Rumspringa for Mormons?
Elmo says:
The young Amish have a kind of grace period they call Rumspringa, where they can party, goof off, have sex, drive cars, go wild, and then decide if they still want to be Amish.
Do you think Mormon young adults should have the same thing? Many, if not most, do this already, whether or not they confess it to their leaders. The Church is losing its youth and unmarried members left and right. Should there be a “grace period” where unmarried members can do what they want?
The young Amish have a kind of grace period they call Rumspringa, where they can party, goof off, have sex, drive cars, go wild, and then decide if they still want to be Amish.
Do you think Mormon young adults should have the same thing? Many, if not most, do this already, whether or not they confess it to their leaders. The Church is losing its youth and unmarried members left and right. Should there be a “grace period” where unmarried members can do what they want?
Comment by Elmo — July 5, 2005 @ 12:55 pm
The idea behind Rumspringa is a test prior to baptism as an adult. When the Amish permit the kids to do this stuff, it is as a non-member, and is prior to their choice to be baptised. Since the LDS Church baptizes kids at age 8, there really isnt any opportunity to let them off the hook for awhile to sin and do as they please. If they really want to, they could just do it anyway, and then repent, if they chose to.
Comment by Kurt — July 5, 2005 @ 4:21 pm
Well, there certaainly is some question as to whether any eight year old is prepared to understand the level of commitment necessary for baptism the way and adult would be.
I think the Amish have it right in this case!
Comment by Elmo — July 5, 2005 @ 5:47 pm
And it’s not really a question of Amish parents’ “permitting their kids” to do certain things. It’s allowing unmarried Amish (even in their early to mid-twenties) to step outside the box and experience life without the contraints of ecclesiastical punishment.
It’s not a “test” before baptism. They don’t “fail” by “sinning” and then not repenting. it’s giving them opportunities and allowing them informed decisions based on their experiences of previously forbidden things. Then they can decide if they want to continue living in the Amish tradition.
Comment by Elmo — July 5, 2005 @ 5:51 pm
There is no formal ecclesiastical punishment prior to the rumspringa because they are not yet baptised members of the Amish community. These kids are raised in observant families which require children to obey parents, and at age 16 are now being told to go out and see what the world has to offer and come back when you realize this is where you should be.
How is “ecclesiastical punishment” a necessarily or intrinsically bad thing? People, children and adults” have to be held accountable for their actions, baptised or not. Whether people get busted by ecclesiastical authorities for doing X or not, there are natural consequences regardless of the ecclesiastica ones. Whats wrong with being held accountable for your actions. Are you suggesting that all ecclesiastical punishment is a necessarily bad/harmful/evil thing?
Comment by Kurt — July 5, 2005 @ 7:23 pm
I’m not suggesting that ecclestistical punishment is necessarily a “bad…thing”, but I am suggesting that even the Amish understand that it’s counterproductive and maybe even cruel to stifle youthful vigor and curiosity the way the LDS church does through disfellowshipping, excommunicating, etc. for having sexual experiences particularly.
The Rumspringa period is more of an “all is forgiven; it doesn’t matter what you do during that time” instead of a “we’ll forgive you if you come back and be baptized.” Baptism in their context means being committed to the religion, not a remission-for-sins-this-will-readmit-me-into-the-good graces of God type of thing the way LDS think of it.
Comment by Elmo — July 5, 2005 @ 8:44 pm
Aside from voiding the ecclesiastical punishment, there are still the practical consequences of sexual immorality (e.g., pregnancy, STDs, unhealthy relationships, etc.). The reason the Law of Chastity is there is to protect people from these things. Suspending the rules and letting kids sew their wild oats without any ecclesiastical consequences won’t undo the practical consequnces. But, I suppose, that is what youre driving at, right? You want kids to experience first hand what the reality of the situation is, then let them decide? But, at what point are parents compelled to draw a line and protect their kids from engaging in behavior which is entirely too self-destructive, irrespective of ecclesiastical issues?
Comment by Kurt — July 6, 2005 @ 12:52 pm
There’s a documentary on the Rumspringa called “the Devil’s Playground” that’s okay, not really that great, but interesting.
The big difference I see between an Amish-syle and Mormon-style Rumspringa is actually how “in the world” Mormons already are. I would imagine (guess) that since the Amish are much more isolated than the LDS, Amish children/teenagers would see the “world” with more awe. Sort of like the difference between going to Disneyland when you’re six versus eighteen.
So I’m not sure exactly how effective an LDS rumspringa would be: it would be all about “experiencing” the sins and not about “understanding the options” (which is what the Amish rumspringa seems).
Comment by Pris — July 8, 2005 @ 3:10 pm
Good point, Pris. I think the main difference would be in the organizational/ecclesiastical *acknowlegement* of the needs of youth in society.
At least the Amish recognize that youth are meant to explore, get a little crazy, and experience things–not just Disneyland, but maybe even Disneyland, a mind-blowing O or two, a glass of wine–and not be considered “evil”, “wicked”, “next to a murderer”, etc.
The octogenarians in LDS Church leadership conveniently forget the needs and feelings of many a youngster. They rail on passions and predilictions they don’t share anymore because of their age and marital status.
The Amish have a good idea because at least they’re aware of and compassionate towards the desires of youth. And they’re confident enough in their youth to expect them to return to the Amish way of life, which most of them do.
Comment by Elmo — July 9, 2005 @ 3:13 pm
Pris raises a good point. I’ve been frustrated in the Church because we’re always TOLD what to do and not allowed to CHOOSE what to do. Unfortunately, when many people leave the Mormon Church, they aren’t sure which pieces to take with them, and they struggle to find their own moral compass without having to worry about passing the temple recommend interview questions. This is hard. Is it inherently wrong to sleep with someone you love and have a relationship with? No, but it is inherently “wrong” to sleep around with people who don’t care about you. But as a Mormon youth, you don’t see the real options - you just see what people tell you to do and threaten you with punishment if you do or don’t do something.
Granted, a 15 year old boy will probably have sex with anyone he can find to reciprocate, so maybe it’s a good idea to scare teenagers into not touching their little factories or they will go straight to hell. Who knows. What I do know is that the Mormon Church does a great job of scaring people into doing what they are told to do, and a lousy job of giving people the tools to learn how to make the right choices in their lives.
I think a rumspringa would work if people were sincere about gaining a “testimony” about, say, monogamy. I’m probably being too idealistic here, but I think people have the capacity to learn to choose the right and not be told what to do under penalties of death and eternal torment.
Comment by Lucy — July 14, 2005 @ 4:19 pm
Do Amish live in Ireland
Comment by biggy — January 25, 2006 @ 9:36 am