The Amish

by James_Slash 33 Replies latest jw experiences

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  Out at Last!

  My father drives one of their vans taking two different construction crews to different housing developments. I also did some plumbing work on new homes where the Amish were the framing contractors. They can not have electric in their homes, but when building homes they use all electric power tools/compressors run by a generator. Also an Amish family bought a farm across the road from where I was raised and they tore all the wiring out of the house and barn, but use a generator and electric pump for water. I don't know what difference they see in electric from a pole is wrong, but electric from a generator is ok. I don't get it, but they will use electric tools and appliances, and every one of them have cell phones. Where/ how do they charge them if they don'y use electric?

  I also agree with St Ann, People are people no matter what title they have. There are good and bad in any group of people, and certain groups in certain localities may differ form others in other localities. As AK Jeff said that the ones he has watched feed their livestock well, while I have experienced the exact opposite. I was not saying that all the Amish are like the ones that I described in my earlier post, but just what I personally saw and experienced.
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  FlyingHighNow

  marry within their own community,

  "My mom and dad are first cousins, that's why I look so much like myself." Something my brother in law used to say for laughs. Try it sometime, it takes people longer than a second to register that you're kidding.
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  jamiebowers

  Although they take the "no part of the world" to extremes more than the jws, the Amish I know are much more forgiving. When a young woman gets pregnant before marriage, which is common, the couple asks the church for forgiveness, and the members always vote yes. This is true even if the couple decides not to get married. But they are a closed society, so who knows what kind of abuses go on?
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  SweetBabyCheezits

  No personal experience here, though I did see Witness. The Amish provide a good example to use when talking to JW family.

  JW: "Jesus said his followers would be known by the love they have among themselves. The could be identified by their 'good fruits'."

  SBC: "JWs aren't the only ones who display love for their own, though, are they? Mormons, Amish, and others are recognized for their close-knit families and communities... as much if not more so than Witnesses. Why are they not God's people?"

  JW: "Well who else fulfills the commission at Matt. 24:14 to preach the good news in all the earth? Who is KNOWN for that work?"

  SBC: "You mean a very literal, self-fulfilling understanding of that verse? Of course, JWs believe they do. But Amish might ask the same question about John 17:16 where he said that his followers would be 'no part of this world', right? They are KNOWN for that and truly believe they fit the description perfectly by taking it to a literal extreme."

  Of course, in using this reasoning, I've yet to break any barriers with family so maybe it's only effective in my head.