I loathe the Amish

[bighead384]

i simply cannot find it my heart to respect the Amish and their silly culture. some folks may say "you should have tolerance for all walks of life", and for the most part, i agree. but when it comes to Amish people, i just can't fucking look at it the same way. i mean, WHAT ARE THEY THINKING? no electricity? praying for the sick instead of seeking real medical help? WHY?!?!

[JohnnyNemesis]

The funny thing is that, if you really wanted to know the answer to that last question, you'd look it up instead of flying off the handle before slowing down and sensitively trying to understand.

I mean, you're not the only one who does the lazy "rant against an act/culture that makes no sense to me simply because I haven't bothered opening up to that act/culture yet so I'll complain about it instead" thing, but it's still funny to watch.

Anyway, if I may ask, of all the "supposedly stupid cultures" why pick on the Amish, who have such little power and don't really harm anyone but themselves?

If I may make a suggestion, you should target Massachusetts sports fans (http://kissmesuzy.blogspot.com/2008/04/ha-fackin-pats-did-win-supah-bowl-yah.html) not named Not Ozymandias. Always a good target.

[GreenTerror]

Because they're trendy assholes, obviously.

[nieh]

The Amish make awesome pretzels.

[bighead384]

The funny thing is that, if you really wanted to know the answer to that last question, you'd look it up instead of flying off the handle before slowing down and sensitively trying to understand.

I mean, you're not the only one who does the lazy "rant against an act/culture that makes no sense to me simply because I haven't bothered opening up to that act/culture yet so I'll complain about it instead" thing, but it's still funny to watch.

Anyway, if I may ask, of all the "supposedly stupid cultures" why pick on the Amish, who have such little power and don't really harm anyone but themselves?

If I may make a suggestion, you should target Massachusetts sports fans (http://kissmesuzy.blogspot.com/2008/04/ha-fackin-pats-did-win-supah-bowl-yah.html) not named Not Ozymandias. Always a good target.

well i know that most of their culture is based on the way they've interpreted the bible, but that still doesn't excuse them as far as im concerned.fact is, they are still leading ridiculous and illogical lives,no matter what they're basing it on. what if i read the bible and somehow interpreted it in a way that says fireplaces are evil because only satan likes fire. i mean,where do you draw the line? i actually do think we should tolerate all cultures, but i think i'm justified in thinking certain cultures are "stupid".

[Sunny]

well i know that most of their culture is based on the way they've interpreted the bible, but that still doesn't excuse them as far as im concerned.fact is, they are still leading ridiculous and illogical lives,no matter what they're basing it on. what if i read the bible and somehow interpreted it in a way that says fireplaces are evil because only satan likes fire. i mean,where do you draw the line? i actually do think we should tolerate all cultures, but i think i'm justified in thinking certain cultures are "stupid".

we all lead ridiculous and illogical lives, ya dumb fuck.

[Wolfbutter]

It's more about tradition and pride than anything else. And when the kids turn 18, many of them leave, because they want to live more modern. But like JohnnyNemesis said, they are obviously living that way because they want to, and they, the adults at least, are obviously happy to live that way, and they aren't causing harm to anyone, so why not just let them be? Besides, it's all about what you want; if you wanted to be model, wouldn't you consider it "illogical" to pig out and not exercise? Of course, it's all about preference and the Amish obviously want to live simple lives away from all the buzz.

[BREAK]

Heh heh heh, hey look, Marge! They're still not fighting back.

Hee hee! I can be a jerk and no one can stop me!

[Mota Boy]

i simply cannot find it my heart to respect the Amish and their silly culture. some folks may say "you should have tolerance for all walks of life", and for the most part, i agree. but when it comes to Amish people, i just can't fucking look at it the same way. i mean, WHAT ARE THEY THINKING? no electricity? praying for the sick instead of seeking real medical help? WHY?!?!Well, you've certainly picked the correct venue for insulting them.

