Sweet Fellowship: Duggars and Friends (aka the Bates Family and Other Featured Families Thread)

[Churchhoney]

38 minutes ago, bigskygirl said:

He needs to fire the both of them because they are doing a crappy job. Maybe this is why he is sending Jeremy to LA.

I don't think that's it.

From what he's said in sermons, it seems likely Jer's fleeing Laredo in part because it's filled with "demonic" heathen Catholics. So he's heading to LA to join a Protestant megachurch so big and dominating that it'll drive the specter of all those demonic Texas Catholics out of his mind. 

I think it's about time it dawned on God that Duggars and Duggar adjacents aren't ideal candidates for encountering heathens, period. 

... Maybe it already has. 

Edited March 27, 2019 by Churchhoney

[bigskygirl]

1 minute ago, Churchhoney said:

I don't think that's it.

From what he's said in sermons, it seems likely Jer's fleeing Laredo in part because it's filled with "demonic" heathen Catholics. So he's heading to LA to join a Protestant megachurch so big and dominating that it'll drive the specter of all those demonic Texas Catholics out of his mind. 

I think it's about time it dawned on God that Duggars and Duggar adjacents aren't ideal candidates for encountering heathens, period. 

... But maybe it already has. 

Especially when they had their very own heathen in the house *cough Smugs cough*

[Barb23]

I hope Jill R. keeps us posted on the growth of their garden & they have people lined up to take care of it while they are on the road.  I also hope they have success but all I  can picture is withered up dying plants in a few months.

I'm happy for Michael.  She would make a great pediatric nurse. Does Crown College have a nursing program?  I forgot she already has a degree & didn't she take courses in or was an EMT? I'm hoping  she will be too busy in her studies for her to be a babysitter or seamstress for the family.  Maybe they will end up living near them but not too close to be convenient.

I'm impressed at their very neatly packed moving van. If this were the Duggars, there would be 20 people &  boxes all around with a haphazardly packed van.  

[bythelake]

1 hour ago, Churchhoney said:

I don't think that's it.

From what he's said in sermons, it seems likely Jer's fleeing Laredo in part because it's filled with "demonic" heathen Catholics. So he's heading to LA to join a Protestant megachurch so big and dominating that it'll drive the specter of all those demonic Texas Catholics out of his mind. 

I think it's about time it dawned on God that Duggars and Duggar adjacents aren't ideal candidates for encountering heathens, period. 

... Maybe it already has. 

Haha,@churchhoney, I am a demonic heathen Catholic. I love the description.

I am old enough to remember the Mass in Latin and the changes stemming from Vatican 2. ( not barely enough changes,IMO).

We were never encouraged to read the Bible, never even had one. The Bible was for the theologians to interpret, not the common man. Passages from the Old and New Testament were incorporated into the Mass but that’s about it. I couldn’t quote the Bible if my life depended on it.

We prayed to God, not a vengeful God, but a kind and loving one, and to the Blessed Mother and the saints.

Despite these shortcomings, I am not hypocritical, judgemental, small minded, arrogant, or mean spirited.

For Jeremy in Laredo and Derick in CA to think that they could convert the heathen Catholics was either stupidity or hubris.Both places have been Catholic since the Spanish missionaries arrived in the 17th and 18th centuries. No interpretive dance,slice of banana bread,or sermon on masturbation was going to change that.

I have never heard of any Duggar doing good deeds. They never go to a soup kitchen, make meals for the sick, help with clothing drives, drive the elderly to their appointments.

This heathen Catholic and her good friends do that. Friends of other faiths, imagine that!

Maybe, the world wouldn’t be so screwed up if people would  accept each other no matter what their beliefs, yet wars are still fought over religion. 

People like the Duggars perpetuate that. They are so insulated in their clan that they never bother to learn about anyone who is different than they are. Maybe if they did, they’d be pleasantly surprised that we are not all demons.

Your demonic,heathen Catholic friend, bythelake.

