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    Home » Everything Amish » Plain Culture

    Leaving the Amish: Another View

    Published: Apr 1, 2013 · Updated: Apr 1, 2013 by Kevin Williams | Leave a Comment

    Often when someone leaves the Amish church, they'll metaphorically "torch it" as they go leaving behind a smoldering ruin.  I've read many accounts of people who have left for various reasons and many - to be sure, not all - paint their decision in stark black and white monotones.  For instance, someone leaving, may be fleeing an abusive family member or very overbearing parents.  But keep in mind, abusive parents can be found in any religious group.  So in many cases, someone isn't fleeing the Amish life or church, they're fleeing a bad parent, person, or situation which could well be found in any church.

    It's a subtle distinction, but one that bears examining.  There are people who do leave the Amish church based on honest doctrinal differences or even because they are chafing under the church's limitations on education or gender biases. Those people are, indeed, fleeing the Amish church as is their  right in this wonderful country. But someone fleeing an abusive parent is often fleeing an abusive parent. I'm not certain that is reflective upon the whole church, as horrible as a situation like that might be.

    Mennonite minister Harvey Yoder wrote an excellent piece about the topic of leaving the Amish.  It was also reprinted in Mennonite World Review.

    The decision to leave one's faith is very nuanced, very individual, with each case being very different and I think Harvey Yoder explains this quite well.

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    About Kevin Williams

    Hi, my name is Kevin Williams and I am owner of Oasis Newsfeatures and editor of The Amish Cook newspaper column.

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    Kevin Williams - The Amish Editor Amish Cook Column

    Hi There, I'm Kevin!

    Welcome to Amish365, where I share my knowledge of Amish cooking and culture! I’ve spent almost three decades exploring Amish settlements and kitchens from Maine to Montana and almost everywhere in between. I’ll occasionally throw in stories of my travels, journalism adventures (I’m a Pulitzer prize-nominated journalist), fascination with grocery stores and Kmarts, and much more!

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