Posted on 10/11/2011 5:57:37 PM PDT by smokingfrog
GRAVES COUNTY, Ky. Local Amish men say they aren't budging when it comes to state law.
Four of the men appeared in a Graves County courtroom Monday for refusing to pay fines for not displaying a reflective triangle on their buggies.
State law requires slow-moving vehicles to display the bright orange-red symbol.
In August, eight men, including the four in court Monday, spent time in jail for refusing to pay the fines.
The men said they're refusing to pay because the triangle is in direct violation of their religious
(Excerpt) Read more at wpsdlocal6.com ...
I have the solution. The Amish should be adopting Chinese girl babies in droves.
Hmmm, this is a poser. What’s the protocol for ridiculing perps who actually ARE Amish, assume they’re black?
Public road. There’s nothing in the Bible about reflective red triangles. There is, however, Romans 13:1-5.
It causes the Amish no harm to mount a triangle on their rig and keeps drivers from hitting them at night.
The Amish are out to lunch on this one.
Re: your assertion that Amish do not pay taxes:
Government
Contrary to some misperceptions, the Amish do pay taxes: state and federal income taxes, sales and real estate taxes, and public school taxes. They are exempt from paying Social Security taxes, however, because they consider Social Security a form of insurance and refuse its benefits. The Amish believe that the Bible instructs them to care for church members who have special needs, including the elderly. To rely on commercial or government insurance would contradict their belief that God will care for them through the church.
The Amish are taught to respect and pray for governing authorities according to biblical admonitions. However, when caught in a conflict between their conscience and civic law, they cite the scripture verse Obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29). From their reading of the New Testament, particularly the Sermon on the Mount, they believe that Jesus followers are to be nonviolent, and they forbid self-defense as well as entering the armed forces.
The Amish emphasize the separation of church and state. They prefer not to receive subsidies from government programs. They will typically not serve in government committees or commissions, but will often consult and cooperate with local officials. The Amish generally avoid holding public office and engaging in political activism. They are, however, permitted to vote. The rate of voting is typically low unless a local issue is on the ballot.
In recent years, numerous conflicts have pitted the Amish against the growing regulatory power of the state. The points of friction have included military service, education, Social Security, health care, property zoning, child labor, photo identification, and the use of slow-moving-vehicle signs. To cope with these various conflicts, the Amish have formed a national steering committee with representatives in various states to work with public legislators when issues arise. In general, however, the Amish have fared rather well in a political system that respects and protects their freedom of religious expression.
Additional information
Donald B. Kraybill, ed., The Amish and The State, 2nd ed. (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2003)
Donald B. Kraybill and Kyle Kopko, Bush Fever: Amish and Old Order Mennonites in the 2004 Presidential Election, Mennonite Quarterly Review 81, no. 2 (April 2007): 165-205.
They've been saying the same about you.
Well maybe I just never noticed that since my wife tells me how strange I am all the time.
It's in the Bible.
Well yes. But of course you are aware that the Gillette Co. had not yet been founded. :-)
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