Think No Evil: Inside the Story of the Amish Schoolhouse Shooting...and Beyond [Hardcover]

Jonas Beiler (Author), Shawn Smucker (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 22, 2009

An insider’s look into the events surrounding the nickel mines amish schoolhouse shootings—told by the counselor who was called upon to come to the farmhouse where the families met on that fateful day.

On October 2, 2006, Charles Roberts, a local milk-tank truck driver, bound and shot ten young girls in an Amish schoolhouse before committing suicide. Five girls died. Five others were severely injured and left in critical condition. In the aftermath of the massacre, the Amish community shunned the media. But they requested that Amishraised counselor Jonas Beiler come to the scene to offer his moral and spiritual support.

In Think No Evil, Beiler offers his first-person account of the events, as well as of those who were closest to the scene: the surviving children, the volunteer fireman Rob Beiler, the local counseling center director Brad Aldricha, and Vietta Zook, aboard the first ambulance to arrive. Beiler poignantly describes the Amish families’ responses to this horrific violence as they reached out to the shocked family members of the killer, offering unconditional forgiveness.

The story didn’t end on that horrible day with the deaths of those five little girls. Think No Evil follows the ongoing story of this gentle community having faith in God’s design, of truly demonstrating Christian values, of responding with resilient love in the face of evil, of demolishing the scene of the murders and rebuilding the schoolhouse, and of determining to move forward in living out their faith in peace.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A STORY THAT SHOULD NEVER BE FORGOTTEN." -- GLENN BECK

About the Author

Jonas Beiler grew up in a traditional Old-Order Amish family in the 1950s. He is the cofounder and chairman of The Angela Foundation. He is also a licensed family counselor and founder of Family Resource and Counseling Center and The Family Center of Gap, both located in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. 

Jonas is married to Anne Beiler, founder and creator of Auntie Anne’s Soft Pretzels, an acclaimed international pretzel franchise. 

Shawn Smucker is a native of Lancaster County. His mother grew up Amish and his father was in the Beachy Amish Church. He is a graduate of Messiah College and lives in Virginia with his family. This is his second book.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Howard Books; First Edition edition (September 22, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416562982
• ISBN-13: 978-1416562986
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #449,427 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

"Out of Our Pain, Our Purpose was Born"

Born and raised in the Amish-Mennonite community of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Jonas and Anne Beiler grew up surrounded by faith and family. During these early years, important life lessons were permanently woven into the fabric of their lives.

Jonas and Anne both attended traditional Amish schools until the 8th grade. They met as teens and were married by the age of 21 and 19, respectively.

Jonas and Anne's peaceful life as newlyweds and young parents went into a tailspin after the death of their 19-month-old daughter, Angela Joy, who died tragically in a farming accident in 1975. Anne, in her mid-20s at the time, found herself depressed and eventually on the brink of suicide. Despite being a faithful churchgoer, she didn't feel she could share her pain with friends or family members.

Jonas and Anne drifted apart. They remained silent partners who simply lived together and went through the motions of family life. They stayed together for the sake of their other two surviving daughters. Anne sought counsel from her pastor, who used the vulnerability of her grief to manipulate and control her for more than six years.

After confessing the manipulation to her husband, the Beilers sought counseling. The Beilers reconciled as God restored their marriage. Through the repair of their own marriage, God revealed that many others were suffering from the same despair and hopelessness. After studying at Dr. Richard Dobbins' EMERGE Ministries in Akron, Ohio, Jonas began providing lay counseling as a way to give back and help others.

To support Jonas' vision to help others, Anne bought a concession stand at a local farmers' market in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. She sold everything from pizza to ice cream, but it was the hand-rolled soft pretzels that customers couldn't get enough of. Because of the demand, Anne dropped the rest of the products and concentrated on perfecting the pretzel. Auntie Anne's Soft Pretzels was born.

Under the leadership of Jonas and Anne, Auntie Anne's grew from a single outlet to more than 950 locations worldwide, with a workforce of more than 10,000. Auntie Anne's, with its international headquarters in Lancaster, PA., is the world's largest hand-rolled soft pretzel chain offering snack and meal options to shoppers and travelers. Today, Auntie Anne's has over 300 franchisees in 20 countries and continues to be recognized for its superior product and service standards. In order to pursue their passion to strengthen families and build community, Auntie Anne's was sold to a private owner in April of 2005.