PS: As I re-read this before sending, I guess I’m a tiny bit judgmental regarding the Duggars.

[bigskygirl]

6 minutes ago, bythelake said:

Haha,@churchhoney, I am a demonic heathen Catholic. I love the description.

I am old enough to remember the Mass in Latin and the changes stemming from Vatican 2. ( not barely enough changes,IMO).

We were never encouraged to read the Bible, never even had one. The Bible was for the theologians to interpret, not the common man. Passages from the Old and New Testament were incorporated into the Mass but that’s about it. I couldn’t quote the Bible if my life depended on it.

We prayed to God, not a vengeful God, but a kind and loving one, and to the Blessed Mother and the saints.

Despite these shortcomings, I am not hypocritical, judgemental, small minded, arrogant, or mean spirited.

For Jeremy in Laredo and Derick in CA to think that they could convert the heathen Catholics was either stupidity or hubris.Both places have been Catholic since the Spanish missionaries arrived in the 17th and 18th centuries. No interpretive dance,slice of banana bread,or sermon on masturbation was going to change that.

I have never heard of any Duggar doing good deeds. They never go to a soup kitchen, make meals for the sick, help with clothing drives, drive the elderly to their appointments.

This heathen Catholic and her good friends do that. Friends of other faiths, imagine that!

Maybe, the world wouldn’t be so screwed up if people would  accept each other no matter what their beliefs, yet wars are still fought over religion. 

People like the Duggars perpetuate that. They are so insulated in their clan that they never bother to learn about anyone who is different than they are. Maybe if they did, they’d be pleasantly surprised that we are not all demons.

Your demonic,heathen Catholic friend, bythelake.

PS: As I re-read this before sending, I guess I’m a tiny bit judgmental regarding the Duggars.

The only reason why they would do it is for the show and to bring attention to how giving they are. They remind me if politicians running for office showing up at certain places in order to make themselves look good.

I personally would not want any of the Duggars and/or their friends to show up in my time of need. Of course, I would love to see one of them head to a dangerous gang area preaching turning to God and the bible will save you from the dangers in your life.

[3 is enough]

As another “demonic” heathen Catholic (albeit a non-practicing one) I say Bravo @bythelake!

I have plenty of issues with the Catholic Church, but never once in all my years of attending Mass did I hear any denouncement of another denomination during a sermon, be it Protestant or any other religion.

And these idiots forget that the Catholic Church was the ORIGINAL Christian Church. This whole “Catholics are not Christians” idea is preposterous.

[DangerousMinds]

Isn’t is part and parcel of being an evangelical to try and convert the heathens? What’s the point in simply preaching to the choir?

[3 is enough]

20 minutes ago, DangerousMinds said:

Isn’t is part and parcel of being an evangelical to try and convert the heathens? What’s the point in simply preaching to the choir?

True, but it's their DEFINITION of heathens that gets me.  Their targets already believe in Jesus. 

[DangerousMinds]

1 minute ago, 3 is enough said:

True, but it's their DEFINITION of heathens that gets me.  Their targets already believe in Jesus. 

I agree. 

[bigskygirl]

7 minutes ago, DangerousMinds said:

I agree. 

They want to target people who do not blindly follow and believe the same things they do.

[DangerousMinds]

3 minutes ago, bigskygirl said:

They want to target people who do not blindly follow and believe the same things they do.

But how will Jeremy do this by attending a mega church full of people who already believe the same way?

[bigskygirl]

16 minutes ago, DangerousMinds said:

But how will Jeremy do this by attending a mega church full of people who already believe the same way?

He would want to build his own version of God's Army to promote his agenda and his way of thinking.

The Duggars along with people who want to associate with them have their agenda. Sadly it falls under ignorance, stupidity and bigotry, but as long as they can get the power to get everyone to follow their own religious and political beliefs, they would try to get it any way possible.

Edited March 27, 2019 by bigskygirl

[Churchhoney]

49 minutes ago, DangerousMinds said:

But how will Jeremy do this by attending a mega church full of people who already believe the same way?

