Quote:
Originally Posted by Stephen Hoover
I understand your wonder at this seeing you too misunderstand the concept. The "coming of age" is not so much something that is granted by the parents or the church. It is simply something that occurs naturally in all cultures and religions. There are some that do abuse their newfound liberties - and sometimes parents do turn a blind eye because their dwindling authority has no real teeth to make enforcement otherwise.
The Amish sanction no sinful living and no breaking of the rules of the church - in fact quite the opposite is true - they enforce their rules on threat of excommunication and expulsion from closed church communion. The church has no real authority over those who are expelled or have yet to become Amish. There is an in-house debate concerning the tolerance of the parents when youth go wayward. Many will not expell a child from the home if they get a car or endulge in even sinful activities. If they do, it often seems to drive the youth even further from the church and lesson the likelyhood of them becoming compliant members in the future.
The Devils Playground is a documentary in the style of Micheal Moore.
For actual balance one should see the award winning PBS documentary, "The Amish: A People of Preservation".
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I guess what I read Sarge to be saying is that it is mind boggling....the practice of rumspringa itself. Yes, there is in-house debate...which is why some people end up moving to a different district to try and keep their young from straying too far. The truth is that, although I do agree that the Amish church is not by any means sanctioning the activities of sin during rumspringa, it is a tradition that "English" people would find mind boggling in that a coming of age in the English culture is generally one that is supposed to be balanced by responsibility....not just a cutting loose when one turns 16 and the parents and church saying "We are not responsible". It really is granted by the Amish parents and church by default in the tradition because the kids know that at 16 the church and parents will allow this. So, it is mind boggling to some extent that the Amish church practices this as a tradition. A mere coming of age is not the same thing.
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