?

[Arrow]

Okay so i have an actual question.

quote: "The Amish are a denomination of Anabaptists and a branch of Mennonites noted for their restricted use of modern devices such as automobiles and electricity. The Amish are a tight-knit cultural and ethnic group, descending from a few hundred German and Swiss immigrants and speaking a distinctive High German dialect (Deitsch or "Pennsylvania Dutch)." (Amish are one group of the "Pennsylvania Dutch," who are of primarily German, not Dutch, descent.)"

Biblically speaking, why would you choose to live without technology?
I am trying to understand where other people come from and this is one of things that i just cannot seem to get my head around.

Thanks for your input,
Arrow

 

[Katzpur]

Okay so i have an actual question.

quote: "The Amish are a denomination of Anabaptists and a branch of Mennonites noted for their restricted use of modern devices such as automobiles and electricity. The Amish are a tight-knit cultural and ethnic group, descending from a few hundred German and Swiss immigrants and speaking a distinctive High German dialect (Deitsch or "Pennsylvania Dutch)." (Amish are one group of the "Pennsylvania Dutch," who are of primarily German, not Dutch, descent.)"

Biblically speaking, why would you choose to live without technology?
I am trying to understand where other people come from and this is one of things that i just cannot seem to get my head around.

Thanks for your input,
Arrow

I can't quote you any specific verses, Arrow, but I suspect that the Amish' choice to live without technology and modern conveniences is based upon a desire to remain in the world, but not of the world. They are probably just attempting to focus on the spiritual, and find it easier to do when not tempted by so many of the "things" our materialistic society tells us we must have in order to be happy.

 

[Booko]

Okay so i have an actual question.

quote: "The Amish are a denomination of Anabaptists and a branch of Mennonites noted for their restricted use of modern devices such as automobiles and electricity. The Amish are a tight-knit cultural and ethnic group, descending from a few hundred German and Swiss immigrants and speaking a distinctive High German dialect (Deitsch or "Pennsylvania Dutch)." (Amish are one group of the "Pennsylvania Dutch," who are of primarily German, not Dutch, descent.)"

Biblically speaking, why would you choose to live without technology?
I am trying to understand where other people come from and this is one of things that i just cannot seem to get my head around.

Thanks for your input,
Arrow

Hey, we actually have an Amish section?

Uh...were we expecting any Amish to show up and speak to us? :sarcastic

Anyway, the couple of Biblical references I remember hearing are:

2 Cor 6:17 "Come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord."

Rom 12:2 "And be ye not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

(Incidentally, the 2 Cor 6:17 verse is quoted in the movie "Witness." Not that Hollywood movies prove anything. )

 

[Katzpur]

Rom 12:2 "And be ye not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

That was probably the verse that was stuck in the back of my mind.

 

[Tigress]

quote: "The Amish are a denomination of Anabaptists and a branch of Mennonites noted for their restricted use of modern devices such as automobiles and electricity. The Amish are a tight-knit cultural and ethnic group, descending from a few hundred German and Swiss immigrants and speaking a distinctive High German dialect (Deitsch or "Pennsylvania Dutch)." (Amish are one group of the "Pennsylvania Dutch," who are of primarily German, not Dutch, descent.)"

Biblically speaking, why would you choose to live without technology?
I am trying to understand where other people come from and this is one of things that i just cannot seem to get my head around.

II Corinthians 6:14, II Corinthians 6:17, and Romans 12:2 cite the reasons for which the Amish choose to live with little modern technology. They live simply, accepting only what is needed. Power lines are an unnecessary connection to the 'English' way of life. Any electrical power needed is provided via battery, usually no larger than a 12 volt.

 

[Smoke]

Biblically speaking, why would you choose to live without technology?

They don't. They may have telephones, though if they do it's more likely to be out in the yard than inside the house. They may have kerosene refrigerators or any number of modern conveniences, including battery-powered small appliances. The very most "liberal" ones, the Beachy Amish, may even drive cars, and the others may ride in cars or buses occasionally. The point is not the rejection of the technology, but the rejection of "the world" and minimizing contact with outsiders as much as possible.

 

[Booko]

They don't. They may have telephones, though if they do it's more likely to be out in the yard than inside the house. They may have kerosene refrigerators or any number of modern conveniences, including battery-powered small appliances. The very most "liberal" ones, the Beachy Amish, may even drive cars, and the others may ride in cars or buses occasionally. The point is not the rejection of the technology, but the rejection of "the world" and minimizing contact with outsiders as much as possible.

And wherever there is an Amish community, there's usually an essenhaus (restaurant). They're required by law to have certain technological things as a matter of public health, so they do.

 

[SageTree]

The Amish men I've spoken with quote 'the sweat of your brow' from Genesis a lot.

 

[Gjallarhorn]

Okay so i have an actual question.

quote: "The Amish are a denomination of Anabaptists and a branch of Mennonites noted for their restricted use of modern devices such as automobiles and electricity. The Amish are a tight-knit cultural and ethnic group, descending from a few hundred German and Swiss immigrants and speaking a distinctive High German dialect (Deitsch or "Pennsylvania Dutch)." (Amish are one group of the "Pennsylvania Dutch," who are of primarily German, not Dutch, descent.)"

Biblically speaking, why would you choose to live without technology?
I am trying to understand where other people come from and this is one of things that i just cannot seem to get my head around.

Thanks for your input,
Arrow

It's not the technology specifically. It's the pride associated with having it. Someone who has a computer will feel prouder than someone without (supposedly).

Or maybe a while back some Luddites took refuge in the Amish community.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

It's not technology, but electricity

I think it'd be interesting for an Amish to come to the forum.




On a serious-er note, I'm not sure why they do not believe in electricity, I doubt it is anything from the Bible, I assume it is probably just traditional.

 

[SageTree]

SoA,



Romans 12:2(NRSV)


"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

I'd say there is a lot in the 'testing and discernment' in the evolution of the Amish.

To stay viable in certain things, like dairy farming for sale, one legally must have electric-mechanisms like refrigeration.


Say... to stay current in farming techniques, to feed dairy cows for instance, you need to be able to work faster to have more food for the live stock....

Most Amish don't have tractors (although if they do they use iron wheels to make it unroad friendly), so therefore there is no PTO or belt-drive to move the machines....

SO.... it's figured out that one can use a small engine to power a hay baler...

How do you get this to work?


A WELDING MACHINE!!! So you can weld the engine to the equipment's frame or a set of mounts.




Now.... this welding machine helps the Amish stay current, but there are precautions about getting one with too many plugs.... you know... so a radio doesn't slip into one of them....

This is another way electricity becomes 'needed'.


It's not exclusively about out right prohibition of electric as it is about the thought and consideration about weighing out what is 'necessary' as well as the implications of granting permission to use these.

Heh, did a quick fact check on wikipedia and found this picture on the page.
I used to drive through this intersection of 896 and 30 in Pennsylvania pretty regularly

 

[SageTree]

Also.... nice to see another Lancaster county person posting in here.
Most of my knowledge comes from my experiences in reading/history of course.
But also growing up around Amish and Mennonites.

However I also worked along side Amish men and women in the greenhouse business for 3 years and got to speak a great deal with them about their way of life and answer questions about mine.