You may want to go to the analog lifestyle or feel like your Christian belief will be stronger and you will be closer to god spiritually if you become Amish. Being Amish is more than just for religious reasoning. It is a way of life that is completely different from the norm. For whatever reason may be, you decided to become Amish. But you also have tattoos. Well, can you become Amish if you have tattoos?
Being Amish is not the easiest thing to do. You have to follow a lot of dos and don’ts in order to become Amish. When you become Amish you may have to leave a lot of things as they can be forbidden according to the Amish way of life. Such as smartphones, computers, the right to divorce, etc. When it comes to tattoos it is a bit tricky, I will elaborate on the matter of becoming Amish with tattoos and more.
Key Takeaways
- Conservative Amish communities won’t allow anyone to join with tattoos but the new-order Amish community gave let people with tattoos join their community.
- You can become Amish if you have tattoos but you must go through some procedures before doing so about the tattoo.
- During the Rumspringa, if someone gets a tattoo and wants to return to the Amish community again, then they will face the same rules as an outsider would face.
- Amish people believe passage Leviticus 19.18 of the bible forbids tattooing, and the concept of tattooing goes against their way of life.
Amish: Origin and More
Knowing about the Amish is crucial to understand their origin, law, and reasoning behind their way of life. Otherwise, you may get discouraged to become Amish or become one without understanding their belief.
The Amish people were part of the Mennonite church in Europe, later they split and made their own separate community by naming their way of life and belief Amish. It happened in 1692. They left Europe and came to Pennsylvania in the early seventeenth century.
Amish people devote themselves to god and live their life to honor god. They think modern technology and a modern way of life can disrupt their “true love” for each other and for god. So they choose to disband any modern technology that can replace face-to-face conversation such as smartphones, entertainment that does not require human interaction such as television or computer, etc.
The core of their belief is to live simple life so that they can stay connected to each other, help each other and stay closer to god spiritually. They have an incredible community system that helps each other like family, and as a result, they don’t need any state help or help from outside their community.
That said, they are not exclusive. They have contact with people outside their community but their interaction is quite limited. They don’t have any government figures or go to the police to sort out problems. They follow the rules of the bible and govern themselves. You could say they have elders to guide them by the rules of the Bible. They also have Ordnung, an unwritten set of rules to follow.
In the Bible, the passage of Leviticus 19:18 warns against tattooing or bodily ink. Many Christians interpreted it in a different way but Amish people believe it is a clear command to not get tattoos. Now you know the prime reasoning behind tattoos being forbidden in Amish.
Becoming Amish if You Have Tattoos
The answer can be a bit tricky. You cannot become Amish if you have tattoos according to the conservative Amish community (old order) but the modernized Amish community (new order) will most likely allow and accept you with your tattoos.
The reason behind this is there is no written Amish law that forbids tattoos. It is more like what a certain community of Amish believes it. As I mention in the previous portion, Amish people literally take the Leviticus 19:18 passage as a banned on getting tattoos.
But as time progressed tattoos become more and more famous and popular than in the sixteenth century when the Amish community first began. So the modern Amish community or people who became Amish in recent decades are much friendlier and open-minded regarding tattoos.
As they understand getting a tattoo before becoming Amish can happen and it should not be a reason for not letting someone join their Amish community.
3 Amish community that won’t allow you to join if you have tattoos
As I mentioned not all Amish communities accept tattoos, especially old-order Amish groups. Here I mentioned 3 of them so that you don’t get discouraged to become Amish if you get rejected by them, as you will know beforehand they are not likely to accept tattoos:
- Schwartz Amish
- Nebraskan Amish
- Swartzentruber Amish
3 Amish community that will allow you to join if you have tattoos
Now that you know which Amish community won’t accept your tattoos, you can avoid them. And ask Amish communities that are a bit modern, friendly, and allowing when it comes to joining their community with tattoos. I have mentioned 3 communities that are known to be friendliest and most accepting of people with tattoos.
- The New Order Amish
- Ohio
- Holmes Country
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Getting a Tattoo after Becoming Amish
You now know very well why the Amish do not allow tattooing. Now let’s discuss what can happen to you if you get a tattoo after becoming Amish and things you can do in that situation. Just to clarify, there is no proof of an active Amish person getting a tattoo, so I made possible scenarios of what may happen if an active Amish person gets a tattoo.
Old-order Amish is very strict with their rules. So if an Amish gets a tattoo by mistake, he is out of the community. Even if a boy or girl gets a tattoo during the rumspringa period he or she can no longer come back to the community.
But the modernized or new-order Amish community is very understanding. They understand that Amish are human too, so like any other human, they also can make mistakes. A mistake done at their weakest moment should not be punished by banishment. So new order Amish may let that individual come back to the community under certain conditions. The conditions are the person must repent for the sin, cover the tattoo all the time or remove the tattoo.
Even after fulfilling these conditions, the person may get shunned as it is a punishment given to any Amish for breaking rules. The individual may get separated from the community and not be allowed to talk with anyone, not even his family. The separation makes one realizes his sines and helps to connect with god spiritually once again. So, how long will he be forgiven or will ever be forgiven depends on the church officials and elders of the community.
