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🪵 Amish Lifehacks

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⛪ Orders

Old Order, Swartzentruber, Beachy, New Order. One people — dozens of rules.

1

Old Order

The 'standard' ones. 200,000 people. Buggy, beard, kerosene.

2

Swartzentruber

Strictest. No reflectors. No indoor toilet.

3

New Order

Most progressive (of the bearded). Electricity in workshop.

4

Beachy Amish

Cars. Electricity. Church building. But still Amish?

5

Andy Weaver

Between Old Order and Swartzentruber. Stricter than average, softer than extreme.

6

Differences

Chart: who can what. From Swartzentruber to Beachy.

7

Mennonites

Not Amish! But relatives. Same roots, different path.

8

Hutterites

Third sibling. Common property. Colonies. Canada.

9

Comparing Ordnung

One technology — 10 answers. Depends on community.

10

Splits

1693, 1910, 1927, 1966. When community can't agree — split.

11

Geography

Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana — the Big Three. 80% of all Amish.

12

Growth

Doubling every 20 years. 380,000 → 760,000 by 2045.

13

New Settlements

Land expensive → move. Maine, Missouri, Montana. Amish frontier.

14

Swiss Amish

Stricter than Old Order. Hooks instead of buttons. Adams County.

15

Nebraska Amish

White buggies. 1850s clothing. Live in Pennsylvania, not Nebraska.

16

What Makes Amish Amish

Beard? Buggy? No. Baptism + Ordnung + community.

17

Converting

Can you become Amish? Theoretically yes. Practically — near impossible.

18

Leaving Statistics

85-90% stay. 10-15% leave. Who and why?

19

Progressive Wave

Each generation slightly more progressive. Slowly. But inevitably.

20

Population

380,000 (2024). Was 5,000 (1900). Growth without immigration.