Rumspringa

Faith and Practice

In the Pennsylvania Dutch language, rumspringa literally means “running around“. Its reason of doing anything and everything you want with zero rules. Teens are free to shop at malls, have sex, wear make ups, play video games, do drugs, use cellphones, dress however they want, and buy and drive cars at young age. They have been given a chance to freely explore the forbidden delights of the outside worlds, so at the age of sixteen everything changes. This habit was common to the Amish young people who belong to Christian religious sect, who practice a radical form of separation from the modern world. They live and dress with simplicity but before young person chooses to commit to the Amish church as an adult, he or she would experience rumspringa.

After tripping along at a barn party and explore life on the wild side, Amish teens decide to return to the Amish church and worshipping God. As we read this fact about them, why Amish teen agers are allowed to experience these things before they commit their lives to God? After a disgusted and sinful activities then they will face God like they are holy, but are they really choosing God? Or they want to live their lives with zero rules and experience it while they’re young. 

We may have many questions why they have that kind of traditions between faith and way of life but what matters most is if they committed their lives to God make sure that they will not turn back to rumspringa, because if they really want to serve God at their young age they should not do that practices, and they should change their perspective in way of life.

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Photos: Google images

Information: Dug Down Deep of Joshua Harris.