The Plain People: The Old Order Amish

The Amish, also known as "The Plain People" or more specifically the one group known as the Old Order Amish, originated in Switzerland around the year l525. They came from a division of the Mennonites also known as the Anabaptists. The time the Amish trace their origin back to the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It all started when one group of reformers rejected the well known concept of infant baptism and opposed the union of church and state. They only baptized men and women as adults at about age l8. These people became known as Anabaptists. The Anabaptists believed that only adults who had confessed their faith should be baptized.Going deeper into the history of the Amish, In 1536, a young Catholic priest from Holland, Menno Simons,

The purpose of this rule is to help the member of the Anabaptist group realize the wrong they have done and to encourage his repentance.These Anabaptist/Mennonites groups were severely persecuted throughout Europe. Thousands were put to death as heretics by both Catholics and Protestants followers.To avoid persecution many fled to the mountains of Switzerland and Southern Germany. Here began the Amish tradition of farming and holding their worship services in homes rather than churches.Today, the Amish can be found in 23 states in the USA and in one Canadian province. Their settlements in and around Lancaster County is their second largest community. Because of their large families, the total Amish population has more than doubled since 1960 to over 85,000 and also since most children born in an Amish family also take on the traditions of their

Old Order Mennonites are groups of Swiss and South German heritage who practice lifestyles without a lot of elements from modern technology, also dress very plain and who kept the old forms of worship, baptism and communion. Another group is the Conservative Mennonites. They include many groups that identify with the more conservative/traditional elements among Mennonite and Anabaptist groups but not necessarily Old Order groups. Reformed Mennonites are an Anabaptist denomination that separated from the main North American Mennonite in 1812 due to different ideas. Lastly Orthodox Mennonites are rather intentionalist minded than ultra traditional minded. The main differences between the sects are not their core beliefs but rather how they choose to let modern technology and ideas affect their communities. Such as things like cell phones, cars and