the Amish Test

Middle America is home to a growing population of about one quarter million Amish people.
According to the last US census, the population has increased about 10 percent from 2000 to 2010.

The Amish are one of the very few tribes in the US, religious or otherwise, that evaluate technology for its effects on their community. For many of us, it’s taken for granted that if a new tool saves money or time, increases profits or productivity or improves our tribal status then it’s often accepted without a second thought.

The Amish carefully evaluate new tools and ideas from the outside world for any potential to disrupt or change their Order.

**Tools that replace the labor of another are rejected. **
A century ago, there was no hesitation among the Amish to dismiss farm mechanization.

Amish Order is maintained with a deep consideration for the value that others contribute to their community.

For the Amish, Labor is Life.

discussing the impact of technology on culture is the focus of the blog site [Middle-America] (http://www.middle-america.com)