And personally, I have a ton of respect for the Amish. What other religion allows its adherents a chance to try out other ways of life and then make a conscious choice over whether or not to remain? The fact is, that all our modern technology may make life more comfortable, but it does not make life happier. The Amish have found a way of life that, while increasingly anachronistic and deprived, seems to leave them very content. For instance, it would be highly uncharacteristic of the Amish to bother working themselves into a rant over another culture whose members they have never met and who have no impact on them merely because their way of life seems "silly".

Also, the Amish do use medicine and see doctors, though they also rely on prayer, as do the devout of any religion. Christian scientists and other Christian fundamentalists, however, are the ones that rely solely on prayer.

[Jakebert]

What's the deal with the Amish? Who ARE these people? And why don't they wear any buttons?
http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/famecrawler/2007/12/08-15/15_seinfeld_lgl.jpg

[bighead384]

Well, you've certainly picked the correct venue for insulting them.
lol
And personally, I have a ton of respect for the Amish. What other religion allows its adherents a chance to try out other ways of life and then make a conscious choice over whether or not to remain?
this does nothing for me.first of all, just because you're given a choice does not in any way justify the initial silliness of their way of life. secondly, its near impossible to adjust to the rest of the world when you've been raised Amish, so its not like this choice is anywhere near as great as you're making it out to be.
The fact is, that all our modern technology may make life more comfortable, but it does not make life happier. The Amish have found a way of life that, while increasingly anachronistic and deprived, seems to leave them very content.
but when i think of some of the ways electricity is used, its a little more than a matter of "comfort". for example, electric lighting makes it possible to be productive during the nighttime. technology = efficiency. and electricity is a big part of a lot of technology.
For instance, it would be highly uncharacteristic of the Amish to bother working themselves into a rant over another culture whose members they have never met and who have no impact on them merely because their way of life seems "silly".
blah blah blah. mr. positive here. deep down inside everyone likes to bitch about shit, and its harmless if you don't do it too much.
Also, the Amish do use medicine and see doctors, though they also rely on prayer, as do the devout of any religion. Christian scientists and other Christian fundamentalists, however, are the ones that rely solely on prayer.
i swear i heard otherwise, but i don't have the time to follow up on it right now.

[mrconeman]

I would have refrained from saying, until that last post, but my God, you're really fucking stupid.

[IamSam]

but when i think of some of the ways electricity is used, its a little more than a matter of "comfort". for example, electric lighting makes it possible to be productive during the nighttime. technology = efficiency. and electricity is a big part of a lot of technology.




And to think...if we made children work in factories we could drastically cut the prices of manufacturing! I'll take my Nobel Peace Prize now.

[bighead384]

I would have refrained from saying, until that last post, but my God, you're really fucking stupid.

All your insults
And your curses
Make me feel like I'm not a person

[mrconeman]

Reading your other posts just now, I actually should have called you fucking stupid a long time ago, I just didn't read that other thread.

[coke_a_holic]

This is ridiculous. Completely and totally.

Also, Jakebert wins. Again and again and again.

Yo, guys, what's the deal with that fucking Orange Juice shit?

[Cock Joke]

I'll bet if Sin Studly made this kinda thread, people wouldn't be flaming.

I do think this guy's ridiculous, but I'm just saying.

[mrconeman]

The difference is Sin Studly's threads were well thought out, even if you disagreed with him, he was far from fucking stupid.

[Cock Joke]

True! He was very insightful 99% of the time.

[JohnnyNemesis]

I'm with mrconeman. That is some fucking mindblowing stupidity there.

[bighead384]

I'm with mrconeman. That is some fucking mindblowing stupidity there.

no, the Amish way of life is mindblowing stupidity. and you're a jackass.its the same thing with some of you guys in every thread, just "you're wrong cause i said so".

Amish people live like idiots 24/7. accept it.

[coke_a_holic]

Dude, you're the one ripping on people just because they don't understand the majesty of the electricity you base your entire life around. Why don't you try stepping outside for a change and getting a nice little farmer's tan instead of sitting inside bitching about how other people choose to live their lives?

Does it really affect you that much that a group of people somewhere you've never seen before, but only heard of in textbooks and on wikipedia, are living on farms and working? They think your lifestyle is full of sin and they'd say the same shit about you, and you're so egomaniacal that you think that'd be incorrect instead of just accepting their opinion as their opinion.