From their modest beginnings to the notable success of Auntie Anne's, Inc., the Beiler's have become one of the nation's leading entrepreneurs. In 1992, the Beilers founded the Family Resource and Counseling Center, a Christian, non-profit counseling facility which currently employees 24 people. In 2008 the Beilers founded The Family Center of Gap, a 55,000 square foot building created to meet the ever growing needs of the community. Through their time and resources, the Beilers continue to give back to the community they love so much.

The Family Center of Gap also houses numerous partner organizations. Some of those partners include the Salisbury Township Branch Library, Angela's Café, Cornerstone Pregnancy Care Services, Tree of Life Health Ministries, Hildebrandt Learning Centers, Gap Community Church, House on the Rock Family Ministries and Family Resource and Counseling Centers.

The Beilers have always believed in leading by example, doing business with integrity, and giving back to the community. While at Auntie Anne's, they demonstrated their business principles with the acronym, LIGHT: Lead by example; Invest in employees; Give freely; Honor God; and Treat all business contacts with integrity. These principles continue to LIGHT their way as they follow their passion to serve people, strengthen families, and build community.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Remarkable True Story of Forgiveness, September 19, 2009

By 

Stacey (Las Vegas, NV USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Think No Evil: Inside the Story of the Amish Schoolhouse Shooting...and Beyond (Hardcover)

"Think No Evil" is a thoroughly astounding read! Authors Jonas Beiler and Shawn Smucker share the horrific details of the Amish Schoolhouse Shooting of October 2, 2006. I was amazed that even the style of writing was able to convey the peace and forgiveness of the Amish people. Not only did the Amish families who lost children, siblings and friends glorify God by not holding a grudge, these same people were able to minister to the shooter's family in their own time of need.

I am completely amazed at the faith that oozes from the pages of this book! Even though I recall hearing about the shooting back in the fall of 2006, my heart broke all over again as the story unfolded in these pages in greater detail that what I knew before. But the tone of the writing and the evident faith of the people represented in this book has healed that brokenness and restored hope. Christ is alive and well and living in the hearts of the people of Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania. My prayer is that this work will serve to kindle the same love in those who read this book.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Revealing Story of Forgiveness, October 15, 2009

By 

Nora A. Stlaurent "TBCN Founder" (Georgia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Think No Evil: Inside the Story of the Amish Schoolhouse Shooting...and Beyond (Hardcover)

After such a tragedy how could the Amish not think of doing evil to the man that shot and killed their innocent little girls. It was an amazing site to behold for the world who takes an eye for an eye. Revenge is mine this world says--watch out. Forgiveness is the choice the Amish families made that tragic day October 2, 2006. "We forgive because we can not forget...God commanded them to forgive seventy times seven."

The author Jonas tells of how the peaceful Amish community quickly sought to comfort the shooters wife and his two small children. They knew they had nothing to do with the act done to their children.

I found it almost unbelievable as I read how the Amish community--who tries avoid the outside world and their influence as much as possible--was bombarded by the media monster after the killings by having cameras everywhere wanting to know every single detail of the tragedy.

The author says, "From the beginning...they saw this horrible tragedy as a way to bear witness to the world about the radical forgiveness they practice, which was learned from Jesus, who said of those who nailed him to a cross, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."

Jonas also relates."...The Amish were wise enough to tear down a "monument" that would remind them, ..of the pain dealt them by one man.." The author asks the question "Am I willing to dismantle those things that have caused me bitterness and pain in my own life?"

Great question, this is one amazing story of an ultimate, unbelievable event of forgiveness, and love not only to the killer of their children but to the killers' family and to a community that embraces violence.

This will definitely give you a deeper understanding into the Amish community and how the world watched and responded. You'll just have to read this for yourself. It will touch you deeply. You won't look at forgiveness the same. Thanks to the publisher for a review copy of this book.

Nora St. Laurent
Finding Hope Through Fiction

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I searched for people to forgive, March 12, 2010

By 

Gerald E. Stoltzfoos "Gerry Stoltzfoos" (Freedom Valley Church Gettysburg, PA.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Think No Evil: Inside the Story of the Amish Schoolhouse Shooting...and Beyond (Hardcover)

I bought this book because I have experienced the outrageous power of forgiveness already. But this book helped me feel the power of letting go in a visceral way that is otherwise easy to miss in the blinding tsunami of the feelings of hurt.

When I got the book, I sat down to read a chapter or two one evening. Hours later I finally got up from that chair when I ran out of pages. I doubt if I was ever captured by a book the way this one grabbed my heart. I wept for hours and literally scanned the years of my own history to find people to forgive.

Then I bought 4 cases and begged all my friends to sit down and read it right now. This book is one of my favorite treasures, ever. You gotta read Think No Evil