You mentioned being tied to the outside world as being a problem...then why cell phones?
no wires
and there are many 'benefits' to remaining legally amish as with other religious groups who have exemptions
no taxes.. only income tax and sales tax
no passports needed to go to and from mexico and canada
no social security number so no ss or medicare witholding even if they are working with the 'english' at mcd's or wherever
are not forced to send their kids to public schools after the 8th grade
do not need a hunting or fishing license in most states though most states do make them obey seasons and limits
they can and do buy firearms of all types. plenty of amish carry semi auto's! though in pa you cant hunt with one.
even withg tighter gun laws and their not having a ssn or a dl, if they wantt o buy a firearm in pa they must at least get a state issued id card
on being connected--yes physically tied to a grid-
Do Amish use electricity?
Amish use electric power selectively
The Amish approach to electricity is somewhat complicated. Almost all Amish groups forgo using power from the public grid. But the Amish do rely on a variety of other sources to generate electric power.
Why do Amish avoid public power?
Amish do not use power from the public electric grid due to a belief that too much reliance on public power ties one too close to the world. Amish are cautious about worldly influences and ideas which may run counter to Christian values. Amish are careful about what they let into their homes, a fundamental sphere of Amish existence.
While Amish do not see much to fear in an electric iron or vacuum cleaner in and of itself, with electric sockets in the home, any of a variety of devices could be plugged in and used. Electricity does not discriminate, and eliminating public power from the home prevents the temptation of using television, radio, and the internet in the home. Additionally, too much reliance on labor-saving devices, Amish feel, may deprive children of character-building opportunities to work.
In Lancaster County, Amish had banned public power by 1920. Leaders saw public power as a threat for a number of reasons. Public power was considered a worldly luxury. Acceptance of public electricity was associated with a more liberal local group, the Peachey Amish, who had previously adopted it. Additionally, use of public power was also seen as a physical and symbolic connection to the non-Amish world. The decision to abstain from public power in the home, which has held strong for nearly a century, is a strong statement of Amish desire to remain separate (
Riddle, Kraybill pp 198-202).
from
http://amishamerica.com/do-amish-use-electricity/
Some amish do not let their districts use any ph for any reason. but they are fewer and far in between
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and yes, amish go to our hospitals and have operations and their babies there. actually, most amish districts have excellent health care coverage as each district and sometimes districts combine financially to form a type of 'health care credit union'
every provider in pa and other states i'd guess knows this, so they readily welcome amish patients even in private facilities and bill the cooperative health care fund if someone visits a facilitiy
