[MD] Quality decline

[pholden at davtv.com]

> Quoting ARLO J BENSINGER JR <ajb102 at psu.edu>:
> 
> > [Platt]
> > Are Amish prevented from owning property? 
> > 
> > [Arlo]
> > No, they voluntarily hold all property in common, and share and distribute
> > resources as needed.  They function in many ways as did many of our native
> > populations. For the sake of co-existence, Amish are said to "own" the land
> > they farm, but this is really more of a communal ownership, more akin to
> public
> > lands than capistocratic ideas of "ownership".
> 
> I asked Google, "Do Amish own property?" and was quickly referred to this:
> 
> "One of the myths of the Amish is that they have "made socialism work." While
> their
> strict Anabaptist version of Christianity is communitarian in nature, that does
> not
> make them socialists. First, Amish own their own property and businesses and are
> expected to work hard to make a living. Second, theirs is a religious, not
> socialistic community. Families are expected to care for others when there is
> genuine
> need."
> 
> Is he lying? Would you agree the Amish are more Christian than Marxist?
 
>From another Website: http://www.everyculture.com/multi/A-Br/Amish.html
a direct contradiction of Arlo's assertion that the Amish "hold all property
in common."

"Although the Amish own private property, like other Anabaptists they have long
emphasized mutual aid as a Christian duty in the face of disaster."

Further, a number of sites point out that the Amish pay individual property
and income tax.

Doesn't sound like holding "all property in common" to me. But, I'm sure Arlo
will have some convoluted explanation.





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