Baggywrinkle

I should point out that we are not Amish. We have
been in communication with some former Amish and we
are aware of the weaknesses of this system. Like all cultures they are not perfect, and in some congregations
they are indeed not allowed to question. In some congregations they are discouraged from reading scripture. They've become more like the Catholic Church they turned their backs on and encourage the congregation to allow their clergy to interpret for them.
The clergy itself might rely more on quoting each other rather than quoting the Bible. It has become more about
their ordnung then about the good book.

The people of Lancaster county amazed the world when they extended their hand in forgiveness to the family of the West Nickel Mines shooter. I have heard that this forgiveness is a conditioned response by the church ingrained into the congregation. The response is automatic because that is how it's supposed to be. But for some of those involved it was not heartfelt, and those family members of the victims are struggling with it to this day. It has also been pointed out that they are more likely to extend this forgiveness to outsiders then they are to their own children who stray. The meidung/shunning practiced against those who leave the church is cruel and unwavering, to the point that Ruth Irene Garrett filed a civil rights suit against a store keep that refused to take her money, and won btw.

My point here is that they are not perfect. Yet there is still VALUE here for those forming communities.
As I said in the first post of this thread; take what is of value and leave the rest.