman in the picturesque village of Sugarcreek, nicknamed "The Little Switzerland of Ohio", and located in the heart of the country Amish. He often visits his three Amish aunts...
• Confession (TV) - The Confession (TV) (United States, 2013). Continuation of Katie Lapp's story, a young Amish who begins a journey in search of her identity - just to be wrapped in a mystery that must be solved before she can meet the mother "Englisher" who gave her in adoption 20 years ago.
• Silence chamber (TV) (United States, 2013). Sixteen years ago Kate left the Amish community to lead an independent life, and since then she has never seen her family again. Now he's a police chief in a quiet town in Ohio. After the discovery of the c...
• Contempt (United States, 2011). Katie is a beautiful Amish who has turned 20 years. For his parents it is an honor for his daughter to marry the bishop of the community. But Katie's inclined by forbidden things: she likes to sing, play the guitar... which...
• An abyss in the heart (TV) (United States, 2010). An atrocious fact always changes the life of a quiet Amish community in Pennsylvania. An armed man kills five girls in a school and hurts another five before he kills himself. The tragedy adds to the arrival of media.
• The power of forgiveness Amish Grace (United States, 2010). The film is based on events in Pennsylvania, during a shooting at an Amish school and the spirit of God's forgiveness that shows this community.
• Saving Sarah Cain (United States, 2007). Based on a Beverly Lewis best-seller called Sarah Cain's Redemption, she tells the story of a journalist and her nephews raised in that religious community, and the customs and beliefs of the Amish in the surroundings of a modern city are contrasted. Most Beverly Lewis novels tell stories about members of this community.
• Pepe the Amish.
• Sarah Cain (United States, 2007). When Sarah Cain, a columnist from a large city diary, attends her sister's funeral, discovers that she must take care of her five nephews, but instead of staying and educating them in her hometown and in her Amish community.
• The whole truth (TV) (Canada, 2004). Accompanied by her mother, Katie (Alison Pill), an Amish teenager, enters in emergency from a strong hemorrhage. When doctors discover that it is the result of a recent birth, the young woman and her mother strongly deny...
• The Amish life
• Devil's Playground (United States, 2002). Young Amish experience and embrace modern life as a passage before deciding which life they choose.
• The stranger (TV) (United States, 2002). Montana, end of the centuryXIX. The mighty rancher Fergus Hunter makes and undoes his craving in the county. Determined to buy the land of some Amish settlers will go from extortion to murder. When he gets hurt a h...
• Hard and mature (United States, 1998). A million-dollar marriage, which goes through a crisis, is swindled by its accountant, who gives himself to the escape and leaves them a millionaire debt to the Fisco. The couple also tries to run away, but for a series of mistakes they end up in a...
• Fire Harvest (TV) (United States, 1996). In order to capture the pyroman who is burning the farms of the Amish community, an FBI agent moves to live with a community widow. Between the two women a great friendship arises, which does not prevent the agent...
• Unique testimony (TV) (United States, 1988). Religious beliefs clash with the law when an amish child is killed in a rural community.
• Unique witness - Witness (United States, 1985). On his first trip to Philadelphia, Samuel Lap (Lukas Haas), a child from an Amish community, by chance witnessed the brutal murder of a man. John Book (Harrison Ford) will be the police officer responsible for protecting him and his mother from those who want to eliminate the child whatever it is. When Book learns that the murder is related to a plot of corruption within the police, he decides to take refuge in the Amish village.
• How much wood would roar a marmota (TV) (West Germany, RFA, 1976). Documentary in Lancaster County (Pensilvania), a cattle contest is held every year, a strange ritual where animal auctioners compete to see who speaks faster. This technique of language, with a particular musicality, is presented as an art product of capitalism and is opposed to the amish dialect, a religious sect of German origin that lives anchored in the centuryXVIII.

The Amish seen by popular culture

Occasionally, movies, music, shows, or television series feature stories in which certain characters appear in Amish communities or encounter people from these communities.

Sometimes the Amish are socially stereotyped, due to their lifestyle so different from that of modern populations.

