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

[Triple P]

2 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

I'll guess Gigi or Juju.

Jill is a Glamma.

But Jiji would be good because that's the name of the cat in Kiki's delivery service and the I can laugh about Jill sharing her name with a witch's familiar.

[ginger90]

8 pictures:

 

 

[Oldernowiser]

Yes, sure, that will convert all kinds of people driving by. Hundreds. Thousands.

Give me a break.

[Madtown]

7 minutes ago, ginger90 said:

8 pictures:

 

 

How do any of these kids get geared up for this shit? When they are told this is what they are going to do with their day, are they super excited about it? I would feel like a complete douchebag..lol

[Temperance]

I've mentioned the Bowers family many times. They're a family of grifters who travel the country and preach and maybe sing. They're well-known fundies. The parents have 9 kids. The oldest two kids are girls and those girls are married to two of the Bontrager sons in arranged marriages.  (The Bowers keep moving. They moved three or four years in a row. One year they moved to Iowa and that was the year their daughters courted the Bontrager boys.) 

Anyway Carver Bowers posted a picture to Instagram. His new post features Carver, and a bunch of guys with him. (Some of them are Bowers, but I'm not sure who they all are. I'm not even sure which is Cooper.) What's relevant is the Bowers are in the TTH. In the picture with them are JB, Michelle, Johannah, Jennifer, and Josie. 

I'm getting better at posting links, but I don't know how to post Instagram links. Someone could post the IG post if they want. 

The Bowers boys are part of a lost generation fundie young men with poor work prospects.  Their family doesn't have money like the Bontragers, or Duggars. They don't seem to have a lot of earning potential and yet they're expected to find someone to marry and be quiverfull. There seem to be quite few fundie young men with that problem. 

[Absolom]

I'll try:

 

 

[louannems]

7 hours ago, Heathen said:

Acne scarring AND deep forehead wrinkles (thanks, genetics) AND being generally homely in a Michael Phelps way. This photo is particularly bad -- 35 is generosity. 

What is it with fundies and polo shirts? Do polos bring you closer to Dog or something? 

Especially if you button up the polo all the way up!!!

[Absolom]

I think Carver is far left back row.

[Temperance]

@Absolom Thank you! 😀 That is the picture I was talking about. 

[JoanArc]

Still with the creepy prepare to meet thy God sign in the middle of a pandemic.

It’s stuff like that gives me the willies.

[GeeGolly]

What the fuck are the Rods doing?

And next up, rumors that Jana's courting.

[Girl in a Cardigan]

12 minutes ago, JoanArc said:

Still with the creepy prepare to meet thy God sign in the middle of a pandemic.

It’s stuff like that gives me the willies.

Yes, I would definitely think they were planning to murder me if I stopped too long at a traffic light...

[GeeGolly]

14 minutes ago, JoanArc said:

Still with the creepy prepare to meet thy God sign in the middle of a pandemic.

It’s stuff like that gives me the willies.

Zombies

[Churchhoney]

48 minutes ago, Temperance said:

I've mentioned the Bowers family many times. They're a family of grifters who travel the country and preach and maybe sing. They're well-known fundies. The parents have 9 kids. The oldest two kids are girls and those girls are married to two of the Bontrager sons in arranged marriages.  (The Bowers keep moving. They moved three or four years in a row. One year they moved to Iowa and that was the year their daughters courted the Bontrager boys.) 

Anyway Carver Bowers posted a picture to Instagram. His new post features Carver, and a bunch of guys with him. (Some of them are Bowers, but I'm not sure who they all are. I'm not even sure which is Cooper.) What's relevant is the Bowers are in the TTH. In the picture with them are JB, Michelle, Johannah, Jennifer, and Josie. 

I'm getting better at posting links, but I don't know how to post Instagram links. Someone could post the IG post if they want. 

The Bowers boys are part of a lost generation fundie young men with poor work prospects.  Their family doesn't have money like the Bontragers, or Duggars. They don't seem to have a lot of earning potential and yet they're expected to find someone to marry and be quiverfull. There seem to be quite few fundie young men with that problem. 

Not a bit of social distancing in the TTH picture either. They really are all completely unconcerned. It seems so odd.

Listened to some of Carver Bowers' piano music on youTube. .... Not wild about his touch. But he does seem to have some musical imagination. And I like his style better than Erin Bates'. Not a lot of banging.

Edited August 23, 2020 by Churchhoney

[sleepysuzy]

1 hour ago, Zella said:

He'd probably look better, but I wonder how uncomfortable that would be in a Florida summer working outside. A lot of guys I know around here in Arkansas shave their beards in the summer due to the heat and humidity, and I know Florida is even worse. 

He could look good in fall and winter and goofy in spring and summer. Nathan probably has a decent tolerance for the heat, though. He wears long pants and at least short sleeves (no tank tops) year round.

Nurie with her long hair down makes me feel sweaty. I have long hair, but it's almost always up or braided this time of year.

[galaxygirl76]

1 hour ago, Madtown said:

How do any of these kids get geared up for this shit? When they are told this is what they are going to do with their day, are they super excited about it? I would feel like a complete douchebag..lol

They were probably promised food. 

