So what's up with the Amish?

Question

I mean, at one point, they had to be modern, so did they at that one point in time decide, "no more inventions"?

Answer 1

I dunno, but I admire their lifestyle to a certain extent.

Answer 2

I don't know. I have spoken with some Amish people about this, and I still don't know how to answer your question.

The Amish do not use electrical power. They do use battery power, propane power, and diesel power. No gasoline power. Why? Because any power that requires a spark is prohibited. I am unsure why--haven't been able to comprehend the answers I was given.

Also, no rubber tires. Farm equipment with metal wheels is okay. Buggies with wooden or metal wheels are okay. Why no rubber? I just don't know.

The Amish do not have telephones in their houses. And yet there may be a community phone located in a booth outside of some people's houses. Why? I don't know.

I'm sorry that I can't help you. If you have the occasion to get to know any Amish folks, I would encourage you to ask them.

But I have wondered the same thing. Why is some technology okay, and other technology is off-limits? Moreover, why is it okay for the Amish to be driven in a gas-powered, rubber-tired vehicle, but not okay for them to drive one themselves? Who decides the cutoff points? And why?

It is all very mysterious to me. If you ever find the answer, I would be most interested in it too.

Answer 3

Some Amish *do* use rubber tires. They vary in their rigidity from one district to another. Some communitities do not allow rubber tires on their buggies. Others do.

They never decided "no more inventions." They are required to maintain a simple lifestyle in order to avoid being distracted from the purpose of serving God. If an Amish person is interested in obtaining certain technologies, they can petition the leaders of their district for permission, submitting their reasons and intentions. Some have telephones they keep in barns or shanties for business and emergency purposes, though they are still forbidden from keeping them in their homes. They hire cars and drivers, but are not allowed automobiles themselves (save adolescents in more liberal communites on "rumspringa"). Some work in factories and other modern establishments run by electricty. They do not deny the existence or necessity of these things, they simply refuse themselves the convenience of them in their most accessible forms.

Answer 4

I am Dutch by birth. In the 17 hundreds there was an Ana-Baptist movement in Holland, Germany, and Russia that adopted a very strange ritual. They took literally the sacrifice of Abraham's son Isaac and almost started to give up their oldest in a bizarre ritual called :cleansing" This horrified many people who formed a faction, and left for the New World, and repudiated any modern invention to keep their faith secure in a contentious world. Amish:
the word means
Quaker:
Mennonite:

Answer 5

Amish people interpret linking with electrical wires as a connection with the world - and the Bible tells them they are not to be "conformed to the world." (Romans 12:2) In 1919 the Amish leaders agreed that connecting to power lines would not be in the best interest of the Amish community.

Answer 6

Well, take a look at the Amish response to the killings that happened recently. When you look at the response of your average American versus theirs, you can see how theirs is much more Christlike.

By choosing the lifestyle they have, they are able to overcome the wickedness in the world. They are less distracted by the "things" of modern society. Personally, I find that admirable.

Answer 7

I love the simple life the Amish live, if more of us lived this way the world would NOT be in the shape it is today...

Answer 8

Nothing's up with the Amish. Nothing's been up with them for a long time.

Answer 9

They didn't really sit down and decide it. They simply just did not move ahead with the times. They believed in the simple life and way of worship, therefore it was natural not to move ahead with the way of the world.

Answer 10

i have trouble myself understanding the "amish" people. they are also very forgiving which is something i could never be, especially what happened with the school shooting. i do admire them forgiving and being there for the wife.

Answer 11

Their street cred has risen with me in recent weeks. I'll never look at them with prejudice again. They're an example to the rest of us about tolerance and forgiveness.