Learn more about our documentary, THE AMISH: SHUNNED, including where to watch the full film: www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/amish-shunned/

Wow. these people do it differently than we did. My family left the Amish 7 years ago and we didn't escape by night. Everyone in the community knew we were going to leave. They even came and helped us load the truck (we moved 100 miles--160 km--away).

Being shuned by the amish turned out to be a good thing for me as i now am a free man in christ.

In all my 65+ years of being around the Amish, I have never known them to be abusive or cruel to anyone. They've consistently been humble, non-confrontional, amenable, honest in everything, hard working and willing to help when asked. Over the years, I've developed a great respect for them and genuinely wish them the very best.

I remember seeing the complete documentary many years ago. If i remember that poor girl finely returns to her family and her former life. So sad consequences for the btrue bravery she showed through leaving the way she did. I truely hope life worked out for her

I was raised Amish. I left during my Rumspringa and never went back. My participation in the Viet Nam war had me banished. My family is all gone now .

Love this! You guys do amazing work at American Experience!

While this accurately describes what might happen in some Amish settings when someone leaves, it is far far from the truth for lots of other Amish settings. I , for one, left an Amish church and still have great friendships and connections there. They would not even dream of shunning me. Without question, they are brothers in the Lord and true followers of Jesus. I say this only to be fair to the fact that there is great diversity among those who are considered Amish.

What shunned Amish survivors should learn is "what to do" and "how to survive" after being shunned.

A blessing in disguise. Easy way to ditch this screwed up society and start living a normal life.

Thank you for sharing with Amish women have to go through on a daily basis thank you for this video I am so sorry for those women that have bad experiences I never knew Amish life was like that

Jesus never shunned any one. This is not the teaching of Christ.

Telling someone they aren't supposed to leave makes them a cult.

No you lose obedience, you loose control!

Since when do they feel they have the authority of Christ I've never understood that about those folks.When I was a young fella I met a amish girl at Moscow IN bridge festival we held hands and walked around a bit.I felt like a big shot I hope she found happiness.Those were the good old days

How you can shun your own child is beyond sickening

Before people speak too harshly about the Amish, pay due attention to the broken family structure in America, and the consequences of moral relativism in our society. The Amish family is far more stable.

The great Apostle Paul spoke of shunning. He said to SHUN a brother in church that was having sex with his step mother. He said don't talk to him, don't eat with him. Shun him that he may come to his senses. A little leaven ruins a whole. Forget OUR opinion on these things , God's word is what matters.

Unbelievable..., 🙏god bless you 💝💝

I was doing some research on the Amish, and was so sad to find out they can be shunned just for not wearing the proper suspenders holding their britches up. It had to be a certain way, or no way.

God is love people.. Not God of hate.. God is good.. I am glad God judge's me..

One of my favorite movies/books is The Shunning by Beverley Lewis . It shows the question about it - but also a part of the love behind it - a tough love.... But Jesus asks us to forgive . There are many ex Amish who live as Mennonites today . There is no shunning . I live in a Free Protestant Church in Germany . We believe in our Lord Jesus Christ and His forgiveness - no shunning .

I love the Amish they are hard worker I pray for all

So peaceful ...

I remember this show. I saw this a long time ago.

I understand this video is old but the problem still continues how can we help? Don't have funding to contribute but have an open home and that open heart for these send people

How can they say there good people then do psychological mental health on someone they say they love

