by Torah Bontrager | Sep 10, 2021 | Sexual Assault Survivor Support, Trauma
A few months ago, a friend and colleague brought up the word parentification in our weekly accountability meeting. “What’s that?” I asked. (Keep scrolling for the video version of this post.) When he explained what it is and how he experienced it as...
by Torah Bontrager | Sep 5, 2021 | Amish Definitions, Amish Resources
The Amish Heritage Foundation (AHF) is secular, but we get accused by nonpracticing Amish––and others of Amish heritage––of being atheist. The belief is that “secular” equals “atheist”. That’s a completely false equation, perpetuated by...
by Torah Bontrager | Aug 6, 2021 | Amish Culture
In another post, I shared an excerpt from the chapter “The Cat Knew the Way” in my memoir, Amish Girl in Manhattan. It’s about one of my earliest memories: trekking off to the blackberry patch in the neighbor’s woods when I was 6 years old....
by Torah Bontrager | Aug 4, 2021 | Current Events
What does freedom mean to you? I often ask myself whether I’m really free or not. It’s part of my regular routine in life, like working out and eating healthy (or my constant attempts to do so!). (Keep scrolling for the video version of this post.) When I...
by Torah Bontrager | Jul 4, 2021 | Amish Culture, Amish Definitions
Happy Independence Day? For whom? Women, LGBTQIA+, and children still have no rights in the practicing Amish population (~450,000 in the US). They’re denied a long list of their Constitutional rights in the name of extreme religious freedom by the...
How Parentification Disrupts Your Development and Holds You Back as an Adult
Can We Please Talk About Gender? “The Amish: A People of Preservation”
Think Secular Is Atheist? How the Christian Right Take Advantage of You
What Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Launched to Empower Working Women
Why the Amish Church Loves Martyrdom and Victimhood and How to Stop It