Are the Amish a cult?

[christundivided]

Not that I want to be Amish - but I did consider joining a Mennonite Church awhile ago after we left our IFBx Church. Our children go to a Mennonite Summer Camp ... really nice group of people. One must remember, not all Amish are Amish - some are just Mennonites living a simple life. In that case, they believe in Jesus Christ alone for salvation.

Yeah, I have no doubt that there are born again people in Churches of Christ, Mennonite, Catholic, Amish, and all sorts of non-Baptist denoms.  I never implied or explicitly stated otherwise.  rsc2a is just doin' what he does, being Captain Obtuse.

In some ways the Amish and Mennonites (by the way they are vastly different in practice) can claim to be more "baptist" than most IFB churches. They at least have a traceable lineage to the Annabaptist movement.

Either way. I do think IFBs and Amish have some similarities. I wouldn't necessarily call them a cult but they can act "cultish". The same with many other religions. For the record, I don't think I've ever called all of IFBdom a cult. I wouldn't do the same for the Amish. Some are generally good people and not all Amish are identical. There are lot of differences between various "families" within the Amish community. The Amish way of life binds them more than any specific "doctrine" we might see as causing "cultism".

 

[Boomer]

One of the families in my church growing up was ex-Amish. The husband started studying the German Bible on his own with his cousin (That was a big no-no in his community. One was not allowed to read the Bible on his own.). After studying the Bible on his own, the husband got saved and led his wife to the Lord. They were soon discovered, and thrown out of their community.

Years later, his father died. He and his wife went to the funeral, but the Amish barred the door and would not let the man attend his own father's funeral.

 

[ALAYMAN]

One of the families in my church growing up was ex-Amish. The husband started studying the German Bible on his own with his cousin (That was a big no-no in his community. One was not allowed to read the Bible on his own.). After studying the Bible on his own, the husband got saved and led his wife to the Lord. They were soon discovered, and thrown out of their community.

Years later, his father died. He and his wife went to the funeral, but the Amish barred the door and would not let the man attend his own father's funeral.

How many Amish do you know?  How many times have you been to their church?  Read any materials about their culture?  I bet you're IFB, probably IFBx to the infinity power!  You're really ALAYMAN's sockpuppet aren't you!!!!!

On a serious note, I planned on discussing the matter of their forced Biblical ignorance (similar to the Roman Catholics chaining the Bibles shut in the dark ages), and several points could be made about their cult-like manners and beliefs, but rsc2a couldn't even have the intellectual honesty to admit to the very most obvious and irrefutable cult-like issue of shunning, so why bother wasting pearls.

 

[rsc2a]

One of the families in my church growing up was ex-Amish. The husband started studying the German Bible on his own with his cousin (That was a big no-no in his community. One was not allowed to read the Bible on his own.). After studying the Bible on his own, the husband got saved and led his wife to the Lord. They were soon discovered, and thrown out of their community.

Years later, his father died. He and his wife went to the funeral, but the Amish barred the door and would not let the man attend his own father's funeral.

How many Amish do you know?  How many times have you been to their church?  Read any materials about their culture?  I bet you're IFB, probably IFBx to the infinity power!  You're really ALAYMAN's sockpuppet aren't you!!!!!

On a serious note, I planned on discussing the matter of their forced Biblical ignorance (similar to the Roman Catholics chaining the Bibles shut in the dark ages), and several points could be made about their cult-like manners and beliefs, but rsc2a couldn't even have the intellectual honesty to admit to the very most obvious and irrefutable cult-like issue of shunning, so why bother wasting pearls.

Yes. It would be hard to argue about their forced Biblical ignorance since my wife and her siblings were taught the Bible in Amish school. It would be hard since many of her friends had family devotional times. It would be hard since many of them read their Bibles quite frequently. It would be hard since I have never seen an Amish person who wouldn't discuss faith issues with me.

And, for the record, the Bibles were not chained shut by Catholics. They were chained to the altar because books were very expensive. Ironically, they were chained to the altar because the churches wanted to have the Bibles available in public settings.

 

[OZZY]

One of the families in my church growing up was ex-Amish. The husband started studying the German Bible on his own with his cousin (That was a big no-no in his community. One was not allowed to read the Bible on his own.). After studying the Bible on his own, the husband got saved and led his wife to the Lord. They were soon discovered, and thrown out of their community.

Years later, his father died. He and his wife went to the funeral, but the Amish barred the door and would not let the man attend his own father's funeral.

How many Amish do you know?  How many times have you been to their church?  Read any materials about their culture?  I bet you're IFB, probably IFBx to the infinity power!  You're really ALAYMAN's sockpuppet aren't you!!!!!

On a serious note, I planned on discussing the matter of their forced Biblical ignorance (similar to the Roman Catholics chaining the Bibles shut in the dark ages), and several points could be made about their cult-like manners and beliefs, but rsc2a couldn't even have the intellectual honesty to admit to the very most obvious and irrefutable cult-like issue of shunning, so why bother wasting pearls.

