{"id":2203,"date":"2015-06-22T15:13:18","date_gmt":"2015-06-22T19:13:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/?p=2203"},"modified":"2025-03-21T15:52:10","modified_gmt":"2025-03-21T19:52:10","slug":"everything-you-want-to-know-about-the-amish-and-technology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/everything-you-want-to-know-about-the-amish-and-technology\/","title":{"rendered":"Everything You Want to Know About: The Amish and Technology"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>We&#8217;re welcoming Erik Wesner, author of\u00a0<em>Success Made Simple: An Inside Look at Why Amish Businesses Thrive<\/em>, back to the blog to explain another aspect of Amish life that . . . confuses outsiders, to say the least. <strong>What, exactly, is the relationship between the Amish and technology? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><nav><ul><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#an-introduction-to-the-amish-and-technology\">An Introduction to The Amish and Technology<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#faq-question-1742585665898\">Do The Amish Think Technology is Evil?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#what-types-of-technology-do-amish-use\">What Types of Technology do Amish Use?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#differences-between-amish-groups\">Differences Between Amish Groups<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#amish-adopting-of-new-technology\">Amish Adopting of New Technology<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#moving-forward-with-caution\">Moving forward with caution<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#more-resources-about-the-amish\">More Resources About the Amish<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"an-introduction-to-the-amish-and-technology\">An Introduction to The Amish and Technology<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-image-2206\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1370\" height=\"1028\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Screen-Shot-2015-06-22-at-2.08.09-PM.png\" alt=\"Everything that You Want to Know About: The Amish and Technology\" class=\"wp-image-2206\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Screen-Shot-2015-06-22-at-2.08.09-PM.png 1370w, https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Screen-Shot-2015-06-22-at-2.08.09-PM-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Screen-Shot-2015-06-22-at-2.08.09-PM-1024x768.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Screen-Shot-2015-06-22-at-2.08.09-PM-580x435.png 580w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1370px) 100vw, 1370px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Technology definitely has a place in Amish society, but in many ways, that place is part of a larger belief system.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>At first glance, one of the more puzzling aspects of Amish life is their relationship to technology. Some of the ways Amish use gadgets and devices can be hard to figure out\u2014for example, why do Amish find it alright to park a tractor by the barn to use its engine to power another machine, but refuse to use the same tractor to work in the fields? Or, why do some Amish forbid the phone in the home\u2014but permit it as long as it&#8217;s kept in a communal shanty a quarter-mile away?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Outsiders can view these technological gymnastics as nonsensical or even hypocritical. <strong>But the Amish have solid reasoning<\/strong> for why they try to limit and harness technology in their own specific ways. In this piece, we take a look at the Amish approach to technology and answer some common questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-faq-block\"><div class=\"rank-math-faq-item\"><h2 class=\"rank-math-question\">Do The Amish Think Technology is Evil?<\/h2><div class=\"rank-math-answer\">the Amish realize the use of some technology is a necessity. They don&#8217;t reject all technology, but instead are careful about choosing what to use\u2014and how to use it.<br \/>Amish are cautious about technology because they feel that<strong> freely accepting all technology can weaken a family and community.<\/strong> <br \/><br \/>Media technologies, for instance, introduce un-Christian influences\u2014for example, televisions and other gadgets distract from family time, as does a phone line in the home, and the internet can bring immoral content directly into the house. Rejecting the car, to take another example, slows the pace of life and forces Amish to remain in closer contact with, and depend upon, others in their communities.<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-image-2207\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1576\" height=\"1060\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Screen-Shot-2015-06-22-at-2.30.52-PM.png\" alt=\"Amish and technology\" class=\"wp-image-2207\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Screen-Shot-2015-06-22-at-2.30.52-PM.png 1576w, https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Screen-Shot-2015-06-22-at-2.30.52-PM-300x202.png 300w, https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Screen-Shot-2015-06-22-at-2.30.52-PM-1024x689.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Screen-Shot-2015-06-22-at-2.30.52-PM-580x390.png 580w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1576px) 100vw, 1576px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Technology plays a role in the Amish community, it just doesn&#8217;t act at the center.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The Amish have different ways of regulating technology (which can vary widely depending on the group in question). Their approach may mean not owning a technology, but tapping into it on occasion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A good example is the car. Amish do not own or drive cars but sometimes hire drivers out of necessity when they need to travel long distances. Other Amish adapt technology by creating a version of a device acceptable to the church standards (aka <em>Ordnung<\/em>). Examples include adapting power tools to operate on hydraulic or pneumatic power, or specially-made word processors which allow business people computer power for data entry and record-keeping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-types-of-technology-do-amish-use\"><strong>What Types of Technology do Amish Use?