Amish Technology

Amish Technology In order to understand the Amish view of modern technology, one must first understand their religious beliefs and values. The most important factor to the Amish life is submission to the will of God. According to their interpretation of scriptures Romans 12:2 and 2 Corinthians 6:14 in the Bible, which basically states, “Do not copy the behavior and customs of this world. . .” and “Do not team up with those who are unbelievers. . .”; remaining quite separate from the rest of the world, physically and socially is the will of God. The Amish are a group of people who follow the teachings of Jakob Ammann, a 17th century citizen of Switzerland. They arrived in the United States in the early 18th century and to this day do not take part in what they call, “worldly things,” or more specifically, certain technologies, customs and behaviors that exist outside of their own communities. Most of them are settled in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Indiana. A very common image of the Amish is one of a group of people shunning modern technology. Despite popular belief, the Amish do not necessarily shun technology because they think it is evil, but rather, they avoid it because they want to maintain and protect their community from the impact that modern technology can introduce to their people. But the big question is, “Are the Amish people necessarily anti-technology?” According to researchers, Amish avoid most technology but not all. In fact, they have been adapting to new technologies over many years. While practice is different from community to community, most Amish adopt technology on a case-by-case basis.
The Amish community lives for each other. Family and members of their communities are a priority. Their lifestyle is based on simplicity and self-denial over comfort, convenience and leisure. Each Amish community has a list of rules and regulations called, Ordnung. Each member is required to follow these rules, which are typical prohibitions of activities