Mr. MacArthur seems to make pretty good money doing this. So, you know, bucks. Just sayin'.

And of course you can always have an altar call. Save a few previously straying Valley Girls!

(sort of like Hillsong Church saved the Biebs (among others ...) ) 

Plus, mainline Protestants are also heathens to these guys. As are some of the evangelical or fundie pure Baptists, in the eyes of some of the evangelical or fundie pure Calvinists...or vice versa. I would guess that way more than half of the religious wars in history have been between competing sects of the same religion. Muslims sect vs. Muslim sect. Christian sect vs. Christian sect. Etc. Etc. So I guess "heathen' is entirely in the eye of the beholder. And if you try to convert the Lutherans down the street, there are no language barriers or travel expenses. 

What I think is hilarious or tragic (alternately) is imagining that the God of the entire universe would be so super-picky about a human embracing the "wrong" interpretation of a couple passages in the King James Bible that they'd burn the person in hell for it eternally. 

Proclaiming something like that seems to me to show a serious lack of perspective.  ;  )

But I really just think it's all a way to assert your dominance in a power grab while at the same time being able to deny that that's what you're doing. (also hilarious and tragic)

Edited March 27, 2019 by Churchhoney

[libgirl2]

3 hours ago, 3 is enough said:

As another “demonic” heathen Catholic (albeit a non-practicing one) I say Bravo @bythelake!

I have plenty of issues with the Catholic Church, but never once in all my years of attending Mass did I hear any denouncement of another denomination during a sermon, be it Protestant or any other religion.

And these idiots forget that the Catholic Church was the ORIGINAL Christian Church. This whole “Catholics are not Christians” idea is preposterous.

Amen! I might not agree with everything my church does but this Catholic is a Christian. I really get sick when people say we are not. Do they have some direct lifeline to God? 

38 minutes ago, Churchhoney said:

Plus, mainline Protestants are also heathens to these guys. As are some of the evangelical or fundie pure Baptists, in the eyes of some of the evangelical or fundie pure Calvinists...or vice versa. I would guess that way more than half of the religious wars in history have been between competing sects of the same religion. Muslims sect vs. Muslim sect. Christian sect vs. Christian sect. Etc. Etc. So I guess "heathen' is entirely in the eye of the beholder. And if you try to convert the Lutherans own the street, there are no language barriers or travel expenses. 

Nice to have them join us! 

[sondraK]

I'm thinking Michael will get pregnant when she gets her degree,and has officially 'given up' on ever having a baby.That's usually when it happens.If so,then she will likely never work as a nurse.

I do hope they have a couple kids or so sometime.They need to open to IVF,and not consider it unnatural.Sometimes nature needs a helping hand.

Or adoption,which ATI doesn't seem to like

[galaxychaser]

24 minutes ago, sondraK said:

I'm thinking Michael will get pregnant when she gets her degree,and has officially 'given up' on ever having a baby.That's usually when it happens.If so,then she will likely never work as a nurse.

I do hope they have a couple kids or so sometime.They need to open to IVF,and not consider it unnatural.Sometimes nature needs a helping hand.

Or adoption,which ATI doesn't seem to like

I think Michael stated that she went to fertility doctor. Fertility treatments are very expensive most likely they cannot afford them.

[lookeyloo]

3 hours ago, galaxychaser said:

I think Michael stated that she went to fertility doctor. Fertility treatments are very expensive most likely they cannot afford them.

Just had a thought. If she goes to nursing school and gets a job she might have good bough health insurance to pay for the treatments. If her headship will allow all that. 

[DangerousMinds]

I don't think much health insurance pays for that these days, but who knows.

[Temperance]

From what I've heard about Michael, isn't she supposed to be the most devout.  I wonder how her beliefs will affect her nursing career.What happens if she gets a gay patient or unmarried woman who's living with her boyfriend or someone who's drunk, etc.?  I don't her well enough to know, but it seems like it might make it hard for her to be a nurse. 

