John Affolter, age 12, of West St. Paul, Minn., for his question:
WHO ARE AMISH PEOPLE?
There has never been a people in the history of the world that did not have some form of religion. Religion has always been a most powerful force in telling people how to live. Every religion includes a code of ethics which points the way by showing a person how to live with other people. It also suggests ways in which man can relate to a supreme being.
Eleven major religions are practiced today. Each has certain basic beliefs, traditions and philosophies. The religions include Judaism, Islam, .Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism,
Confucianism, Taoism, Shinto, Sikkism, Zoroastrianism and Christianity.
Christianity is the most widespread religion in the world. There are more than a billion followers with most of them living in Europe, North and South America. There are about 300 different Christian denominations today.
Old Order Amish is a Christian Protestant religious group that originated in Switzerland but is now centered in the United States and Canada. The Amish teach separation from the world and their members are forbidden to go to war, swear oaths or hold public office.
The Amish doctrine tells the people to be farmers and establish a personal simplicity as a way of life. Men wear beards and wide brimmed hats while the women wear plain long dresses and bonnets. They till the soil with horses and do not have electricity or telephones in their homes. Education for Amish children is limited to the eighth grade.
The Amish were named for Jacob Ammann who led the founders of the group away from the Swiss Mennonites in the 1690s because of a disagreement over church discipline. The Amish were more strict and avoided completely excommunicated members.
The Amish first came to North America in 1728. Today they live in farm communities in 23 states and in Ontario, Canada. The largest Amish communities are located in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Iowa and Illinois.
The Amish are part of the group called Pennsylvania Dutch. There is no longer a separate Amish group in Europe.
Amish members meet in their own homes every two weeks for worship services.
The Mennonites belong to a church that was first organized in Switzerland in 1525. Called the Swiss Brethren, their members voluntarily give up sin and prove their goodness in their daily lives.
The name Mennonite came from Menno Simms, a former Roman Catholic priest who led a group living in. The Netherlands and northern Germany. Members of the group wanted a strict code of ethics and general church reform.