The following overview of the Amish was written by Religion Transcends writer Jackie Walker for the Fall 2009 issue of Relate magazine. Relate’s mission is to inspire teen girls to pursue their dreams with confidence and to teach them to be an example for others in their speech, life, love, faith and purity. Religion overviews may have Christian overtones to make the content relatable for the Christian teen audience.

See a PDF of the article here: Fall 09 Religion

Which would you choose? To wear jeans, own a telephone, go to high school – and live away from your family for the rest of your life? Or to wear long dresses, quit school after eighth grade, live without electricity – and stay close to your family and friends. Tough decision, huh? But this is the choice that every Amish teenager must make.

Many people recognize the Amish as a simple group of people who drive horses and buggies and dress plain. But the life of an Amish teenager isn’t quite so plain and simple. At only 16, teens must begin to decide whether to remain Amish, a choice that will affect the rest of their lives. Here are the questions they must consider.

Where did I come from?

In 1693 in Europe, founder Jacob Amman and others decided to break away from other Christian groups and form their own religious sect. They called themselves “Amish” after Amman. In the 18^th century, the Amish moved to America where all Amish live today – about 231,000 Amish in 28 states. Within their communities you may find Old Order Amish who maintain old traditions and new orders who may drive cars or use machines.

What do I believe?

As Christians, the Amish believe in God and Jesus. They also believe:

• The Bible is God’s word.
• Worship should be held in a house every other Sunday for three hours. Christmas and Easter may be celebrated, along with other holy days.

• Sinful members should be shunned (no one may talk to them) and perhaps even kicked out of the community until they confessed.

The Amish also stay separate from the rest of the world so they can focus on God. To show they are different, they wear plain clothes (dresses, suits, and hats); speak a different language (Pennsylvania Dutch), and do not participate in government. They also reject all technology including electricity, cars, radios, telephones, computers and TVs.

What will I do all day?

Amish teens go to school in one-room schoolhouses with no electricity. There are usually three or four students in each grade and everyone has the same teacher. Subjects usually include English, Math, Health and History. Kids play sports during recess but do not have extracurricular activities. The biggest difference between Amish schools and “English” schools is that the Amish are only allowed to go to school through eighth grade. After that, boys find jobs in factories or work on the family farm or in the family business. Unmarried girls may work in nearby homes or in Amish shops. Once women marry, they must stay home and maintain the house.

Can I talk to non-Amish people?

The Amish mostly only talk to other Amish – but not always. For example, tourists often come to Amish communities to purchase goods or to get a glimpse at a different lifestyle. Though it may be uncomfortable to be stared at, Clinical Psychologist James A. Cates, PhD (who works with Amish in the Elkhart-LaGrange settlement in Indiana), says the Amish are happy to interact with the “English” (non-Amish). However, the Amish are unlikely to develop deep relationships with the “English.” And they usually would not allow anyone to take pictures or video of them.

Amish teens typically date other Amish teens – but not always. Cates said some Amish teens date “English” teens “to drive their parents crazy.” But when it comes to marriage, the Amish may only marry other Amish (or risk being shunned).

Making the decision

When Amish teens turn 16, they enter Rumspringa, a time when they are released from Amish rules and restrictions. They may skip church, use technology, wear jeans and experiment with “English” activities. This freedom helps them to figure out if they want to be Amish or “English” for the rest of their lives.

“This is their time,” Cates said. “If they’re going to return to the Amish church, this is the only time in their lives in which they are free not to be under the expectations of the Amish church.”

For some, this immediate opportunity to break the rules can be too much to handle. In the 2002 film The Devil’s Playground, Amish teens from the Elkhart-LaGrange community were shown abusing drugs and burning buggies. Cates said this isn’t how most teens act during Rumspringa. But the film caused enough of a stir that Cates was approached to develop classes to help Amish teens who have been arrested.  His program is called the Amish Youth Vision Project. In three years, 240 Amish teens from Elkhart and LaGrange counties have completed the program. Cates said it has helped them to understand the dangers of peer pressure and alcohol use.

When Rumspringa is over, around age 20, Amish teens make a choice to either return to the Amish community or enter the world on their own. According to Cates, 95% return to the Amish lifestyle. At that time, they are baptized, join the church, and give up all “English” items and activities.

What you can learn from the Amish

The Amish stick close together, support their family and friends, and maintain a strong religious identity.

“It’s easy to look at the horse and buggy, the plain clothes, the way of living, and that’s what strikes us first,” Cates said. “If you look beyond that, there’s a powerful sense of Christian community at its best.”

