Revival The Missing Link?

[Baron1710]

Originally Posted by whoami

I haven't watched the video's (can't access youtube right now) but I've never heard of Amish being forbidden to read or study the Bible. The Amish I know (horse and buggy Old Order Amish) do read their Bible, every day during their family devotions.

The point they made in the videos was that they read it in old German and really don't understand what they are reading.

[Digging4Truth]

Originally Posted by whoami

I haven't watched the video's (can't access youtube right now) but I've never heard of Amish being forbidden to read or study the Bible. The Amish I know (horse and buggy Old Order Amish) do read their Bible, every day during their family devotions.

The gentleman on the video said that they are forbidden to have personal bible studies or prayer meetings outside the normal meetings of the congregation. This seems to refer to Bible studies & prayer meetings where several families get together rather than personal study in ones own home by ones self.

Something made clear in the videos that might be pertinent as well. The rules vary from group to group so you may know someone who is in a group that allows this while the group these gentlemen are in might not allow it.

[whoami]

Originally Posted by Baron1710

The point they made in the videos was that they read it in old German and really don't understand what they are reading.

I see.

Yes, the rules do vary from group to group, each has their own Ordnung. The group I live near does their devotions in the version of Dutch that they use every day, so their Bible reading and devotions are very well understood and discussed.

[crakjak]

Originally Posted by Digging4Truth

The gentleman on the video said that they are forbidden to have personal bible studies or prayer meetings outside the normal meetings of the congregation. This seems to refer to Bible studies & prayer meetings where several families get together rather than personal study in ones own home by ones self.

Something made clear in the videos that might be pertinent as well. The rules vary from group to group so you may know someone who is in a group that allows this while the group these gentlemen are in might not allow it.

I remember being prohibited from have group prayer meetings and bible study, at a UC church many years ago in Dallas. I believe the pastor was afraid that we would get into mischief??? LOL Like maybe seeing things different than he preached, and if it was a group, maybe we would all rebell????

[Jason B]

Originally Posted by Baron1710

My daughter made a comment that pretty much summed up my feeling when watching these videos, "They sound like the Roman Church of the dark ages."
The fact that they are forbidden to read and study the Bible is an amazing tool of Satan. While the folks in the video had genuine faith it makes me wonder how many Amish have a genuine faith in Christ and how many simply have a list of rules.

I thought that too, then I realized that it was even closer to home than the RCC.............

[Sam]

Originally Posted by Baron1710

My daughter made a comment that pretty much summed up my feeling when watching these videos, "They sound like the Roman Church of the dark ages."

The fact that they are forbidden to read and study the Bible is an amazing tool of Satan. While the folks in the video had genuine faith it makes me wonder how many Amish have a genuine faith in Christ and how many simply have a list of rules.

also sounds like some OP churches in the dark ages of 2010

also wonder how many OP's have a genuine faith and how many simply have a list of rules

[Sam]

Originally Posted by crakjak

I remember being prohibited from have group prayer meetings and bible study, at a UC church many years ago in Dallas. I believe the pastor was afraid that we would get into mischief??? LOL Like maybe seeing things different than he preached, and if it was a group, maybe we would all rebell????

Our pastor's wife at the ALJC church we attended in the nineteen sixties and seventies told us that her pastor in Fort Worth, TX did not allow people from his church to gather anywhere socially. If they wanted to get together it had to be under his supervision. At that time I think he was UPC or maybe that was after he went AMF.

[crakjak]

Originally Posted by Sam

Our pastor's wife at the ALJC church we attended in the nineteen sixties and seventies told us that her pastor in Fort Worth, TX did not allow people from his church to gather anywhere socially. If they wanted to get together it had to be under his supervision. At that time I think he was UPC or maybe that was after he went AFF.

The church that I mention was UPC, and we began our journey out from that place. I recognize that that church was not the norm, my dad pastored in the UPC for over 50 years, and that was never his mode of operation.

[Hoovie]

Originally Posted by whoami

I think you have a point. I'm thinking more of the retention of children born into the religion, rather than the number of children born into the religion. It appears to me (from my location here in the shadow of the Mother Ship (lol Hazelwood) that the retention of children born and raised Apostolic is much lower than that of the Amish.

Something from my personal experience, I live right next to a horse and buggy Amish community and growing up Apostolic I always felt a bit slighted in that my parents and church seemed to get more excited about new converts than us kids that were being raised in the church. I realize that wasn't your point specifically, just a memory this brought up for me. I remember thinking that my Amish friends parents were more focused on teaching and interacting with their children and my parents were all about participating in outreach programs for "the lost". Since I was homeschooled (except for a few years at a private Apostolic school), I had more interaction with the Amish kids then with "worldly" kids or even the Apostolic kids, because most of them went to public schools.

Not saying that all Apostolic parents are like that or even that all Amish parents are like that..

Another thing that I think is VERY key in the Amish retention rate vs. Apostolic retention rate (of children raised in the faith) is the way some Amish communities allow their children to experiment and make their own decision. (Yes, I realize that not all Amish communities practice rumspringa, but the one I live near does. Although they don't do it in the way depicted by Devil's Playground. LOL) When my Amish friends turned 16, some bought cars, went out in "worldly" clothes, etc. Their parents worried about them and prayed for them but didn't push them towards a decision. Most decided mainstream life was too stressful and officially joined the Amish church. When I turned 16 and sat down with my parents and told them I wanted to wear modest pants and didn't agree with the standards, they said as long as you live under our roof you'll be Pentecostal - standards and all! I left a few months later and never went back.

Well, it's hard to "retain" children we don't have though, eh?

You seem to have a pretty good grasp of Amish life, Whoami. I was Old Order Mennonite but very much like the Amish. You are correct, rumspringa as practiced by us and most Amish too, is not at all like the Devil's Playground portrayed it.

PS nice to meetcha! If you care to divulge who whoami is PM me!

[Hoovie]

Originally Posted by crakjak

Hoovie, is your path from Amish similar to these folks??

Though The Old Order Mennonites are similar to Amish in many ways, such as first language, Old German at the church meetings, Horse & buggy, extremely plain dress, there are differences.

My path was easier for two big reasons.

#1 Most Mennonites do not practice the ban or shunning as do the Amish.

#2 I left at the beginning of my rumspringa years and never joined the church. I am not really viewed as having "broken the promises made to the church" because I never made the commitment of baptism and church membership.