{"id":196791,"date":"2023-12-10T09:19:55","date_gmt":"2023-12-10T09:19:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tokenstalk.info\/?p=196791"},"modified":"2023-12-10T09:19:55","modified_gmt":"2023-12-10T09:19:55","slug":"i-grew-up-amish-teens-are-encouraged-to-sleep-together-but-cant-go-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tokenstalk.info\/world-news\/i-grew-up-amish-teens-are-encouraged-to-sleep-together-but-cant-go-online\/","title":{"rendered":"‘I grew up Amish \u2013 teens are encouraged to sleep together but can’t go online’"},"content":{"rendered":"
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    A bloke who grew up in one of the strictest Amish groups in the United States didn\u2019t see his parents for years after he left the group.<\/p>\n

    John Yoder was part of the Swartzentruber Amish community in deepest rural Kentucky. He\u2019s shared his story in a YouTube video for Peter Santenello\u2019s channel \u2013 and described the \u201cbundling\u201d that was practised by the group.<\/p>\n

    Bundling <\/b> 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.<\/p>\n

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    \u201cHugging and kissing and all that stuff was totally allowed. It was actually encouraged,\u201d said John, who's now a born-again Christian.<\/p>\n

    \u201cThis 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.<\/p>\n

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    \u201cThey go to bed, they lay in bed together under the covers.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Although the youngsters are not supposed to have sex, John said that a lot of them \u201cain\u2019t got the power\u201d to resist the temptation.<\/p>\n

    Peter asked: \u201cThese are non-married Swartzentruber \u2013 how old, doing this snuggle, cuddle-party stuff?\u201d<\/p>\n

    \u201cThat\u2019s another problem,\u201d replied John. \u201cThey\u2019re from 16-and-a-half to whatever age they happen to be.\u201d He added that the parents \u201cencouraged\u201d this behaviour.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    John said he and his wife had \u201cdated\u201d that way for more than three years but never had sex during that time.<\/p>\n

    \u201cI 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\u2026 There\u2019s a lot of people out there that can\u2019t have that \u2013 they ain\u2019t got that power to overcome that. And that\u2019s very sad.\u201d<\/p>\n

    John and his family were forced out of the Amish community seven years ago when he made it clear he didn\u2019t like some of their customs. He now has a good relationship with his folks, but he didn\u2019t see them for three years after he left.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    \u201cBut it was hard for them,\u201d he added. \u201cYou have to understand they were not doing it to be hateful to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

    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 \u201cTelevision destroys families\u201d.<\/p>\n

    Steven, who is Peter\u2019s guide in the video, explained that \u201cthey use internet for business use only\u201d.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    The owner of the property used to run a garage. \u201cHe probably had a computer in that tyre shop to order tyres. But I heard if they get on something they\u2019re not supposed to be on, [the church] reports it to their bishop.\u201d<\/p>\n

    And the Amish ban on technology goes beyond the internet, mobile phones and watching telly.<\/p>\n

    Some groups are more liberal than others, but as far as members of the Swartzentruber Amish are concerned, they\u2019re not allowed to use tractors, lawn mowers or chainsaws \u2013 and they can\u2019t have running water inside or even an inside bog that flushes.<\/p>\n

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