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Author
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Topic: Amish in the City
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Nephthys
Moderator Posts: 3800
From: California
Registered: Oct 2001
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posted July 28, 2004 09:41 PM
 
Tonight on UPN network, which is channel 44 (or channel 12) for SF Bay area locals, there is a new reality show called "Amish in the City". (8 p.m. PST)Here on the west coast, we never see, hear or talk about the Amish. I don't really know much about them, so I think this should be interesting to watch. well, just wanted to share in case anyone was interested.  IP: Logged |
Rainbow~
Knowflake Posts: 5927
From: The Little River Indian Reservation
Registered: Jan 2002
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posted July 29, 2004 11:10 AM
That should be interesting, Nephthys.....I think you will find it fascinating...We have SOME Amish in Michigan, but there is a BIG concentration of Amish settlements in northern Indiana (just south of our border) ....There is a "quaintness" about them; their mode of travel with their charming horses and buggies....their immaculately kept farms, and their very old fashioned style of dress... I'm amazed that so many of them have "lived thru" our fast growing technologies and are still surviving with their simple way of life...that is kind of reassuring... Love,
Rainbow
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proxieme
unregistered
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posted July 29, 2004 11:18 AM
The Amish give young adults a year (I think that's the period) to experience "the English" before they decide whether or not they'd like to remain in the Amish fold - I'd imagine that's what this show's probably showing.It's a shame what's happening to them in Pennsylvania:
Oftentimes, they're getting zoned out of their own land and customs.
Ex: A city person moves down to the country to get away from it all, and then complains to "the authorities" when his Amish neighbor's Rooster crows too loudly in the morning (or throughout the day); or an Amish family that's living in their barn as their house is being built (a long-standing tradition), but is then evicted off of their own land by zoning officials because their living in a dwelling with no in-door plumbing (yes, that's happened). Some Amish do have minimal electricity, they just can't allow themselves to be connected to an outside grid - they'll go off of a generator (or a few) instead. IP: Logged |
Total Pieces
Knowflake Posts: 291
From: Los Angeles, CA
Registered: Dec 2001
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posted July 29, 2004 12:17 PM
I surprised this show made it...I think it is just in bad taste...lets look at these 'quaint'...(ie. to Hollywood 'backward' people)...aren't there lives 'sweet' (ie lack of sophistication) What is going to happen when they 'Shock' see the experience the modern world...like they don't live in it... Trade with it... I wonder how much of their faith will be talked about and explained in this show... If people learn about the Amish well than that will be a good thing...it will be the only good thing... Amber
(Libra...on a Soapbox) IP: Logged |
Nephthys
Moderator Posts: 3800
From: California
Registered: Oct 2001
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posted July 29, 2004 12:43 PM
 OMG  I was SO DISAPPOINTED in this show!!!! The producers of the TV show are exploiting the Amish by putting them in a house with trashy, immature, rude and disrespectful people. Most people are NOT like the ones in the house, now the Amish are getting a wrong view of how people in modern society are.
The house is not even a normal house. I would not want to live with bright green bean bag chairs, red plastic furniture, etc.
I feel SO BAD for the Amish people who were put into a house with the wrong people.
I turned the show off before the first hour was over.
Thanks everyone for all your info., it is really interesting.
I would be so interested to ask them a lot of questions;
Do you have telephones? If not, how do you contact one another, call in sick for school, etc.?
Do you pay taxes?
What kinds of food do you eat?
What is your average day like, what do you do?
How do you keep warm in the winter?IP: Logged |
Total Pieces
Knowflake Posts: 291
From: Los Angeles, CA
Registered: Dec 2001
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posted July 29, 2004 01:07 PM
Oooo worse than I thought but not surprised...Dear Nephthys, When you get some time head down to the libray and speak with the reference librarian. Tell her(him) your interest and I'm sure that he (she) will be able to guide you in the right direction. There have been a lot of documentaries and books written on the Amish, Menonites and other 'American Regilous Societies'...they aren't as 'isolated' as you may think...  and there is always Google...  Love,
Amber
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purplezen
Knowflake Posts: 888
From: outer space
Registered: Aug 2003
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posted July 29, 2004 03:20 PM
is it anything like Sex in the city? lol. IP: Logged |
Nephthys
Moderator Posts: 3800
From: California
Registered: Oct 2001
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posted July 29, 2004 04:36 PM
Dear Amber,I don't know if I'll have time to make it to the library, but I'll do a search on I-net like you said.
I thought of more questions to ask them; Do they know about 9/11?
Do they know about the war in Iraq?
Do they know about West Nile Virus?
Do they get newspapers?
Do they use out houses for toilets?
What books do they read or have access to? Wow, wouldn't it be cool, I'd love to meet an Amish person someday.
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Total Pieces
Knowflake Posts: 291
From: Los Angeles, CA
Registered: Dec 2001
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posted July 29, 2004 04:45 PM
I see that someone may be taking a trip to Pennsylvania one day...I am not Amish but I can say yes...the know about 9/11 and the Iraq War. The lifestyle is not to stick their heads in the proverbial religous sand...it is to keep the modern way of life out and devote ones life to God and the way they chose to do that is not to take on the trappings of modern society...to stay close and true to church, family, their society. But they have friends out side their communities they trade and work with them... Think of it similar sort of like Hasedic (sp?) Jews. Societies with in a larger society. A definite seperation but they have much more knowledge of us than we have of them... IP: Logged |
proxieme
unregistered
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posted July 29, 2004 09:04 PM
Re: telephones: As I understand it, there's generally a family in a given community who has one, or the general store will have one.
And I've gotta echo TP - again, as I understand it, their way of life is so that they may focus on God and Family, individual relationships, relationship to the land through work and devotion, and the relationship to God through the same.
That's not to try to make it sound utopian - they're human and have thier own problems - but I do respect their way of trying.Some of my ancestors walked a similar path: they were Brethren, members of a historic Anabaptist Peace Church (as are the Amish and Mennonites)...the COB being kinda the liberal hippies of the bunch. This show saddens me. IP: Logged |
Lindaland
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