Want to see what an Amish community really looks like? Take a trip to local Amish areas like Jamesport, in Northwestern Missouri (www.jamesport.net), or Arthur, Illinois (www.illinoisamishcountry.com). Can’t road trip? Read Amish Society by John A. Hostetler.

Created by ReligionTranscends.com, 2009

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The following overview of Atheism was written by Religion Transcends writer Jackie Walker for the Summer 2009 issue of Relate magazine. Relate’s mission is to inspire teen girls to pursue their dreams with confidence and to teach them to be an example for others in their speech, life, love, faith and purity. Religion overviews may have Christian overtones to make the content relatable for the Christian teen audience.

Imagine a world with no religion:

No churches, no temples.

No nuns, no crosses, no Sunday morning services.

No Creator, no religious leader to set an example.

No prayer.

No Bible, no Koran.

No angels, no Heaven.

No Buddha, no Jesus, no Muhammad.

No Christmas, no Hanukkah.

For several teens in your schools and neighborhoods, this is life. Maybe they’ve never heard about God. Maybe their parents don’t want them to hear about God. Or maybe they used to believe in God but now they want nothing to do with religion. It’s likely you know many teens who just aren’t sure what to believe. And since they may be your best friends, your sisters, your classmates – it’s best to understand why they think the way they do. Maybe then you’ll be able to open up to them about what you believe.

What is an Atheist?

People who do not believe in a higher power are called Atheists, from the Greek word “atheos” which means “without god.” Atheists can be broken into two types:

1. Those who strongly state there is no God: Some Atheists in this group actively attack religions; others have examined religion and simply think it’s untrue.

2. Those who haven’t found a god they would believe in: Atheists in this group have looked at multiple religions and decided there is no particular god they believe is real.

Many Atheists believe humans can’t prove that God exists, that prayer works, or that Scripture is from God. They may also believe that religious people waste their money on churches instead of hospitals or are responsible for starting wars. Some Atheists do acknowledge the good works of many religious people.

Agnostics are similar to Atheists. An Agnostic is someone who isn’t sure whether there is a God and who doesn’t think we can really figure that out. In other words, Agnostics aren’t sure that Atheists or religious people have it right.

Most Americans believe in God

In the United States, how many people claim to believe in God? Here’s what the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life discovered when they polled Americans in 2008:

-71% are certain God exists

-21% are fairly or not too certain

-4% actively say they don’t believe in God

-3% didn’t know or refused to answer

When claiming religious belief or lack of religious beliefs, only 1.6% of Americans said they were Atheists. If these numbers are correct, there are around 15 million Atheists in America. But American Atheists, an organization for Atheist rights, claims on their website that the number is probably closer to 50 million Americans – many just don’t want to admit to they don’t believe in God.

What do Atheists care about?

Among the arguments and ideas most important to Atheists are the following:

-Science: Most Atheists reject anything that can’t be proven by science or with evidence. They might say, “Think there’s a God? Prove it!” Many Atheists believe that if we can prove God and Heaven don’t exist, then we can make the best of life here on Earth.

-Morals: Many Atheists say it’s still possible to do the right thing without religion. Atheists can still be moral and responsible and treat humans with respect.

-Equality: Some Atheists want equality between religious people and those who don’t follow a religion. In other words, they oppose “special privileges” for religious people, like being allowed to hang the Ten Commandments in a courtroom.

Where does Darwin fit in?

Some Atheists point to the ideas of Charles Darwin as proof that there is no God. Darwin was a scientist known for his theories of evolution and natural selection; this year marks Darwin’s 200th birthday. Born in 1809 in England, Darwin initially believed God created the world. But after sailing around the world collecting fossils and studying plants and animals, Darwin came up with a new idea: Each creature was not created separately but evolved from one type of creature. Darwin might say:

-A higher power didn’t create humans and monkeys. Rather, both humans and monkeys probably evolved from the same type of animal over time.

-Let’s say humans were originally born with 11 toes. A higher power didn’t create humans with 11 toes, only to later remove a toe. Instead, as each new human was born, her eleventh toe would appear smaller, the next human’s eleventh toe even smaller, until eventually no humans were born with an eleventh toe.

Darwin’s findings were published in a book called On the Origin of Species (for short); the book is 50 years old this year.

Darwin himself didn’t use his theories to prove there is no God. However, after his death in 1882, Atheists and others sometimes use his ideas to prove there is no God. As of early 2009, the Catholic Church now believes Darwin’s theories are probably correct. Still, most people who believe in God also believe that God played some (if not the whole) part in creating the world.

Do Atheists hate religion?