• In 1988 the series was issued Aaron's Way (The World of Aaron, in Latin America), which tells about an amish family that when moving to California, have to adapt to their new urban environment without losing their traditional values.
• In the series A crime has been writtenIn season 7, there is an episode in which events occur within an Amish community.
• In the movie Witness led by Peter Weir in 1985 and starred at actor Harrison Ford, where a policeman took refuge in an amish community.
• In the series Records X (chap. 14, 1st season), a sect is represented, involved in a series of murders, with similarities to the Amish.
• In the movie They want to drive me crazy. starring Ice Cube, Nick accidentally destroys his truck by making it fall into a lake where an Amish father was fishing with his son, seeing Nick cry and screaming for his truck, the father says, "This is why we're not going to the big city."
• In his song “Amish Paradise”, the singer Weird Al Yankovic talks about Amish culture by making a parody.
• In the television series Cold Case (chapter 3, 5th season), the murder of an Amish woman is investigated.
• In Pinky and Brain, in the episode "Funny, you don't look rhemish", the characters infiltrate an amish community in Minnesota performing hard work usual for the members of this group.
• In Family Father(episode "Chico Amish", 10th season), deals with Meg Griffin's infatuation and an amish boy, who provokes the war between Peter Griffin and the Amish people.
• In Dexter's lab(episode "Summer Room"), Dexter travels to an agricultural camp that was actually an Amish family.
• In the movie For Richer or Poorer a million-dollar couple in New York is unjustly charged with fraud, decides to escape and take refuge in an amish community.
• In The Simpsons, (episode "The Coward Dog", 14th season), shows a brief appearance of an amish group where the ability and speed of these people to build wooden structures are manifested (according to Marge, "the amish are so workers, unlike those Mennonite vagos"); on the other hand, the episode is mocked - with just reason - of their null experience in electrical connections, which causes a fire that consumes the house. Before that fire, Homer said: "No one knows more about electricity than the amish."
• In the television series Bones (chapter 3, 5th season) appears a boy who in his eagerness to succeed in the world of classical music, escapes his Amish culture, and dies by accident as he was the victim of theft when he was returning by train to his home.
• In the movie Sex Drive, a teenager knows a young amish, Ezequiel, who helps him disinterestedly when his car suffers a waste, fixing it completely free. On the other hand, he and his friends go to a rumspringe party, but this is exposed in the film satirically.
• In 1000 ways to die, a young amish who was walking around town to get to know his customs is convinced by some girls to go to a Halloween party, who believed he was wearing a costume. That night, he drinks too much and dies intoxicated because his body did not tolerate alcohol for genetic issues.
• In the Facebook Criminal Case game, in case 36, there is a murder case related to the amish, in which the killer is also from that community.
• The Power of Forgiveness Amish Grace. The film is based on events in Pennsylvania, during a shooting at an Amish school and the spirit of God's forgiveness that shows this community.
• The decision Amish (TV) - Expecting Amish (TV). A group of Amish boys, following the tradition, is ready to spend a few days outside their society, in order to strengthen their religious convictions upon return. They enjoy the forbidden advances, amenities and diversions, but during that time, Hannah knows a boy she falls in love with, questioning her moral and family obligations.
• An abyss in the heart (TV) - Amish Grace (TV). An atrocious fact always changes the life of a quiet Amish community in Pennsylvania. An armed man kills five girls in a school and hurts another five before he kills himself. The tragedy adds to the arrival of sensationalist media, which contribute to further disrupting the simple and peaceful amish.
• Sarah Cain - Saving Sarah Cain. When Sarah Cain, a columnist from a large city diary, attends the funeral of her sister Amish, discovers that she must take care of her five nephews Amish, but instead of staying and educating them in her hometown, she takes them to live in Portland, where she believes she can offer them a better life.
• The contempt (TV) - Beverly Lewis's The Shunning (TV). Katie's a beautiful amish who's been 20 years old. For his parents it is an honor for his daughter to marry the bishop of the community. But Katie feels inclined by forbidden things: she likes to sing, play guitar... which seriously violates the norm imposed by her faith. One day, her mother receives an unexpected letter from a woman who knows a secret that will completely change her daughter's fate.
• Confession (TV) - The Confession (TV). Continuation of Katie Lapp's story, a young Amish who begins a journey in search of her identity - just to be wrapped in a mystery that must be solved before she can meet the mother "Englisher" who gave her in adoption 20 years ago.
• Silence chamber (TV) - An Amish Murder (TV). Sixteen years ago, Kate left the Amish community to lead an independent life, and since then she hasn't seen her family again. Now he's a police chief in a quiet town in Ohio. After finding the body of an amish child, Kate must return to the community to initiate the investigation. There you will have to face a resentful family and, worse, the ghosts of the past.

Other representations

Other works have been interested in highlighting the values and qualities of the Amish community, instead of criticizing them:

• In the movie Amish Grace, based on a book on a real event in Pennsylvania, during October 2006, it was the reaction of an amish group to an armed man who entered a community school and shot 10 girls, killing 5 of them and subsequently committing suicide. The event had a wide media impact and recognition because, within a few hours of the tragedy, representatives of the affected Amish community visited the wife of the murderer (who was widowed with 3 children), to show her forgiveness and solidarity for the suffering of her family. The act demonstrated the charity and benevolence that characterizes the Amish, and its attachment to the Christian faith that inculcates forgiveness and the act of visiting widows and orphans, although the press put it in doubt.
• The Christian film Saving Sarah Cainbased on a Beverly Lewis best-seller called The Redemption of Sarah Cain, tells the story of a journalist and his nephews raised in that religious community, and the customs and beliefs of the Amish appear in the surroundings of a modern city. Most Beverly Lewis novels tell stories about members of this community.
• The television series Grey's Anatomy, (chap. 13, 3rd season), where it is a case of an amish girl with cancer who had escaped with a friend to the modern world and returns home to baptize and die.
• In the movie Kingpin an old bowling champion becomes a promoter of a young amish who plays very well, for which he must live a while with that community.
• In one of the episodes of MacGyver Amish members are shown to help MacGyver in a tunnel that collapses. However, in the Latin fold, and without any justification in the episode, they are called "irlandess". In fact, this episode is called "The Outsiders", incorrectly translated into "The Irish"
• In 2 Broke Girls (chapter 7, 2nd season), Amish members appear to help Max and Caroline build a stable for their Chestnut horse.
• In the chapter “Crónicas de la Amigo” of the series My Little Pony: The Magic of FriendshipWhen you tell the story of how Pinkie Pie discovered his gift, you can see that he lives in a farm, where from potrilla worked in the countryside, looking to live in a friendly community settled near Ponyville.

• In ElseWorld (an alternate world of a comic Superman), this is adopted by an amish community.

• The movie Love without condition (An uncommon Grace) of 2017, http://www.filmaffinity.com/es/film732161.html deals with the investigation of a homicide in an Amish community and the rejection of a military doctor, despite having saved the lives of two of its members.