"Devil's Playground (2002 film) Devil's Playground is a 2002 American documentary film directed by Lucy Walker about the experiences of several Amish youths who decide whether to remain in or leave their community and faith during the period known as ""rumspringa"" (""running around"" in Pennsylvania Dutch). The film follows a few Amish teenagers in LaGrange County, Indiana who enter the ""English"" (non-Amish) world and experience partying, drinking, illegal drugs, and pre-marital sex. Some teens in the film profess that they will eventually become baptized as adults in the Amish community. If they are baptized, then leave the church, they will"
"Rumspringa Rumspringa (), also spelled Rumschpringe or Rumshpringa, is a rite of passage during adolescence, translated in English as ""jumping/hopping around"", used in some Amish and Mennonite communities. The Amish, a subsect of the Anabaptist Christian movement, intentionally segregate themselves from other communities as a part of their faith. For Amish youth, the Rumspringa normally begins around the age of 14 to 16 and ends when a youth chooses baptism within the Amish church, or instead leaves the community. For Wenger Mennonites, Rumspringa occurs between ages 16 and 21. The majority choose baptism and remain in the church. Not all"
"of the ""rumspringa"" period differs from individual to individual and from community to community. In large Amish communities like those of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Holmes and Wayne Counties, Ohio, and Elkhart and LaGrange Counties, Indiana, the Amish are numerous enough that an Amish youth subculture exists. During ""rumspringa"", the Amish youth in these large communities will join one of various groups ranging from the most rebellious to the least. These groups are not necessarily divided across traditional Amish church district boundaries, although they often are. In many smaller communities, Amish youth may have a much more restricted ""rumspringa"", and likewise"
"from these rules. It is the period when the young person is regarded as having reached maturity, and is permitted to attend the Sunday night ""singings"" that are the focus of courtship among the Amish; according to Amish sources, a youth who dares to attend one of these events before the age of 16 might be force-fed warm milk from a spoon, as a good-natured reminder to observe the lines of status. Members of the local church district often attend the singings and usually bring younger children along. A minority of Amish youth do diverge from established customs. Some may"
"adolescence. During that time a certain amount of misbehavior is unsurprising and is not severely condemned (for instance, by ""Meidung"" or shunning). Adults who have made a permanent and public commitment to the faith would be held to the higher standards of behavior defined in part by the Schleitheim and Dordrecht confessions. In a narrow sense the young are not bound by the ""Ordnung"" because they have not taken adult membership in the church. Amish adolescents do remain, however, under the strict authority of parents who are bound to ""Ordnung"", and there is no period when adolescents are formally released"
"to the church. Almost 90 percent of Amish teenagers choose to be baptized and join the church. During an adolescent period of ""rumspringa"" (""running around"") in some communities, nonconforming behavior that would result in the shunning of an adult who had made the permanent commitment of baptism, may be met with a degree of forbearance. Amish church groups seek to maintain a degree of separation from the non-Amish world, i.e. American and Canadian society. Non-Amish people are generally referred to as 'English'. Generally, a heavy emphasis is placed on church and family relationships. They typically operate their own one-room schools"
"the non-Amish, there is variation among communities and individual families as to the best response to adolescent misbehavior. Some Amish communities hold views similar to Old Order Mennonite, and Conservative Mennonites in seeking more productive, spiritual activities for their youth. Some even take up meditation. In some cases, patience and forbearance prevail, and in others, vigorous discipline. Far from an open separation from parental ways, the misbehavior of young people during the ""rumspringa"" is usually furtive, though often collective (this is especially true in smaller and more isolated populations; the larger communities are discussed below). They may or may not"
"part of an Amish-like religious movement that founded a community near his hometown, Camden, after a small conflict with the rest of the movement). He does this as a way to compensate for how he and his brother years ago used to take advantage of the naivety of the girls in their period outside the community, with the unexpected consequence of leaving the community without any young ladies (since all the girls chose to abandon the Amish lifestyle after the experience). The second season episode of ""2 Broke Girls"", ""And the Three Boys with Wood"", has Max and Caroline taking"
