Amish Look To The Sun For Power

Pa. Religious Community Taps Into "God's Grid" -- Solar Power For Electricity

(CBS)  This story was written by CBS News' Arden Farhi and Matthew German.

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In a place where clotheslines outnumber power lines and the people prefer horse-drawn buggies to automobiles, Pennsylvania's Amish community has begun to embrace a new technology that mainstream culture has been slow to endorse: solar energy.

The Amish Church generally forbids any connection to the outside world, which includes tapping into the public utility grid. While they do not reject technology outright, they believe outside influences threaten the welfare of their small, closely-knit communities.

Don Kraybill, a professor of Anabaptist atudies at Elizabethtown College, has researched the Amish community for 25 years. He says the Amish "selectively use technology that fits into their philosophy and their religious way of life. So in a sense with solar, they are tapping into God's grid."

While solar technology is new, their use of electricity is not. The Amish community has long used electricity from diesel generators and pre-charged batteries. But solar energy offers a cleaner and ultimately cheaper alternative. The energy is essentially free after solar panel installation.

Kraybill added, "it's more affordable and they have technicians in their own communities that are learning how to use it."

Ben Zook is one such technician. He was raised Amish and started Belmont Solar about seven years ago. His company installs solar energy systems for both for Amish and non-Amish customers.

Zook said his business is catching on in the community.

"The number one reason for Amish to use solar is to power their buggy lights," said Zook. He noted that solar water heaters have also become popular among the Amish.

Mainstream society has begun to use solar technology as part of a "green" movement to lessen its dependence on other energy sources. For the Amish, it's about preserving their independence.

"(The Amish) haven't particularly embraced it for the image or anything. If you are off-grid, it just makes a lot of sense," said Zook.

"With solar, they don't see a problem with it being inconsistent with their world view," Kraybill said. "It is interesting that ... an avant-garde technology really fits into their old regulations."

[questionnews]

The Amish are becoming less Amish everyday.

[easeup-2009]

I just want to know what the deal is with the beard & no mustache look.

Come on Jebadiah, answer me brother!

[questionnews]

I just want to know what the deal is with the beard & no mustache look.

Come on Jebadiah, answer me brother!

Posted by easeup at 03:39 PM : Oct 14, 2008

I think there are strict "rules of engagement" regarding s.ex in Amish communities, so no need for a womb broom.

[easeup-2009]

I think there are strict "rules of engagement" regarding s.ex in Amish communities, so no need for a womb broom.

Posted by Questionnews at 03:46 PM : Oct 14, 2008

I''ll bet they get their jiggy on just like everyone else...

[MacTrek777]

Laugh at the Amish all you want but they have less stress in their lives than the average American and they''re definitely not worried about the economy like many of us are. Perhaps we could learn a lesson or two from them. ;-)

[wtf1999]

"...the Amish selectively use technology that fits into their philosophy and their religious way of life." i.e. The Amish bend their religious rules to suit themselves. They are not as conservative as so many perceive them to be.

I live near an Amish community. I see first-hand that the Amish own automobiles, use electric appliances at the local farmers market, talk on cell phones while walking through the Walmart parking lot, and the most comical of all is when I witness their teenagers loudly playing boom boxes as they travel about in horse and buggy.

The area locals know the true face of the Amish community. The Amish would be more respected if they followed their so-called strict religion more honorably.

[spiritwalk]

"...the Amish selectively use technology that fits into their philosophy and their religious way of life." i.e. The Amish bend their religious rules to suit themselves. They are not as conservative as so many perceive them to be.
....................................
In just the past week there has been a story about 14 members of an Amish church injured while riding on a bus. There have also been commercials on TV for a portable electric heater supposedly manufactured by the Amish. What is going on?

From what I understand of the Amish religious dogmas the idea of an Amish electric heater is like kosher bacon. You can''t really come up with a rationalization for it that is not hypocritical.

Whatever is at the root of all this, I think it is sad. Maybe they are afraid of losing membership if the don''t change and modernize, but if needed to justify remaining as the Amish church.

[attalus-2009]

Gr8! Let''s promote more Luddite behavior. Next we can hear about the Islamists adopting CNG to power their car bombs. Sheesh!

[babooph]

Next thing ,cell phones will be adopted as 19th century tech !!!

[newsjunky5]

I know in 5 years, I''''ll be happily hooked up to solar and a windmill, with an onboard desalination unit and headed in the direction of the wind.
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That''s only if you''re Amish. A modern sailboat can travel against the wind, at least within about 20 degrees or so of it, if you want to. Have fun.

[newsjunky5]

I just want to know what the deal is with the beard & no mustache look.
-------------------------------
I think that the Bible says somewhere that men (married?) should not shave the fringes of their face.

[Scooter68]

Typical responses - Ridicule and scorn for that which you do not or cannot understand. You know full well how terribly imperfect and flawed you are so you have ridicule and shine the light on those in other ways of life that aren''t perfect. Guess that by trying to bring them down you hope to build yourself up.
There is no religion, no way of life, that is full of only perfect people. It doesn''t exist, but rather than give the Amish credit for what they have achieved you have this need to poke fun and belittle them.

[newsjunky5]

Like any group, the Amish have a few less orthodox members who sneak out with bluejeans and a t-shirt and visit a bar. A handful were dealing cocaine with the HellsAngels a few years ago too. But all of the ones I''ve ever met have been honest and hard-working tho.
Too bad the real ones won''t be commenting here.

[Torilin]

Too bad the real ones won''''t be commenting here.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Posted by newsjunky5

Internet isn''t part of their life plus computer drains too much of that off-grid power!

[newsjunky5]

"Amish Look To The Sun For Power"
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Oh, it''s just about solar cells.
From the headline, I was afraid they were going to invoke the Sun God and become an agrarian-based Juggernaut. With our troops spread thin between Afghanistan and Iraq, that could be bad news for us modernfolk, as well as the car companies.
Red herring here, never mind.

[Scooter68]

What will be interesting is when the next major power grid failure occurs, the Amish will be doing just fine while the rest of us freeze, overheat etc. Something to be said for living "off the grid" Wonder if they are also looking into wind power? There are a lot of mennonites in Oklahoma - don''t recall if they are living off the grid as well. They could really reap benifits from windmills powering generators etc. in Oklahoma where the wind rarely stops.

[bjr361]

The Amish sects are not so religiously pious that they don''t love modern money. There are hundreds of Amish puppy mills all over Pennsylvania where puppies are cruelly produced as "crops" and the breeder dogs never get out of their cages. The Amish make big bucks on this infamous industry.

[tipsyinct]

The Amish sects are not so religiously pious that they don''''t love modern money. There are hundreds of Amish puppy mills all over Pennsylvania where puppies are cruelly produced as "crops" and the breeder dogs never get out of their cages. The Amish make big bucks on this infamous industry.
Posted by bjr361 at 05:09 PM : Oct 15, 2008

Number one: You don''t like money?
Number two: Those are serious alligations to make without any proof or facts.