4 Things You Must do Before Becoming Amish if You Have Tattoos
Becoming Amish is always a bit complex. As even if you want the Amish way of life and want to become a part of their group, the group may end up rejecting you. One of the reasons behind rejection can be your tattoo. They may accept you if you do something about your tattoo, such as:
1. Repent
Many Americans get tattoos because they want to feel better in their own skin, show rebelliousness, look cool and trendy, etc. Regardless your reasoning could be behind getting a tattoo, according to Amish belief it is a sin to get a tattoo. So if you have a tattoo and want to join the Amish community the first thing you need to do is repent. By asking forgiveness from god it shows not only admitting you have committed a sin but seeking redemption from god. By asking forgiveness or repenting can make a sinner pure again and be closer to god spiritually, or so Amish people believe.
During the rumspringa, which is a time period of around 2 years for 16-year-old Amish boys and girls are allowed to roam outside their community and do pretty much anything that an Amish is not allowed to do. They can even get tattoos during this time. But if they choose to come back to Amish life then they too have to repent for getting tattoos during the rumspringa period.
2. Cover the tattoo
Covering up your tattoo will do nothing if you try to join a conservative Amish community or an old-order Amish community. As they do not allow tattoos even if they are covered. But there are many modern Amish communities or new-order Amish communities that may allow you to join them if you cover your tattoos all the time. No matter what, you will have to cover the tattoo at all times so that the tattoo cannot be seen by anyone.
3. Remove the tattoo
If you have your tattoo in a place that cannot be covered by clothing, there you must get rid of that tattoo. Covering the tattoo with makeup is no good, as the makeup itself is not allowed in the Amish community. Because weaning makeup goes against their belief in living a simple and humble life. Removing a permanent tattoo is now easy thanks to the modern way of tattoo removal.
Here am elaborating on 4 ways to remove a permanent tattoo, feel free to go with one that you like.
- Laser tattoo removal
It is the most convenient way to get rid of your tattoo in modern times. Laser tattoo removal uses a laser beam to destroy ink color pigments and then your body gets rid of the broken-down pigments by a small amount. It can take 6-10 sessions to completely remove a tattoo so becoming Amish may have to wait for a few months. - Plastic surgery
The plastic surgery method basically removes the layer of your skin where the ink is. The surgery removes the skin that has ink and by doing so removes the tattoo. This procedure may take 1-10 sessions to completely remove the tattoo. - Removal cream
There are plenty of tattoo removal creams on the market and am not vouching for any of those. As they are less likely to remove the tattoo completely but they may fade the tattoo quite a bit. Such creams usually have hydroquinone and trichloroacetic acid. These components work similarly to bleach as they sort of peel a layer of skin and fade a small amount of the ink. - Salt scrubs
Last we got salt scrubs. This one may not even fade your tattoo. So I don’t recommend using this method to remove a tattoo.
4. Convince the Elders and Church Officials
Every Amish community has elders and church officials who make sure the community runs well and all Amish laws are maintained. After following the above-mentioned steps, you have to convince the elders that now you understand why it is a sin to have a tattoo and you will never get one again after becoming Amish.
If you manage to convince the elders and church officials, the community will accept you regardless you got your tattoo removed or covered.
But in no condition, you will be allowed to keep an exposed tattoo and join the Amish community.
2 Reasons Why Amish does not Allow Tattooing
In this portion, I shed some light on 2 reasons why Amish does not allow tattooing so that you can understand their side.
1. Bible forbids it
In the bible, the passage Leviticus 19:18 says not to mark the skin with ink. Now, many Christians believe it does not forbid tattooing but the Amish believe that it absolutely bans tattooing. And by the time you are reading this portion you already know how faithfully Amish follow their religion and rules to closeness to god. So they strictly forbid tattooing as it is forbidden by the bible.
2. Against their way of life
Amish are not worldly. Any attraction to a material can sway them from the spiritual mindset and connection to god, or so they believe.
They also avoid vanity. Anything such as clothing or styling that can create pride in themselves is forbidden or avoided by Amish.
That is why you will see all of them wear the same type of clothing and style their hair and beard in a similar way. Which is simple or Amish way. So by default, a bodily art or tattoo is against their way of life. As it glorifies one’s body and rejects the simplicity of Amish life.
FAQs
Can Mennonites have tattoos?
No, they cannot. They are quite strict about tattoos and do not adhere to such markings on their bodies.
How to become Amish for a week?
New world Amish families let strangers who want to experience the Amish way of life live in their house, sometimes for 2 years. You can talk with a new-world Amish family who would let you stay with them for a week so that you can learn and experience becoming Amish for a week.
Can I become Amish if I weren’t born Amish?
Yes, you can. But you will be treated like an outsider at first and will have to go through the steps as instructed by an Amish church official.
Are there any black Amish people?
Yes, there is. But they are few in number.
Final Thoughts
If you are thinking to become an Amish and having a tattoo, becoming Amish may be a bit more difficult for you. As no conservative Amish communities will allow someone with a tattoo to join their community, you will have to try your luck with a modernized Amish group. There are many modern or new-world Amish groups that are very friendly to outsiders and may allow a tattooed person to join their group under certain conditions such as repenting, covering the tattoo, or removing the tattoo. You will be surprised to know there are subgroups of the new-order Amish community that uses electricity and talk in English when there is no Dutch speaker present. I recommend you try talking with these friendly Amish communities as it will be easier for you to join them and become Amish if you have tattoos.
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