Randolph

[wheresthesun]

...is an adorable, historic, little town...those little old quaint homes; I'll tell ya, bring them closer to the city and I'd have to have one.

[keyboard150]

I lived there for a few years. (Yes, I was a Randolph Children's Home boy). I loved it there... it was beautiful, and eventually I had Amish neighbors, which was a very enlightening experience.

[wheresthesun]

I lived there for a few years. (Yes, I was a Randolph Children's Home boy). I loved it there... it was beautiful, and eventually I had Amish neighbors, which was a very enlightening experience.

Yes, another well-kept WNY secret.

Funny you should mention Amish, because as I was traveling the winding roads of Catt. County, dodging their wagons ;), I became VERY curious about their culture. Do you know anything about them, other than the obvious?

[bigpoppapuff]

Yes, another well-kept WNY secret.

Funny you should mention Amish, because as I was traveling the winding roads of Catt. County, dodging their wagons ;), I became VERY curious about their culture. Do you know anything about them, other than the obvious?


i had an amish girlfriend once...a real freak....she always wanted to make love with the lights on......











riiiiiiiiiimmmmmmmmshot!!!!!!

[wheresthesun]

i had an amish girlfriend once...a real freak....she always wanted to make love with the lights on......











riiiiiiiiiimmmmmmmmshot!!!!!!
Yeah, like I said, "curry....":p

[keyboard150]

Yes, another well-kept WNY secret.

Funny you should mention Amish, because as I was traveling the winding roads of Catt. County, dodging their wagons ;), I became VERY curious about their culture. Do you know anything about them, other than the obvious?


Well, that's kind of an open-ended question. What did you want to know?

[wheresthesun]

Well, that's kind of an open-ended question. What did you want to know?
You said living next door to Amish was an enlightening experience, so I thought I'd ask you to elaborate, but nothing specific.

[Sylvan]

Yes, another well-kept WNY secret.

Funny you should mention Amish, because as I was traveling the winding roads of Catt. County, dodging their wagons ;), I became VERY curious about their culture. Do you know anything about them, other than the obvious?


To know more about the Amish you could watch the movie, "The Witness".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAMT3NL5Z4w&feature=related

My neighbors sold some of their standing timber to the Amish. They bring their horses, all their equipment/tools, and a crew to harvest choice lumber to be made into furniture, floors, cabinets, etc. The women show up to feed them lunch. They're quiet and dont leave any mess in the woods.

20/20 report -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4uMHvKb7Qw&feature=related

[Sylvan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWFG4oEn87E&feature=related

[nickelcityhomes]

Do you know anything about them, other than the obvious?

My distant ancestors were Amish and I lived in an Amish & Mennonite community for 20 years (Pennsylvania). Is there something specific you would like to know?

[wheresthesun]

Are the Amish social outside of their culture? Also, what is their religion, and do they have actual churches or do they worship inside their homes?

[run4it]

To know more about the Amish you could watch the movie, "The Witness".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAMT3NL5Z4w&feature=related

Any reason to feast on Kelly McGillis. Mmmmmmm......

[nickelcityhomes]

Are the Amish social outside of their culture?

There's the official answer, and the unofficial answer.

Here's the official answer:
They don't socialize outside of their culture in the sense that most of us would define socialization. Most outsiders find them cold and unwelcoming. That's because the Amish just want to be left alone. Speaking manners (please, thank you) are considered pretentious or fancy and aren't used. The Amish are open to socialization through their businesses. Their rules for interaction with outsiders has become more liberal in the past 2-3 decades and it's not uncommon to find Amish families running convenience/grocery stores, in addition to general contractor services. Their carpentry and remodeling expertise is second to none and one third the price of competing contractors.

Here's the unofficial answer:
They are just as social as any Tom, Dick, or Harry when removed from the ever-present eyes of the "group". This is especially true for the younger males. My father used to race drag cars with many Amish guys in the 70's. The Amish kids would rent a nearby barn, buy a muscle car, and store it in the rented barn. On Friday nights the Amish guy would ride his buggy to the barn, change into modern-day street clothes, then go racing. I've also spent my fair share of time getting pretty hammered with some of the local Amish guys. The pizza shop I worked at in high school was an Amish hangout. They act just like any other teenager looking to have a good time, but they are extremely naive.

what is their religion

They are protestants.

do they have actual churches or do they worship inside their homes

Several families will usually gather in groups at one home. If you see horses and buggies parked outside of a church it is probably a mennonite congregation.

[wheresthesun]

There's the official answer, and the unofficial answer.

