<p>Has anyone seen this show? </p>
<p>It’s very interesting to see the point of view of some Amish kids of the modern world.</p>
<p>However, I’ve heard some “liberties” the producers have taken with the stories of the kids. </p>
<p>Discuss</p>
<p>Actually, I heard it was pretty much complete fabrication, unfortunately.</p>
<p>They’ve been married before, have children before, wore bikinis before, entered modeling competitions before, were arrested before, lived in North Dakota before, traveled before - there’s almost nothing about it which is true. </p>
<p>And I like it anyway! 
It’s “reality TV”.</p>
<p>Isn’t all reality television?</p>
<p>This is worse than normal. It’s like they’re not even trying anymore.</p>
<p>I have watched all of the episodes so far. Early on they gave the impression that everyone had lived a strict Amish life prior to the show. Then all the buzz started on the internet about previous marriages, DUI’s, etc. Almost all of these have since been admitted on the show. I don’t know when it was filmed so I don’t know if they planned to reveal all of it, or were forced to, but the show has been more honest about the five individuals than early episodes implied.</p>
<p>I can’t watch it anymore - after the beginning was SO FAR off “reality”. I realize all reality TV is and has to be contrived - but this was just ridiculous!</p>
<p>And it’s subject matter that I find TRULY very interesting. I think that’s what bothers me the most.</p>
<p>So I just can’t bring myself to watch it.</p>
<p>A snarky website that followed/uncovered a lot of the lies calls this series Faking Amish :)</p>
<p>I watched the first episode, then read about how deceptive the show is being, then stopped. But it did help me uncover a previously unknown prejudice in myself. </p>
<p>Two of the young people featured on the show were adopted from apparently non-Amish/non-Mennonite mothers. Is it okay for people in any sort of out of the norm lifestyle or religion to adopt babies who were not born into such lifestyle or religion? I know that “out of the norm” is in the eye of the beholder. </p>
<p>Does anyone know whether a mom putting a baby up for adoption can specify no whatever for the parents, even if it sounds offensive/prejudiced? No parents of another race, no Catholics, no Amish, no little people, or whatever bothers the mom, PC or not?</p>
<p>I’m sure that in today’s world of various adoption arrangements you can make any stipulation you like. However, I’m sure these kids were better off Amish, being fed, clothed, and cared for by a community, and actually having a family than they would have been “in the system” or with a mother that was unable to care for them.</p>
<p>Most legitimate adoption agencies operate under contract with public social services agencies. Do you really think it would be appropriate for them to discriminate among prospective adoptive families based on their religious beliefs, or related lifestyle choices, if they don’t constitute a threat to the life or health of the child? Ummm, no. That would be pretty blatantly unconstitutional.</p>
<p>With a private adoption, if the biological parents are withholding their consent until they see who the adoptive parents are, they can make any choice they want. But a public agency (or a nonprofit acting as its agent, even a faith-based one like Catholic Charities or Jewish Family Services) can’t do that.</p>
<p>It’s worth noting, too, that unlike most Christian denominations, the Amish, as Anabaptists, don’t regard any children, biological or adopted, as church members subject to church rules. People do not become church members subject to church discipline unless and until they decide to join the church of their own free will, as adults (which means late teens for the Amish). Of course, children are subject to their parents’ authority, but they are not “converted” to the Amish religion unless they choose to be as adults.</p>
<p>Interesting. As I mentioned, it was a prejudice that I didn’t even know I had…it’s never pleasant to discover prejudice in oneself! So I guess I can say that *Breaking Amish *actually made me think (which is more than most of us can say about most reality shows).</p>
<p>JHS is correct about membership among the Amish. The mennonites also do it this way. But it really is a technicality, isn’t it? They are raised in an Amish community, by Amish parents, attending Amish church services and under the authority of their parents who are SERIOUSLY under the authority of church leadership. Therefore, if the children do anything that the church leadership doesn’t like, it’s the parents who may have to answer for it and deal with it or face church discipline. So there’s not much difference really.</p>
<p>JHS - I don’t know whether they operate under contract with government social service agencies or not, but I’m pretty sure that the adoption agency run by the Mormon church places children only with qualified Mormon couples.</p>
<p>If anyone is interested in the Amish, and their progeny trying to decide if they want to stay in the church or not, PBS did an excellent documentary a few years ago. It focused on both kids that have left the church and exist as a support group/halfway house for those leaving, and those struggling to decide on leaving home or staying. </p>
<p>The way they work is incredibly amazing. If you choose to leave, the family cuts off all contact. There was actually one kid that chose to leave, and wound up sneaking back to burn down his family’s barn. The family said it doesn’t matter, and if he ever decides to come back he’s completely forgiven. There was also a great guy that had the hardest time to decide, because he loved cars and rock & roll, but wound up returning to his family. They let him keep his speakers for a little bit of extra time, so he was going around with his horse and buggy rocking out to AC/DC with some monstrous speakers mounted on the side.</p>
<p>Yes, my aunt has adopted two children, and the bio parents of both were very specific about faith, income, etc. of prospective parents. As JHS said, it probably has something to do with the level of government involvement. Strictly private adoption - maybe they can stipulate whatever they want. In fact it seems that you can dictate quite a lot: religion, weight, health, marital status, etc.</p>
<p>[Adopting</a> Children - International, Domestic, Adopt a Child](<a href=“http://www.adopting-children.org/]Adopting”>http://www.adopting-children.org/)</p>