The Amish ReligionHistory of the Religion Developed by the Radical Reformation in the 1300s, a group called the Anabaptists formed. These Anabaptists were a joint group of the Mennonites, Hutterites, and Amish. The Amish people came from a split of the Swiss Mennonites in 1693, when a man named Jacob Amman and his supporters left their church to start their own. Jacob Amman was born in Switzerland as an Anabaptist in 1644 and is considered the founder of the Amish religion. Most Amish communities came from places like Switzerland, Alsace, Russia, Holland, and Germany. Even though in today's world there are no longer any Amish living in Europe. This is because in the 1700s they were persecuted for their religious beliefs. They mostly moved to North America and settled in Pennsylvania along with settlements in several other states. Some of these states are Ohio, Indiana, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Wisconsin, Missouri, and Minnesota. Around 1850, there was a separation between the Old Order Amish and the New Order Amish. The New Order Amish accepted new technologies and social changes, but also retained most of the old Amish traditions and practices. There are now approximately 200,000 Old Order Amish living here in the United States along with some living in Canada. Sacred Stories and Holy Scriptures The Amish, considered conservative Protestants, believe in readings from the Bible. Most Amish also have the Martyr's Mirror, which is the book of Amish history and tells of the Amish, Mennonites, and Anabaptists who died for their faith. There is also a newspaper used by many Amish and Mennonite communities, called Budget, which is still mid-paper, so they prepare meals, celebrate holidays, and even have gardens around their homes. Religion and Catholicism The Amish religion and Catholicism are actually quite similar. Both use the Bible; both celebrate Jesus-related holidays such as Christmas, Easter, Good Friday, Pentecost and Ascension Day. The Amish have districts, which are similar to different dioceses for Catholics; they celebrate communion but only twice a year and also celebrate baptisms. One difference is their beliefs about war. The Amish believe in peace and pacifism, while the Christians will go to war and believe in the doctrine of just war. Christians also join the world thanks to technological advances, while the Amish want to stay away from outside influences. Overall there are many similarities that most people don't know between the ideas of the Amish religion compared to Catholicism.