Coronavirus, Covid 19 Discussion and How It Has Affected Your Daily Life Chat Thread

[BigBlueHen53]

They are separating themselves from the world, the world being anything that isn't Amish in practice. It is a continuously changing complexity of reasoning. As my father-in-law used to say, anything that is highly esteemed among men we choose to avoid, in avoiding we protect ourselves of being proud of what we have or are. In their reasoning automobiles would make it easy for you to go to places that would be destructive to moral human life, such as a bar, strip clubs, beaches etc..... places that they consider immoral and indecent to the overall mental health of the individual.

Avoiding phones is similar in nature. The reasons given not to have a phone in the house is that it could be a distraction having it so close at hand and it would tend to take away from family time. In my experience with them having phones in their little shacks outside it actually gives their young people more opportunity to do or have conversation with their friends on the sly because the shack door is shut and they can't see or hear them inside.

There are major complexities to all the reasoning behind a lot of the reasons given, because they often contradict themselves in practice. Some of them know that, but don't really know how to change it, or, it's just the way it is and it's been this way for all of our lives. We're used to not making sense to others. It's a very pick and choose lifestyle.

Some of the attitude is, that we don't have to make sense to the outsiders, we live how we want to live and they need to be okay with that.

Okay. Thank you for this insight, and also for your honesty.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

But I think they are pretty proud of that avoidance.

Nothing unusual in that. Aren't most people proud of their affiliations, their schools, their dogs, their kids, their cars? Pride is the original sin after all.

 

[Molpet]

That happens and they have to live off of charity until they can get a SS# number in order to get a job. Normally the other ex-Amish people are quickly on hand to help them out in whatever way we can. We ex-Amish tend to stick together pretty close, especially those of us that were severely shunned because we understand each other.

Thank you
Glad you all can help each other

 

[tripletfeb]

Nothing unusual in that. Aren't most people proud of their affiliations, their schools, their dogs, their kids, their cars? Pride is the original sin after all.

There is nothing wrong with being proud of those things. It's when they consume you, that it gets sinful

 

[sourland]

I wonder where the average Amish person stands politically. Personally I have no stance. I either want to vote for you or I don't. I research my candidates because I feel that's what a responsible voter does

The two that I have spoken with are intelligently conservative and vote their own minds. They indicated that just like many people some are influenced by the community/religion/family.

 

[aart]

Nothing unusual in that. Aren't most people proud of their affiliations, their schools, their dogs, their kids, their cars? Pride is the original sin after all.

But pride is what they claim they are avoiding....that was my point.

 

[troyer]

But I think they are pretty proud of that avoidance.

Yes, secretly so. Not all, but most of them secretly.

There is nothing wrong with being proud of those things. It's when they consume you, that it gets sinful

My father-in-law and several of my brother-in-laws are consumed with it. To the the point that some of them believe that the 666 stands for TV=6, phones=6, and computers=6. Albeit he uses his english neighbor's phone freely.

But pride is what they claim they are avoiding....that was my point.

On point.

 

[sdm111]

This is great thanks Troyer. Reminiscent of the 90s back when people could talk to one another and share and joke without someone saying why someone somewhere should be offended

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

This is great thanks Troyer. Reminiscent of the 90s back when people could talk to one another and share and joke without someone saying why someone somewhere should be offended

Do you remember a time when mtv had music? Pepperidge farm remembers. Do you remember a time before woke meant easily offended? Pepperidge farm remembers

 

[troyer]

Interesting! May I ask why you chose to leave? If that's too personal disregard it.

We left because we were searching for truth. We had exhausted our options in the Amish setting. We had gone to everyone (counselors, spiritual guides etc...) that we thought should have answers to our questions which were spiritual in nature because of what we were reading in the bible. Non could give us satisfactory biblical answers to satisfy the longing within to be guilt free. I carried a burden around that I had no idea how to get rid of and no one in the Amish setting ever told us to: Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. There really wasn't a real repenting of sin, it was simply "get baptized" and that will take care of all your problems. I got baptized at 22 and it simply added to my problems because everything that I was told would happen "if you only get baptized" didn't happen, none of it. My conscience was not cleansed by baptism.
Three years later I got married. That pretty quickly went downhill hard. It was the bad marriage that made me desperate to find answers to my problems. Divorce was not an option, I was convinced that it was up to me to find a solution and if that meant leaving the Amish setting, I was willing to do it. It was very difficult to leave.
It wasn't until we left the Amish setting and we were in a church group that we were comfortable with, that someone preached a message on, The Worth Of A Soul. The way he described what Jesus went through to rescue me from my sin, just pierced the hard shell that I had erected around myself. I finally began in a small way to understand the absolute LOVE that Jesus had for me. It was that absolute PURE LOVE that found it's way into my heart and conscience, that convicted me to repent (turn away from) the wrong things in my life and there was plenty to repent of. I knew that there had been a change within initially, but I didn't really get the full realization of it until 2 months afterward. At the time I worked for an outdoor furniture manufacturer and happened to be alone at the shop, as we called it. For some reason I don't understand, as I was working and reflecting on my life, I suddenly realized that, I'm not guilty anymore! It was a very refreshing freeing moment! I was able to back track in my mind to the exact time that I was set free from my sin. To this day I remember it as though it happened yesterday.
This is the short version.