[DangerousMinds]

maybe she will try to save and convert them all?

Edited March 28, 2019 by DangerousMinds

[BitterApple]

4 hours ago, sondraK said:

I'm thinking Michael will get pregnant when she gets her degree,and has officially 'given up' on ever having a baby.That's usually when it happens.If so,then she will likely never work as a nurse.

I wonder if that's the grand plan behind the move. I suspect Michael was getting depressed in Chicago. She didn't seem to have many friends there and with no job to take up part of her days, she had way too much time to dwell on her fertility issues. I think Brandon is hoping a change of scenery, school and family activities will provide a much-needed distraction.

[Sew Sumi]

1 hour ago, DangerousMinds said:

maybe she will try to save and convert them all?

I don't think that's part of the job description. Thank heavens. I sure as hell wouldn't want to be stuck in a hospital bed listening to her drone on about my salvation. 😕

Edited March 28, 2019 by Sew Sumi
Autocorrect added an apostrophe

[louannems]

10 hours ago, BitterApple said:

I wonder if that's the grand plan behind the move. I suspect Michael was getting depressed in Chicago. She didn't seem to have many friends there and with no job to take up part of her days, she had way too much time to dwell on her fertility issues. I think Brandon is hoping a change of scenery, school and family activities will provide a much-needed distraction.

Is the old Gothard headquarters in Chicago where Brandon works?  I wonder if they are closing and moving to Big Sandy.  And Brandon is no longer needed in Chicago? So maybe it's just good timing to be moving back to Tennessee. I just cannot imagine a gothardite moving just for his wife's needs.

[questionfear]

11 hours ago, DangerousMinds said:

I don't think much health insurance pays for that these days, but who knows.

Depends on the insurance. Mine covered a ton when my son was conceived. And a lot of clinics will do payment plans. 

[JoanArc]

Did Michael actually get into a nursing school, or is she just doing prereqs? Even an EMT has to complete prereqs.

[Temperance]

Steve Maxwell has new post saying he's feeling better since he had the stents put in. He blames it on diet and hereditary*.  He never eats a big mac as he brags on the blog. but the only vegetable at Thanksgiving is the mayo-frosted salad. He also seems to have issues with anxiety, stress, etc., but Steve doesn't mention stress.  He does exercise regularly and seems to enjoy it! 

*I had no idea how to spell hereditary so I typed into to google. I recommend the technique to fundies. 

[ginger90]

Just including a few of the pictures from the post.

[Scarlett45]

11 minutes ago, ginger90 said:

Just including a few of the pictures from the post.

Kaylee is a pretty young lady but her makeup is SO HARSH. And what is she wearing?!!!

[Westiepeach]

1 minute ago, Scarlett45 said:

Kaylee is a pretty young lady but her makeup is SO HARSH. And what is she wearing?!!!

Well, she is for sale now. 

[GeeGolly]

Josie Bates is having a girl. Willow Kristy.

[Twopper]

This heathen Catholic has heard of the Duggars, the Bates and the Maxwells.   Who are the Rodrigues?  those senior pictures are pretty awful in my opinion.  Her smile is strange ( maybe her mouth is tired from all that posing), and it looks like she borrowed JB's hairspray in picture #2.  Her hair looks lacquered down.   The jumper is beyond hideous.  

[Ohiopirate02]

22 minutes ago, Westiepeach said:

Well, she is for sale now. 

But what man wants a 18 year old who looks like she's been rode hard and put away wet.  She should be fresh-faced and look like she could be a farmers wife.

[bigskygirl]

26 minutes ago, Twopper said:

This heathen Catholic has heard of the Duggars, the Bates and the Maxwells.   Who are the Rodrigues?  those senior pictures are pretty awful in my opinion.  Her smile is strange ( maybe her mouth is tired from all that posing), and it looks like she borrowed JB's hairspray in picture #2.  Her hair looks lacquered down.   The jumper is beyond hideous.  

