Amish in the News: Leaving Lancaster?, Martyrs Mirror Find, More Measles, and Clare Auction

LANCASTER COUNTY AMISH EXODUS? I have not heard of the website Ozy.com before, but I noticed their story posted today about the Amish and Lancaster County.  My interest, not surprisingly, was piqued.  I read the story with a lot of interest and anticipation but then it just seemed to fizzle.  I'm just not sure there was much new in the article.  I don't think there's any single trigger pushing the Amish to leave Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, it's a combination of suburban sprawl, clogged roads, and high land prices.  Anyway, click here to read the Ozy article.  It's a decent article,  it just doesn't have much depth.

MARTYRS MIRROR:  Next to the Bible, Martyrs Mirror, is the most important text within the Amish faith and culture.  The book is a collection of stories of martyrs who gave their life in  pursuit of their Anabaptist faith.  Sheesh, people back then were intolerant.  Of course, such intolerance exists elsewhere in the world today and I realize we have tolerance issues still in the USA, but burning someone at the stake because they are Anabaptist?  Crazy.  Anyway, there was a recent discovery of a 17th century "plate" (early reproduction/printing methods required such plates) that appears in an early edition of Martyrs Mirror.  According to the Kauffman Museum in North Newton, Kansas where the plate is now housed:

"The recently acquired plate illustrates the martyr story of Jacques d’Auchy, a merchant arrested in 1558 in Harlingen, in what is now the Netherlands, and charged with being an Anabaptist.

The plate depicts d’Auchy in jail, bidding farewell to his grieving, pregnant wife with the prison guard and others in the background. The plate can now be viewed at Kauffman Museum on the Bethel College campus.

Click here to read more and while reading give thanks for the tolerance that does exist here in the USA.

MORE MEASLES: The measles outbreak among the Ohio Amish continues to spread, reaching 68 cases, although I'm not hearing of any serious problems (not that measles in itself isn't a serious problem) from the cases. Click here to read more. There is a lot of misinformation with this story and I am trying to get to the bottom of some.  One news website said that "Amish priests" coming back from the Far East brought the measles home with them.  Amish priests??

Amish Auction in Clare:  This event just gets bigger and bigger.  It's a fund-raiser for the Amish schools in the Clare area.  So mark your calenders for this weekend and prepare to attend.  If any of our site readers plan to go, please shoot me a note!  Click here for more info.