Yes. It would be hard to argue about their forced Biblical ignorance since my wife and her siblings were taught the Bible in Amish school. It would be hard since many of her friends had family devotional times. It would be hard since many of them read their Bibles quite frequently. It would be hard since I have never seen an Amish person who wouldn't discuss faith issues with me.

And, for the record, the Bibles were not chained shut by Catholics. They were chained to the altar because books were very expensive. Ironically, they were chained to the altar because the churches wanted to have the Bibles available in public settings.

To a lost person I am sure nothing is a cult.

 

[Castor Muscular]

To a lost person I am sure nothing is a cult.

Wow.  Not only is that uncalled for, it's just plain stupid.  Lost people see just about everything religious as a cult. 

 

[prophet]

To a lost person I am sure nothing is a cult.

Wow.  Not only is that uncalled for, it's just plain stupid.  Lost people see just about everything religious as a cult.

Gotta agree with this post.  The paranoia ,among the lost, of religious extremism seems to be reaching fever pitch.  And the definitions seem gradually broader.

Anishinabe

 

[ALAYMAN]

Yes. It would be hard to argue about their forced Biblical ignorance since my wife and her siblings were taught the Bible in Amish school. It would be hard since many of her friends had family devotional times. It would be hard since many of them read their Bibles quite frequently. It would be hard since I have never seen an Amish person who wouldn't discuss faith issues with me.

Your anecdotal experience is the be-all and end-all of the matter eh?  Again, confonted with unassailable logic like that I'm getting a flat spot on my forehead.

And, for the record, the Bibles were not chained shut by Catholics. They were chained to the altar because books were very expensive. Ironically, they were chained to the altar because the churches wanted to have the Bibles available in public settings.

Because the Roman Catholics in the middle ages were known for wanting the laity to read the Bible for themselves, right?  lol

 

[rsc2a]

Yes. It would be hard to argue about their forced Biblical ignorance since my wife and her siblings were taught the Bible in Amish school. It would be hard since many of her friends had family devotional times. It would be hard since many of them read their Bibles quite frequently. It would be hard since I have never seen an Amish person who wouldn't discuss faith issues with me.

Your anecdotal experience is the be-all and end-all of the matter eh?  Again, confonted with unassailable logic like that I'm getting a flat spot on my forehead.

No...but the fact that you clearly know nothing about the Amish community is again made clear. Again, I will repeat: you were running off at the mouth because you were unaware of my significant exposure to multiple Amish communities and thought you could "educate" me about the Amish. The obvious thing would be to admit that you were in error, but you keep digging the hole deeper and showing how little you actually know about the topic in question.

[quote author=ALAYMAN]

And, for the record, the Bibles were not chained shut by Catholics. They were chained to the altar because books were very expensive. Ironically, they were chained to the altar because the churches wanted to have the Bibles available in public settings.

Because the Roman Catholics in the middle ages were known for wanting the laity to read the Bible for themselves, right?  lol[/quote]

No...that's why they refused to translate it in the vernacular languages. But it wasn't why the Bibles were chained to the altars. And, never were they "chained shut". It was simply a historical fail on your part based on some anti-Catholic propaganda you probably heard at some point or another.

 

[ALAYMAN]

No...

You should have stopped there, but in your typical verbose pomposity you spewed on and on in attempt to justify your poor argument.

No...that's why they refused to translate it in the vernacular languages.

So once again you are impaled by the point you so obviously chose to ignore, and the parallel that was being drawn regarding the Amish using German Bibles and keeping the average Joe ignorant, all the while foisting extrabiblical legalistic rules on them, much like the Catholics and their doctrines of devils which the laity could not refute.  Of course the other similar tangent, which Boomer mentioned and has huge relevance here, is that if you dare go against the bishop and rules that they suck out of their thumb (with no Biblical support) you will be excommunicated and shunned, threatened with hell because you are now outside of the Amish church.

 

[Timothy]

 

[rsc2a]

No...

You should have stopped there, but in your typical verbose pomposity you spewed on and on in attempt to justify your poor argument.

Do $5 words make you think you are more intelligent?

[quote author=ALAYMAN]

No...that's why they refused to translate it in the vernacular languages.

So once again you are impaled by the point you so obviously chose to ignore, and the parallel that was being drawn regarding the Amish using German Bibles and keeping the average Joe ignorant, all the while foisting extrabiblical legalistic rules on them, much like the Catholics and their doctrines of devils which the laity could not refute.[/quote]

Apparently, you aren't aware that the vast majority of Amish are bilingual. I'll just chalk this up to something else you were supposed to educate me on.

And, I'm not "impaled by" any point. You got your facts wrong regarding chained Bibles, pretty damning for your argument since why they were chained was the basis of your reasoning. Now you want to wave away this little bit of misinformation from yourself.

