Grieving Amish raise money for killer's family

arbilad · Head Chef

Grieving Amish raise money for killer's family

salesortonscom · Wise and Revered Master

I have always been impressed with the Amish community. I had the opportunity to meet with some of them when I was attending training at THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY's ATI. I was impressed with their humility, work ethic, focus on family, and humble nature. We toured a factory where the Amish made farm equipment for other Amish and others who like to collect that sort of thing. We were able to ask the owner all sorts of questions about the community. I was amazed at how these people lived so close to the united order. The members of the community all contributed money to the church that was used to pay for medical costs for those who were injured or sick. Their children were highly educated and by 14 went to work but they were actually smarter than kids that I have known in college. The owner of the shop did all the design work for the equipment they were producing by hand including the algebraic equations. No calculators or CAD/CAM programs. He showed us his designs and I was thoroughly impressed. The children were very respectful to adults which was very refreshing. Plus the community I visited was Bi-Lingual. They all spoke the German dialect that they used to speak to eachother plus english.

I left with a real sense that it was I who was worse off. These people lived simply but were not poor. They helped eachother out and worked hard. They were focused on their families but did not have the distractions of the world intruding into their lives.

From what I learned in my short visit, I am not surprised by their willingness to collect funds for the family of the perpetrator. I only wish that I could be as generous and Christlike. Maybe someday.

Cat Herder · Understander of unimportant things

The Amish are good people for the most part, that is for sure. From appearances, it does appear that since they live in a more closed cultural society, they understand and practice the carrying one anothers burdens better than your typical LDS ward or stake. In this case, I think this is an extraordinary thing, since anyone who is not part of their order is considered English (or a gentile as it were) and they try to limit cultural overlap when possible. So, to publicly see to the needs of an English family where a member of that familiy had done a terrible wrong to their community is indeed a noble thing.

The only thing I have a problem with with their culture is how they let their youth have a "sow your wild oats" period after which, if they decide to stay in the order, that period is as if it never happened. I have never understood how that is reconciled with the bible... But then again, I don't understand a whole lot about the general beliefs of all the anabaptists (Mennonites and Amish) and how they came into existence in Germany. Funny thing, though, in Germany today, a lot of people who don't know much about the Church think this: Mormon = Amish...

Jason, you were back in Ohio recently and didn't bother to tell me? Dude! I could have come down and met with you. Where were you at? Ohio State has several ag campuses or other locations outside of the Columbus area. Depending on where you were at, I may have actually worked there doing pesticide research the summer before my mission (while you were still a teenybopper he he he)...

salesortonscom · Wise and Revered Master

It was back in 1997 when I was at THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY's ATI in beautiful Wooster Ohio. If anyone goes there I highly recommend a restuarant called The Amish Door. Their food and especially pie are truly excellent. I spent a week in training there and stayed at the lovely Hampton Inn in Wooster. It was one of my first business trips into another time zone and I had jet lag really bad all week but it was a good time.

I agree that the "sow yer wild oats" mentality seems to be contrary to their whole philosophy. In many ways though I wish my own ward had the sense of community that they have. We are so stratified in our ward. About half the ward is military and they do not relate well with the rest of us. It is almost like the ward is divided sometimes with the two groups speaking almost a different langage.

Cat Herder · Understander of unimportant things

Well, that explains it... 1997... I was down on main campus, if it was prior to spring commencement, finishing up my MBA.

Ah... Wooster... fond memories of going up there with my father when I was but a wee lad when they used to hold the... oh dang, can't remember what it is even called... you know the show put on by the ag extension where all the farm equipment manufacturers and seed companies and pesticide companies come and set up for all the farmers to come see and go ooooo and aaaaah. Oh, yeah, Farm Science Review... I think that is what it was... nope, Wooster never had the Ohio Farm Science Review... but my Dad used to go up there a lot with his job at the University and being a liaison to the ag extension service sort of thing or maybe it was with Church when Wooster was still part of our stake...

ooops... I think I've completely derailed this thread... my bad...

My first experience with the Amish was on a school field trip in first grade. We went to a farm probably out near Plain City (how much more Amish can you get for a town name than that?) and we sat in this barn and the guy told us about how to make butter, and he passed around this mason jar with cream in it and we all got to shake it some. There was already a little bit of butter clumping in it, so obviously it had been shaken or churned previous to us getting there. I assume it was Amish, because the guy had a beard, wore suspenders, and had a straw hat. Oh, and the guy seemed to be kind of stern / less than friendly.

eta: That was strange, my comment posted right in the middle of my typing a sentence there...

-- Edited by Cat Herder at 11:41, 2006-10-05

-- Edited by Cat Herder at 12:50, 2006-10-05

rayb · Hot Air Balloon

I wouldn't mind living near a few amish should all our power go out... :) --Ray