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-image-2208\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1554\" height=\"1014\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Screen-Shot-2015-06-22-at-2.49.38-PM.png\" alt=\"Everything You Want to Know About Amish Technology: What types of technology do the Amish Use?\" class=\"wp-image-2208\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Screen-Shot-2015-06-22-at-2.49.38-PM.png 1554w, https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Screen-Shot-2015-06-22-at-2.49.38-PM-300x196.png 300w, https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Screen-Shot-2015-06-22-at-2.49.38-PM-1024x668.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Screen-Shot-2015-06-22-at-2.49.38-PM-580x378.png 580w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1554px) 100vw, 1554px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">As with so many of the Amish society&#8217;s rules, the restrictions &amp; allowances can vary by circumstance and location<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Depending on the community, a wide variety of technologies may be accepted. Here are a few examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Many Amish use phones<\/strong>, but in different ways. Few Amish keep them in the home. In some cases, they may be installed in the barn or a separate building dedicated to a business. Many use a common phone shared amongst multiple families at a central location (a phone shanty).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>All use the horse-and-buggy to some degree. Buggies vary in how fancy or plain they might be. <strong>Many Amish permit the hiring of drivers,<\/strong> but others only allow it in emergency situations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A wide variety of lighting\u2014from kerosene wick lanterns to propane and natural gas mantle lights to LED battery-powered bulbs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A range of work tools, powered in different ways. More progressive Amish use tools adapted to run on <strong>pneumatic or hydraulic power<\/strong>. More traditional Amish power their tools using a line shaft system driven by a <strong>diesel engine<\/strong>. Sometimes regular power tools are even allowed, for example when used by a builder on a non-Amish job site outside the community.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Most Amish have<strong> home plumbing<\/strong>, but the plainest Amish do not, instead relying on <strong>outhouses<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Home appliances may vary. Many Amish use <strong>refrigerators<\/strong> designed to run on propane or natural gas. Plainer groups only permit iceboxes. The wringer washer is the standard machine for doing the laundry, though a <strong>few Amish churches allow a conventional washer.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"differences-between-amish-groups\"><strong>Differences Between Amish Groups<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There can be a great difference between the level of technology accepted in the most conservative Amish churches and the most progressive. The plainest Amish reject indoor plumbing, safety triangles on buggies, any use of the tractor, propane gas for heating, chainsaws, and a whole host of other devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the other hand, the most <strong>progressive Amish <\/strong>may live in homes that resemble those of the non-Amish (but for their lack of an electrical connection), use solar panels and diesel and gas generators to charge batteries used in a range of devices including lighting and electric fences, drive a buggy illuminated by a wide assortment of lights, use a computer in the workplace, and even fly in an airplane in some cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There is a range of space in between these two extremes. Amish acceptance of technology develops differently in different communities, and can depend on a variety of factors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"amish-adopting-of-new-technology\"><strong>Amish Adopting of New Technology<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-image-2210\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1832\" height=\"1026\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Screen-Shot-2015-06-22-at-3.08.50-PM.png\" alt=\"Everything You Want to Know About: The Amish &amp; Technology: Stuck in Time\" class=\"wp-image-2210\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Screen-Shot-2015-06-22-at-3.08.50-PM.png 1832w, https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Screen-Shot-2015-06-22-at-3.08.50-PM-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Screen-Shot-2015-06-22-at-3.08.50-PM-1024x573.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Screen-Shot-2015-06-22-at-3.08.50-PM-580x325.png 580w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1832px) 100vw, 1832px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Adoption of new technology isn&#8217;t unheard of in Amish communities &#8211; many move forward by default, as ignoring certain technologies becomes more cumbersome or detrimental to key values<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>Are the Amish \u201cstuck in time\u201d as they are sometimes described? Do they ever change? <\/strong>Amish in fact do change over time, and adopt new technologies\u2014even the most conservative Amish, though at a comparatively glacial pace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In each community, there is pressure for change and adoption of new devices, though this will be greater in some places than others. These pressures can often be driven by economic concerns. Some technologies may be accepted by default over time\u2014if enough people adopt them without the church making a statement against them, they may become a part of the community&#8217;s technological package by default. In other cases, technology may be considered