Amish sovereign

[Demosthenes]

This isn't exactly rhetorical, but how many Amish do you know who use, and /or have a computer????

Many Amish do indeed use computers.

http://amishamerica.com/do-the-amish-us ... -internet/

[fortinbras]

Evidently the Amish now have their own Bernie Madoff"

http://www.clevescene.com/cleveland/the ... id=2762071

[Number Six]

I am not surprised at this, because group-autonomy is a core principle of the Amish and conservative Mennonites. As with other religious groups they came to the U.S. to escape persecution in Europe, by state churches and the Roman Catholic Church. There is a good education center about them in Berlin, Ohio; "Behalt". The Amish and Mennonites both descended from the Anabaptists. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amish

The logic of Christian sovereigns as with religious separatists is partly derived from the idea of separation from "the world"; "sovereigns" twist the law in ways that try to make them "free" from the burdens and oppressions of modern law and taxes.

If you look through various chat forums on the Amish, such as the topix forum focused on them you will find many issues of civil disobedience and of criminal or civil breaches that are dealt with variously by their local police and religious communities: Like the recent case of the boys who were breaking into the house of religious enemies and cutting off their beards.

I have found civil authorities very supportive of them, they cost so little compared to other groups; they self-regulate and do not resist evil actions with more of the same usually; they pay their taxes without resentment, even though they may not agree with government expenditures, or receive many tangible benefits from it.