4 Popular Myths About The Amish (Part 2)

From rumspringa to language to identity, here are the lies you’ve been told

Myth #3: Those who exit are “ex-Amish” or no longer Amish.

The term “ex-Amish” is widely used to refer to those of us who have exited the Church, but there are many problems with that label. “Ex-Amish” implies that we’re no longer Amish, and that’s false. A change of clothes doesn’t erase our Amish identity. “Nonpracticing Amish” or “culturally Amish” are terms that accurately represent those of us who are outside the Church. “Amish” is a culture, language, religion, ethnicity, and minority group.

The belief inside the Church is that one must remain religiously Amish for life. Rejecting the religion is the equivalent of rejecting our entire culture and history. Referring to someone who exits as “no longer Amish” goes hand in hand with shunning them. It’s part of the punishment to reinforce that one no longer belongs in the fold (or tribe).

The vast majority of Amish who exit call themselves “ex-Amish”, and to a lesser extent “former Amish”. This is often due to the fact that negative experiences drove them to leave and they don’t see anything positive about our culture-or not enough to want to be identified as Amish. “Ex-Amish” is a badge of pride (“you, the Church, don’t control me…