Her smile reminds me of Wednesday in the first Adam Family movie when the camp counselor ask Wednesday to smile. She did smile, but someone ask the counselor to make her stop because it was scaring the other kids.

[GeeGolly]

It's a good thing they threw in the third picture, otherwise the photos look like they were taken a Sears, not a farm.

Poor advertising for a farmer husband.

And JillR really thinks the world is so stupid that all will think that her daughter is modest because she's wearing a long sleeved black shirt. The snug fit of the top and dress over the breasts that are in salute formation say otherwise.

[BradandJanet]

Unfortunately, Kaylee's makeup and poses make one wonder about the curriculum at Rodrigues Family high school and what kind of music might be involved. 

[galaxychaser]

Kaylee wants to marry a farmer so she can eat! 

She also looks 45. Ouch. 

Rod family high school haha.

[sondraK]

23 hours ago, galaxychaser said:

I think Michael stated that she went to fertility doctor. Fertility treatments are very expensive most likely they cannot afford them.

She did,but from what I understand,was trying to find the cause and they were hoping it could be treated without IVF,..like Erin's was...as they consider ivf to be 'unnatural',since it doesn't involve the actual act of sex.Or I suppose they would call it Sweet Fellowshipping.LOL

[sondraK]

19 hours ago, BitterApple said:

I wonder if that's the grand plan behind the move. I suspect Michael was getting depressed in Chicago. She didn't seem to have many friends there and with no job to take up part of her days, she had way too much time to dwell on her fertility issues. I think Brandon is hoping a change of scenery, school and family activities will provide a much-needed distraction.

I do hope it helps her.I can't imagine my self worth being based on fertility,only to find out I'm infertile.That must be a huge blow to Michael,who seems to love babies

[Ocean Chick]

I have to say that Kaylee’s graduation pictures are quite a bit better than Nurie’s. And that’s about all I can say about them. I think there might be a pretty girl under all that gunk, but it’s hard to tell. I wonder if the Rods will make the first courter take the oldest girl before the second one can be sold off?  Kinda like Leah and Rachel?  

[BitterApple]

"She hopes to marry a farmer someday" complete with stripper makeup and side angle of jutting boobs.

Jill's about as subtle as a sledgehammer.

[MargeGunderson]

Kaylee appears to have gone to the Tammy Faye Baker school of eyelashes. 

[Temperance]

I think Kaylee looks good. The Rods have really toned the make-up from a few years ago. The eye shadow in particular has been toned down.  Those lashes are very trendy.  

[LilJen]

I see another sister of Counselor Troi. Never heard any of these girls talk, but I kind of expect them to have that strange stilted way of speaking just like Counselor Troi.

Edited March 29, 2019 by LilJen

[McManda]

1 hour ago, Temperance said:

I think Kaylee looks good. The Rods have really toned the make-up from a few years ago. The eye shadow in particular has been toned down.  Those lashes are very trendy.  

Is she wearing shadow? I can't tell past the heavy eyeliner.

The lashes might be trendy but the eyeliner is definitely not. Nor are the thin eyebrows. You can for sure tell that the Rod girls learned their makeup skills from their stuck in the 90s Mama and not the current YouTube influencers.

But the most glaring is that Kaylee just doesn't look innately happy. She doesn't radiate the joy you might expect from a soon-to-be high school graduate. Maybe she's just camera shy, but I'm afraid it's just because she doesn't know anything except just going through the motions to maybe please mama.

[queenanne]

34 minutes ago, McManda said:

Is she wearing shadow? I can't tell past the heavy eyeliner.

The lashes might be trendy but the eyeliner is definitely not. Nor are the thin eyebrows. You can for sure tell that the Rod girls learned their makeup skills from their stuck in the 90s Mama and not the current YouTube influencers.

