Sew Sumi

People keeps messing with the links, so I want to post the IBLP/Gothard-pertinent stuff here, so we have it in case they zap the links. "The methods employed by the institute have received numerous criticisms from alumni and online forums. John Krull, Executive Director of the Indiana Civil Liberties Union has called the center "appalling" and a "shadow world, where these kids almost disappear." The Institute in Basic Life Principles Training Center has been the subject of a local Child Protective Services investigation, and its principal, Rodger Gergeni, has denied allegations of maltreatment. Last year, at 79-years-old, founder Bill Gothard was accused of sexually harassing or assaulting 34 women, and resigned his position at the institute." BOOM! goes the dynamite.

Finally! IBLP is mentioned in a mainstream publication. The more Gothard gets exposed, the antsier TLC will get. I think People turning on the Duggars like this bodes ill for the show's future. The Duggars were all about the squeaky clean image; all negative press was subdued by the legions of leghumpers before this scandal. Now? The critics and supporters of the Victims are winning.

People has turned on the Duggars and brings Gothard out of the shadows and into the Mainstream conversation. About time! (edited because People changed the url) http://www.people.com/article/inside-josh-duggar-treatment- I think People getting their collective heads out of JB's ass is a bad sign for the future of the show. TLC can't be feeling good right about now.

Jessica Seewald also came out in defense of the abuser, now Pa Seewald posts this: http://seewalds.com/grace-greater-than-our-sin/ If Josh was a non-Christian minority, I imagine they'd be screaming to string him up.

FWIW, Guinn Seewald deleted my FB posts supporting Jessa and her sisters. I really do not understand the mindset of these people who forgives the abuser, but neglects the abused?

Interesting information about just how sheltered the Duggars were when they started filming 17 Kids. If true, Mechelle got a gay crew member fired. http://defamer.gawker.com/tell-your-duggar-tales-did-michelle-duggar-get-a-gay-c-1706502185

The first Duggar special aired in 2004. By 2006, they had moved in to the TTH, and gone to California. They celebrated Josh's 18th birthday in that special. So, yeah, they actually decided to do specials when Josh was closer to 16, taping 14 Kids not long after Josh returned from "rehab." What baffles me is why the Duggars decided to do the episodic shows after the police interviews had taken place. I know they claim that it's their "ministry," but given that they pretty much ignored the seething pot of resentment that hadn't been dealt with, the decision to do the weekly shows certainly boiled down to the egos of the "parents."

I was 100% sure yesterday that they were headed back to AR to circle the wagons. Today's events pretty much confirm this. Smuggar never would have quit without an assurance from his sleazy father that there would be a carlot waiting for him to run. I hate these people. I hope the girls (and Anna) get some real help. I wonder if the "61 year old woman" could be the old church friend who started helping Mechelle with the laundry after her meltdown? The age is about right.

Actually, they claimed that Derick returned to work either the same week or the week before, which I found really strange, but then he probably has taken off since Izzy's due date, so he did have a solid 4-5 weeks off BEFORE his surgery. I'm perplexed as to why he didn't just tack this surgery onto his family leave? With the TLC checks, I doubt losing another week of unpaid leave would make that much of a difference.

I agree. I'm sure there is a VERY extensive rider in place for these "candid interview" shows.

WTF? In the previews, there's a clip of Joe going off to college. He left....LAST JANUARY! Aaaaaaand there was Sierra's mop of hair in the crowd to send him off. I'm curious what Derick is up to? I am pretty sure he was doing grad school in the Southern Baptist seminary online, but he should still have quite a bit of time left since he can't study full-time. Maybe he quit Wally World to go scrub toilets with Binjermin? Any other guesses? eta: Marjorie sported another heart necklace. *gag*

Ben just turned 20 yesterday, so he was 18 and about 4 months when he began courting Jessa. He was still 17 when they began the :get to know you" phase. I saw that Marjorie just turned 17 in Feb. or March, so she is a full year younger than Ben. GEML, I'm usually with you, but how many people can anecdotally say that they royally fucked up the relationship they were in at 18, and are glad they never married that person (or anyone) at that age. Goes both ways, and I'm one who is eternally grateful that I didn't marry the guy I was going with when I graduated from high school.

The age of consent in AR is 16.

The meat of that was the "Sin in the Camp" story that Razing Ruth pretty much pulled out of her ass, likely after seeing Josh with his head shaved in that early special. He likely DID go to ALERT, but we don't know why. Maybe at that point, the Duggars were so into the vat of Gothard Kook-aid that they planned to send all of their kids to ALERT and/or JTTH. I do believe that all of them, aside from JD who may have gone between specials, down to Joy have been to one or the other. Most of the girls have been multiple times.

