It comes on the National Geographic channel and it's about young people who choose to leave the Amish faith/way of life, the backlash from their families, and their adjustment to the "outside" world. It's fascinating for me to watch. Some of the experiences are unique to Amish, but so much of it is similar to what people feel when they decide they no longer want to be Witnesses. Their Amish family members think they are doomed, out of God's favor, and they are completely shunned. Oh man, if you can watch it, I highly recommend it. It's extremely interesting.
"Amish - Out of Order"...Have you watched this show???
by freshstart 14 Replies latest jw experiences
-
-
FlyingHighNow
I saw it only one time. This particular episode dealt mainly with some misguided girl who wanted to become Amish and the Amish families she spent time with. Bizarre.
-
james_woods
I read an article which indicated that the Amish have a similar problem with child abuse not unlike the JWs, but that it is hidden behind their closed society.
It made the point that American society tends to "idealize" Amish life because the public thinks that it is "charming" or "romantic".
The reality is far from the image.
-
blondie
Yes, I watched the series. The one who wanted to be Amish realized that some orders were too strict and found a less strict one in Floridas but really would never commit to a way of life; she was just sad about her parents' divorce and was looking for a perfect family. The other episodes were more enlightening showing how they changed their beliefs slowly and eventually developed a support group around Mose the older one (32) who had married an English woman and had 2 children. He himself visited other Amish areas and found a group in Wisconsin that branched off the main group of Amish and were shunned themselves. They seemed very caring, better than most elders in the WTS. It is worth watching the whole series. It made me wonder if it would be possible for form support groups for ex-jws, something meetups do.
-
Billy the Ex-Bethelite
Mom had it on when I was visiting a few weeks ago. I was busy with some other things and only partly watching it, but noticed how closely it related to the way JWs practice disfellowshipping. I could tell that she didn't like the way the Amish do it, yet she could see the similarities with the JWs. The first episode seemed to be comparing less strict Amish that would still maintain friendships with family that left, vs. other Amish groups that were more strict about shunning those who left. There was a second episode on after the first and she turned it off before the second one was over, I think. But it seemed to be a bit of a wake up call about not letting religious intolerance poison your family.
Of course, one of the big differences is that Amish usually have really big families, so if a couple of the kids leave, the parents still have plenty of kids still in the nest. However, a JW family like mine has very few kids, so if even one leaves, that's a huge loss. But several of us have faded, so for the dub family to avoid us, they would be very, very lonely!
-
Nice_Dream
I watched the series with my husband and we both had tears during some of the episodes dealing with shunning. One of the Amish boys left without having family on the outside and was in a very bad car accident. He then had no job, no money, and a bunch of hospital bills. He went home to see his family and was told to leave and not come back if he wasn't going to stay permanently.
It is so sad to watch people try and reach out to their family, only to be turned away. The Amish that leave are so brave to enter a foreign world with little education. It is nice to see them succeed and rebuild their lives.
-
ammo
There was something like that a couple of weeks here in QLD on the abc.
It reminded me quite abit of JW's and their superstitions, they even had to follow a certain same color for their buggies,( depending where they lived) same-approved lengths on their braces, and buttons or clips. Lots more little things totally irrelevant to anything, just controlling.
The 2 young guys most of this was about and their famillies had been shunned, they had questioned the elders and their teachings as far as hypocrisy to what the bible really said and so on, One of them had a sick daughter just diagnosed with leukimia, they were very matter of fact that if she died than that was what the lord wanted, but the rest of the family that did shun them also went and cleaned the house, mowed the lawns and left food. All with a quiet humility, sad you could see they loved them and felt for them but the 'rules' did'nt allow for contact.
It made me really understand that whether your in with Amish, Scientologists, JW's Mormans whatever, it really is a crock of highly organised/controlled BS.
-
Balaamsass
Excellent series. Lots of similarities. 3gen refers to JWs as "Amish with lipstick".
I also enjoyed a series on the Travel Channel, I believe from the BBC. Ollie and ...with ..- Two guy live with a remote tribe of ex headhunters in New Guinea. They have Elders and a strict set of rules..and consider the ONLY correct way for a man to dress is with a 3ft stick over his Penis. I was rolling on the floor laughing when the "Elders needed to meet with a young Woman" Such Serious looks..but naked exept for that stick.
Amazing how any tribe or group can delude themselves into what is normal..
-
NewChapter
I've been watching it. Lot's of JW parallels. Especially when the boy went home to visit after his accident and they sent him away. They were worried that he would be bad association for his younger siblings.
-
AK - Jeff
I have been watching it. The similarites to JW's is clear. In many ways I think the Amish situation may be even worse than JW for those who leave. At least with Jw we were already immersed into modern life before we left. For the Amish it must be like leaving planet earth and going to Mars.
I think the emotional difficulties of the Amish young people who leave must be very similar to those experienced by JW's. Like Jw's, seems like some go overboard and cause themselves pain before they settle into life sans Amish tradition.
Jeff