We know them. We giggle at them, occasionally. These days, more and more of us admire their simple, tech-free lives. The Amish are often held up as the ultimate model of intentional community, living by principles that seem radically disconnected from our chaotic modern world. But behind the horse-drawn buggies and picturesque farmlands lies a tightly controlled society with its own strict bishops, its own rules for shunning, and its own definition of what it means to be “in the world, but not of it.” This week, Amanda and Reese are joined by Amish-turned-stripper Naomi Swartzentruber (@amishinspiration) to ask the uncomfortable question: when does a religious community become a cultural fortress? Get your butter churners prepped, we’re breaking down the barn doors to ask: is the cult of the Amish a faith, a lifestyle, or a cult? 🧈
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Content warning: This episode includes discussion of sexual assault.
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