I just love how these Amish leaders say that they are Christians, but they don’t exhibit Christ-Like behaviour. Overall, authentic, genuine, & factual Christianity, teaches us about LOVE, GRACE, & FORGIVENESS. Christ & The Bible teaches us that God does love us all, but He also gave us Free-Will. He does not want to force us to believe in him, but rather requires us to choose to believe & to exhibit FAITH. Faith requires us to believe in something, despite the fact that there may not be any scientific evidence proving things to exist. Faith in Christianity requires believing in God’s Grace, His promises, & trusting & relying on God to always know what is best for us. One of the BEST & most important point of Christianity, tells us that it is NOT THE PEOPLE who judge our lifestyles, morality, & beliefs. ONLY CHRIST IS CAPABLE OF MAKING JUDGEMENTS OF US - NOT BISHIP, COUNSEL OF ELDERS, MINISTERS, PASTORS, ETC. True Christianity & Christian Leaders support & help us to grow our relationships with God. They help us to make our own decisions, instead of setting rules & giving orders. They also guide us through our lives, helping up to live a Christ-Centred life. The Leaders are always there to help us by making suggestions, & providing us with wisdom & information to help us to make decisions & become better people. Alternatively, certain Sects & Groups of Christianity such as the Amish, have a hierarchical Society upon which each person has a Place/Niche The people (usually men) at the top, are the ones who are extremely CONTROLLING & JUDGMENTAL. THEY HAVE POWER OVER THE REST OF THE PEOPLE. THEY feel as if they have the POWER to pull families apart, decide how all of the people must dress & behave, to “SHUN” family members, often causing permanent damage to peoples’ mental & physical health, + many more horrific consequences. I strongly believe that the Amish are a CULT. I am now going to illustrate the main Characteristics of a cult, as stated by a doctor from Harvard who explains below: “What makes a Cult, A CULT????” Psychiatrist Robert Jay Lifton, who once taught at Harvard Medical School, wrote a paper titled Cult Formation in the early 1980s. He delineated three primary characteristics, which are the most common features shared by destructive cults. 1. A charismatic leader, who increasingly becomes an object of worship as the general principles that may have originally sustained the group lose power. That is a living leader, who has no meaningful accountability and becomes the single most defining element of the group and its source of power and authority. 2. A process [of indoctrination or education is in use that can be seen as] coercive persuasion or thought reform [commonly called "brainwashing"]. The culmination of this process can be seen by members of the group often doing things that are not in their own best interest, but consistently in the best interest of the group and its leader. Lifton's seminal book Thought Reform and Psychology of Totalism explains this process in considerable detail. 3. Economic, sexual, and other exploitation of group members by the leader and the ruling coterie. The destructiveness of groups called cults varies by degree, from labour violations, child abuse, medical neglect to, in some extreme and isolated situations, calls for violence or mass suicide. Some groups that were once seen as "cults" have historically evolved to become generally regarded as religions. Power devolved from a single leader to a broader church government and such groups ceased to be seen as simply personality-driven and defined by a single individual. For example the Seventh-day Adventists, once led by Ellen White, or the Mormons church founded by Joseph Smith. Some groups may not fit the definition of a cult, but may pose potential risks for participants. Here are 10 warning signs of a potentially unsafe group or leader. • Absolute authoritarianism without meaningful accountability. • No tolerance for questions or critical inquiry. • No meaningful financial disclosure regarding budget or expenses, such as an independently audited financial statement. • Unreasonable fear about the outside world, such as impending catastrophe, evil conspiracies and persecutions. • There is no legitimate reason to leave, former followers are always wrong in leaving, negative or even evil. • Former members often relate the same stories of abuse and reflect a similar pattern of grievances. • There are records, books, news articles, or broadcast reports that document the abuses of the group/leader. • Followers feel they can never be "good enough". • The group/leader is always right. • The group/leader is the exclusive means of knowing "truth" or receiving validation, no other process of discovery is really acceptable or credible.

Shunning is done in love my ass. I"ve been shunned by someone and I'm not Amish and I didn't feel any love emulating from them.

No-one should ever shun another person who is not downright evil, or a bad person who will bring others into disrepute without trying to help them. Love, and forgiveness can sometimes change another for the better, and ourselves. Who are the people who are acceptable to be giving out rules to obey? Who the damn hell are they? We are all FREE no matter what cretin of a human tries to tell us differently. People were not made for a solitary existence and we need each other as well as needing our space or own minds. We have to remind people we are born free. We have minds to think with, therefore we are not to be controlled. Informed but NOT controlled.

Shunning is not limited to the Amish. A friend was shunned by his former politically and religiously "open-minded" friends when he began attending a Mennonite church. They said they needed to show him "tough love" because "he was making a bad decision".

I don’t blame the ex - Amish for leaving I would too

I'm a shunned mennonite who was brainwashed by my non mennonite mother to shun my father and taught me I was worshipping the devil. It ruined my life and i had to live a life of shame with no family because she thought her way was better. Them after that her family disowned me because I was too much mennonite. I have had no place in this world and now have to rent a house in the city and raise a small garden to keep me busy and I can't even sleep at night anymore. I'm now only just mennonite enough to not fit in with anybody and I'm truly alone

First off let me apologize for me previous post it was not my intention to mislead anyone by criticizing or trying to tarnish the Amish community they are good people who lead good lives . I'm not here to make enemies I was trying to make a statement it came out wrong. That's all I am going to comment about the Amish community .

