What's that? You still don't believe that these are the End Times? Well then, consider this:
These are the times of Amish on Amish violence! It is incredible! According to a news story at Huffington Post, the "Bergholz Clan," a splinter group of Amish, have acted out against their fellow Amish, breaking into their homes to cut off their beards and hair!
The Bergholz Clan is led by Sam Mullet. Supposedly Sam wasn't involved in the follicle foible, but is suspected to have been the one directing his followers to lop off the obvious, personal symbols of the Amish lifestyle.
The Amish, normally ones to settle issues within their own communities, sought the local law enforcement for help on this one.
Sam could not understand why the police were getting involved in this purely religious matter. Sam told the police that these trimming raids "started with us ex-communicating members that weren't listening or obeying our laws." Presumably, Sam felt that if you weren't going to obey the laws, you should not be permitted to call yourself Amish or outwardly present yourself as Amish, and that's why he felt he had to take action.
There's not enough detail to say who is more correct from a Biblical doctrine, Sam's splinter group or its victims. The Amish follow a code of self-imposed, non-Biblical laws, known as Ordnung, as part of an attempt to maintain a more-pure faith in the God of the Bible. Go figure.
What makes this most amazing is that the Amish are known for their quiet and calm humility, as well as butter, cheese, and quality basic construction labor. Nonresistance and nonviolence are tenants of their faith. They are religious extremists, but on the peaceful side of the scale. So when Amish people start attacking each other, my friends, you know the end has truly come.
Time to start that bucket list! ;-)
I must admit I was pretty shocked when I read this news story on Yahoo News. I have always admired the Amish' peacefulness. I knew they had their own disciplinary actions, which I pretty much understood to be excommunication. Excommunication, itself, is bad enough. Some of the things they shun for seem pretty minor.
ReplyDeleteI know, it's incredibly uncharacteristic of the Amish. My guess is that the excommunicated were not acting like they were shamefully excommunicated, prompting Mullet to direct more aggressive action.
ReplyDeleteI think it is an interesting study of human behavior when they believe that there is an absolute law to be followed. It can change even the most peaceful people into aggressive jerks.
Evidently they weren't shunned into submission.
ReplyDeleteExactly. Mullet was probably puzzled like Marvin the Martian, wondering where the earth-shattering kaboom was. :-)
ReplyDeleteAdd to that that both the Maya and, I think, The Code of Hammurabi predict the end of the world in 2011. Ooooo, scary.
ReplyDeleteI know I'm scared Lorena! ;-)
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