Amish Is The Fastest Growing Religion In The U.S.

By Paul Short on 02/08/2012

When I read the following article over at ScienceDaily.com I nearly fell off my chair. Why? Not because I follow religion in any way, but because the Amish practice a culture of self-sufficiency, something every other culture in North America is increasingly moving away from these days.

What other group is actively teaching self-sufficiency and self reliance as the foundation of their culture and spiritual beliefs? I have a feeling they will be the ones least affected in times of disaster or martial law, or a zombie apocalypse. We might do well to not look at them as a fringe group and more as people we can learn from.

Here’s an excerpt from “A New Amish Community Is Founded Every Three-And-A-Half Weeks in US, Experts Estimate“:

ScienceDaily (July 27, 2012) — A new census of the Amish population in the United States estimates that a new Amish community is founded, on average, about every 3 ½ weeks, and shows that more than 60 percent of all existing Amish settlements have been founded since 1990.

This pattern suggests the Amish are growing more rapidly than most other religions in the United States, researchers say. Unlike other religious groups, however, the growth is not driven by converts joining the faith, but instead can be attributed to large families and high rates of baptism.

In all, the census counts almost 251,000 Amish in the United States and Ontario, Canada, dispersed among 456 settlements, the communities in which members live and worship. The 1990 census estimated that there were 179 settlements in the United States.

By Paul Short on 02/08/2012