You’re still assuming that the objection to owning a car is based on them being a modern “electrical” convenience. The fuel has nothing to do with it. They believe that cars will hurt their community.
No, what I’m assuming is essentially what everyone is saying, that they avoid depending on the outside world as much as possible. Electricity is fine as long as it doesn’t come from “the grid”. But somehow diesel is fine, even though it likewise is an energy source that comes from an external distribution network. I dunno. The two seem more or less equivalent to me in terms of outside dependence. Whenever the oil situation goes in the toilet, it sounds like they’re going to be just as screwed as the rest of us in spite of their “self-reliance”.
The Amish themselves will admit that their rules don’t always make sense - but part of being in their community is being willing to obey them for the benefit of the community
And, as I said - each group of them has slightly different rules.
Sorry, I wasn’t clear. My understanding is that the prohibition about owning cars has nothing to do with the “reliance on what you can make on your own” guideline. It has to do with keeping people living and buying locally.
The only pertinent joke I know:
Q: What goes “Clop clop clop, bang bang bang, clop clop clop”?
A: An Amish drive-by shooting.
Why would voting be contrary to being a conscientious objector? If I object to war, why can’t I claim C.O. status, and also do everything in my power to persuade my fellow citizens not to go to war in the first place, including casting my vote?
The contradiction being that although the GOP were trying to get the Amish vote against J.Kerry's supposed homosexual support, G.W.Bush had firmly established himself as a war starter.Why am I now imagining an Amish man’s house burning down, and him sprouting wings and flying away?