Get a life, troll.

[wheelchairman]

no, the Amish way of life is mindblowing stupidity. and you're a jackass.its the same thing with some of you guys in every thread, just "you're wrong cause i said so".

Amish people live like idiots 24/7. accept it.

Except people have refuted you, with plenty of examples from real life. You're the only one being an ass. You even debate like a total dick even when it was uncalled for (and when anyone who argues with you is clearly humoring you.)

[bighead384]

Dude, you're the one ripping on people just because they don't understand the majesty of the electricity you base your entire life around. Why don't you try stepping outside for a change and getting a nice little farmer's tan instead of sitting inside bitching about how other people choose to live their lives?

Does it really affect you that much that a group of people somewhere you've never seen before, but only heard of in textbooks and on wikipedia, are living on farms and working? They think your lifestyle is full of sin and they'd say the same shit about you, and you're so egomaniacal that you think that'd be incorrect instead of just accepting their opinion as their opinion.

Get a life, troll.

one thing we all have in common here is that we obviously disagree with the Amish way of life. i just want people to admit that deep down inside, you all really think the Amish are stupid for living the sort of lives that they lead. whats so wrong with that? im not saying that we shouldn't tolerate them, just that we should agree that their way of life well...sucks.lol.

[JohnnyNemesis]

That's the same fucking thing, you intolerant moronic fuck.

Just go. Go die. Die. Now.

[bighead384]

That's the same fucking thing, you intolerant moronic fuck.

Just go. Go die. Die. Now.

nah its not. the Amish can do whatever the fuck the want, i just think they're stupid.

[HornyPope]

That's the same fucking thing, you intolerant moronic fuck.

Just go. Go die. Die. Now.

I just wanted to mention that i've never or almost seen you actually argue with someone. All you do is call people stupid.

[JohnnyNemesis]

Meh, all I ever did for the bulk of my first two years was engage in long, drawn out arguments with people (big reason for my inflated post-count) that end up pissing everyone off. This is much easier in these cases (when other people already kind of make my point for me, like Mota Boy and coke_a_holic).

[IamSam]

one thing we all have in common here is that we obviously disagree with the Amish way of life. i just want people to admit that deep down inside, you all really think the Amish are stupid for living the sort of lives that they lead. whats so wrong with that? im not saying that we shouldn't tolerate them, just that we should agree that their way of life well...sucks.lol.


I actually think that you are stupid for living the sort of life you lead. What with your bashing of minorities on an internet message board where they cannot rightfully defend themselves. Fucking Fascist.

[HornyPope]

Hmm... don't remember that.

[bighead384]

I actually think that you are stupid for living the sort of life you lead. What with your bashing of minorities on an internet message board where they cannot rightfully defend themselves. Fucking Fascist.

they could if they would just use fucking electricity, like other normal human beings do. and how would they defend themselves?by saying "we do all this because its in the bible"? i'm sorry, its just ridiculous to me.

[Homer]

Anyone remember the movie Kingpin?

That's all I can think about right now.

[IamSam]

they could if they would just use fucking electricity, like other normal human beings do. and how would they defend themselves?by saying "we do all this because its in the bible"? i'm sorry, its just ridiculous to me.

No, they do it because they don't want to be connected to the outside world. They want a simple life where they depend on their families, a brotherhood if you will. Not all Amish are the same. They can petition for electricity and some colonies do have it. Others have various other modern tools to make life easier, but not so as to become yoked to modern society. It's quite brilliant really. They don't want outside influence to mess up the balance of things. You won't be laughing and pointing when the rest of the world goes to hell in a hand basket because of a stock market crash and the Amish are left standing.

[bighead384]

i just wanna try and sum things up so far and sorta reiterate what i really mean.

look, i've kinda just been fucking around, laughing at all this shit, not really being too careful with my word choice. now for the most part, i mean absolutely everything i've said. its just the way i've gone about it that isn't right, and i was just exaggerating for a laugh. i really don't hate them, and "stupid" really isn't the word to use. it's just...

i find their way of life to be based on some of the most ridiculous ideas i've ever heard. it's just so unbelievably fucking illogical to me. that's all i really mean.