for an extended period of time before the bishop decides to raise the possibility of accepting it, via a church vote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Communities that face greater economic pressure\u2014typically larger places where the cost of living is high, such as Lancaster County, Pennsylvania\u2014tend to generally be more progressive on technology use, since these <strong>devices often help enable a business or farmer to make a living<\/strong>, and can thus be justified from an economic standpoint. An example of this can be seen in the creep of mobile phones into numerous communities where Amish business people (builders, for example) have found them to be a necessity\u2014or at least a great convenience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"moving-forward-with-caution\"><strong>Moving forward with caution<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Amish remain cautious about technology, even as many deal with pressures to accept more technology in order to succeed economically. Some Amish opt for plainer lifestyles, feeling the path of those who adopt more technology to be a mistake. Due to a combination of factors, there is a wide variety of technology use across Amish society, one of many factors contributing to Amish diversity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>By Erik Wesner, author of<\/em> <strong>Success Made Simple: An Inside Look at Why Amish Businesses Thrive<\/strong>, <em>and editor of the <a href=\"https:\/\/amishamerica.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Amish America<\/a> website<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"more-resources-about-the-amish\"><strong>More Resources About the Amish<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/6-things-you-might-not-know-about-the-amish-and-money\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"18428\">6 Things You Might Not Know About the Amish<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/pennsylvania-dutch-the-amish-language\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"613\">What Language Do The Amish People Speak?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/tag\/amish-and-money\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"1994\">Amish and Money<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n  <div class=\"related-post slider\">\r\n        <div class=\"headline\">Related Posts<\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"post-list owl-carousel\">\r\n\r\n            <div class=\"item\">\r\n          \r\n  <a class=\"title post_title\"  title=\"What Language do the Amish Speak?\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/pennsylvania-dutch-the-amish-language\/?related_post_from=613\">\r\n        What Language do the Amish Speak?  <\/a>\r\n\r\n  <div class=\"thumb post_thumb\">\r\n    <a  title=\"What Language do the Amish Speak?\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/pennsylvania-dutch-the-amish-language\/?related_post_from=613\">\r\n\r\n      <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2240\" height=\"1260\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/Amish-Language-Pennsylvania-Dutch.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-post-image\" alt=\"What language do the Amish speak?\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/Amish-Language-Pennsylvania-Dutch.jpg 2240w, https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/Amish-Language-Pennsylvania-Dutch-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/Amish-Language-Pennsylvania-Dutch-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/Amish-Language-Pennsylvania-Dutch-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/Amish-Language-Pennsylvania-Dutch-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/Amish-Language-Pennsylvania-Dutch-2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2240px) 100vw, 2240px\" \/>\r\n\r\n    <\/a>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  <p class=\"excerpt post_excerpt\">\r\n    This post was originally published on July 25th, 2013. It was updated on January 30th, 2025. If you have spoken <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/pennsylvania-dutch-the-amish-language\/?related_post_from=613\"> Read more<\/a>  <\/p>\r\n        <\/div>\r\n              <div class=\"item\">\r\n          \r\n  <a class=\"title post_title\"  title=\"Cherry Wood Furniture-The Lowdown\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/put-a-cherry-on-top\/?related_post_from=915\">\r\n        Cherry Wood Furniture-The Lowdown  <\/a>\r\n\r\n  <div class=\"thumb post_thumb\">\r\n    <a  title=\"Cherry Wood Furniture-The Lowdown\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/put-a-cherry-on-top\/?related_post_from=915\">\r\n\r\n      <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"794\" height=\"1124\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/CHERRY-WOOD-INFOGRAPHIC.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-post-image\" alt=\"CHERRY WOOD INFOGRAPHIC\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/CHERRY-WOOD-INFOGRAPHIC.png 794w, https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/CHERRY-WOOD-INFOGRAPHIC-211x300.png 211w, https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/CHERRY-WOOD-INFOGRAPHIC-723x1024.png 723w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 794px) 100vw, 794px\" \/>\r\n\r\n    <\/a>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  <p class=\"excerpt post_excerpt\">\r\n    You Put Cherries On Top For A Reason! Why cherry wood? There are so many wood choices, is there really <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/put-a-cherry-on-top\/?related_post_from=915\"> Read more<\/a>  <\/p>\r\n        <\/div>\r\n              <div class=\"item\">\r\n          \r\n  <a class=\"title post_title\"  title=\"Amish Recipe: Apple Sponge Pudding\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/amish-recipe-apple-sponge-pudding\/?related_post_from=1405\">\r\n        Amish Recipe: Apple Sponge Pudding  <\/a>\r\n\r\n  <div class=\"thumb post_thumb\">\r\n    <a  title=\"Amish Recipe: Apple Sponge Pudding\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/amish-recipe-apple-sponge-pudding\/?related_post_from=1405\">\r\n\r\n      <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/APPLE-SPONGE-PUDDINGcrop.