Are the Amish a Cult?

The Amish form their own communities, wear similar clothing, and although they are Christian, they practice their faith in a different way than mainstream Christianity in the United States.

So even in the United States, some people who don't know anything about the Amish seem to wonder, "Are the Amish a cult?"

To get straight to the point, the Amish are not a cult.

Unlike cults, they do not live their lives following a so-called "guru" who has absolute power. Like other Protestant Christians, they try to avoid concentrating power in one person. For example, Amish church meetings are held in the homes of church members, but they rotate meetings and avoid holding meetings in one home all the time (if they held meetings in one home all the time, power would naturally be concentrated there).

And it is up to the individual to leave the Amish community (and outsiders can join the Amish community if they abide by certain conditions).

Looking back at history, the Amish reject the practice of infant baptism, and instead split off from other Christian religions (Catholicism) on the principle that true faith is understanding the Bible and believing of one's own will. There are some Christian sects that automatically make a person a Christian from birth, but the Amish are a sect that say this is wrong. They were persecuted for this reason and fled from Europe to the Americas.

Their Christian belief is called Anabaptist, and the name comes from the idea that people who practiced baptism (by infant baptism) would baptize again (the meaning of "ana") when they became adults, along with a confession of faith.

When Amish reach the age of 16, they enter a period called "Rumspringa." This means "running around" in German. During this period, they leave the rules of the Amish community and are free to gain experience in the secular world. During this period, they are exposed to various conveniences and pastimes of the secular world in groups of young Amish friends. After that, they make the choice of their own free will as to whether or not they want to live as an Amish person.

Also, Amish children apparently save money by helping with the family business from a young age, so unlike the average 16-year-old, they have a lot of financial freedom, and it seems like some of them do whatever they want, although it may sound harsh. Nevertheless, it seems that many of them end up living as Amish.

This period usually lasts until they get married, or if they don't marry, until their late 20s, when they decide whether to get baptized Amish and live in the community or leave the Amish community.

The Amish are not forced to live as Amish, and even if you are born into an Amish community, you are given the opportunity to leave Amishness and are free to leave the community if you choose.

To become a member of the Amish requires you to follow the New Testament of Christianity and the rules of the community. However, you are not required to follow the rules set by a single person with authority or a "guru." The community and its rules are also decided by the opinions of all members.

In that sense, it is a religious community that is completely different from a cult group.

References: Amish Studies the young center at Elizabethtown College

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