‘I grew up Amish – teens are encouraged to sleep together but can’t go online’
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A bloke who grew up in one of the strictest Amish groups in the United States didn’t see his parents for years after he left the group.
John Yoder was part of the Swartzentruber Amish community in deepest rural Kentucky. He’s shared his story in a YouTube video for Peter Santenello’s channel – and described the “bundling” that was practised by the group.
Bundling involves sending a couple to bed together as part of a courting ritual particularly associated with the Amish, who are a traditionalist Christian group. It usually happens under parental supervision.
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“Hugging and kissing and all that stuff was totally allowed. It was actually encouraged,” said John, who's now a born-again Christian.
“This community of Swartzentrubers would go to bed. The couple will actually spend every two weeks, on a Saturday or Sunday night, they will spend most of the night in bed hugging and kissing.
“They go to bed, they lay in bed together under the covers.”
Although the youngsters are not supposed to have sex, John said that a lot of them “ain’t got the power” to resist the temptation.
Peter asked: “These are non-married Swartzentruber – how old, doing this snuggle, cuddle-party stuff?”
“That’s another problem,” replied John. “They’re from 16-and-a-half to whatever age they happen to be.” He added that the parents “encouraged” this behaviour.
John said he and his wife had “dated” that way for more than three years but never had sex during that time.
“I want you to know that God is still looking over some situations, but unfortunately there are a lot of people, when they go on that long… There’s a lot of people out there that can’t have that – they ain’t got that power to overcome that. And that’s very sad.”
John and his family were forced out of the Amish community seven years ago when he made it clear he didn’t like some of their customs. He now has a good relationship with his folks, but he didn’t see them for three years after he left.
“But it was hard for them,” he added. “You have to understand they were not doing it to be hateful to me.”
Bundling is far from the only thing the Amish do that seems weird to outsiders. In the video, Peter is shown a sign outside one property owned by an Amish chap that says “Television destroys families”.
Steven, who is Peter’s guide in the video, explained that “they use internet for business use only”.
The owner of the property used to run a garage. “He probably had a computer in that tyre shop to order tyres. But I heard if they get on something they’re not supposed to be on, [the church] reports it to their bishop.”
And the Amish ban on technology goes beyond the internet, mobile phones and watching telly.
Some groups are more liberal than others, but as far as members of the Swartzentruber Amish are concerned, they’re not allowed to use tractors, lawn mowers or chainsaws – and they can’t have running water inside or even an inside bog that flushes.
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