I have a question for my fellow Christians in this group. I know from the comments that most, if not all, of the people in this group feel that “God is in control”. Often I see people suggesting to “turn it over to God”. My question is, what do most people mean by that? I was recently reading an article concerning the Amish struggle with their local authorities concerning building codes they feel are in violation of their beliefs, specifically the use of smoke detectors, etc. They feel this is contrary to putting their trust in God. According to Karen M. Johnson-Weiner, Anthropologist: “There are a number of aspects of the building code that are problematic. The need for smoke detectors and now carbon monoxide detectors. That’s putting your faith in a manmade device instead of God. What God wants to happen will happen. The Amish are building their homes according to way their Ordnung says they have to build. If, heaven forbid, a fire comes, sweeps through the house and something terrible happens, the child will be in a better place, the people will be in a better place, they’ll be with God. Theirs is not an intellectual faith; it’s a lived faith. In a very real way because everything they do is guided by their Ordnung, by their beliefs. In a way they’re always in church.”
In addition because the Amish believe that families and the community look after each other, they do not purchase any type of insurance – fire, etc on their homes or life or health insurance. Because they refuse to take any government Social Security disability or retirement, they are exempt from paying into that system but they do pay income taxes. They believe to have insurance, etc is to depend on something besides God’s will for them. In other words, they refuse any sort of ‘safety net” other than God and each other.
I am not Amish and I was not raised this way but it has made me think about this. I’m would like some feedback from other Christians concerning this.