[IamSam]

i find their way of life to be based on some of the most ridiculous ideas i've ever heard. it's just so unbelievably fucking illogical to me. that's all i really mean.

And our ideas are so logical?

Let's waste all of our natural resources so we can be comfortable.

Let's run thousands of species to the brink of, if not into, extinction.

Let's kill a bunch of people just because their noses are wider.

Let's waste our money on material things because they are cool for a moment.

Let's all drive to work from the same area when we could have carpooled.

Let's have large storage areas of food so we have a reserve supply that we can throw out every month when it spoils while thousands starve.

Let's invade Iraq.

Let's drink water from a bottle even though the tap water is the exact same thing.

[GreenTerror]

its the same thing with some of you guys in every thread, just "you're wrong cause i said so".

That's the whole theme of this place / way of life for 90% of the members here. This thread being a prime example. It gets old, honestly...

[Mota Boy]

one thing we all have in common here is that we obviously disagree with the Amish way of life. i just want people to admit that deep down inside, you all really think the Amish are stupid for living the sort of lives that they lead. whats so wrong with that? im not saying that we shouldn't tolerate them, just that we should agree that their way of life well...sucks.lol.Your thesis: because we don't live like the Amish, we disagree with their way of life. Because we disagree with their way of life, we must think that it's fucking stupid. right? That's the exact chain of logic you just laid out... problem is, that same chain of logic works for every single possible culture that I don't personally inhabit. I, therefore, "disagree" with all religions, all nations and all ways of life different than my own. I think they're stupid...

That's poor logic. Just because I don't choose to live one way doesn't mean I don't accept it (tolerate it), or see the merits of it. Obviously, you seem to dislike anything different from yourself (same chain of logic - I choose not to do it, therefore I think it's stupid; and everyone else must think exactly the same way I do [hint: we don't]). You obviously don't know what you're talking about, and your ignorance has led to intolerance. You may wish to pretend that it's not really intolerance, it's some other thing that, coincidentally, has the same definition as intolerance, but it's often hard to see your own flaws until they're exposed by external observers, such as all the members of this board, who have remarkably come to the exact same conclusion which you are too blind to see yourself.

The Amish kick ass. You are wrong. You are just making it worse by arguing for intolerance. Your entire argument consists of "Boy, those people sure live differently than us - what morons!" It's not a logical argument at all, it's third-grade point-and-laugh behavior, and you are just making yourself look increasingly silly by attempting to put any semblance of a coherent argument behind it.

[bighead384]

Your thesis: because we don't live like the Amish, we disagree with their way of life. Because we disagree with their way of life, we must think that it's fucking stupid. right? That's the exact chain of logic you just laid out... problem is, that same chain of logic works for every single possible culture that I don't personally inhabit. I, therefore, "disagree" with all religions, all nations and all ways of life different than my own. I think they're stupid...

That's poor logic. Just because I don't choose to live one way doesn't mean I don't accept it (tolerate it), or see the merits of it. Obviously, you seem to dislike anything different from yourself (same chain of logic - I choose not to do it, therefore I think it's stupid; and everyone else must think exactly the same way I do [hint: we don't]). You obviously don't know what you're talking about, and your ignorance has led to intolerance. You may wish to pretend that it's not really intolerance, it's some other thing that, coincidentally, has the same definition as intolerance, but it's often hard to see your own flaws until they're exposed by external observers, such as all the members of this board, who have remarkably come to the exact same conclusion which you are too blind to see yourself.

