Shunned by Amish
To learn what Amish shunning is, you first need to know why some Amish are shunned. When you are born into the Amish community, you are not automatically a member of the congregation. You are not a member until you are baptized and you do not get baptized until you choose to be baptized as an adult.
Amish adults who choose not to be baptized, and therefore choose not to live by God's rules, are shunned by the Amish. The Amish are not trying to be mean or cause harm by shunning someone. They are using shunning as a tool to get this young person to change his or her mind.
Shunning means that the community and the family do not eat at the same table as the person being shunned. Furthermore, a shunned person is excluded from or not allowed to join any social functions.
In some of the stricter Amish communities, a person can be shunned for other things too, such as getting health care from someone outside of their community or not following some of the other Amish laws. However, these days shunning is not very widespread or used very often.
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