Watching an ABC special on Amish teens breaking away

[derby378]

It's called The Outsiders, and it deals both with the Amish practice of rumspringa, where Amish teens are given some time in the outside world to decide whether to commit themselves to the Amish community forever or to embrace life in the outside world and risk permanent shunning from family and friends as an Untermensch.

They're showing on Amish teen named Danny who ran away from home and is now living in a group home with other former Amish teens. He's getting used to television remote controls, digital cameras, and driving a truck. Not to mention drinking beer without fear of reprisal.

I can see where it takes a lot of commitment to be Amish, especially Old Order. I have my own problems with some Amish practices (including the use of shady puppy farms as a source of income by some communities), but I cannot fault anyone who chooses this life.

Then again, I'm a Quaker - perhaps not the most stellar example of the Quaker faith, but here I am nonetheless.

[supernova]

1. Except to my knowledge

Quakers embrace modernity, they don't reject it. :shrug:

I don't think I could be Amish. I loves my technology. :-)

[derby378]

2. Quakers don't exactly "embrace" modernity - they just live with it

The Quaker ideal in regards to technology and lifestyle is simplicity. Some Quakers refuse to own or drive automobiles because they feel it separates them from their fellow human beings (and, in a sense, from God), so they take public transit instead.

The trick with technology is to not overdo it, although there is no hard and fast prohibition against doing so that I know of. There is, however, a realization that there are so many people out there who are lucky to have a communal telephone in their village, as opposed to that new-fangled Blackberry in your hand. It's an exercise in keeping all things in perspective.