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A Trip Down Memory Lane in Amish Country
This past week, I had an urge to visit the places where I grew up. So David and I took an impromptu and quick trip to northeastern Ohio while we were still having Indian Summer. My thoughts go to that area this time of the year since both of my parents died in autumn: Datt…
Read MoreMinnesota Amish Man Serves Jail Time for Rape
The sexual abuse survivor I wrote about in my last blog post has given me permission to use her name. Lizzie Hershberger was not alone in the courtroom in Preston, Minnesota on Monday for the sentencing of her rapist, thanks to the women who showed up to be by her side. Several of them traveled…
Read MoreSexual Abuse Case in Southern Minnesota
There is a story in the Southern Minnesota News about another case of sexual abuse in an Amish community. I have heard through a network of other advocates that the survivor of this abuse is looking for support in court tomorrow. Below is the call for help: URGENT HELP NEEDED: A survivor of felony rape…
Read MoreAmish Horse and Buggy Matters
Of late, there have been many stories in the news about conflicts between the Amish and the surrounding culture in which they live. Because the Amish population is increasing faster than the population in mainstream society, these issues are not going away — unless good sound practical solutions are implemented. One of these issues concerns…
Read MoreSexual Abuse in Amish Country
There have been a series of stories about incidences of sexual abuse in Amish communities in the past months. The following are the ones I know about. I am providing these as a point of reference because if you are like me, you cannot bear to read these all at once. Yesterday there was a…
Read MoreHow a Former Amish Woman Helped Win a Court Case
In a controversial case in southeastern Minnesota, four Amish men sued the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and Fillmore County, claiming that the installation of septic systems for disposing of their gray water was against their religious beliefs. According to a report from 2017 in the Courthouse News Service: MPCA [Minnesota Pollution Control Agency] spokesperson Cathy…
Read MoreUpdate on the Case of Jeriah Mast
In my last blog post, I posed this question on the case of Jeriah Mast: Will he be prosecuted in the full extent of the law, or will the people around him aid in him taking a slick detour around the laws most people need to abide by? The latest development suggests that the latter…
Read MoreIn the Case of Jeriah Mast
If the Amish and Mennonite communities are not willing to protect their weakest and most vulnerable members, then they deserve to be dismantled and become a thing of the past. ~ Paul Yoder Yet another story has surfaced of sexual abuse related to Amish Mennonites. I first read it in Christian News. I commend Heather…
Read MoreArticle About Amish Life in Argentinian Newspaper, La Nacion
Several weeks ago, just before I attended the Amish Conference in Elizabethtown, I was approached by a reporter named Domitila Dellacha who writes for an Argentinian newspaper, La Nacion. Ms. Dellacha was writing an article about Amish culture that was published today. Unfortunately for many people in the U.S., the article was published in Spanish. It…
Read MoreFrom the Inside Out: Reflections of Amish Traditions and Patterns, Part 2
Continued from Amish Conference 2019: Health and Well-Being in Amish Society… Perpetrators who are found out within an Amish community normally make a public confession and the church members are required to “forgive and forget,” which wipes the slate clean, as if the incident had never occurred. This opens up the possibility for the…
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