No, Atheism doesn’t mean hatred of God or religion. However, many Atheists have decided they don’t believe in God because they believe if there were a God, he wouldn’t allow evil in the world.

And yes, some Atheists do dislike religions. Perhaps today’s most popular, outspoken Atheist is Richard Dawkins, a British scientist who focuses on Darwin’s theories and actively attacks religious ideas. In his best-selling book The God Delusion, Dawkins wrote that God is bloodthirsty, unforgiving, jealous, a racist, and a bully (which of course ignores the parts of the Bible that describe God as loving, just, and merciful). Another of today’s popular Atheists, Sam Harris, says religions don’t allow for science and life in other places of the universe. While you may hear about Dawkins and Harris on TV, remember that not all Atheists despise religion. Unfortunately, Dawkins and Harris are just the two who have received the attention of the media.

Find other religion overviews on ReligionTranscends.com.

Created by ReligionTranscends.com, 2009

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The following overview of the Society of Friends was written by Religion Transcends writer Jackie Walker for the Spring 2009 issue of Relate magazine. Relate’s mission is to inspire teen girls to pursue their dreams with confidence and to teach them to be an example for others in their speech, life, love, faith and purity. Religion overviews may have Christian overtones to make the content relatable for the Christian teen audience.

What would it be like to be the president’s daughter? What would you wear? Who would you meet? What would your school look like?

If you’re President Barack Obama’s daughters, you enter the classroom with secret servicemen at your side. Your family pays $30,000 a year for your school tuition. Your classmates have been warned not to talk to the newspapers. And even though you’re not a “Quaker,” your school is founded on the Quaker religion.

Here’s what you would need to know about Quakers and Quaker education if you were the president’s daughter.

Fact file

Name: “Quakers” is a nickname for the Religious Society of Friends. The group gained the nickname when its founder told a government official to quake upon hearing the name of God.

Numbers: 210,000 worldwide

Founder: George Fox (1624-1691)

History: Fox wasn’t satisfied with the churches around him in England.  Feeling God spoke to his heart when his heart was ready to listen, he decided people needed to listen to Jesus on their own.  After challenging churches and the government with his ideals, he was imprisoned eight times; over 6,000 of his followers were also jailed. Things were not any easier when the Quakers came to America in 1656. They were persecuted and some were killed until William Penn (founder of Pennsylvania) became a follower and showed people that Quakers wanted peace.

Main beliefs: Quakers don’t follow a set of beliefs. Instead, each person is supposed to follow her “Inner Light” or her own understanding of what God wants. This means many Quakers believe different ideas – but they all agree that Jesus is the most important belief. Therefore, many Quakers identify themselves as Christians.

Worship: Each week, Quakers gather for a worship meeting. It’s simple: Anytime two or three people meet in the name of Jesus, that’s considered worship (see Matthew 18: 20). There are no rules, no schedule, and no priests or pastors. Instead, Quakers believe each person can be moved by God to figure out what’s true and good. During a service, they sit in silence for an hour, waiting to be moved by God to speak (ready to listen, like Fox). If moved, a Quaker may speak to the whole group, either reading Scripture, praying, or talking about an experience or idea. As you can imagine, sitting in silence for an hour became a problem for some people over the years. In 1827-1828, a major separation of the Quakers took place. Some groups of Quakers began meeting in giant buildings with pastors, singing, and schedules. Others continued to hold meetings in small buildings with no leader and simple silence. The divide remains today.

Dress: In the past, Quakers wore “plain dress” or simple clothing that would not take attention away from God. Most people stopped wearing plain dress in the 20th century and today most Quakers dress like everyone else.

Peace: Quakers stand against war, injustice, racism, and all forms of violence. Instead they seek harmony, peace, justice, diversity, and equality for all people. After all, if all people have the “Inner Light” of God within them, it would be wrong to hurt people. This idea has led many Quakers to become “conscientious objectors,” refusing to join the armed forces and even refusing to make war goods and weaponry. Such refusal has led to imprisonment for some Quakers and death for others. But Quakers continue to actively work against violence and for peace. As a result, they have been successful in promoting women’s rights and human rights – and they were among the first to lead the anti-slavery movement in both England and the United States.

Inside the school

Quakers began founding schools around the time our founding fathers were forming our nation. They were among the first to teach pioneer children on the western frontier. After the Civil War, Quakers raised funds to educate thousands of former slaves.

