"The Devil's Playground" - Movie about Amish Teens

[ServantOfKing]

Has anyone seen this documentary?

It's very interesting - about "rumspringa" in the Amish tradition. At age 16 Amish teens are allowed to explore the "English" world with no restrictions from their parents or the community. At the end of this period which could last for several months or several years, the young person decides whether or not to join the Amish church. Upon joining, they are baptised and are presumed then to be able to be saved. Before this time, they cannot be saved.

The movie ended saying that 85-90% of Amish teens end up returning to the church. They seemingly place a large emphasis on personal choice, although parents and community obviously place a great deal of pressure on the individual.

The movie follows several teenagers over a period of time.
I'd recommend it, but not for viewing by children.
I'd be interested to hear comments about this video that others may have...

 

[Gloria]

I've seen it in movie rental places. I've often thought that I might check it out but the box just looks creepy to me.

 

[ReformationArt]

My wife and I saw it, and really enjoyed it. However, it is so extreme that you wonder if it is a bit slanted in the extreme direction. I don't imagine that a good majority of Amish kids party at the hard core level that was portrayed in the movie. But it is still an interesting watch.

Also, we watched Jesus Camp last week, which I highly recommend.

 

[calgal]

The kid that left was an amazing young lady. The amish kids seem to run home because all they see of the non amish world is the drug filled mess they rumspringa right into. I hope and pray there are ministries helping the kids adapt to life outside the 16th century.

 

[Pergamum]

This movie illustrate all the wrong ways to be at enmity with the world and also all the wrong notions of separation from the world.

These folks are separate physically, yet embody sins as bad as those in the world.

My main beef: They do not affect the world for good (they are not salt or light, but are hiding it all under a bushel....a handmade wicker Amish bushel at that). They have instead become laughing stocks to the world, not for their faith but for their foolishness.

Strange that rumspringa is designed to give children freedom of choice. Social manipulation abounds. Then parents turn their kids loose at Rumspringa? Now that is great parenting..make your kids totally stupid in how to get by in the world and then turn them loose and say, "Here, go have your season of sin.."

THE AMISH PLAN: The Amish set up a strict community. They keep morale high by hyping up the evils of technology and the evils of "The English" and by stressing their own holiness - on display to all due to needless external rules. To keep kids from grousing they turn them loose to be battered by sudden exposure to the world (for which their parents have made sure to keep them totally ignorant as to how to cope in modern society) until they come crawling back so that the community may allow them to enter their commune under strict rules. POOF...and the cultic atmosphere is able to be maintained.


Sorry, my rant mode is now in the OFF position...


Let's party like its 1699!