[quote author=ALAYMAN]Of course the other similar tangent, which Boomer mentioned and has huge relevance here, is that if you dare go against the bishop and rules that they suck out of their thumb (with no Biblical support) you will be excommunicated and shunned, threatened with hell because you are now outside of the Amish church.[/quote]

- You apparently think that bishops have a lot more power than they actually do. (Hint: Shunning requires a vote by the community.)
- I thought you were bemoaning the lack of church discipline.

 

[Torrent v.3]

He says that maybe 1 or 2 people out of 100 are probably genuine believers, but overall, they are just legalists who believe that their superior form of living will get them to heaven. 

So they're basically fundamentalists without electricity?

They are worse than fundamentalists.  They literally shun anyone who breaks certain rules. When my friend and his father and mother and brothers came to Christ and left the community, the grandfather, who was a community elder (I think that is what they are called.) refused to allow them into his hospital room when he was dying of cancer (I think it was cancer, regardless, it was a long time in the hospital.).  And the grandfather warned all of the family members to avoid them.  Their rules about shunning are very central. They believe that in this way they are preserving their "holy" way of life, and somehow (I do not fully understand what they believe in this regard) it ensures their rightness with God.

 

[Torrent v.3]

One of the families in my church growing up was ex-Amish. The husband started studying the German Bible on his own with his cousin (That was a big no-no in his community. One was not allowed to read the Bible on his own.). After studying the Bible on his own, the husband got saved and led his wife to the Lord. They were soon discovered, and thrown out of their community.

Years later, his father died. He and his wife went to the funeral, but the Amish barred the door and would not let the man attend his own father's funeral.

How many Amish do you know?  How many times have you been to their church?  Read any materials about their culture?  I bet you're IFB, probably IFBx to the infinity power!  You're really ALAYMAN's sockpuppet aren't you!!!!!

On a serious note, I planned on discussing the matter of their forced Biblical ignorance (similar to the Roman Catholics chaining the Bibles shut in the dark ages), and several points could be made about their cult-like manners and beliefs, but rsc2a couldn't even have the intellectual honesty to admit to the very most obvious and irrefutable cult-like issue of shunning, so why bother wasting pearls.

Yes. It would be hard to argue about their forced Biblical ignorance since my wife and her siblings were taught the Bible in Amish school. It would be hard since many of her friends had family devotional times. It would be hard since many of them read their Bibles quite frequently. It would be hard since I have never seen an Amish person who wouldn't discuss faith issues with me.

And, for the record, the Bibles were not chained shut by Catholics. They were chained to the altar because books were very expensive. Ironically, they were chained to the altar because the churches wanted to have the Bibles available in public settings.

Ok, so that is you and your wife's experience with that one community. You must admit that they are all different. But overall, they do tend to legalism as either a way to salvation, or as a radical kind of legalistic sanctification.

 

[rsc2a]

One of the families in my church growing up was ex-Amish. The husband started studying the German Bible on his own with his cousin (That was a big no-no in his community. One was not allowed to read the Bible on his own.). After studying the Bible on his own, the husband got saved and led his wife to the Lord. They were soon discovered, and thrown out of their community.

Years later, his father died. He and his wife went to the funeral, but the Amish barred the door and would not let the man attend his own father's funeral.

How many Amish do you know?  How many times have you been to their church?  Read any materials about their culture?  I bet you're IFB, probably IFBx to the infinity power!  You're really ALAYMAN's sockpuppet aren't you!!!!!

On a serious note, I planned on discussing the matter of their forced Biblical ignorance (similar to the Roman Catholics chaining the Bibles shut in the dark ages), and several points could be made about their cult-like manners and beliefs, but rsc2a couldn't even have the intellectual honesty to admit to the very most obvious and irrefutable cult-like issue of shunning, so why bother wasting pearls.

Yes. It would be hard to argue about their forced Biblical ignorance since my wife and her siblings were taught the Bible in Amish school. It would be hard since many of her friends had family devotional times. It would be hard since many of them read their Bibles quite frequently. It would be hard since I have never seen an Amish person who wouldn't discuss faith issues with me.

And, for the record, the Bibles were not chained shut by Catholics. They were chained to the altar because books were very expensive. Ironically, they were chained to the altar because the churches wanted to have the Bibles available in public settings.

Ok, so that is you and your wife's experience with that one community. You must admit that they are all different. But overall, they do tend to legalism as either a way to salvation, or as a radical kind of legalistic sanctification.

Bingo!

(And three communities.)

 

[FSSL]

I saw an Amish buggy sign today.

 

[ALAYMAN]

(And three communities.)

I never said all Amish were of a cult you dolt.

 

[rsc2a]

(And three communities.)

I never said all Amish were of a cult you dolt.

Sorta reminds me of two other cults, the Mormons and the Amish... - Alayman

After me asking how many Amish you actually know
I don't know any Christadelphians......they're a cult. I don't know but a few Seventh Day Adventists.....but many are cultish. I know zero United Pentecostal Church folk......yep, a cult. You get the point, I hope. - Alayman