"mingle with non-Amish in these excursions. The age is marked normatively in some Amish communities by allowing the young man to purchase a small ""courting buggy"", or – in some communities – by painting the yard-gate blue (traditionally meaning ""daughter of marriageable age living here""; the custom is noted by A. M. Aurand in ""The Amish"" (1938), along with the reasonable caution that sometimes a blue gate is just a blue gate). There is some opinion that adolescent rebellion tends to be more radical, more institutionalized (and therefore in a sense more accepted) in the more restrictive communities. The nature"
"be found: Not all youth diverge from custom during this period; approximately half in the larger communities and the majority in smaller Amish communities remain within the norms of Amish dress or behavior during adolescence. Almost 90 percent of Amish teenagers choose to be baptized and join the Amish church. Some Amish youth do indeed separate themselves from the community, even going to live among the ""English"", or non-Amish Americans, experiencing modern technology. Their behavior during this time does not necessarily prevent them from returning for adult baptism into the Amish church. Most of them do not wander far from"
"decide if such activities should be allowed. Twice a year each Amish district holds a council meeting led by the bishop. After listening to a discussion on the issue in question, the adult church members, men and women (all are expected to attend unless they are ill), vote. To ensure that the idea is carefully considered, voting is designed to make any change difficult, because once a rule has been adopted it is difficult to have it rescinded. If two or more people reject the change, the Ordnung remains unaltered. The Amish allow for change, but their emphasis centers on"
"into the church if they return and confess their wrongdoing. Generally, the Amish hold communion in the spring and the autumn, and not necessarily during regular church services. Communion is only held open to those who have been baptized. As with regular services, the men and women sit separately. The ritual ends with members washing and drying each other's feet. The practice of believer's baptism is the Amish's admission into the church. They and other Anabaptists do not accept that a child can be meaningfully baptized. Their children are expected to follow the will of their parents on all issues,"
"decision to leave the Amish community after Believer's baptism is rare and frowned upon within the community, often resulting in excommunication. Gingerich was banned from further contact with his family and community. In 2004, 1 1/2 years after Gingerich left the Amish, he got an opportunity to be on the reality show ""Amish in the City"", televised on UPN. The show featured six city kids and five ex-Amish kids trying to co-exist in a mansion in the middle of the Hollywood Hills. The season consisted of ten episodes. It was the first major television project done with Amish people. Mose"
"be shunned by family and friends; one girl recounts her experience of this. According to ""Devil's Playground"", at the age of 16, Amish youth are allowed to depart from many of the Amish rules. The young people sample life outside of the Amish community. Many drive cars, wear modern clothes and cut and style their hair in more fashionable styles, get jobs, have romantic and sexual relationships, and some experiment with drugs. One Amish youth whom the film follows, Faron—a preacher's son—turns to drug dealing to satisfy his habit. Faron is eventually apprehended by the authorities; he aids them in"
"and discontinue formal education after grade eight, at age 13/14. Until the children turn 16, they have vocational training under the tutelage of their parents, community, and the school teacher. Higher education is generally discouraged, as it can lead to social segregation and the unraveling of the community. However, some Amish women have used higher education to obtain a nursing certificate so that they may provide midwifery services to the community. The Anabaptist movement, from which the Amish later emerged, started in circles around Huldrych Zwingli (1484 – 1531) who led the early Reformation in Switzerland. In Zurich on January"
"Amish use this term (it does not occur in John A. Hostetler's extended discussion of adolescence among the Amish), but in sects that do, Amish elders generally view it as a time for courtship and finding a spouse. A popular view exists by which the period is institutionalized as a rite of passage, and the usual behavioral restrictions are relaxed, so that Amish youth can acquire some experience and knowledge of the non-Amish world. ""Rumspringa"" is a Pennsylvania German noun meaning ""running around"". It is derived from the verb ""rumspringen"". It is closely related to the Standard German verb ""(he)rumspringen"""
"training. Amish youth, by and large, see their parents working hard, and they want to help. They want to learn and to be a productive part of the family. Sports and recreation are shared by all members of the family. There are church outings and family mettings where activities are entered into and shared by all. The Amish stress strict obedience in their children, and this is taught and enforced by parents and preachers. Several passages in the Bible are used to support this view. Their children, as with all children, may resist a parent's request. However, things such as"