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-post-image\" alt=\"amish recipe: apple sponge pudding\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/APPLE-SPONGE-PUDDINGcrop.png 600w, https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/APPLE-SPONGE-PUDDINGcrop-200x300.png 200w, https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/APPLE-SPONGE-PUDDINGcrop-580x870.png 580w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/>\r\n\r\n    <\/a>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  <p class=\"excerpt post_excerpt\">\r\n    In which I use far too many italics, and redefine \"pudding.\" I just plain do not understand how this is <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/amish-recipe-apple-sponge-pudding\/?related_post_from=1405\"> Read more<\/a>  <\/p>\r\n        <\/div>\r\n              <div class=\"item\">\r\n          \r\n  <a class=\"title post_title\"  title=\"Meet the Amish Furniture Makers: Steven &#038; Sons\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/meet-amish-makers-steven-sons\/?related_post_from=1479\">\r\n        Meet the Amish Furniture Makers: Steven &#038; Sons  <\/a>\r\n\r\n  <div class=\"thumb post_thumb\">\r\n    <a  title=\"Meet the Amish Furniture Makers: Steven &#038; Sons\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/meet-amish-makers-steven-sons\/?related_post_from=1479\">\r\n\r\n      <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"4591\" height=\"3796\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/20140605-PEP_6743.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-post-image\" alt=\"AmishMakersSteven\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/20140605-PEP_6743.jpg 4591w, https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/20140605-PEP_6743-300x248.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/20140605-PEP_6743-1024x846.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/20140605-PEP_6743-580x479.jpg 580w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4591px) 100vw, 4591px\" \/>\r\n\r\n    <\/a>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  <p class=\"excerpt post_excerpt\">\r\n    We can say, with narrative\u00a0certainty, that our\u00a0Amish Makers' love for working with their hands starts young, and with ferocity. Steven <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/meet-amish-makers-steven-sons\/?related_post_from=1479\"> Read more<\/a>  <\/p>\r\n        <\/div>\r\n      \r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <script>\r\n      <\/script>\r\n  <style>\r\n    .related-post {}\r\n\r\n    .related-post .post-list {\r\n      text-align: left;\r\n          }\r\n\r\n    .related-post .post-list .item {\r\n      margin: 10px;\r\n      padding: 0px;\r\n          }\r\n\r\n    .related-post .headline {\r\n      font-size: 18px !important;\r\n      color: #999999 !important;\r\n          }\r\n\r\n    .related-post .post-list .item .post_title {\r\n      font-size: 16px;\r\n      color: #3f3f3f;\r\n      margin: 10px 0px;\r\n      padding: 0px;\r\n      display: block;\r\n      text-decoration: none;\r\n          }\r\n\r\n    .related-post .post-list .item .post_thumb {\r\n      max-height: 220px;\r\n      margin: 10px 0px;\r\n      padding: 0px;\r\n      display: block;\r\n          }\r\n\r\n    .related-post .post-list .item .post_excerpt {\r\n      font-size: 13px;\r\n      color: #3f3f3f;\r\n      margin: 10px 0px;\r\n      padding: 0px;\r\n      display: block;\r\n      text-decoration: none;\r\n          }\r\n\r\n    .related-post .owl-dots .owl-dot {\r\n          }\r\n\r\n      <\/style>\r\n      <script>\r\n      jQuery(document).ready(function($) {\r\n        $(\".related-post .post-list\").owlCarousel({\r\n          items: 3,\r\n          responsiveClass: true,\r\n          responsive: {\r\n            0: {\r\n              items: 1,\r\n            },\r\n            768: {\r\n              items: 2,\r\n            },\r\n            1200: {\r\n              items: 3,\r\n            }\r\n          },\r\n                      rewind: true,\r\n                                loop: true,\r\n                                center: true,\r\n                                autoplay: true,\r\n            autoplayHoverPause: true,\r\n                                nav: true,\r\n            navSpeed: 1000,\r\n            navText: ['<i class=\"fas fa-chevron-left\"><\/i>', '<i class=\"fas fa-chevron-right\"><\/i>'],\r\n                                dots: true,\r\n            dotsSpeed: 1200,\r\n                                                    rtl: false,\r\n          \r\n        });\r\n      });\r\n    <\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We&#8217;re welcoming Erik Wesner, author of\u00a0Success Made Simple: An Inside Look at Why Amish Businesses Thrive, back to the blog to explain another aspect of Amish life that . . . confuses outsiders, to say the least. What, exactly, is the relationship between the Amish and technology? An Introduction to The Amish and Technology At first glance, one of the more puzzling aspects of Amish life is their relationship to technology. Some of the ways&#8230;<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Meet the Amish Furniture Makers: Steven &#038; Sons<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":26087,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1429,1433,179],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2203","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-about-the-amish","category-amish-questions-answered","category-older"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2203","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/27"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2203"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2203\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26088,"href":"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2203\/revisions\/26088"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26087"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2203"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2203"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2203"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}