Originally Posted by dbd33

Not in Ontario. They don't use tractors but teams of horses, that's partly why the horse auctions are so interesting, they're buying and selling horses as machinery; they'll be advertised as teams "broke to plough" or "broke to wagon" or whatever. I don't know the details of Mennonite theology but it would seem that specific machines, perhaps those in existence at the time of the religion's foundation, are not allowed; cars and tractors being examples while others such as gas powered weed whackers (!) are allowed. We get summer sausage and eggs from a Mennonite farm where there's just a sign and a bowl for the money, the sausage and eggs are in a fridge so, I suppose, fridges are also allowed.

Mennonites here wear clothes of a limited range of colours fastened with clasps rather than buttons or zips. They smoke like chimneys and are major marijuana growers. They're also big in barn building, if you need a barn you can get a team of Mennonites to come, by wagon, and build it quite cheaply but you have to feed and house them while they work.

Samples of horses for sale as equipment here:

http://www.davidcarson.on.ca/gallery-2006-04-22.php

lot 24 is described in the catalogue as being "Well broke to drive.....have been driven on busy paved road with transport trucks". Perhaps they're ex-Young's brewery.

Originally Posted by willmore

Thanks for adding this - I forget about it! Except I have never ever seen a mennonite smoke - I thought it was against their religion? or are there cultures of mennonites?

Originally Posted by willmore

You are welcome. I learned something from Judy's messge.

I might also add that most of the mennonites around the KW area have no electricity or electrica appliances of any kind.....

Originally Posted by 1066

:eek: Not even battery operated .......... :eek: ;)

Originally Posted by dbd33

I think there must be different cultures. For example, not all Mennonites would consider a fridge acceptable, perhaps there are orthodox and radical wings of Mennonitism (Mennonitry ?). Certainly the arena at the horse auctions has the air quality of a tube train smoking car.

On the way to the Christmas horse sale we passed several buggies going quickly through the snow, one on skis, they looked extremely stylish. However the parking lot at the sales is full of trucks and horse boxes so, I suppose, Mennonites can at least pay a heathen to drive a horse around. That might be like the Jews who would pay us to turn lights on for them when we were kids.

Originally Posted by willmore

Can you imagine how deprived their sex life must be! :D

Originally Posted by Judy in Calgary

Interesting if puzzling. I don't understand the contradictions but, hey, if it works for them, I won't try to convert them to buttons.

Originally Posted by 1066

Is that deprived or depraved ....... :D

Originally Posted by willmore

Maybe a little of both - Ill ask next time Im in the KW area! :D

Originally Posted by dbd33

Well indeed, clasp wearing seems one of the less harmful manifestations of religious extremism. I can't get over the weed whackers though, women stand at the side of the road in long dresses, aprons and bonnets and wield these noisy machines. It's incongruous.

Originally Posted by willmore

Maybe a little of both - Ill ask next time Im in the KW area! :D

Originally Posted by willmore

I
If you are ever in the St. Jacobs area, you will see them still driving horse and buggy in the middle of winter.

Originally Posted by Prakash & Sandra

I have heard that Canada is far more materialistic than the UK.
Having always been someone who refuses to follow the crowd :mad: , will this cause any problems. :confused:

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/QUOTE]

Dont know if Canadians are pathologically more materialistic but on my travels I cant help but notice the majority of their garages are crammed with crap, maybe its cause there is more on offer. However they seem to get shot of it to their neighbours yearly with garage sales.