Family is a value that is shared by both the Amish and Modern Britain. Each values the word, family, in different ways. The Amish have a strong belief that family is sacred. Amish take their wedding vows seriously. Divorce is not sanctioned in the Amish church, though may occur in rare cases. Divorce is seen as reason for excommunication. Separations, however, do occasionally occur among Amish. Within the Modern day British community, it has become a Norm for families to separate if either parent chooses to leave the family unit. Individual choice is a much stronger value within Britain today. The amount of divorces that took place within 2009 was recorded as 113,949 being granted within Britain that year (The Guardian, 2011). Extended families are more common in Britain today than nuclear families.
The latest figures published indicate that the average household in Britain have 1.9 children (BBC, 2009), where as the average family in the Amish community have between 6-8 children (Amish America, n.d.). The Amish are expected to have a large family and as they see children as a gift from God, they do not believe in contraception. In contrast Britain has many subcultures within. Many of these cultures can choose how many children they would like to have and can use contraception if they wish to. They are not obliged to follow strict rules like the Amish are regarding procreation. A recent study shows that within Britain the amount of households that are childless has increased and is now at 26% (BBC, 2010).
The Bible is behind every decision that the Amish make, they believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God, and that as Christians; they should live as brothers, that the church is separate from the state, that we are committed to peace, and that faith calls for a lifestyle of discipleship and good works. They have a scripture that is quoted in their