"Amish life in the modern world As time has passed, the Amish have felt pressures from the modern world. Their traditional rural way of life is becoming more different from the modern society. Isolated groups of Amish populations may have genetic disorders or other problems of closed communities. Amish make decisions about health, education, relationships based on their Biblical interpretation. Amish life has influenced some things in popular culture. The Amish do not educate their children past the eighth grade, believing that the basic knowledge offered up to that point is sufficient to prepare one for the Amish lifestyle. Almost"
"house instead of flowers. Rather than immediately taking up housekeeping, the newlywed couple will spend several weekends visiting the homes of friends and relatives who attended the wedding. When the Amish choose to retire is neither a set nor fixed time. Considerations of the person's health, the family's needs, and personal desires all play an important part in determining when retirement may occur, usually between the ages of fifty and seventy. The elderly do not go to a retirement facility; they remain at home. If the family house is large enough they continue living with everyone else. Often there is"
"than to make the vow and break it later on. Membership is taken seriously. Those who join the church, and then later leave, may be shunned by their former congregation and their families. Those who choose to not join can continue to relate freely with their friends and family. Church growth occurs through having large families and by retaining those children as part of the community. The Old Order Amish do not proselytize, as a rule. Conversion to the Amish faith is rare but does occasionally occur as in the case of historian David Luthy. Funeral practices vary across Amish"
"membership begins with baptism, usually between the ages of 19 and 23. It is a requirement for marriage within the Amish church. Once a person is baptized within the church, he or she may marry only within the faith. Church districts average between 20 and 40 families and worship services are held every other Sunday in a member's home. The district is led by a bishop and several ministers and deacons. The rules of the church, the ""Ordnung"", must be observed by every member and cover many aspects of day-to-day living, including prohibitions or limitations on the use of power-line"
"electricity, telephones, and automobiles, as well as regulations on clothing. Most Amish do not buy commercial insurance or participate in Social Security. As present-day Anabaptists, Amish church members practice nonresistance and will not perform any type of military service. The Amish value rural life, manual labor, and humility, all under the auspices of living what they interpret to be God's word. Members who do not conform to these community expectations and who cannot be convinced to repent are excommunicated. In addition to excommunication, members may be shunned, a practice that limits social contacts to shame the wayward member into returning"
"chosen. A conversation takes place between songs. The formal end of the sing is at about ten o'clock, after which there is a great deal of talking, joking, and visiting. The boys who do not have a girlfriend may pair up with a Maidel (girl). Following this, the boy takes the girl home in his open-topped courting buggy. Marrying a first cousin is not allowed among the Amish, and second-cousin relationships are frowned upon, though they may occur. Marriage to a ""Schwartz"" cousin (the first cousin once removed) is not permitted in Lancaster County. Weddings are typically held on Tuesdays"
"Mines School shooting. Kidnapping by non-Amish is also a common crime against Amish youth. Amish life in the modern world As time has passed, the Amish have felt pressures from the modern world. Their traditional rural way of life is becoming more different from the modern society. Isolated groups of Amish populations may have genetic disorders or other problems of closed communities. Amish make decisions about health, education, relationships based on their Biblical interpretation. Amish life has influenced some things in popular culture. The Amish do not educate their children past the eighth grade, believing that the basic knowledge offered"
"the main group of Amish who resisted innovations both in society and in church work. A series of conferences held in the years from 1862 to 1878 resulted in a clearer separation between the conservatives who later became known as ""Old Order Amish"" and the progressives who then referred to themselves as ""Amish Mennonites"". The Old Order Amish are distinguished from less conservative groups of Amish by their strict adherence to the practice of forbidding automobile ownership and their traditional manner of dress. The Old Order Amish is the concept many outsiders have when they think of ""Amish"". In 1990,"
"ruled to overturn the Arkansas law because it was unconstitutional. The law in Germany provides the term of ""religious majority"" (""Religiöse Mündigkeit"") with a minimum age for minors to follow their own religious beliefs even if their parents don't share those or don't approve. Children 14 and older have the unrestricted right to enter or exit any religious community. Children 12 and older cannot be compelled to change to a different belief. Children 10 and older have to be heard before their parents change their religious upbringing to a different belief. There are similar laws in Austria and in Switzerland."