Theres an incredible amount of amish that get shunned far various reasons. It seems an easy solution for the shunned to just trade amongst themselves their ways would not die infact im not sure they would feel much of a punch from it if they opened up shop and sold their goods and continued to help the shunned as well.

Living in the past in this age is their choice. Living in the present day is my choice. That does not mean that we we are any different from one and another. The Amish way of life can seem to the outsiders harsh. Our way of life can seem to the Amish as immoral. If we show more respect from one and another then we can live side by side in harmony,

They have to hold your family as leverage against you to get you to comply.

It is the worst form of social distancing possible.

What is missing is that you are not baptized until you are an adult. Part of the vow is to take and administer excommunication and shunning. The 18 articles of faith are VERY clear.on shunning and excommunication. They can always be received back into fellowship upon kneeling confession. The people would love to have them back !

Comments are entertaining. 98% are just wrong. Why do you only hear the bad and not the good?? U won't find any divorced amish,they are taught good work ethics,u won't find Amish on welfare or disability. They have a lot more technology than they used to(in some communities,more than your average person ) (which is not necessarily a good thing in my opinion )and are allowed to finish high school at home if they want to. The shunning thing varies from home to home so don't judge all from one.Are they perfect? No,but neither is anyone else. I don't agree with them on everything but over all they are good people. Outstanding in some areas,normal in most areas,have their downfalls in some areas,like everyone else....so don't judge them all by a few.

Making any fellow human being invisible is not what any God of any culture, religion, race teaches. That IS NOT LOVE!! God loves all his children no matter what PERIOD. and as someone else commented God never shuns

I'm not Amish, but I've given up everything for Jesus. I'm a born-again follower of Jesus. God's Word doesn't dictate what we wear or how we look, but we do need to dress modestly and be ready to lay our lives down for the cause of Christ.

I like that…."shunning is New Testament; stoning is Old Testament"....and it's horrific and unfair and cruel....cannot be made to look right.

This just looks very scary

I wish everyday that could go join the Amish they are the most lovely people they treat you more better than own will with out no question I join them

Shunning is done by several “religions “ but at least the Amish do not turn their back when someone is in need.

Jesus also said don’t judge the speck in your brothers eye when you have a log in your own eye. That’s what we are doing when we sit on our high horses talking down on the Amish like we have the key to moral fortitude when in reality we are worse in every way.

All other religions shun. All communities, all neighborhoods shun. They just don’t call it that. Some never forgive. Nor forget. “

I'd like to point out that shunning does not just happen among religious sects, but in everyday life as well. It can be used in different ways, but primarily as a form of bullying - or what some call "silent bullying." And much of it happens in schools. It is NOT OK, and I am shocked that when I put in "shunning" in basic KZfaq search, NOTHING came up about any shunning other than "secondary" shunning, like between religious sects, etc. This real life occurrence effects many people, and I hope more light will be shed on this in the future.

Keep yr obedience

Rules, rules, rules. God's commandment is all we need and everything will flow from that.... that you love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. (John 13:34). No rules - that was the law of the old testament. Christ fulfilled them and they are done away with!

I’ve experienced this. It’s horrible

why is it so quiet?

Correction not punishment, Didnt Jesus say Judge not and Forgive????

American express films ?

Shunning is to bring them back to the church

Shunning. In Amish families from a very young age you know what is expected of you and if you CHOOSE to break with family traditions there are Consequences !! Our society has rotted to the point that police & judges are forced to hand out Consequences. Simple RESPECT and Gratitude are forgotten It’s very sad where most of the youth are headed without direction

absolutely ludacris that a mother and father would choose not to stand with there kids when shunned

The Amish are a very unique people who seem to be impervious to change with the modern day technological advances. In a way they are like the people who time forgot.

Is this the alternate ending to Kingpin?

If Mr.Bill Gates was raised in a Amish family would ever get the chance to give us Windows? No. It was because he had freedom that led him to give us such development. It is Love and Freedom that makes the world go round.

Jesus christ never shunned anyone that came to and repented of there sin's he loves you and me more than words can say so he took action and showed his love for the world on the cross and got up the third day with the keys of death Hell and the Grave and was seen of them 40 days he tall them to tarry in Jerusalem till they be endued with power from on hight which is the Holy Ghost people if you need a friend that will go with you untill the end call on Jesus repent of your sin's turn from them in Jesus name

My dream would be an ex Amish girl. I love the way they are raised and I respect them dearly. I'd sneek her back home occasionally to see her family.

