Amish-made houses are a modern trend

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/4524378.html ^ | Feb. 3, 2007 | By PHILIP RUCKER

[gocats]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/31/AR2007013101894.html
Another story

[aynrandfreak]

A diesel engine pumps compressed air through hoses to power the tools. The Amish hire electricians to wire the homes.

At the point you're using this, just give up the whole non-technology non-sense.

[CarrotAndStick]

Yea...I mean, diesel engines are allowed?!!

And air-powered tools? I guess the 5-axis CNC milled turbine inside them isn't technology...
Lol!

[cpdiii]

I just bought a dining room set of furniture from an Amish craftsman.

Is there a catalog of their furniture available? I guess it would be foolish to think there is one on the net.

[FLOutdoorsman]

http://www.amish-furniture-home.com/

[Fairview]

They are infamous for awful puppy mills too. No group of people is exclusively good or exclusively bad.

[abigailsmybaby]

They are exempt from paying Social Security taxes because they have waived the right to receive benefits

Hey! Nobody ever gave me that option. :(

[Dan Evans]

At the point you're using this, just give up the whole non-technology non-sense.

The Amish aren't against technology, they are against technology that they believe will change them in bad ways. About 100 years ago most Amish farmhouses had telephones. They were concerned with the negative effects it was having so they were banned.

As I understand it, the main objection to electricity is the temptation of television, a terrific time-waster that threatens their workaholic culture.

An Amish man was asked why they will use propane but not electricty. He replied, "Have you ever seen a TV set that runs on propane?"

[KantianBurke]

": They are exempt from paying Social Security taxes because they have waived the right to receive benefits"

"Hey..how'd they get that deal? Sign me up!"

Same here! Just point the way!

[iowamark]

They do use internal combustion engines, but they don't get electric service hooked up because it constitutes "being yoked to an unbeliever." There are various levels of strictness among Amish and Mennonite groups.

Their radical Christianity is similar to Calvinists like the Puritans, who have had a great influence on American history.

[WesternCulture]

Amish people are good Westerners.

They believe in labor and they work harder than most of us do.

However, there sure is a theological dispute here (but no odium theologicum, I hope).

Followers of any Amish concept of the "Ordnung" do not recognize the common, yet implicit, Christian notion that, in this world, Christian endeavor WORKS IN "DISTINCT", LARGE SCALE STAGES OF ECONOMICAL UPHEAVAL.

For instance;

Most Christians welcome the digital revolution and view certain, unwanted spin off effects entailing it (like Internet frauds), as acceptable (because the Internet generally speaking is believed to be beneficial to sound human endeavor). Been there done that, now let's move on.

Amish people differ in this respect. Digitally based technology might be recognized as beneficial to mankind at large, but is simultaneously viewed as sinful because this technology also contains threats to their traditional faith and their notion of what a Christian community ought to be like.

[ccmay]

It is exquisitely done, very highest quality. Under $800. When she handed it to me after the transaction, she said, "May you and your family sleep in peace under this quilt for generations to come."

That's the kind of thing your remote descendants will take on Antiques Road Show three hundred years hence. It will be appraised at 34 zillion quatloos.

-ccm

[johnmark7]

Go ahead and lie if you like and tell the Gov,t. you're Amish. Some lies are moral when to tell the truth is more harmful.

[Caipirabob]

God Bless them for doing honest, quality work that made America so great in the past. We still have many examples of greatness and many are still those who are humble before God. My boss is one of them.

[WhiteGuy]

Yoder Dame

Home of the Fighting Amish

[Graybeard58]

Sounds like the one I bought recently from an Amish builder, only mine was 12x24 and cost about $4500. I am very satisfied with the quality.

[snowsislander]

They are exempt from paying Social Security taxes because they have waived the right to receive benefits;

I hadn't heard of such an exemption. How does one apply for this?

[Larry Lucido]

There is much to admire about the Amish, but I don't in any respect hold them as peculiarly unique role models. I think their pacifism, the very thing that many point to as a virtue, is specifically un-Biblical and borders on irresponsible. But except for that, God bless them and I hope they can continue to live as simply as they wish, while others assume the responsiblity to keep them free.

[Ramius]

That looks like pretty much the same inventory as the place I went. The shop I went to is called "Amish Touch".

Here:

http://www.amishtouch.com/

The stuff is expensive. But after looking around in all the big box stores for furniture, and being unimpressed with the generally poor quality to be found... these guys were a breath of fresh air. It was really refreshing to find that somebody out there still makes really high quality stuff. The difference is not subtle.

[Dan Evans]

Digitally based technology might be recognized as beneficial to mankind at large, but is simultaneously viewed as sinful because this technology also contains threats to their traditional faith and their notion of what a Christian community ought to be like.

The phrase "worldly" comes up a lot. The influence of the outside world on the culture is the threat they see. Not an unreasonable concern since we see it all the time affecting America. Even the Supreme Court is making noises about getting our laws in line with the rest of the world.