"of the Standard German term ""herum"" to ""rum"" – a development which is also all but general to spoken standard German – and converting the word ending to the Pennsylvania German (and general oberdeutsch) infinitive form ""-a"". Amish adolescents may engage in rebellious behavior, resisting or defying parental norms. In many cultures, enforcement may be relaxed, and misbehavior tolerated or overlooked to a degree. A view of ""rumspringa"" has emerged in popular culture that this divergence from custom is an accepted part of adolescence or a rite of passage for Amish youth. Among the Amish, however, ""rumspringa"" simply refers to"
"districts (an example of the founder effect). Some of these disorders are rare or unique, and are serious enough to increase the mortality rate among Amish children. The Amish are aware of the advantages of exogamy, but for religious reasons, marry only within their communities. The majority of Amish accepts these as ""Gottes Wille"" (God's will); they reject the use of preventive genetic tests prior to marriage and genetic testing of unborn children to discover genetic disorders. When a child is born with a disorder, it is accepted into the community and tasked with chores within their ability. However, Amish"
"a fourth grader enrolled in the Champaign public schools, came home with a parental consent form for his attendance at ""voluntary"" religion classes during the school day. The form allowed choice between Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish instruction. The religious education program in the Champaign public schools had been established in 1940, and was based on a concept known as released time. Released time was also known as the ""Gary plan,"" after Gary, Indiana, where the concept was devised in 1914. The released time concept allowed children to be released from public school to attend religious instruction at their house of"
"Breaking Amish Breaking Amish is an American reality television series on the TLC television network that debuted September 9, 2012. The series revolves around five young Anabaptist adults (four Amish and one Mennonite) who move to New York City in order to experience a different life and decide whether to return to their communities or remain outside their communities and face potential ostracism by their family and friends. It follows the cast members as they experience life in New York and face new situations involving work, friendship, romance, and lifestyle, plus the drama that develops between cast members as they"
"may be less likely to partake in strong rebellious behavior, as they lack the anonymity of larger communities. Wenger Mennonites youth go through a period of ""rumspringa"" between ages 16 and 21, a few years older than the Amish do. They typically do not get into the type of serious offenses of the most ""disorderly"" of the Amish youth. Rumspringa is the subject of the film documentary ""Devil's Playground"" (2002), which was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary and for three documentary Emmy Awards—Best Documentary, Editing, and Direction. Spin-offs of the film include a book of transcribed"
"Amish Way of Life Amish families and communities maintain a more primitive lifestyle than the surrounding culture. Amish believe large families are a blessing from God. Amish rules allow marrying only between members of the Amish Church. The elderly do not go to a retirement facility; they remain at home. Having children, raising them, and socialization with neighbors and relatives are the greatest functions of the Amish family. Amish believe large families are a blessing from God. The main purposes of ""family"" can be illustrated within the Amish culture in a variety of ways. The family has authority over the"
"their family's homes during this time, and large numbers (85%–90%) ultimately choose to join the church. However this proportion varies from community to community, and within a community between more and less acculturated Amish. For example, Swartzentruber Amish have a lower retention rate than Andy Weaver Amish (90% vs 97%; although most of Swartzentruber Amish do not allow teenagers to leave the community during rumspringa at will). This figure was significantly lower as recently as the 1950s. Desertion from the Amish community is not a long-term trend, and was more of a problem during the early colonial years. As among"