But the most glaring is that Kaylee just doesn't look innately happy. She doesn't radiate the joy you might expect from a soon-to-be high school graduate. Maybe she's just camera shy, but I'm afraid it's just because she doesn't know anything except just going through the motions to maybe please mama.

I find the lashes to be a fashion don't.  I mean, the idea is for them to be lush, not to clump together - Kaylee's clump, IMO, because they've been laden down with three ladies' worth of mascara.  I feel like many women I see with false eyelashes, they let the thicket of augmentation speak for itself, without simultaneously caking the lashes in mascara.

[Churchhoney]

49 minutes ago, McManda said:

Is she wearing shadow? I can't tell past the heavy eyeliner.

The lashes might be trendy but the eyeliner is definitely not. Nor are the thin eyebrows. You can for sure tell that the Rod girls learned their makeup skills from their stuck in the 90s Mama and not the current YouTube influencers.

But the most glaring is that Kaylee just doesn't look innately happy. She doesn't radiate the joy you might expect from a soon-to-be high school graduate. Maybe she's just camera shy, but I'm afraid it's just because she doesn't know anything except just going through the motions to maybe please mama.

Plus most high school graduates look happy because they're right on the verge of going somewhere else, doing something else, being somebody else, being adults, doing what they want to do, tasting freedom....etc.

But Kaylee's seen Nurie (and even Tim on his very very very long string). And she isn't feeling any sense of freedom, or excitement or joy or power or anticipation. It'll be just the same old grind for her, and she probably can't even imagine anything else. I mean, have Nurie and Kaylee ever gotten away from Jill and David ever? At all? Except for spending a summer at, God help us, the Pearl's. Have they even had a chance to find out that anything decent exists outside of what Jill imposes? In their warped stunted minds, they've been provided only with propaganda bashing them over the head with the idea that anything that isn't Mama and what Mama approves is hellish, deadly dangerous and horrible. 

So Kaylee knows her life will continue to be just the same as ever. The house full of Rodrigui or the RV -- in either case, Jill Jail. Forever. Or until the farmer -- or whoever -- comes along to spring her. Whichever comes first. In her mind, what's outside the house is worse, much worse, cause Mama says so. But inside the house there's nothing for her to look forward to either, as there would be if she were any ordinary kid graduating from school. 

She's even seen somebody come along apparently interested in courting Nurie and watched that last about as long as a wishy-washy soap bubble. So for all she knows her life will just go on as before. Nothing to get excited about. ....Maybe something to grind your teeth about, though, as she appears to be doing in those pictures, poor little slob-for-sale. 

Edited March 29, 2019 by Churchhoney

[Jynnan tonnix]

3 hours ago, BitterApple said:

"She hopes to marry a farmer someday" complete with stripper makeup and side angle of jutting boobs.

Jill's about as subtle as a sledgehammer.

That was actually, "she prays to marry a farmer". These people never hope for anything. I think that saying one hopes for something is about as sinful as mentioning "luck". Only by changing hope to pray and luck to blessings can one keep up their walk with God.

[NotFundie]

Poor Kaylee.  We don't even know if she really wants to marry a farmer.  Maybe Jill has decided that for her.  Perhaps Kaylee doesn't like working with animals or digging in the dirt so now Jill has decided that she has too much pride and ought to learn to farm.  Who knows?  

All we do know is that Kaylee looks like she's probably pretty (without all that makeup), that Jill found her a garish summer dress to wear over a long sleeved shirt, and that she had her "graduation" photos taken in front of livestock.  And we know that Jill is trying to unload her.  Janessa won't be breast feeding forever and there are only so many chicken legs to go around...

Edited March 29, 2019 by NotFundie

[awaken]

She’s a beautiful girl under all that makeup and hair spray. I just can’t get over that heavy black eyeliner!  It would be amazing to see these women made over in modern styles!  They’d be unrecognizable!

yes, I doubt life will be any different now that she’s graduated!  

[TresGatos]

Kaylee should ask the cow in the 3rd pic for makeup tips. The cow looks fantastic.