The Amish kick ass. You are wrong. You are just making it worse by arguing for intolerance. Your entire argument consists of "Boy, those people sure live differently than us - what morons!" It's not a logical argument at all, it's third-grade point-and-laugh behavior, and you are just making yourself look increasingly silly by attempting to put any semblance of a coherent argument behind it.

no, my thesis is:the REASONING behind why the amish live the way they do is so fucking incredibly illogical to me, that i cannot in any way see the merits of it.this does not apply to everything, only things that i find ridiculous. seriously, would you really tolerate ANY way of life you came across, regardless of how fucking stupid it was? why don't you actually write "it is not ridiculous to believe that God wants people to avoid using electricity and shell themselves off from the rest of the world" in your next post so i can quote you on it.

also, i'd like to point out how in this thread, and especially in that last thread(i'd love to see you try and talk your way out of that one), you've chosen to ignore the posts where i specifically addressed your argument. instead, you for some reason saw fit to quote me on something i said way earlier, and have since even admitted myself that i need to revise what i'm saying.i mean, fuck, if you're going to bring back an old post, why not pick the one where i specifically addressed you? what a cheap strategy.

[TheUnholyNightbringer]

http://galen-frysinger.com/graphics/amish02.jpg

LOL! look at that guy! And his hat! His very, very silly hat! I'd never wear a hat like that. I don't think anybody else should either, cos it's such a stupid hat, made from stupid material, at a stupid hatshop! lol!

O GUYS LETS FREAK THE AMISH OUT

http://www.lakewoodconferences.com/direct/dbimage/50166068/Toaster.jpg

POWER THAT WITH UR BARNS, LOL!

[nieh]

Does it really affect you that much that a group of people somewhere you've never seen before, but only heard of in textbooks and on wikipedia, are living on farms and working?

I've seen the amish. They've sold me pretzels on numerous occasions. And I once saw a family of amish playing HORSESHOES with their non-amish neighbors. Those BASTARDS!

[Jakebert]

Guys, quit bating him. All he's doing is trying to get attention. If you actually look at what he's reading, it's just one big failed attempt at a joke.

[TheUnholyNightbringer]

w0rd. Don't bother to try and debate reasonably with him. lul at him!

[Mota Boy]

why don't you actually write "it is not ridiculous to believe that God wants people to avoid using electricity and shell themselves off from the rest of the world" in your next post so i can quote you on it.I'm an atheist. I think it's such an absurd leap of logic to imagine that a God that cares about our every day actions and influences our lives that the English language bothered to come up with an entirely new word for it: "faith". Once you get past the illogic of an omnipotent, omniscient, loving God, believing what that God specifically requests, be it doing without electricity or not using His name in vain, is mere icing on the cake. Again, you look foolish because you're using "REASONING" to argue faith.

also, i'd like to point out how in this thread, and especially in that last thread(i'd love to see you try and talk your way out of that one), you've chosen to ignore the posts where i specifically addressed your argument. instead, you for some reason saw fit to quote me on something i said way earlier, and have since even admitted myself that i need to revise what i'm saying.i mean, fuck, if you're going to bring back an old post, why not pick the one where i specifically addressed you? what a cheap strategy.To be honest, I didn't address them because I didn't think that they were worth addressing. I felt that I had explained my points in a logical enough fashion, and you didn't seem to understand them. For instance, my point was that the Amish are happy living the way they do, and that that is a better indicator of quality of life than anything. You responded with the fact that they were less efficient because they can't work at night...

So? What does that have to do with anything? We aren't arguing who is more productive, we're debating whether a way of life is "right" or "wrong", whether it is objectively inferior. The Amish have close families, a very low crime rate and are happy, and such statistics are much better indicators of quality of life than "the ability to work at night". And even then, your example is hilariously bad, because, believe it or not, lighting technology existed even before the invention of electricity... I'm sorry, it's just hard to remind someone about the existence of fire without being snarky. Again, your point was so absurd that it's hard to address it politely, your abrasive tone makes it difficult for me to *want* to bother with being polite, and since you missed my point, it all just leads to me explaining it again, and all of that adds up to be feeling it's better off to just ignore it.

Instead, I'm arguing the underlying reason why you're wrong - in this case, you're attempting to use logic to defend two things that are completely illogical (intolerance and faith). There's no point in debating with someone using poor logic, the only hope is to point their own flawed logic out to them. And you overlook the fact that I am one of the few people left in the thread that is still actually talking to you, and not just making fun of you or insulting you.

