Re:Canada: Hundreds of unmarked graves found at residential ...
by munk-a on Thursday June 24, 2021 @07:15PM
(#27625146)
One of the reasons I am rather fond of the Amish as a group (even though their lifestyle isn't for me) is that while they do have pretty strict religious tenants, they also[1] strongly embrace and celebrate the fact that offspring are given a free choice of whether to stay within the community or leave it - it allows the individual to make the choice that's right for them but it does potentially erode the survival of the culture. The Shakers eschewed procreation as part of their culture and relied on adoption and voluntary adult membership to continue on and died out quite a while back so this sort of cultural extinction is quite a real possibility.
That's where I think this gets muddled and especially difficult. Will there be people struggling in this traditional culture that really wish to live a life more in tune with western values but feel constrained by their local community to remain in a traditional setting.
When it comes to children and which path the next generation takes - that's where this problem gets really hard to think on. Just the other day on HN there was a discussion of transgender rights and part of it included considerations on whether children should be able to freely elect to have non-reversible surgery (that is something of a strawman since it is an extremely rare desire in child but :shrug:) and it's a place I feel torn because developing minds are still trying to learn their identity.
1. Seem to at least from everything I've read and Pennsylvanians I've spoken to - I wasn't raised Amish and can't give a first hand account.
That's where I think this gets muddled and especially difficult. Will there be people struggling in this traditional culture that really wish to live a life more in tune with western values but feel constrained by their local community to remain in a traditional setting.
When it comes to children and which path the next generation takes - that's where this problem gets really hard to think on. Just the other day on HN there was a discussion of transgender rights and part of it included considerations on whether children should be able to freely elect to have non-reversible surgery (that is something of a strawman since it is an extremely rare desire in child but :shrug:) and it's a place I feel torn because developing minds are still trying to learn their identity.
1. Seem to at least from everything I've read and Pennsylvanians I've spoken to - I wasn't raised Amish and can't give a first hand account.