How do you balance traditions without emphasizing too much on legalism instead of true faith in God? They still make personal exceptions to modern convince when it suits their ways of life.

Imagine the peace if the whole world shined like the AMISH. World peace.......🙂❤️

Like any commitment to religion it has it's benefits and it's traditional downfalls. I do think the Amish have a very nice life style and believe that most americans wish that life was as non complicated. But You can only live in the past for so long until you realize that hey, life can be better with some modern amenities. It will change someday, it always does and the old ways are gone forever.

the amish use the shunning for power not punishment

With out cruelness there would be no kindness we have to respect each others culture life opinions and accept and go our own way and we'll find ourselves. LOVE AND UNDERSTANDING.

I grew up Amish in Lancaster Pa. The sheer ignorance in the comments has me shaking my head in amusement ! It's a good life for most, most of them ARE Christians, I hate animal abuse but have no problem with animals working hard, (BIG difference, but some people think it's the same) that community has many highly intelligent, well mannered people , shunning is scriptural when done according to scripture! and I do not agree with shunning other Christians which is why I am no longer Amish. Take a long hard look at modern society. The Amish are doing something, no, a lot of things, right.

We can’t see the translation

WWJD? That's the question! It's not Biblical~

shunning is a protection. it is a gift. it keeps the air fresh from their poison. i am glad of it!

Yes I am your tenth viewer

Amish are very weird for them to treat there own people like tells me they don't deserve respect

Judging people for being human is plain cruel and certainly not in line with the teachings of Christ. There has never been and never will be a person capable of fairly judging another person on this earth. That's God's job, not ours. I think the Amish have many good things in their lifestyle, but some of their practices are just not right.

Hello may i ask in 7.1 the girl speak ..is it dutch or some old form of german

Other 'Amish' sites have 'on camera' stories. Why not you guys?

Shunning is wrong ! No matter how you spin it ! It hurts ! These people need to move into this century.

Even the Anglo-Americans have used shunning to an extent against family members who were sent to prison or made some really poor moral choices but that was decades ago!

I also left a cult. Jesus Christ is my Hero! He led me out. It took Him years to rewire my twisted mind about Who He is. He truly is my Saviour and God. The Amish are much like Pharisees. Judgmental and religious to the core, like I was till God changed my heart. Jesus is all about forgiveness and relationship.

you're going to be very sad, when you die, and jesus shuns you..help your brother up.no matter what.! forgive and the heavenly father will forgive you..jesus taught none of this. man can't make up his own rules as he goes along. just plain hurting people more than helping them. sad

The best thing to do about the Amish is just leave them alone, just like any other church.

Sad, when most people leave the Amish lifestyle. They go to the world(drugs etc). Too bad, they don't go to a Christian plain church...

The Amish are very serious about their religion and austere lifestyle

If you don't like things do something different.

My goodness

Right ... Shun ... because that's what Jesus would do, right? Jesus gave one primary rule ... "Love one another" ... to the best of my knowledge (in that I was not there to actually hear Him with my own ears ....) He never spoke of 'shunning' anyone ...

It's unchristian like to shun a person, like they do..

Statute of Religious Freedom It’s their right and freedom

One thing I am terrified of? Religion

how long does the Amish shunning last for weeks-months how long?

Being amish can teach discipline in a world without discipline. Their needs too be rules.Look at the english youth for example.They hate authority.The parents are out of control , their kids are out of control.Where their is no love , you have chaos.

Some how the media will find a way to blame Trump.

Where can I meet a shunned Amish girl? We can start our own Amish lifestyle.

Shunning IS evil, mean, and harsh. It's a form of control!

Is there a way to try and see how they live try to live like one amish for 3 weeks

Shunned is done in different ways. I've been driving Amish in Stockton Missouri area for three years I'm English but I had to Shunned a man of my Amish group When I see him I turn my head or turn my back on him when he is talked about I say nothing I know it's not the same but for me it is I don't drive him.

I live around amish shunning is not as often as it used to be.. I always ask them who did jesus shun? No one...

by the same amount you judge you shall be judged

My question is what if the Army has a Catholic neighbor will they help out there Catholic neighbor if that Catholic neighbor is having problems farming