Here's the official answer:
They don't socialize outside of their culture in the sense that most of us would define socialization. Most outsiders find them cold and unwelcoming. That's because the Amish just want to be left alone. Speaking manners (please, thank you) are considered pretentious or fancy and aren't used. The Amish are open to socialization through their businesses. Their rules for interaction with outsiders has become more liberal in the past 2-3 decades and it's not uncommon to find Amish families running convenience/grocery stores, in addition to general contractor services. Their carpentry and remodeling expertise is second to none and one third the price of competing contractors.

Here's the unofficial answer:
They are just as social as any Tom, Dick, or Harry when removed from the ever-present eyes of the "group". This is especially true for the younger males. My father used to race drag cars with many Amish guys in the 70's. The Amish kids would rent a nearby barn, buy a muscle car, and store it in the rented barn. On Friday nights the Amish guy would ride his buggy to the barn, change into modern-day street clothes, then go racing. I've also spent my fair share of time getting pretty hammered with some of the local Amish guys. The pizza shop I worked at in high school was an Amish hangout. They act just like any other teenager looking to have a good time, but they are extremely naive.



They are protestants.



Several families will usually gather in groups at one home. If you see horses and buggies parked outside of a church it is probably a mennonite congregation.
This is very very interesting; thank you for taking the time.:)

[mesue]

There's a park on top of a hill near Cassadaga. Overview Park, I think. Anyway, we try to go there on a clear day when we are in the area. You can see the shock camp in Brockton, Buffalo, and I think Canada, but not sure if it is Port Colburne or Fort Erie. Anyway, one day while we were there, a buggy pulls up and 3 young women get out. They are dressed in traditional long blue dresses and had bonnets on. They walked together, arm in arm, all 3 of them. Another buggy pulled up and there were 3 young men in black pants, buttoned shirts, beards and black hat. I don't know if it was a date, or how they just hung out. I was taken aback when one of the young men popped open a pack of Marlboros and lit one up. I had always thought the Mennonites were more legalistic in their body being a temple and not succumbing to the outside world. I remember thinking that if they smoked, why don't they have electricity?

[keyboard150]

Just because they don't indulge in things like electricity, etc...doesn't mean they don't enjoy a cigarette now and then.

Besides, some do have electricity. The Amish around Randolph are very social. Yes, they do keep to themselves, but it's not like they are going to ignore you if you speak to them. There's a Toy Shop owned by a family (The Rabers) which is just awesome to visit.

My foster parents have two Amish boys that go every evening to clean the stalls, water the horses, and feed them.
Their payment is with candy, which they don't often get at home. One reason they're paid this way is because the money would go to the family, not to the individual child.
They also come over to use the phone in the barn quite often.

They're not ignorant to technology or modern society, they just don't participate in it.

[nickelcityhomes]

Keyboard, you are correct. They can be very social once you get to know them. Their trust of outsiders has been compromised, as would mine if I was in the same situation. How many times can your private property rights be infringed upon before you give the cold shoulder to anyone you don't know personally? It's a good thing they are passive people. Any other farmer would ram the unforgiving end of a shotgun up some NYC tourist's nose if they ever scaled fences to take a picture of him plowing his field.

The area where I grew up was founded by my direct Amish ancestors in the 1760's. Their agricultural property is now being surrounded by 4 bed, 2 bath vinyl victorians owned by pompous yuppies who wanted to live in the country because it is so quaint, but can't stand the smell of poop. These yuppies run to their congressmen with absurd demands to curb the smell. They complain about the ruts in the road from the buggy wheels, and the horse poop that gets splattered on their Lexus as they drive 30 miles to work. In many cases the politicians attempt to take action. One local half-breed political hack from my town wanted to tax the buggies to repair the roads. Those roads were originally footpaths formed by native americans that evolved into horse trails. The Amish never asked for the roads to be paved.

The local non-amish keep a close eye on the yuppies. The redneck nature in us defends those who are born local, even if we don't understand the amish customs. It's a losing battle. Eventually the farmland will be developed and the yuppies will figure out a way to regulate the lifestyles of the amish. The rednecks know it, the politicians know it, and the amish know it.

[therising]

I tell you one thing about the Amish - they impressed the heck out of me a few years aso. After that terrible school massacre, they were unbelievably forgiving.

[keyboard150]

I tell you one thing about the Amish - they impressed the heck out of me a few years aso. After that terrible school massacre, they were unbelievably forgiving.


They are human, after all. They're also like a family--think of Little House on the Prairie, and how the town all knew and cared for each other.
Kinda like that. If someone needs help, the clan comes running.

[Sylvan]

Any reason to feast on Kelly McGillis. Mmmmmmm......


Oh yeah, shes a hottie! :)