Far from it. While I truly love living in an Amish community, the rules are sometimes down right ridiculous. They have no idea why any of the rules exist and each district can be totally different. Districts are typically just a certain neighborhood, bounded by street addresses and the number of families in said neighborhood. They split when there are too many games to do church in each other's homes. Then elect new ministers, deacons and eventually a new bishop who makes the new rules.
It's sometimes very oppressive and people will move out/into districts due to rules. It's typically more work based salvation, although around us there are several truly converted ministers and bishops who do steer their congregants biblically, this however, isn't really normative (we have lived in two Amish communities and visited many).
Far from it. While I truly love living in an Amish community, the rules are sometimes down right ridiculous. They have no idea why any of the rules exist and each district can be totally different. Districts are typically just a certain neighborhood, bounded by street addresses and the number of families in said neighborhood. They split when there are too many games to do church in each other's homes. Then elect new ministers, deacons and eventually a new bishop who makes the new rules.
It's sometimes very oppressive and people will move out/into districts due to rules. It's typically more work based salvation, although around us there are several truly converted ministers and bishops who do steer their congregants biblically, this however, isn't really normative (we have lived in two Amish communities and visited many).