This documentary on people who left the Amish is really good

I always wonder how they support themselves on Rumspringa. Like they go out, penniless, and what start hooking?

R1 they have to know how to do things that average people wouldn’t know how to do since they work outside so much.

If you like this, you should also check out the documentary "Devil's Playground" about Rumspruger. It is very eye opening.

Thanks R3! Is it on streaming?

Do any of the boys ever discover man on man love?

Are they all hot and desperate for dick like in "Latter Days"?

The Amish where I grew up (NE Indiana) all let their kids live at home while they are in rumspinga, so it's nothing to see hotrods and pickups sitting in the drive, while Mom and Dad are still strictly horse and buggy. The kids work in factories and make good money, then they have huge parties (during warm weather) out in fields or woods that attract up to 100-200 other young Amish who drink beer or hard liquor. Those parties are a big part of their social life during rumspringa for those who might want to remain Amish.....of course, there are others who go hog wild and don't ever want to return (the ones who get into drugs, crime, etc.). However, the Amish that I know rarely shun anyone, no matter what (they used to decades ago, but they are much more lenient these days. The more conservative sects though are pretty tough from what I've heard). Back in the 60s and 70s so many young people quit the Amish that the elders realized they had to loosen up or they were going to lose all of them. Many families I know have some kids who are in and others who are out. They are all accepting of each other.

R5 you have to think that with the girls so chaste, it is inevitable that they do. They probably all have really hard bodies from working too.

R7 fascinating. Thanks for the info.

Thanks r7, that’s fascinating.

R5 years ago at a New York Pride March, there were Amish guys with banner "Out of the Barns and Into the Bars." Spoke with one of the guys, he was from Leola, Pennsylvania.

The Amish are horrible people, plenty of hidden child abuse, wife beating, and birth defects from inbreeding that they don't tell you about. Just another cult.

And the puppy mills too.

I'm sorry but how can there not be massive inbreeding with the Amish if they are, in essence, a cloistered religion?

I promise I am not trying to be perverse nor obtuse, but if no one can join the Amish then they are all somehow related to one another, right?

It's sick.

I think like 10 or more years ago they had programs on TLC about ex Amish that left the family and went on their own. There was a big ex Amish community in Columbia Missouri. Like in most religions, the conservatives communities were a lot tougher. If you left home from the conservative communities, you couldn't go home or even talk to your families again unless you went back. But the more liberal communities included Lancaster PA and you could leave home and go back whenever you wanted to see the family.

R14, Many girls get pregnant during Rumspringa especially if they mix with the Amish. Their babies are accepted into the community especially if they quickly marry to another Amish man, and go thru the required period of shunning.

Also the frequency of birth defects pointed out by English doctors, resulted in "breeding programs." not unlike how you'd arrange an animal to be fertilized. Young, healthy English were hired to impregnate Amish girls.

Typically the breeder would have a sheet covering the top half of her body including her head and there would be several older male relatives supervising the transaction while praying together. Participants described it as the least sexy occurrence that they could possibly imagine.

Then again Amish consider stillbirths, childhood deformities and severe illnesses all due to inbreeding and lack of prenatal care, especially common among young pregnant teenagers, to be God's Will just like other Conservative religions and cults.

The tragedy of Rumpringa is that the young women haven't gone thru the normal socialization of the English so fall prey to those who use and abuse them rather than care about their pleasure and well-being.

Also without growing up and seeing alcohol as a drink to be consumed in small quantities with family and friends, as a celebration or after a long, hard day of work, means that there isn't much self-discipline or self-regulation when it comes to partying.

Alcoholism is a hidden but serious problem among the Amish especially among the most restrictive communities where even bicycles are considered "too worldly."

“The Amish are horrible people, plenty of hidden child abuse, wife beating, and birth defects from inbreeding that they don't tell you about. Just another cult.”

Exactly, like any religions, horrific abuse of women and children.

If the Amish were black and brown, gays would love them. Same with Mormons. Too bad they’re white.

R19, There have been some Black, Brown, even Asian Amish. Usually they've been adopted or had mixed parentage.

*some is not acceptable. Majority.

I'm a fan of the Rumspringa. Other regressive, religious cultures could benefit from employing something similar.

[quote] growing up and seeing alcohol as a drink to be consumed in small quantities with family and friends, as a celebration or after a long, hard day of work, means that there isn't much self-discipline or self-regulation when it comes to partying.

Small quantities of alcohol after work seems ideal. I think we all learn how to binge drink ... the hard way.

[quote] Alcoholism is a hidden but serious problem among the Amish especially among the most restrictive communities where even bicycles are considered "too worldly."

Do the Amish make their own beer, etc.?

R16. I had heard of this breeding program and thought it was a joke. Then someone else told me about it. Apparently the study blonde horse hung west Michigan Dutch men are considered good breeding stock.

R23, Amish are forbidden from making their own liquor. Teens usually ask an English friend to buy them beer or harder liquor.

Amish hire the English as a taxi service. They also have contact with the English by selling them bakery and other goods and crafts, and performing farm-related services.

Can one convert to being Amish? Not that I am interested but do they recruit or can they??

R26, There are those who've married into the Amish lifestyle usually after working with them in some capacity or meeting during Rumspringa.

However they've reported always feeling like an outsider, not knowing the Old Order Amish language and customs particular to each community. Also not having an average of 100 direct relatives to invite to celebrations and to funerals as is the norm.

As usual more idealization, fetishization and gay fantasies...

There is probably a huge amount of abuse of children and women in some sects, just as there are in most closed off cults and conservative sects.