Yeah that's bullshit. I live in a very very Amish area and I'm one of the minority who aren't Amish. Most of what people think about them is bullshit. So to hammer a few rumors out:
Electricity is a tool, and you're allowed to have tools in the barn, but not in the house.
A home phone/cell phone is a tool, it can be in the barn but not the house.
A car is a tool, but a photograph is vain. You can own a car but someone who isn't Amish has to drive it.
They all have cell phones, debit cards, vans, refrigerators, etc. They're just super picky about what gets to come inside the house
I also have friends in Amish and Mennonite communities in southern and northern Ontario.
Each community and group is unique to every other. Some are strict Orthodox and some relax the rules .... and some are so normal looking and acting that you wouldn't know they were Amish or Mennonite unless they told you.
My favorite are the thuggy Mennonites in southern Ontario. They drive around in brand new all black decked out SUVs (minus the chrome because you to show some humility), wear super clean black brimmed hats, sharp clothes and beautiful black leather jackets. Famously a few of them were caught smuggling coke and other drugs from Mexico.
They may have the fear of God in their hearts ... but they're just as greedy and worldly as any of us.
I recently looked into one of my local Mennonite churches, and it turns out that that particular church is probably actually one of the coolest, most liberal churches around, super LGBTQ friendly, lots of cool community outreach, etc.
Probably not representative of Mennonite churches in general mind you, but definitely shows the sort of diversity there can be there.
Eh, half the reason Amish hate phones is that they'll infect the community with newfangled ideas like respecting women and gay marriage, so I feel very comfortable laughing at them for their willful ignorance.