[Amiralanal]

What's the deal with the Amish? Who ARE these people? And why don't they wear any buttons?
http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/famecrawler/2007/12/08-15/15_seinfeld_lgl.jpg

That was awesome!!!!! Now i know why you are so respected.

[Andy]

I think that Jerry Seinfeld's face is about to slide off.

Seriously though, leave the Amish alone. My opinion is if that's how they coose to live their life, well then good luck to them.

I could sure do with some orange juice about now though.

[Jakebert]

With or without pulp?

[Andy]

Oh, gotta have some pulp. Obv.

[ilovellamas]

When I first got the internet when I was like 14, I found it amusing to go into chatrooms and convince people I was Amish. I didn't even know how to spell Amish right (I think I spelled it Omish), and people still believed me.

That's all I got.

[Jakebert]

Oh, gotta have some pulp. Obv.

I dunno, I can go either way with pulp. Some days I like it, other days I don't.

[Andy]

I'm much the same with semen.

Yep, I went there.

[Jakebert]

That's alright, Rickly told me all about it over breakfast one morning.

Shit. I'm not sure if I was supposed to tell anyone about breakfast.

[Andy]

That's alright, he told me about it over lunch.

[0r4ng3]

I'm much the same with semen.

Yep, I went there.
And before this I thought orange juice was a euphemism.

[Cock Joke]

You ever had the kind of orange juice with "lots of pulp?" See, it used to just be two things" Pulp or no pulp.

Now it's no pulp, some pulp, lots of pulp. What's the deal?

[bighead384]

I'm an atheist. I think it's such an absurd leap of logic to imagine that a God that cares about our every day actions and influences our lives that the English language bothered to come up with an entirely new word for it: "faith". Once you get past the illogic of an omnipotent, omniscient, loving God, believing what that God specifically requests, be it doing without electricity or not using His name in vain, is mere icing on the cake. Again, you look foolish because you're using "REASONING" to argue faith.

To be honest, I didn't address them because I didn't think that they were worth addressing. I felt that I had explained my points in a logical enough fashion, and you didn't seem to understand them. For instance, my point was that the Amish are happy living the way they do, and that that is a better indicator of quality of life than anything. You responded with the fact that they were less efficient because they can't work at night...

So? What does that have to do with anything? We aren't arguing who is more productive, we're debating whether a way of life is "right" or "wrong", whether it is objectively inferior. The Amish have close families, a very low crime rate and are happy, and such statistics are much better indicators of quality of life than "the ability to work at night". And even then, your example is hilariously bad, because, believe it or not, lighting technology existed even before the invention of electricity... I'm sorry, it's just hard to remind someone about the existence of fire without being snarky. Again, your point was so absurd that it's hard to address it politely, your abrasive tone makes it difficult for me to *want* to bother with being polite, and since you missed my point, it all just leads to me explaining it again, and all of that adds up to be feeling it's better off to just ignore it.

Instead, I'm arguing the underlying reason why you're wrong - in this case, you're attempting to use logic to defend two things that are completely illogical (intolerance and faith). There's no point in debating with someone using poor logic, the only hope is to point their own flawed logic out to them. And you overlook the fact that I am one of the few people left in the thread that is still actually talking to you, and not just making fun of you or insulting you.

no, i'm using REASONING to argue a sensible interpretation of a FAITH-based text. for example, given that they follow the same holy bible, don't catholics have to use different reasoning to arrive at different conclusion than the amish upon reading the bible? it's really not only about faith. and that brings me back to my original point: i cannot fucking believe that amish people interpret the bible to mean that God wants them to avoid electricity, among other things. that's all i'm saying. and especially as an atheist, i'm surprised you don't feel the same way (although there's no need to be a dick about it like i was being).

it doesn't bother me when people read the bible and think God wants them have high moral standards or to refrain from using his name in vain. to me, that makes sense. however the way the westboro baptist church or the amish read the bible, is a little ridiculous to me. sorry, you gotta draw the line somewhere, and this is where i personally draw that line.

and c'mon, your point about fire? fire as a source of light isn't even in the same fucking league as electric lighting. and that was just one example, there's a TON of uses of electricity that have a lot more to do with necessary efficiency than comfort.

look, you made some good points...but i just happen to think the way the amish interpret the bible is unreasonable and strange.