Obama’s daughters (Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7) attend the Sidwell Friends School in Washington, DC, the same school that former first daughter Chelsea Clinton attended while her father was president. The first daughters aren’t Quakers – but only five percent of students at Sidwell are. Still, the school promotes many Quaker ideals mentioned in the above fact file – peace, unity, independence, and equality. The girls attend a weekly service, sitting in silence for an hour. In class, they will be taught to listen to God, to learn about the world, and to go out into the world to do good things. Based on these practices, it’s not so surprising that Obama chose a Quaker school for his daughters.

Want to know more about Quaker life or Quaker schools? Check out Quakers in America by Thomas D. Hamm (2003), available in part at www.books.google.com.

Copyright 2009, Religion Transcends.

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The following overview of Hinduism was written by Religion Transcends writer Jackie Walker for the Winter 2008 issue of Relate magazine. Relate’s mission is to inspire teen girls to pursue their dreams with confidence and to teach them to be an example for others in their speech, life, love, faith and purity. Religion overviews may have Christian overtones to make the content relatable for the Christian teen audience.

Did you know Hinduism is considered the oldest religion in the world? In 1500 B.C., various Jewish-Christian groups were just beginning to organize. (Moses, known for the Ten Commandments and old age, would have been 26 years old at the time.) But Hinduism was already an established religion in India.

Thanks to its Indian roots, Hindu religious practice was often fused with Indian culture. Example? The caste system. Castes are similar to classes (upper class, middle class, working class) with different names — priests, nobles/warriors, commoners, and servants. But there’s an important difference: unlike classes, Hindus believed they were meant to be born into their specific caste – and that they could not and should not belong to another caste. If you were born a servant, perhaps you had done something bad in a previous life and now have to pay for it. If born a priest, perhaps you had done something worthy of praise.

The caste system is gone. But Hinduism is still the main religion in India. And it has grown: Hinduism is now the third largest world religion, following Christianity and Islam. With no founder and no specific historical events that led to its creation, Hinduism can be tough to define. But you may have already seen some of its basic concepts in other religions – and even at the gym.

You’ve heard of worshipping God…

Jews, Christians, and Muslims all believe in God (which Muslims translate as “Allah”). Like them, Hindus also believe in One Ultimate, which they call “Brahman.” The difference is that Hindus believe its main God, Brahman, is divided into over 3,000 other gods. In other words, Brahman can appear in many forms as many gods. Among them are the gods Krishna and Shiva, and the goddesses Kali, Durga, and Shakti.

Just as all gods are versions of Brahman, people are also thought to be part of that Ultimate. Brahman is in everything and everyone – including people, gods, and even animals. The problem for humans begins when they do not understand their unity with the Ultimate.

You’ve heard of being born again…

When people don’t realize their unity with the universe, they get stuck in a cycle of reincarnation: birth, death, birth in a new body, death, and so on. Reincarnation is much different from the Christian concept of rebirth. When a Christian is born again (when she gives her life to Christ), her sins are forgiven. And while she is set on a new course in life, her physical body does not change. Reincarnation begins when a person’s physical body actually dies. Then their “soul” moves into a new body, which is then born into the world. And being a part of the world is seen as failure for Hindus, since they believe continued life leads to continued suffering. It’s better to be born into higher and higher positions until you get out of life and become part of the bigger universe.

You know it’s important to do the right thing…

Every world religion has a path followers take to achieve their goal. For Christians, the path is to give your life to Christ to achieve eternal life. For Jews, it is to follow God’s laws in order to please Him. Here are three paths Hindus use to get out of reincarnation:

Knowledge: Hindus use the brain to realize they’re one with the universe through yoga. You’ve heard of yoga the exercise. But yoga was originally a type of Hindu meditation. It involves stopping mental activity (try not having any thoughts sometime!), focusing on breathing, and sometimes twisting the body into poses. All of this is used to help the mind to focus on the universe (kind of like prayer).

Action: Hindus try to do the right thing. This is especially important for Hindus thanks to karma, a concept in which one is rewarded for good actions and punished for bad actions. If you lead a good life, you may be born into a higher lifestyle or escape reincarnation altogether. If you do bad things, you may see negative consequences in this life – and you may be born into a lower realm in the next life (yes, you could even be reborn as an armadillo).

Devotion: Hindus worship gods to realize their own unity with those gods. And the best type of devotion is asceticism where you give up everything you have (even your family) and your desires for material things, to be able to focus on the universe.

Find news and holiday information related to Hinduism on ReligionTranscends.com.

Watch a 5-part YouTube video series, “Introduction to Hinduism,” produced by Hinduism Today. Once you get through the first video, you’ll see a link to go to the second video, and so on.

Copyright 2009, Religion Transcends.

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