You cannot pull into Arthur, Ill., without seeing black, horse-drawn
buggies.  And you cannot leave the Arthur area at the end of a day without
wondering about your own inconsistencies.
        Horse-drawn black buggies are the most obvious symbol of the Amish life.
In recent years, the Amish have added state-mandated 12-volt batteries that
power red lights affixed to the back of the buggy.   
        In July my friends and I spent a day touring the Amish farms and
businesses around Arthur.  We began by watching an introductory film at the
Amish Intrepretive Center in downtown Arthur.  Because the Amish don't want
their picture taken, the film is done entirely without showing an Amish
face.  
        After lauding the benefits of the Amish way of life, the narrator brings
the 10-minute film to an end by questioning the viewer.  "Why have you come
here today?"  "Is there something you can learn from these beautiful and
unique people?"  "What kinds of things are you supposed to absorb as you
drive along these quiet country roads?"  Feeling a bit conspicuous, I
wondered whether these Amish people wanted this tourist driving by their
homes?  
        For $25 the Interpretive Center sets up an hour-and-a-half guided tour,
which I highly recommend.  A 74-year-old Mennonite gentleman named Mr.
Kuhns loaded in our van and guided us into the heart of the Amish farming
country. "I guess the Amish community around is about 5,000 people," Mr.
Kuhns said.  "It's growing a bit."
        We began passing black buggies pulled by sturdy horses.  People waved
from their buggies.  Our guide knew everyone and was related to most of the
people we passed.  The women and girls were dressed in navy dresses and
white bonnets; the men and boys wore suspenders and broad-brimmed straw
hats.    
        The Amish and the Mennonites are Christians.  Mr. Kuhns, who was Amish
until he was 30, said the two groups have common historical roots.  Both
were part of the early Anabaptist movement in Europe, which took place at
the time of the Reformation.  Each group has been known for their
traditional practices and their quiet, peaceful way of life.  The
differences among the two groups have almost always been ones of practice
rather than Christian doctrine.
        There are no electrical lines going to the white Amish houses.  Mr. Kuhns
said the Amish take seriously a verse in Romans 12 that says, "Do not be
conformed to this world."  The Amish do not believe electricity is evil in
itself, but easy access to it could lead to temptations and the
deterioration of church and family life.  The verse from Romans guides much
of their life.
        The Amish do, however, believe in gas power.  Silver propane tanks sit
outside almost every home.  The propane gas operates water heaters, modern
stoves and refrigerators.  Gas lanterns light homes, barns and shops.  
        Occasionally we noticed a small phone-booth-looking building along the
road.  "That's a phone booth," Mr. Kuhns said.  The Amish do not put phones
in their homes, but they will use them, in much the same way they will ride
in a car without driving one.  
        Our guide says you have to try and understand that by rejecting certain
types of modernity and accepting others, the Amish appear to be
contradicting themselves.  But he said some modernization to meet their
living needs requires compromise.  They try to disrupt their social
structure as little as possible.  The Amish don't see this as hypocritical.
        A map given at the interpretive center marks the farms and businesses
that are now realizing profits from the tourists.  Using our map, we drove to an
Amish home for a prearranged tour.  The talkative woman showed us her
spotless and simple white home.  
        A white garage housed two black buggies.  She suggested we tourists take
our pictures of each other sitting in the buggies.  One buggy belongs to
her 20-year-old son.  That buggy had colorful blue carpet and a stereo
system that runs off the 12-volt battery.
        Sadly, she lamented that her son's buggy is rarely used anymore.  Behind
the garage she showed us her son's Honda racing motorcycle that goes more
than 150 MPH.  She said, "I hate this thing.  Our son has not decided if he
wants to stay Amish.  He now drives his truck to Champaign where he works
every day."
        Driving back to Champaign my friends and I discussed the biblical idea of
not being conformed to this world.  I wondered which things in my own life
were necessary compromises and which were unnecessary inconsistencies.