Minnesota Amish House
Christianity, Minnesota Amish and Religious Freedom
Amish Ordnung dictates the structure of life for those who live in Amish houses like this one in southeastern Minnesota. The house does not have conveniences like central heating, telephones, or television.
Pictures by Ann
Pictures by Ann, "Camping Trip to SE Minnesota," May 18, 2018, Flickr, https://www.flickr.com/photos/picturesbyann/46942436195/in/photostream/.
5/18/2018
<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CC BY-NC-SA 2.0</a>
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MARF_AmishHouse.jpg
Harmony, MN
Harmony Minnesota Sign
Christianity, Minnesota Amish and Religious Freedom
Most Minnesota Amish live around the town of Harmony in Fillmore County, although there are also communities in north central Minnesota.
Vyzasatya
Vyzasatya, "Harmony, Minnesota signpost," Wikimedia Commons, March 5, 2006, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Harmony,_Minnesota_signpost.JPG.
3/5/2006
<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>
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MB_Harmony.jpg
Harmony, MN
Buggies in Southern Minnesota
Christianity, Minnesota Amish and Religious Freedom
Two Amish buggies in southern Minnesota cross paths. The Amish use buggies instead of automobiles to keep their Christian communities small and close-knit.
Jenni Konrad
Jenni Konrad, "Amish Traffic Jam," Flickr, May 12, 2007, https://www.flickr.com/photos/queen_of_subtle/498028660.
5/12/2007
<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CC BY-NC 2.0</a>
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MB_AmishTrafficJam.jpg
Big Spring, MN
Old Order Amish Buggy
Christianity, Minnesota Amish and Religious Freedom
This buggy in southeastern Minnesota, likely belonging to the Old Order or Swartzentruber Amish, is very plain and lacks the orange safety triangles or reflective tape that more liberal Amish have agreed to use.
Pictures by Ann
Pictures by Ann, "Camping Trip to SE Minnesota," May 18, 2018, Flickr, https://www.flickr.com/photos/picturesbyann/47069228344/.
5/18/2018
<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CC BY-NC-SA 2.0</a>
Still Image
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MARF_OldOrderBuggy.jpg
Harmony, MN
Old Order Amish Buggies
Christianity, Minnesota Amish and Religious Freedom
These Amish buggies in southern Minnesota do not have the orange and red triangle that slow moving vehicles typically use. A group of Minnesota Amish went to court over the signs, claiming they burdened their religious beliefs.
Jenni Konrad
Jenni Konrad, "Amish Buggies," May 12, 2007, Flickr, https://www.flickr.com/photos/12247055@N00/498084993.
5/12/2007
<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CC BY-NC 2.0</a>
Still Image
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MB_AmishSMVTriangle.jpg
Big Spring, MN
Amish Barn Building
Amish, Minnesota Amish and Religious Freedom
A group of Amish men working together to build a new barn demonstrates Amish self-reliance.
Cindy Cornett Seigle
Cindy Cornett Seigle, "Crawling With Amish," Flickr, July 2, 2009, https://www.flickr.com/photos/57038667@N00/3682949582.
7/2/2009
<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CC BY-NC-SA 2.0</a>
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MB_AmishBarn.jpg
Orleans, IN
Article 1 Section 16 of Minnesota Constitution
Christianity, Minnesota Amish and Religious Freedom
The conscience clause of the Minnesota Constitution guarantees any citizen the freedom to practice their religion "according to the dictates of his conscience" as long as it doesn't interfere with public peace or safety.
Matthew Banovetz
"Minnesota Constitution," Office of the Revisor of Statutes, Minnesota Legislature, https://www.revisor.mn.gov/constitution/#article_1.
Religion Department (Carleton College)
5/27/2021
Public Domain
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English
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MB_FreedomofConscience.jpg
Mulch/Soil Gray Water Filter
Christianity, Minnesota Amish and Religious Freedom
An example of mulch basin gray water treatment systems.
SuSanA Secretariat
SuSanA Secretariat, "Mulch/soil filter for greywater treatment," August 10, 2007, Flickr, https://www.flickr.com/photos/gtzecosan/2920835857.
8/10/2007
<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CC BY 2.0</a>
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MB_MulchGrayWater.jpg
Minnesota Amish Communities Map
Amish, Minnesota Amish and Religious Freedom
Around 5,000 Amish live in Minnesota, concentrated in Fillmore County along the state's border with Iowa.
David Benbennick
David Benbennick, "Map of Minnesota highlighting Fillmore County," Wikimedia Commons, February 12, 2006, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Map_of_Minnesota_highlighting_Fillmore_County.svg.
2/12/2006
Public Domain
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MARF_FillmoreCounty.png
Fillmore County, MN
Rumspringa
Christianity, Minnesota Amish and Religious Freedom
As teenagers, Amish youth enter a period called Rumspringa, when they increase their social activity and decide whether to join the Amish church. A lower percentage of New Order Amish decide to join the church than with the Old Order Amish.
Ismael Alonso
Ismael Alonso, "Rumspringa," August 23, 2004, Flickr, https://www.flickr.com/photos/soyignatius/279056472.
8/23/2004
<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CC BY-NC-ND 2.0</a>
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MB_AmishRumspringa.jpg