"can you tell us anything about "rumspringen"-supposedly a custom whereby Amish teenagers can get a dose of the outside world--possibly innoculating them against it? Ron"

The only way I ever heard 'rumspringen' (literally, 'running around') used was in reference to young people who had recently started attending the evening events, signifying, basically, that they were ready to start dating. They might or might not be members at that point.

You'll have to keep in mind that my experience was not typical. In my Amish life I first lived in a small community, something like 20 families. In fact, my own father's friends were not the Amish people but 'English' or 'hoche' people. I do know that the boys of the community did some drinking and they went to the movies and I know that my oldest brother and his Amish friends did some fraternizing with non-Amish girls. Except for parental guidance - and worrying - no punishment was brought to bear onto the boys as long as they had not yet joined the church. After joining, they were subject to some serious strong arming, I understand.

I don't know if the same kind of thing went on in Virginia. The 'young folks' there were much more overtly pious than those in Oregon. They even ahd Bible study groups.

The very large Amish communities in Ohio and Indiana and to a lesser extent in Kansas, had/have a bad reputation among many Amish. My parents made a point of telling us that they would never relocate the family there.

I consider the Amish religion and its structure and its strictures to be a crime against its children. Any community that holds knowledge and 'book learning' in contempt is a community that has a tremendous potential for abuse and ignorant beliefs. The way of life is fine- my father was a horse trainer and we kids always had lots of riding horses and outdoor activities and many of my fondest memories revolve around them. But the religion teaches/taught strict obedience to the church rulings without recourse. If one rebelled against such a ruling one was considered to be rebelling against God. As one example, I wanted to be a school teacher - and I was told that Amish people don't become teachers, nor do they go to college.

Things have changed a great deal in many areas so I really don't know much about conditions any more. In Virginia, after I left, the Amish opened their own school and they earn high school diplomas. Many Amish now go on to college for a teacher's degree. Many of those who do, however, eventually leave their Amish church and join a more liberal church such as Mennonite or the Conservative Mennonites. It's hard to convince someone who has been exposed to other views that Jesus abhorred car ownership.

Believe me, there are many, many different degrees of Amish life. To this day I can tell you if an Amish woman is from Pennsylvania (Lancaster or Somerset County) or Ohio (Geauga or Holmes County) or Indiana, just by seeing the style of headcovering. and the 'halsduch', (literally, 'neckcloth') a kind of self-material chest covering.

I have many cousins scattered across the country, primarily in Michigan, Indiana, Kansas and Iowa but I rarely see any, more than every ten years or so.