It's absolutely fascinating to me how we bend over backwards for the Amish cult to live in the sticks and pay fewer taxes. So much consideration for a group that wants nothing to do with us.
Cult seems like an unfair, if not outright incorrect description
"A cult is a group which is typically led by a charismatic and self-appointed leader, who tightly controls its members, requiring unwavering devotion to a set of beliefs and practices which are considered deviant (outside the norms of society)"
Meanwhile the Amish are a bunch of loosely knit groups that don't all even have the same views on technology. That's why some of them use cars, and even computers! [1]
Obviously the use is pejorative here and "cult" is the only word for "sect led by disingenuous person taking advantage of a bunch of people".
But "cult" is a very overloaded word. I'm a bit leery of using the first sentence of a wikipedia article as a dictionary definition with no alternatives.
I'm used to "cult" meaning "dangerous sect", but also just "new religion", "tiny religion", or "overly specific religion".
e.g. calling early Christianity a Jewish cult or talking about the Greek Cult of Athena
On a first read, I agree with you, but if I was in that department I’d love that we still have a model T and that we get to drive it around, especially compared to the other work they must do
Cult seems like an unfair, if not outright incorrect description
"A cult is a group which is typically led by a charismatic and self-appointed leader, who tightly controls its members, requiring unwavering devotion to a set of beliefs and practices which are considered deviant (outside the norms of society)"
Meanwhile the Amish are a bunch of loosely knit groups that don't all even have the same views on technology. That's why some of them use cars, and even computers! [1]
[1] https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2013/02/25/172886170/a-co...
Obviously the use is pejorative here and "cult" is the only word for "sect led by disingenuous person taking advantage of a bunch of people".
But "cult" is a very overloaded word. I'm a bit leery of using the first sentence of a wikipedia article as a dictionary definition with no alternatives.
I'm used to "cult" meaning "dangerous sect", but also just "new religion", "tiny religion", or "overly specific religion".
e.g. calling early Christianity a Jewish cult or talking about the Greek Cult of Athena
On a first read, I agree with you, but if I was in that department I’d love that we still have a model T and that we get to drive it around, especially compared to the other work they must do
"We" have been bending over backwards for far worse, so what's there to complain about?
To me, the presence of such groups indicates we are a tolerant society.
They make for fun strippers.