By SharperIron on
Society & Culture
Religious Trends
Amish

“A new Ohio State University study of Amish communities in the United States and Ontario, Canada, shows explosive growth taking place…”

Discussion

Tue, 08/07/12

If the Ohio study is accurate, I wonder what it means… Why would the Amish be growing like crazy?

I wonder if the folks insisting that our fashions, music, technology and “worship” have to be “culturally relevant” are paying attention.

Views expressed are always my own and not my employer's, my church's, my family's, my neighbors', or my pets'. The house plants have authorized me to speak for them, however, and they always agree with me.

Tue, 08/07/12

The Amish do not proselytize, so the growth comes from having a lot of children and few members leaving their community.

These are the two primary reasons for the growth. I don’t think it has a direct correlation to those pushing cultural relevance in evangelical circles unless you are trying to tie it to the retention of youth.

Why is it that my voice always seems to be loudest when I am saying the dumbest things?

Tue, 08/07/12

That does put it in a different light. I was imagining a significant number of “outsiders” seeking them out and joining, which would be a curious thing indeed. Forgot about the whole growth-by-making-babies aspect. Come to think of it, our own church would be seeing noticeable growth by now too if nobody who grew up left the area.

Views expressed are always my own and not my employer's, my church's, my family's, my neighbors', or my pets'. The house plants have authorized me to speak for them, however, and they always agree with me.

Tue, 08/07/12

They do have larger than average families, plus many do stay in farming, but where there is already an Amish community large farm acreage rarely comes on the market, or is too expensive. They search out available and affordable land which leads to a new community being established.