Two Amish men, part of a community in Pennsylvania known for its rejection of modern technology, were exposed after their phones rang during an emergency alert test. The incident took place in the middle of a meeting to explain the new emergency management system to the community. While most Amish do not use phones, exceptions are sometimes made for business purposes. The two men were later reprimanded by the church. The incident highlights the challenges faced by the Amish community in balancing their traditional way of life with the demands of the modern world..
Have you ever wondered what would’ve happened if 21st-century technology magically appeared in the 1800s?
Well, we now might get a pretty good depiction of how this unlikely fusion of eras would’ve actually unfolded.
Earlier this week, people across the USA received emergency alert system tests as notifications on their smartphones.
A couple of Amish men have been shunned after their banned phones buzzed following a nationwide emergency alert test
Image credits: Shinya Suzuki (not the actual photo)
People’s mobiles officially lit up on October 4 with a message from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The group was reportedly testing the Emergency Alert System (EAS), sending alerts to any individual in possession of a wireless phone and who was within range of a cell tower in the US, Puerto Rico, or Guam.
The EAS’ message read: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”
An ex-Amish TikToker revealed that three of his Amish friends had been reprimanded for having phones
Image credits: yodertoter40
The alert was reportedly accompanied by a powerful alarm sound, undoubtedly stunning those who weren’t aware that FEMA was running tests.
That’s when the Amish came into the picture.
The traditionalist Christian community lives a rural life, completely devoid of modern technology, whilst obeying certain strict rules that might result in shunning if not respected.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency sent out alerts to phone owners across the USA
Image credits: Tony Webster
As such, the Amish people would’ve been the few people in the country to not buzz with the loud EAS noise. Nevertheless, all was not quiet in one particular Amish community.
Eli Yoder, an ex-Amish, took to his TikTok page to share a video of what had happened when FEMA had sent out the emergency alert test and had revived some people’s hidden mobile phones.
“Guess what, I just got a couple of my Amish buddies shunned today by the Amish Church,” Eli explained in the now-viral clip.
The USA was reportedly testing its Emergency Alert System this week
Image credits: yodertoter40
He continued: “Over the few years there’s been quite a few Amish men that reached out and wanted phones, so whenever they request to have a phone I’ll do everything I can to try to get them a phone.
“Not always can I do so, but in some circumstances, I have been able to get them a phone.”
The former Amish member went on to reveal that three of his friends had told him they had to now “lay low for a while” after being shunned as a result of the EAS notifications.
Amish people are traditionalist Christians who live a rural life devoid of technology
Image credits: Randy Fath (not the actual photo)
Despite having kept their phones on vibrate mode, Eli’s friends said that their devices had still gone off.
“One guy said the elders were coming in his driveway and they were there to speak with him about something they heard about him, that he might have to get shunned,” the TikToker quipped.
He continued: “Right when that was going on, the alert went off and it was in his pocket.
“Now he’s getting shunned for both. Whatever they were about to shun him for and also the cell phone.”
Amish people are “averse to any technology which they feel weakens the family structure”
Image credits: Debby Hudson (not the actual photo)
According to Ohio’s Amish Country official website, the Amish are “averse to any technology which they feel weakens the family structure”.
Ohio’s Amish Country magazine also states that “it is common for Amish communities to allow the use of telephones, but they do not allow them in the home.”
Additionally: “several Amish families will share a telephone housed in a wooden shanty in a nearby location.”
“Got a couple of my Amish buddies shunned today by the Amish Church,” the TikToker said
@yodertoter40Several Amish men get shunned by the Amish church when the emergency alert system went off. Lol. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣♬ original sound – Eli Yoder
Amish Experience at Plain & Fancy Farm President Clinton Marti explained that the Amish do not have a central rule-making authority.
As a result, decisions about the “Ordnung” (Amish’s rules for daily living) are highly localized.
Therefore, certain phones are allowed, depending on the situation which “varies a lot, region by region”.
People found the awkward situation quite amusing
Image credits: saeeddicaprio
Clinton told Bored Panda that although most Amish allow phones, there were some exceptions such as with the ultra-strict Swartzentruber Amish sect that does not allow phones of any kind.
He also revealed that some Amish are only allowed flip phones with no internet, while others do have smartphones, and are not supposed to use applications such as Facebook and YouTube.
Moreover, shunning is quite a serious punishment for a member of the Amish community.
Despite people being shunned, some individuals couldn’t help but make memes out of the incident
Image credits: jotmanjotman
Exploring Amish Country explains that “Amish shunning is the use of social exclusion as a method used to enforce Amish church rules.”
Despite popular belief that such punishment forbids all social interaction, it does involve “rituals that remind the wayward of their sin and seek to bring them back into fellowship”.
When a person is shunned, Amish members may no longer eat at the same table as them, including at weddings or funerals.
While shunning is a strict practice that isolates people, the internet found the story quite comical
Image credits: Onyekaa_Ezugwu
Members may also have to stop doing business with the shunned person, as well as riding in their car.
The website also states that members “cannot receive anything” from the shunned person.
They wrote: “If when visiting your Amish family, you want to serve a glass of water to your parents, you must leave it on the table for one of your younger siblings to give to your parents.”
Many people wished they had seen the moment unfold in real time
Image credits: baselkanir
When asked about whether some Amish parents keep seeing their non-Amish Kids regardless of shunning policies, Ex-Amish Misty Griffin told Vice: “The rule of thumb, if you’re shunned, is that you can only visit every few years.
“You would have to eat at a separate table.
“It is like this in most Amish churches, but some of the most liberal Amish churches have relaxed the shunning a bit.
“I do know that usually, parents and siblings don’t want to enforce the shunning policy, but they have to or they’ll be shunned themselves.”
Shunned Amish people have to eat separately from the rest
Image credits: Jayce_Raphael
Clinton said: “I’ll say that shunning is not a knee-jerk reaction.
“An Amish person doesn’t just get shunned overnight.
“It is a process, where the leadership of the community tries to bring the person back into fellowship with the church, rather than excommunicate them.
“But, if the person persists and is unwilling to amend their wayward practices, the church will “put them under the ban” (another term for shun them.)”
“An Amish person doesn’t get shunned overnight”, an expert told Bored Panda
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The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently conducted a nationwide emergency alert test in the USA, sending alerts to smartphone users. The Amish community, which avoids modern technology, found themselves in an awkward situation when their banned phones buzzed with the emergency alert. Three Amish men were reportedly shunned by the church for having phones. The Amish live a rural life without modern technology and adhere to strict rules. The incident highlights the clash between traditionalist communities and advancements in technology. Despite the serious punishment, people online found the situation amusing and created memes about it.
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