What it means to see Amish in America?

During our recent passage through Pennsylvania and Ohio we ran into a significant number of Amish and Mennonites in public spaces and stores. This by the way isn’t much different than the “plural” Mormon fundamentalist housewives in 19th century garb, we often see at the Salt Lake City’s Costco store. 

As I was observing these folks, I couldn’t help wondering why they're still Amish and Mennonites in America and not in Europe, where they originally came from, and what it tells us about a frozen social evolution in the US? It’s true that many Amish and Mennonites fled Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries to escape religious persecution. 

The US, Pennsylvania and Ohio, offered land and constitutional protections for their religious expression. Further, unlike Europe, that underwent aggressive modernization and secularization after World War II, these pockets of cultural autonomy were able to preserve their traditions without being absorbed or dismantled by US national policies. It’s also true that American pluralism, while far from perfect, has historically been more tolerant of counter cultural lifestyles. 

To me, this constitutes a hurdle to societal evolution or modernization, from a technological or cultural homogenization that makes life needlessly more complicated just to accommodate every extreme diversity. Of course, the opposite view is that the persistence of Amish and Mennonite communities could instead reflect a resilience of choice in a society that allows people to opt out of modernity without being erased. 

Finally, I believe that a lack of education and too much religiosity are perfect ingredients for maintaining these odd cultures. It’s a fact that some traditional communities, including Amish and Old Order Mennonites, often limit formal education to around 8th grade as a deliberate choice to preserve community values and resist assimilation. 

Their education emphasizes practical skills, moral instruction, and communal responsibility. I also believe that deep religious beliefs often equate to gullibility. Some will push back saying that these communities have highly structured theological systems, rigorous moral codes, and strong internal logic. 

As you can appreciate it, a huge heap of subjects to debate...