The Amish Kids

[DarkAnts]

1. Amish and cell phones - it is my understanding that Amish are allowed to use technology to make a living. Thus the Amish furniture makers with websites, electrified workshops, computers, phones, ATM cards, etc. However, the houses are not electrified and the phones have to stay in the shop.

2. Ehrlos-Danlos - I don't have it, but I had a wonderful patient when I was in med school who taught me about it. She had a very severe variety and her parents were told to expect her to be confined to a wheelchair eventually. Instead, she became an incredible athlete. She outswam me at the pool every day and was the phys ed teacher at the local high school. She paid special attention to strengthening the muscles that support the more mobile of her joints first (rotator cuff especially), then went to town with the weights and the swimming. She was absolutely ripped, and she held her very lax joints together with muscle, since her ligaments could not be relied upon. She's an inspiration and I am grateful to her for the lessons she taught about life, perseverance and innovation.

I was told my an amish girl in Pennsyltucky that that they could not bring the cell phones or any phones for that matter into the house. This was on tourist buggy ride. We saw some solar cells being used at amish homes and she was kind enough to explain the requirements for their community. The solar cells were actually used to power clothes spinners (to help dry clothes faster) and refrigerators. They were also used in some wood shops to power tools.

[She Who Laughs]

Regarding the Amish use of technology... a lot depends on the community. Many Amish groups are more liberal than others. At one time I lived just a couple miles from a fairly large Amish settlement. This groups is one of the larger groups in the midwest and they are also one of the strictest. They did not use any modern technology in the homes or in their shops. The phone company put up little telephone booths every couple miles or so for the sole purpose of the Amish to use in an emergency. They were allowed to be passengers in vehicles but that was the extent of their use of any type of modern convenience. As far as I know, from the friends I have that still live in the area, that group of Amish is still pretty much the same in regards to technology and haven't seemed to loosen up in their strictness at all.

[Daenerys]

Regarding the Amish use of technology... a lot depends on the community. Many Amish groups are more liberal than others. At one time I lived just a couple miles from a fairly large Amish settlement. This groups is one of the larger groups in the midwest and they are also one of the strictest. They did not use any modern technology in the homes or in their shops. The phone company put up little telephone booths every couple miles or so for the sole purpose of the Amish to use in an emergency. They were allowed to be passengers in vehicles but that was the extent of their use of any type of modern convenience. As far as I know, from the friends I have that still live in the area, that group of Amish is still pretty much the same in regards to technology and haven't seemed to loosen up in their strictness at all.

Schwartzentruber by any chance?

[Terrie]

There's a HUGE range in the Amish/Mennonite communities. They range from the Old Order Amish stereotypes, to a local Mennonite Church, which teaches pacifism and voluntary simplicity and looks like any social justice, semi-liberal Protestant church.