Use of technology by different Amish affiliations

[topum]

Whenever I have to do something to a close deadline I develop an unstoppable fascination with something completely random and unrelated to what I have to do or any of my existing interests. And I become so much into that stuff that I cannot do anything else until the deadline is so close that to meet the deadline I have to work non-stop up to the very last minute to the deadline. And while I am working I suffer so much because I want to do that other thing so badly. As soon as the deadline passes and I am free to do whatever I want I never come back to that other thing I was so much into. I don't even get then why I was so interested in that thing before.

So I am on the below now and it is the most interesting and important thing in the world to me at the moment. I have no idea how I lived up to this day without digging into this:

Use of technology by different Amish affiliations

Comments

[topum.livejournal.com]

They are. Actually I find them interesting in general not just for the work avoidance purposes. I really want to visit a couple of their communities. Semi-isolated fringe groups fascinate me. The last ones I visited were the Samaritans in Israel.

[beautesauvage13.livejournal.com]

I bet they are a healthier people.  All these tech gadgets we have can't be healthy to be on them as much as some are. 

I admire their resolve to live the same way they have for hundreds of years.  In some respects it's a better life religion aside.

Samaritans live in isolation too?  All I really know about them is from ancient bible stories. You know like the good Samaritan parable.  Group of us in a drama class I took in university did a modern skit based on that parable for class one day.  That was fun.  I played one of the robbers who beat up and robbed the guy who the Samaritan helps. 

Athena

[topum.livejournal.com]

Yes, they live in self-imposed semi-isolation mostly around Mount Gerizim, They consider Mount Gerizim not Jerusalem Temple Mount to be Mount Moriah. Samaritans do not intermarry and one cannot become a Samaritan like one can become a Jew for example (btw Samaritans consider themselves the the real Israelites and keepers of the Torah). It is a big problem because there are only four extended families of them left and them marrying each other further and having kids carries an enormous risk of genetic disorders. Therefore, they are required to undergo extensive testing before marriage and having kids. Israel established a dedicated team in one of their hospitals to help them with this. They had to relax the rules on intermarriage a bit recently, it became clear that they would become history very soon otherwise.

[beautesauvage13.livejournal.com]

Interesting and a bit disturbing.  Brings a whole knew dynamic to love your brothers and sisters. 

No wonder the apostles thought the Samaritans were odd. 

Someone should have informed Jesus of this really. 

Athena

[topum.livejournal.com]

My understanding was that he knew they were odd. He just did not think it was such a big deal.