[IamSam]

and that brings me back to my original point: i cannot fucking believe that amish people interpret the bible to mean that God wants them to avoid electricity, among other things.

I take it you ignored my previous posts on the subject. They aren't interpreting the Bible as saying that, they CHOOSE to not have electricity because they feel it binds them to the world of which they aren't supposed to be bound to.


The problem with your argument is the fact that you don't back it up with anything other than opinion. And opinions are worth jack shit.

[bighead384]

I take it you ignored my previous posts on the subject. They aren't interpreting the Bible as saying that, they CHOOSE to not have electricity because they feel it binds them to the world of which they aren't supposed to be bound to.

that's not true. also, i didn't ignore your post, i just didn't get around to replying to it.


The problem with your argument is the fact that you don't back it up with anything other than opinion. And opinions are worth jack shit.

i wasn't trying to pass it off as fact.

[Andy]

Anyone quoted Weird Al Yankovic yet? Or has nobody bothered, because nobody cares anymore.

[IamSam]

Anyone quoted Weird Al Yankovic yet? Or has nobody bothered, because nobody cares anymore.

I'm gonna go with option two, although good call.

[ilovellamas]

that's not true. also, i didn't ignore your post, i just didn't get around to replying to it.

It is true.

The Amish often cite three Bible verses that encapsulate their cultural attitudes:

* "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?" (II Corinthians 6:14)
* "Come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord." (II Corinthians 6:17)
* “And be ye not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:2)


The Amish anti-individualist orientation is the motive for rejecting labor-saving technologies that might make one less dependent on community; or which, like electricity, might start a competition for status-goods; or which, like photographs, might cultivate individual or family vanity.

In conclusion, the Amish don't think the Bible says they shouldn't use electricity. They choose not to use it, because they want to stay separate from the outside world, and because they believe in reducing competition and such. It makes sense.

Sometimes I honestly wish I had been born in a world without electricity. It would be too hard/impossible for me to go from the lifestyle I live to one without electricity, but I often HATE how dependent I am on a phone, a car, internet, etc. I actually like many ideals that the Amish have, even though I'm agnostic and reject many aspects of faith.

I don't understand how someone can hate people just because they live their lives differently. They're not hurting anyone. And using Westboro as a comparison is completely foolish; the members of Westboro do hurt people and live very controversial and offensive lifestyles. The Amish intentionally live lives that do NOT affect anyone else.

[JohnnyNemesis]

Anyone quoted Weird Al Yankovic yet? Or has nobody bothered, because nobody cares anymore.

Fucking fuck you. Fuck you. Fucking you up your fucking ass fuck you. I was praying that no one would even suggest such a thing and was relieved to see that no one did. But then you. YOU. FUCK!

there's a TON of uses of electricity that have a lot more to do with necessary efficiency than comfort.

That's only efficiency according to your way of life and ways of life you deem acceptable. It seems that they're getting by just fine, so shouldn't the very definition of efficiency be questioned?

[Cock Joke]

Anyone quoted Weird Al Yankovic yet? Or has nobody bothered, because nobody cares anymore.

Ohooo yea! I can't believe that slipped my mind.

[Mota Boy]

and c'mon, your point about fire? fire as a source of light isn't even in the same fucking league as electric lighting. and that was just one example, there's a TON of uses of electricity that have a lot more to do with necessary efficiency than comfort.

look, you made some good points...but i just happen to think the way the amish interpret the bible is unreasonable and strange.*sigh*

One more time before I stop replying - efficiency doe not equal happiness, does not equal a good life, does not equal a good reason for looking down upon another culture. You're choosing one thing our culture is inherently better at and using it as the measuring stick for the relative success of a culture. To me, you may as well be saying that the Amish don't have bowling alleys, and this is why they're inferior - "efficiency" is just window-dressing for life (and while I'm doing this, fire had, obviously, been refined up to the point of gas lighting, so that while it is still not as good as electric lighting, it does allow people to "be productive" after sundown, which was your original argument). The Amish, obviously, don't value efficiency nearly as highly as we do. If you were to choose some other statistic, such as the VD rate, the Amish would be a "better" culture than us. Personally, I use much more general ideas by comparison, such as overall quality of life (Amish societies have less homeless, less drug addicts, less crime than we do), general health

