Amish

Originally posted by DoctorScribbles
Are the Amish correct in their interpretation of biblical scripture, or are they just wacky?

What is their interpretation?

Originally posted by DoctorScribbles
Are the Amish correct in their interpretation of biblical scripture, or are they just wacky?

Just another example of child abuse in my opinion.

Originally posted by The Chess Express
What is their interpretation?

it is a very literal interpretation. in fact, their view is much like that of any other christian literalist. it is the absence of things we view as necessary from their culture that is often misunderstood with strict legalism, which often leads to assumptions that they are "just wacky"

Originally posted by DoctorScribbles
Are the Amish correct in their interpretation of biblical scripture, or are they just wacky?

Looking at the list of Amish beliefs at http://www.religioustolerance.org/amish3.htm,

I don't see anything "wackier" than standard Christian thought. And some of it is preferable to some of the "Christians" here: they don't go around saying how they are saved (that's arrogant in their view), don't evangelize and don't join military organizations. Sure, they generally shun modern technology, don't have very enlightened views on women's rights and have a few other peculiarities, but "wacky"? Thinking the head of your church is infallible is a lot more "wacky" to me than not wanting much to do with the rest of the human race.

Originally posted by DoctorScribbles
Are the Amish correct in their interpretation of biblical scripture, or are they just wacky?

They have beliefs which are close to the Jewish ultra religious right.
I lived near both peoples.
They are more determined not to use 20th century machinery,
but the local laws prevent them from going totally manual, like
being forced to use refrigeration equipment for the milk they
want to sell to the outside world, however they don't use electrically
powered refrigeration, they use diesel engines instead, symbolically
linking themselves to the 19th century. No phones, no electricity in
the houses. They allow themselves one phone but in a barn.
They ride horse and carriages, they limit their education to 8th
grade and have a newspaper which proves it.
They sell rugs and such on the side of the road and have a lot
of genetically damaged children as the result of inbreeding.
One of their biggest problems is keeping the kids down on the farm
literally. The Amish population is slowly diminishing as a result.
Its too bad, I personally like the few Amish I know, proud and
pragmatic people. Its kind of a cultural anachronism but if the
western culture declines, they may be here when everyone else
has died out if the worse fears of our environmentalists come true.
There is a more moderate brand called Mennenites who are a
20th century offshoot who are not afraid of 20th century machines,
drive cars, have phones, etc., but maintain the religious doctrine
the same as the Amish.
You may remember the movie Witness, the amish allowed the movie
to be made on their property but they panned it in their own paper.
All in all a grand social experiment, probably doomed to ultimate
failure unless western society goes down the tubes first.
If so they will continue and the kids would most definitely NOT leave
the farm since that's where the food is, however I don't think the
rest of the country will go so far down the tubes as to allow
the Amish their complete autonomy.
Right now the Pennsylvanian state government is very tolerant of
them, the amish don't make waves, just live their own lives.
The Jewish ultra right have strict rules about shabot for instance.
They cannot operate machinery on shabot but can use machinery
that does not require human intervention. One example is the
'shabot elevator'.
This is a setting built in to all Israeli elevators that when set up,
will go to every floor in sequence, opening and closing the doors
automatically, very slow if you are in a 20 story building I might add.
Also the shabot meal is cooked on a low temp setting portable
electric oven that they start before shabot and can pick food out of
during shabot but cannot start or stop the pots heating.
There was a case I think in Florida, where a jewish establishment
had shabot rules, one of them being not touching the controls of
the air conditioners and one non-jewish employee on one very
hot shabot day, said enough of this bs, turns on the air conditioner
and got promptly fired, the ex sues and loses because the employer
can make those sort of rules and the employee is bound to obey,
even if he is not jewish or non observant.

Originally posted by no1marauder
The Spirituality Forum is for all creeds and beliefs, so drop those milking pails and spinning wheels and join the fun (in a somber manner, of course).

Er, is the Internet permitted to the Amish?

Originally posted by Bosse de Nage
Er, is the Internet permitted to the Amish?

I known Amish all my life, My grandparents used to be Amish, and visiting OH aften, and singing in their churches I know quite a bit about them, and have allot friends who are Amish. First there are two main types, Old Order, and new Order, I dont know much about Old order exept they have allot of rules, and breaking them is a sin, No rubber, no Elastic, etc.

New order Can have allot of things, if they manufacture it themselves, And they dont believe that doing stuff is nessacary a sin, they just want to seperate themselves from the world, They cant have wash machines, or interent, but they can, and do go to their friends or relatives house and use internet or electric machines, some of them use electric power, but only on deisal generaters that they make or own.

I know allot think amish are wacky, but all you gotta do is look at their divorce rate, murder rate, etc. its like almost a perfect record. My family band went to FL for Gospels Express fundrasier, and it seems like most of the town was amish. They were very friendly, although the younger teens liked to play pranks, such as hooking their bikes up to our bus and try to slow us down lol (as if it did any good)

Most Amish have little official education. but they are master mechanics, and the farmers the the best in the USA, but they keep it to themselves

Originally posted by DoctorScribbles
Are the Amish correct in their interpretation of biblical scripture, or are they just wacky?

The Amish, or course, are just wacky. But at least they have the good sense to realize that their wackiness is not for everyone, and so they keep it to themselves. If only the other wacky denominations of christianity were as sensible.