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IPFS News Link • Religion: Believers

Gov't Revokes Off-Grid Amish Community's Religious Rights, Forces Them to Use Electricity

• http://thefreethoughtproject.com

In spite of the fact that they have harmed no one, a court is forcing an Amish family to violate their religious beliefs and use electricity.

An Amish community in Warren County has just lost a major battle against the state which is now requiring them to violate their religious beliefs and use electricity. Despite the Yoder family never causing harm to anyone by not using electricity, the government is forcing them to connect to the grid anyway.

At the heart of the Amish religion is the rejection of individualism. The Amish anti-individualist orientation is the motive for rejecting labor-saving technologies that might make one less dependent on their community. Modern innovations like electricity might spark a competition for status goods which is in direct conflict with the Amish way of life. Therefore, they reject it.

While the Amish lifestyle may seem odd to others, the fact that it causes no harm should mean that no one should be able to force them to change. Sadly, that is not the case.

The Yoder family lives entirely off-grid. This off-grid religious lifestyle includes the use of a self-composting toilet—an "old-fashioned privy"—that did not require electricity or running water.

1 Comments in Response to

Comment by PureTrust
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The Amish community sticks together. They should refresh themselves on court of record jury trial, and take the man or woman whose signature is on any paperwork that injures them to court for relief. Since their peers are only other Amish, the jury would have to be made up of Amish people. How will they decide? - They need to understand that in a court of record trial, it is man-to-man. No attorneys or representation allowed unless both sides formally agree to it. An attorney may be counsel, but must never represent, per his contract. Also, they would make a claim, which is stronger than the complaint against them. They need to sue for damages.



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