Discussion Jumpstarter
Study leader reference - not a definitive answer
Question 1
The speaker admits their first exposure to Amish/Mennonites was largely “cultural,” even “touristy,” going to Goshen “to look at the Amish.” What does that confession reveal about how easily Christians can turn a discipleship tradition into a curiosity, and what would it look like to approach a people group with fear of God instead of consumer intrigue?
Another way to ask: The speaker says their first look at Amish/Mennonites was more like “tourism.” How can Christians treat serious faith as something to gawk at, and what would it look like to approach a group with respect for God instead of curiosity for fun?
Discussion Jumpstarter
Direct Answer
The confession shows how easy it is to treat a serious discipleship tradition like a harmless attraction—interesting, “mystical,” and safe to observe—rather than a call to examine our own obedience before God. Approaching with fear of God would mean coming humbly to learn “why” they live as they do, not to consume them as an experience.
- They say at first it was “obviously… a cultural thing,” mainly knowing “Amish” from “pictures… or books.”
- They admit their motive was curiosity: “we… went down to Goshen, Indiana, to look at the Amish.”
- They connect themselves to modern tourists: frustration with people in Lancaster County who “drive so slow and… want to look at the Amish.”
- They mention social media comments about Amish laundry being “mystical,” then say, “it really was us.”
- Even then, they note a deeper pull: “there was an attraction to something that… looked more biblical… Why did they do them?”