this post was submitted on 11 Oct 2023
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Amish men ‘shunned’ after nationwide emergency alert outs them for having phones (www.independent.co.uk)
submitted 11 months ago by csolisr@communities.azkware.net to c/nottheonion@lemmy.world
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[–] Chainweasel@lemmy.world 128 points 11 months ago (7 children)

Yeah that's bullshit. I live in a very very Amish area and I'm one of the minority who aren't Amish. Most of what people think about them is bullshit. So to hammer a few rumors out:
Electricity is a tool, and you're allowed to have tools in the barn, but not in the house.
A home phone/cell phone is a tool, it can be in the barn but not the house.
A car is a tool, but a photograph is vain. You can own a car but someone who isn't Amish has to drive it.

They all have cell phones, debit cards, vans, refrigerators, etc. They're just super picky about what gets to come inside the house

[–] ininewcrow@lemmy.ca 74 points 11 months ago (3 children)

I also have friends in Amish and Mennonite communities in southern and northern Ontario.

Each community and group is unique to every other. Some are strict Orthodox and some relax the rules .... and some are so normal looking and acting that you wouldn't know they were Amish or Mennonite unless they told you.

My favorite are the thuggy Mennonites in southern Ontario. They drive around in brand new all black decked out SUVs (minus the chrome because you to show some humility), wear super clean black brimmed hats, sharp clothes and beautiful black leather jackets. Famously a few of them were caught smuggling coke and other drugs from Mexico.

They may have the fear of God in their hearts ... but they're just as greedy and worldly as any of us.

[–] Saraphim@lemmy.world 21 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I’m in Ontario. I’ve never heard the term “thuggy Mennonite” but it’s fucking perfect.

[–] nilloc@discuss.tchncs.de 9 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

We saw some thuggy Mennonites in the northern corner of PA this summer. Super nicely pressed shirts and suspended pants.

Most of them appeared to be looking down toward my scruffy family (who had just rolled out of a campsite and just wanted breakfast).

[–] ericisshort@lemmy.world 13 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Now I want a gritty antihero drama series about the thuggy Mennonite’s of Ontario. I’m thinking a modern day Canadian Peaky Blinders kinda thing.

[–] DiomedesJimmu@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago

I've never seen it, so I don't know if it's good. But there is this

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt6257298/

[–] Fondots@lemmy.world 7 points 11 months ago

Each community and group is unique

I recently looked into one of my local Mennonite churches, and it turns out that that particular church is probably actually one of the coolest, most liberal churches around, super LGBTQ friendly, lots of cool community outreach, etc.

Probably not representative of Mennonite churches in general mind you, but definitely shows the sort of diversity there can be there.

[–] PlasmaDistortion@lemm.ee 50 points 11 months ago (1 children)

At that point I would just live in the barn.

[–] Chainweasel@lemmy.world 27 points 11 months ago

That's Mennonite

[–] HardlightCereal@lemmy.world 22 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Beds are a tool for sleeping, candles are a tool for seeing, pots are a tool for cooking, spoons are a tool for eating, books are a tool for learning, needles are a tool for sewing. Are those allowed inside the house?

[–] Chainweasel@lemmy.world 59 points 11 months ago (1 children)

The thing about religion is that it doesn't need to make sense.

[–] HardlightCereal@lemmy.world 11 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Yes it does. "Sense" isn't an objective trait, it's something an observer creates by observing, All beliefs make sense to the people who believe in them. They don't have to make sense to everyone, but they do have to make sense to their followers. I'm sure amish people have some answer to what I just said that makes sense to them.

That said, like all homophobes, their reasonings are often shallow and contradictory.

[–] ironhydroxide@partizle.com 13 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Houses are a tool to make the environment more comfortable......

[–] v81@lemmy.world 8 points 11 months ago

Better build the house in a barn then.

That will solve everything!

[–] Unsustainable@lemmy.today 17 points 11 months ago

Are you saying that people have preconceived stereotypical notions of groups of people they aren't part of? I won't hear any of this nonsense!

[–] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 14 points 11 months ago

You can own a car but someone who isn't Amish has to drive it.

What if they're in the barn?

[–] Rogue@feddit.uk 9 points 11 months ago (2 children)

If it's a tool and being used for a clear purpose why can't the driver be Amish?

[–] Chainweasel@lemmy.world 25 points 11 months ago (1 children)

They can't have their picture taken for the license

[–] Rogue@feddit.uk 8 points 11 months ago (2 children)

It's that really the case? That's absurd. nobody looks like their license photo so I'm surprised the state doesn't provide an exemption.

[–] Chainweasel@lemmy.world 6 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

It depends on the sect, but yeah for the most part it is. Once they cross that line it's Mennonite. but there are some sects, like the Swartzentroubers, that are very old order and don't even wear shoes. But for the most part they won't. Even the dolls at Amish stores don't have faces. And they may make exemptions for hijabs but there still has to be a photo and they just outright refuse for the most part, except for during rumspringe

[–] beefcat@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

not having a picture on your id would defeat the purpose of your id.

making an exemption would create a loophole more nefarious actors could easily exploit. no sane dmv is going to get away with instituting religious purity tests to make sure everyone who says they are amish is actually amish.

[–] init@lemmy.ml 2 points 10 months ago

If it's a tool and is being used for a clear purpose, why are the Amish in their house and not the barn?

[–] CapgrasDelusion@kbin.social 6 points 11 months ago (1 children)

That's really interesting, didn't know any of that. A little tongue in cheek here but... With all that in there at what point is your barn just your house in all but name?

[–] Chainweasel@lemmy.world 12 points 11 months ago

You're not wrong! I used to work in an Amish shop and my boss and his wife really stretched it lol.
She would use an extension cord to use a vacuum in the house, because it's a tool, and They had freezers in the barn.
In some communities they have a community warehouse full of chest freezers to keep meat and veggies through the summer. They can still get block ice for their ice boxes in their homes from town (I did that as job when I was a teen) but in reality it just depends on which community you're part of, but for the most part as long as you don't have power inside the house it's kosher.
But... There's an increasing number of communities that allow for solar power if it's only used for things like heat, light, and other utilities. Just nothing like TV, radio, or Internet devices.

[–] HardlightCereal@lemmy.world 45 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Fuck the amish. Misogynists and homophobes, 99% of them.

[–] Huxleywaswrite@lemmy.world 26 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Don't forget abusive to animals

[–] HardlightCereal@lemmy.world 16 points 11 months ago (1 children)
[–] Emerald@lemmy.world 1 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

That doesn't seem much worse then non-Amish animal cruelty

[–] Ryan213@lemmy.world 16 points 11 months ago

Is this both sad and funny? Or just one of them? Lol

[–] Coasting0942@reddthat.com 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

The real shunning was not turning off emergency alerts, or having phones turned off when you don’t need then.

But blaming Amish for being tech illiterate is like blaming a baby, so funny and sad it is.

[–] HardlightCereal@lemmy.world 20 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Eh, half the reason Amish hate phones is that they'll infect the community with newfangled ideas like respecting women and gay marriage, so I feel very comfortable laughing at them for their willful ignorance.

[–] I_Fart_Glitter@lemmy.world 9 points 11 months ago (1 children)
[–] HardlightCereal@lemmy.world 4 points 11 months ago

The title says it's about child sexual abuse, but the transcript only shows discussion of abuse of women. Why is that?