And again, you are insisting that there is a correct interpretation of a religious text that can be parsed out by logic... I think the fact that there are currently hundreds of mainstream competing interpretations of Christianity (as well as thousands of less-well-known ones) in this world is a visible enough argument against a single "correct" interpretation. You may believe that you have logic on your side, but logic and religion have nothing to do with each other. Example: find me the line in the Bible that prohibits abortion. You won't. A thousand-plus page book that contains the history of the world and one of the most complex codes of law in ancient times and it says absolutely nothing about ending a pregnancy (the closest passage that pro-life advocates can use to justify their position is something that talks about God knowing us in a "secret place"). Just try going up to a Baptist and telling them that, logically they shouldn't care about abortions, and see how far that gets you. You can't bring logic into religion - that's the beauty of it - it's something beyond what our brains can logically grasp.

And when you get down to it, you discover that the "logic" you're using in interpreting religion is ultimately founded upon assumptions found within religion itself. Your entire argument becomes redundant. It's like "logically" saying that Islam is a silly religion because, "logically", the Bible is the Word of God, and we know the Bible is the Word of God because it says it is. Your "logic" is similar, except that you're not choosing which religious book to believe, you're choosing which passages within a single book to emphasize. Again, you may believe that you're thinking logically, but when you get down to it, you've already made your decision before you've started (are the words in the Bible literal or figurative; when two passages contradict each other, which do you choose; are the four Gospels selected in 325 by the Council of Nicea the correct ones) and everything else is just a fancy way of leading back to your original precepts. And again, not that there is anything inherently bad about that in a moral or ethical or overarching judgment sense (I personally like religion, I just think that, like any good idea, it's too often taken too far), but there is something very wrong with it in a logical one.

[BREAK]

(the closest passage that pro-life advocates can use to justify their position is something that talks about God knowing us in a "secret place").

The one I always see them quote is Jeremiah 1:5. "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I" blahdy blah blah.

But still, you have to extrapolate pretty far to go from that to "Abortions are evil in absolutely every case".

[Andy]

Fucking fuck you. Fuck you. Fucking you up your fucking ass fuck you. I was praying that no one would even suggest such a thing and was relieved to see that no one did. But then you. YOU. FUCK!


I love you too.

[ilovellamas]

I've also never been able to find a passage that directly says that homosexuality is a sin. I usually hear people quote the Sodom and Gomorrah passage, which is against rape, not homosexuality.

[nieh]

If you read the good news bible (slightly dumbed down for younger people), there's a line in Leviticus that says "no man shall have sex with another man. God hates that."

[JohnnyNemesis]

I love you too.

ANDY IS SUCH AN ASSHOLE!!!

i luv u

[ilovellamas]

If you read the good news bible (slightly dumbed down for younger people), there's a line in Leviticus that says "no man shall have sex with another man. God hates that."

but what about the lezbeinz??

[nieh]

God loves them.

[Andy]

I hear that God's got quite a DVD collection.

[TheUnholyNightbringer]

He's God, he don't need no DVD collection.

He just hax into webcams.

[JoY]

this thread is ridiculous. after all the mocking & Mota Boy's posts, I see no reason to say anything else, besides this is truly incredibly ridiculous.

[TheUnholyNightbringer]

Bella, you seem to have missed that we're discussing God's pornography tastes.

There is fucking plenty to talk about.

[JoY]

the combination of God & lesbians doesn't really interest me much. ;p

[Revolver-2005?]

this thread is ridiculous. after all the mocking & Mota Boy's posts, I see no reason to say anything else, besides this is truly incredibly ridiculous.

There's plenty to say about how the Amish are stupid because they don't spend 145$ on new uggs every two months after drinking a 9.50$ latte.