@ATLBRUIN Well, the common unity of Swiss-German ancestry, language, and culture, and the fact that they mainly marry within the Amish community does technically mean that they do meet the sociological criteria of an "ethnic group". What matters most in this argument is who owns the control of defining the criteria, and where do we get this information, as it is likely widely debated, as the Amish are mainly located in North America and have no real presence world-wide. I admit, it does sound strange to call them an "ethnic group". They make damn good craftsman furniture though.

ATLBRUIN

Apr 12, 2022

Replying to

@DayStalker My mom was a Mennonite from Iowa, by way of Germany. Mennonites, like the Amish, are a Protestant religious group, who trace their roots to the Aanbaptists. Their ethnic background is most commonly German or Swiss. Your definition would be like referring to someone as a Presbyterian American or Methodist American.

tempomacdougall

Apr 12, 2022

Replying to

@DayStalker The Amish are found in several parts of the world if you consider them Anabaptists. Bretheren a subset are common in Lakewood California. My kid went to a Brethren High School here in OC.

The term "anabaptist" comes from the practice of baptizing individuals who had been baptized previously, often as infants. Anabaptists believe infant baptism is not valid, because a child cannot commit to a religious faith, and they instead support what's called believer's baptism. The word anabaptism is used in this article to describe any of the 16th century "radical" dissenters, and the denominations descending from the followers of Menno Simons. Today the descendants of the 16th century European movement (particularly the Baptists, Amish, Hutterites, Mennonites, Church of the Brethren, and Brethren in Christ) are the most common bodies referred to as Anabaptist. Taken from: Anabaptist. (2007, May 12). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anabaptist. The following websites can provide more information on the Anabaptist movement and beliefs:

The following information is an excerpt from www.anabaptists.org:

Contemporary groups with early Anabaptist roots include the Mennonites, Amish, Dunkards, Landmark Baptists, Hutterites, and various Beachy and Brethren groups.
There is no single defining set of beliefs, doctrines, and practices that characterizes all Anabaptists.
The era of the 16th-century Protestant Reformation in Europe spawned a number of radical reform groups, among them the Anabaptists. These Christians regarded the Bible as their only rule for faith and life. Because of their radical beliefs, the Anabaptists were persecuted by other Protestants as well as by Roman Catholics.
Mennonites have been characterized historically by a love for the Word of God, and by a strict demand for holiness of life.
The evangelical and non-revolutionary Anabaptists of Switzerland, Austria, Germany, and the Netherlands, were somewhat of a trial to the leading reformers because of their radical views on the nature of the church and of the Christian ethic.