The TLC facebook page is in full-on delete and deny mode. Something must be up behind the scenes, because they aren't normally so quick to react. If this is a false allegation, InTouch (I think they were first with it) could be in for some hefty slander (or is it libel when written?) litigation against them.

Well, she never said it outright, but both of them have said that they are doing nothing to prevent pregnancy. Before the c-section, with her seemingly super fertility to conceive as she did, that could extrapolate out to 15-20 kids. Mechelle had 12 VBACs; let's see how many Jill can pump out before her uterus cries Uncle. I just hope they are heeding doctor's orders about when to resume sexual relations, as well as actively trying for another Blessing. Of course, those warnings never stopped her mother from having several kids 13 months apart; I frankly see Jill going in that direction, blithely thinking that bad things happen to other people, and that her faith will protect her from harm.

I'm sure the couples get paid for the weddings/birth episodes. Smuganna may also get paid for the episodes in which they are "thanked" in the credits. I haven't looked, so I don't know if the Dillards or Seewalds have been similarly "thanked" in newer episodes (my DVR cuts off before that point at the end). I'm sure Benessa and Jerick are also getting paydays from People for their respective photoshoots, although I bet the Duggar PR person is responsible for setting everything up; that way, JB still gets to exert some control over the Family Brand.

McManda, I hope that was the case here. I was always dispassionate before, but Cherin are my pet fundies. There, I said it! :D

I did some digging, and yes, it seems like the shots go through the duration of the pregnancy. That still doesn't guarantee anything. Apparently, there is still the risk of bleeding out during childbirth, which is why I highly suspect she had a c-section.

Erin has spent at least a day post-partum at the hospital, as the following cute as hell pics depict: https://instagram.com/p/2wPGtmFUAQ/?taken-by=chad_erinpaine https://instagram.com/p/2wNouCFUNK/?taken-by=chad_erinpaine https://instagram.com/p/2wOCqxlUN4/?taken-by=chad_erinpaine

Even Mary was there. I have a feeling TLC taped this as a MAJOR FU INTERNETZZZZZ!!!!!111 moment. I agree that the Duggars have likely never attended a graduation that wasn't from a homefool...errrr....."homeschool."

Well, the Bible (Leviticus?) has cleared the decks for them to resume sexual relations. If she is like her mother and already ovulating again, she could well be peeing on a stick in a couple of weeks (depending on her cycle). I think Michelle's closest spacing was 13 months between Jessa/Jinger/Joe...her body said enough! and Josiah was about 18 months later, but Joy was 14 months after Josiah and the twins were 14 months after that. Kelly Bates had about 6 in a row spaced about 13 months apart. I can't even imagine...

Thanks for the info on costing out a homebirth. I really have no clue. :D I couldn't find much information on Ben's community college, but it does look legit, so I guess he got an AA in*something,* He always talked about transferring to UofA, but with his social media ministry, college may well be over. I mean, most of the preachers in his world don't have advanced degrees; his FIL only has a high school education, but has the power to exhort the faithful leghumpers of NWA who can get invites to that inner sanctum. I will frankly be shocked if he continues his formal education.

Taken from the "Having a ..." episode thread w/r/t Josh's finances/donations/charity: I think part of the reason JB formed their own church was to avoid tithing. Hejust that cheap, and at the time, they weren't flush with money like they are now. Of course, they were off the charts with the Gothardism, but I am convinced that money played a significant part in making that decision. Especially when they were in the Johnson Rd. home; they likely claimed that home on their taxes as an exemption. I know they did not extend this to the TTH, but they didn't worship there for long before moving to the property warehouses/airplane hangars/off-site, soooper seeeekrit locales. I'm sure that they ARE claiming exemptions on whatever property they're using these days. Smuggar grew up with that influence, and the ring of bankruptcy law in his head. I think he's actually cheaper than Anna. She may buy thrift store stuff on camera, but the kids have been spotted in many, many of-the-season, brand new outfits. She obviously also buys their food on the cheap; there is money to buy "healthy choices" (sorry, making fun of Smuggar's old IG food pics), but looking at them, they don't seem to be eating that way. They're far too young to be running to fat, especially Smugs, where there is no observed family history of it, aside from Aunt Deanna (reasons for her obesity are unknown, could be medical, disability, etc).

Moving to the Smuganna thread.