What if you're Amish and gay?

this is one of the most frequent questions that's come up over the life of this Channel and it's a topic I expect will offend some people but probably for different reasons so what did the Amish think about homosexuality well in a nutshell they see it as a sin and you're not going to find people that are both openly gay and in good standing as members of an Amish Church you know and maybe to State the obvious there are certainly people with same-sex feelings Born Into the Amish community as in any community of size so what do the Amish think of that and what happens to those people I've got a few sources that I think cover this wow the first is a good nutshell take in a book called simply the Amish by Donald crabill Karen Johnson Weiner and Stephen noltz from the book The Amish consider homosexual activity as sin because they are not exposed to much television or other mass media some Amish people are not familiar with the terms gay and lesbian or public discourse on the top topic although others learn about same-sex issues when they read local newspapers no systematic research has measured the prevalence of homosexuality among the Amish some Amish people privately Express same-sex inclinations but they tend to keep their desires undercover those with homosexual inclinations who are married may feel dissatisfied and unhappy but they nevertheless continue in their marriage yielding their personal yearnings to the expectations of their Church in short a de facto don't ask don't tell policy seems to Prevail the silent struggle an anonymous essay on homosexuality that appeared in the Amish publication family life never mentions the word homosexuality the SAS notes many people have been this way since childhood no one knows why and our plain Society keeps these people hidden pretending there is no problem offering no help the writer goes on to advise do not enter marriage just to be socially acceptable you will hardly be happy and it would be unfair to your partner he or she summarizes by saying that there is hope that people can change via God's power yet also suggests that not everyone will or can change sexual orientation and that it is God's will that such people accept remaining single so that kind of gives you a general idea of how the Amish approach it now what happens if you know people find out about homosexual behaviors among members of the church so the authors continue on that point homosexual practice that becomes known must be confessed publicly in church most of the confessions are made by men perhaps because women may be able to carry on Affairs more discreetly than men some who claim a homosexual identity seek out others in the community with a similar inclination or look for counselors to help them claim a heterosexual identity some individuals leave the Amish community because they realize it is impossible to live as an openly gay or lesbian person in Amish Society but such cases are relatively rare so that gives you that gives you a summary in a nutshell of how the Amish approach homosexual activity now you know I should also mention here that Amish C such activity is sinful but they also condemn other sex outside of marriage as sinful as well but it's probably safe to say that in most or if not all Amish communities same-sex behaviors are more taboo than say premarital sex and just explained more on why this might be I want to share a couple more excerpts these are actually both from James Cates who is a clinical psychologist who has long worked with people from Amish communities in his practice first I want to share with you is called serving the Amish a cultural guide for professionals Kate's writes that for those with same-sex interests there is no organized subculture if one defines the term gay as an individual who accepts homosexuality as an identity then by default there can be no gay Amish to accept one's desires would be to deny the sect later he continues this is not to say that same-sex sexual and even romantic relationships do not occur within the Amish sect it is to say that these relationships are clandestine and devoid of the effort to achieve a subcultural respectability that exists for English as same-sex couples in a second book by James case called serpent in the garden on Amish sexuality I wanted to share one quote from that book that I think captures the Dilemma that Amish with same-sex feelings find themselves in James case writes that I once worked with a young Amish man who struggled at length with weather to endorse his same-sex feelings or join the Amish church he eventually did join the church marry and is Comfortably ensconced in his family still he made an eloquent statement that neatly placed his dilemma in context in a moment of wrenching vulnerability he said quote it would be wonderful to be in a same-sex relationship but I would give up so much end quote so why do people make that choice what are they giving up now Kate's continues on that later in the book he writes that such individuals among the Amish sacrifice these potential rewards referring to being in a freely open same-sex relationship because they balance them against the loss of the collective culture they would no longer be a part of their extended family church and settlement all of which offer support and Intimacy in ways that would never be regained they would lose a fiscal safety net that remains in place so long as they commit themselves to the Amish Church perhaps most important of all they would walk away from an identity as God's chosen with its undeniable understanding of right and wrong they would step into a set of worldly values that as they were taught from cradle to grave LED away from the hope of an eternal life in heaven they choose to remain with the Amish rather than give up so much the Amish take a literal reading of the Bible they reference parts of the Old Testament where homosexual behavior is condemned as a Conservative Christian group this is really unsurprising in many ways Kate's also notes in a serpent in the garden that's there's a more practical or pragmatic reason to be against same-sex Behavior he writes that they have the potential to erode the hierarchy of the culture also one other reason here quoting again from the book quote the Amish revulsion for same-sex activity is rooted in the fundamental expectation that sex occurs for the primary purpose of procreation end quote so you see here a mix of both religious and let's say social or evolutionary reasons for being against homosexuality so I think I hope that gives you perspective on both on how the Amish see this and from the perspective of those who do have same-sex feelings but find themselves a part of an Amish community you know whether that's an adolescent growing up or or someone who's an adult and who may even be married I don't have much experience knowing Amish people who are in this boat I've come across it a bit I've always thought it must be a tough place to be some people can reconcile it and remain members of the community you know of course there are some that do not and they maybe choose not to become Amish or end up leaving the Amish at some point after being baptized which are of course is going to make their circumstances even more difficult than if they were to just never become Amish because then you you know then you've already got a commitment to the church through baptism in any relationships you've created are going to be broken as well so uh kind of a tough topic for both sides from the Amish side they're not viewing it generally in the same ways as you know non-amish Americans are in 2023. they come at this from a different perspective it's a close-knit conservative Community they're going to love those people but seeing their behavior as a sin they're not going to be able to condone the behavior so that's why I said at the beginning they're not going to be able to exist both as openly gay and as an Amish you know member of the church in good standing if homosexual Behavior became public by an Amish church member then they would be expected to confess as was mentioned then they basically have two choices to make a confession and go through any type of church discipline and then you know return as a member and a good ending or they may refuse to do that and then they're likely going to be eventually excommunicated from the church so I mean this is a challenge for obviously for homosexual people you know in an Amish context and for the Amish Church side you know as well probably a tougher thing for the individual I would guess the way it's dealt with is probably not going to be seen as neat and pretty from some perspectives but from other perspectives of the Amish as a Conservative Christian Community not really surprising you know the Amish are treating this as another form of sexual sin and they also don't permit Affairs outside of marriage you know they don't condone premarital sex or other disruptions to marriage for example divorce it is not sanctioned in the Amish church as well so it's within a network of other let's say sexual or relationship transgressions or sins although I think this one is probably considered you know one of the most Taboo in that category I hope that explains that better I tried to take a neutral objective stance on this I hope that came through in the video here interested in what you think on this let me know in the comments uh hit that like button if you got some value from this video I appreciate that and uh look forward to talking to you next time foreign

Channel: Amish America

Views: 358,166

Keywords: Homosexuality, Amish beliefs, Gay Christianity, Amish church

Id: AYZxg9nvG40

Length: 9min 52sec (592 seconds)

Published: Mon Apr 17 2023