What puritan religious community is comprised of members who don't vote or pledge allegiance, who shun excommunicates, and who consider themselves no part of the world? If you guessed Jehovah's Witnesses, you wouldn't be far off. Albeit, the correct answer in this particular context is the Amish (not to be confused with the Mennonites).
For anyone who has been living beneath a rock, the Amish are a highly conservative and relatively agrarian religious society, predominantly located in the Pennsylvania area within the U.S. They are known to worldlings for their being rather technophobic, apolitical, and horse-and-buggy.
I did not watch THE AMISH to be amused by cornfed ways. To the contrary. Although nonreligious myself, I took delight in viewing this documentary and in fact considered it a refreshing viewing experience. Most impressive to me is the way in which the Amish do not try and fit in with the mainstream and certainly not pop culture. Aside from their unworldliness, I also like the Amish for their familial nature, strong work ethic, modesty, and love of the land. So what if they're not into automobiles and are camera-shy. Commendable is their wholesome nonconformity. In this overall faithless age of ours, it's also pleasing to see a close-knit community that still believes in godly values and virtues. Call them old-fashioned, but these pastoral folks possess a number of admirable qualities which many moderns and secularists are sadly lacking in.
There are some things I learned from this doc which I'd either forgotten or hadn't known before: the Amish practice adult baptism; they don't have churches, but instead congregate for worship inside of homes; their communities attract numerous curiosity-seekers and sightseers; more and more young Amish men are finding work in factories as there is less opportunity for the Amish to support themselves by way of farming.
Although I personally enjoyed THE AMISH, I suspect it is a film for acquired tastes, that would likely not appeal to, say, jet-setters, culture-vultures, status seekers, fast-trackers, club-hoppers, aspirants, and the worldly wise. Those people with yet a sense of agrarian purity would likely appreciate this picture more than anyone else. THE AMISH requires patience and above-average attention spans on the part of its audience. It moves at a leisurely pace. If you've ever taken a relaxing drive through the country for no other reason than to experience a simple pleasure and to take in the rustic scenery, THE AMISH just might be your cup of tea.
For anyone who has been living beneath a rock, the Amish are a highly conservative and relatively agrarian religious society, predominantly located in the Pennsylvania area within the U.S. They are known to worldlings for their being rather technophobic, apolitical, and horse-and-buggy.
I did not watch THE AMISH to be amused by cornfed ways. To the contrary. Although nonreligious myself, I took delight in viewing this documentary and in fact considered it a refreshing viewing experience. Most impressive to me is the way in which the Amish do not try and fit in with the mainstream and certainly not pop culture. Aside from their unworldliness, I also like the Amish for their familial nature, strong work ethic, modesty, and love of the land. So what if they're not into automobiles and are camera-shy. Commendable is their wholesome nonconformity. In this overall faithless age of ours, it's also pleasing to see a close-knit community that still believes in godly values and virtues. Call them old-fashioned, but these pastoral folks possess a number of admirable qualities which many moderns and secularists are sadly lacking in.
There are some things I learned from this doc which I'd either forgotten or hadn't known before: the Amish practice adult baptism; they don't have churches, but instead congregate for worship inside of homes; their communities attract numerous curiosity-seekers and sightseers; more and more young Amish men are finding work in factories as there is less opportunity for the Amish to support themselves by way of farming.
Although I personally enjoyed THE AMISH, I suspect it is a film for acquired tastes, that would likely not appeal to, say, jet-setters, culture-vultures, status seekers, fast-trackers, club-hoppers, aspirants, and the worldly wise. Those people with yet a sense of agrarian purity would likely appreciate this picture more than anyone else. THE AMISH requires patience and above-average attention spans on the part of its audience. It moves at a leisurely pace. If you've ever taken a relaxing drive through the country for no other reason than to experience a simple pleasure and to take in the rustic scenery, THE AMISH just might be your cup of tea.
