Growing Up Amish

The term "Amish" is frequently used as a cute branding tool for rural areas and groceries ranging from chicken to baked goods. I grew up in one of these “plain” religious communities. Women and children were treated horrifically. As such, it is hard to see depictions in the media or newspapers that romanticize the “Amish” culture and ways. Below is a letter recently written to the editor of the local paper in response to featuring a section romanticizing the Amish for clickbait.   To Whom It May Concern,  I love reading the news and greatly appreciate the service you provide our local community. I was surprised, however, one day to see a Lifestyle Section titled “Amish Kitchen” as a regularly featured column on your social media pages. I found this greatly troubling. I grew up in a hybrid Amish/Mennonite Community in Copemish called Charity Christian Fellowship and knew many people who I frequently interacted with from Amish, Mennonite, and other communities.  These ...

 Children in Amish and plain religious communities like the Mennonites or Charity receive a very different education compared to children growing up in mainstream society . It is common for children in Amish and Mennonite communities to either be homeschooled or attend a 1st - 8th-grade religious school run within the local church community.  In my case, we didn’t have enough congregants to have a school and we were homeschooled. Students in these communities are only taught a few subjects: reading/English and math. There is no history, science, geography, music, or art education.  Children are taught to read and do basic math i.e enough to do the basic measuring for building or cooking. No writing beyond the 1st-grade level while learning your letters. No critical thinking or analysis. No creativity or divergence, only replication.  Growing up "school” was at most only two or three hours a day between the morning and afternoon chores. Once I got to the 4th/5th grade...

  I grew up in a religious community similar to the Amish and Mennonite communities called “Charity”. This name came from the main church located in Pennsylvania called Charity Christian Fellowship. Our church was located in Michigan and called Marilla Christian Fellowship.     I'm the one wearing brown in the center Church members had no contact with the outside world and kept members isolated.  Men were the head of the church and the home with women being homemakers and having children. Inside this world, there was no such thing as science or musical instruments. The police were only a vague group described as evil people who served Satan and would hurt us if they came in contact. I first learned that there were people in this world who didn't believe in beating women and children at a doctor's office by chance due to having serious health issues. I used the laddies' room alone and saw a poster depicting domestic violence with big Xs.  I now work in fore...