[Marthalord]

I’ve heard about the Bowers a few times but don’t know them too well. I recognize 3 Bowers. I think the oldest boy is Charlie whose wearing dark red (he’s 21). Cooper has been around taking pics with the Duggars for years now. People always thought he was trying to pick up a Duggar bride. Don’t know who the others are. 

HOLY CRAP Jenny is tall and looks so much older!!!

[crazycatlady58]

47 minutes ago, Churchhoney said:

Not a bit of social distancing in the TTH picture either. They really are all completely unconcerned. It seems so odd.

Listened to some of Carver Bowers' piano music on youTube. .... Not wild about his touch. But he does seem to have some musical imagination. And I like his style better than Erin Bates'. Not a lot of banging.

I just listened to " Abide with me" I liked it but I don't remember the song being played in that high of key...not sure if I have explained it correctly it just seemed a little shrill.

[awaken]

Rods and signs- that wouldn’t attract or interest me in converting or learning more about their faith. I would just think these poor people are crazy. And I was brought up in that world to do crap like that. 
 

the Bowers visit- courter potentials for Jana or Johanna?  

[emma675]

People holding religious gloom and doom and judgement signs in traffic confuse me. What is the point? Do they really think they are converting people that way? I don't understand what they hope to accomplish other than feeling self righteous and judgemental. 

[MichaelaRae]

3 hours ago, ginger90 said:

8 pictures:

 

 

Hey, Jill, since we KNOW you read here. If you're so committed to spreading the word of your Jesus, why do you turn off comments on your posts? Jesus took on the moneychangers at the temple but more importantly, was a) not afraid to debate theological points with believers and non believers (1 Peters 3:15) and b) willing to welcome the questions and practices of nonbelievers (Romans 14:1). If you were a true believer in the bible you claim to follow, you'd be willing to take on all comers to "bring them to Jesus."

Or are you just a hypocrite who can't handle any faith in Jesus that isn't YOURS (LITERALLY the opposite of what Jesus preaches. PS, FEED YOUR DAMN KIDS and STOP POISONING PEOPLE WITH PLEXIS.))

Edited August 23, 2020 by MichaelaRae

[MunichNark]

This seems to be a real american thing, holding up signs. Doesn’t happen here.

why do they never have sign that are positive? Love, hope, charity? Whats with the threatening doom? 
Feed your damn kids jill!! You are truly despiccable.

tessie is gorgeous, pity she’ll be plastered in make up and fried hair any minute now.

im glad im not the only one who only saw boobs with them “blouses”😱😱 i was a bit horrified at myself for that...

[mynextmistake]

On 8/7/2020 at 7:38 PM, Sew Sumi said:

That would be affirmative. 

eta: Pic #2 is the CD.

 

Call me crazy, but considering that he’s flying a plane shouldn’t he be, you know, PAYING ATTENTION? I know these fundies are supposed to let Jesus take the wheel and all that, but unless Jesus has a pilot’s license I think I would be looking out the front window to make sure I wasn’t about to fly into a large boulder.

[Baby Button Eyes]

Tessie looks like her upper gums have a SEVERE case of gingivitis. They look red and swollen. 

[andromeda331]

5 hours ago, emma675 said:

People holding religious gloom and doom and judgement signs in traffic confuse me. What is the point? Do they really think they are converting people that way? I don't understand what they hope to accomplish other than feeling self righteous and judgemental. 

Its the lazy way to go "convert" people. Anything else would require actual work which Fundies especially Rods don't do. It doesn't work but they can always just blame it on sinners.  

[Chicklet]

Those Carvers- well that picture makes them look over-eager and, for lack of a better term, "hungry" like they are going to jump someone. And are sure the one on the right isn't a secret Duggar with his hairline? Things that make you go hmmmm.

And J'chelle continues with her journey as the Incredible Shrinking Woman.

I won't even go into what the hell Josie is wearing. Jeez.

Edited August 24, 2020 by Chicklet
I can spell honest I can.

[Guest]

I'm not a Bible reader, so was baffled by the "prepare to meet thy god," quote with the inexplicable dangling comma. So, I looked it up, and the ACTUAL Amos 4:12 quote is:

Quote

“Therefore thus will I do to you, O Israel; Because I will do this to you, Prepare to meet your God, O Israel!”

Again, no Bible scholar here, but they're taking the quote completely out of context to scare gullible passing motorists.

[Churchhoney]

11 hours ago, GeeGolly said:

What the fuck are the Rods doing?

 

Their new church does a lot of that holding-signs-by-the-side-of-the-road thing. On their website there are a bunch of photos of them out there holding up their signs. Everybody from age 4ish to age 80-something, looks like. So for once the dumb idea isn't Jill's. It's somebody else's. 😈

Luckily the road the church is on is one of those "this used to be the main road through these parts but then they built the great big bypass" roads. So they have fewer chances to be struck by cars while proclaiming their stuff (I wish they didn't think proclaiming their stuff was a good use of their or other people's time -- but I don't want to see them mained or killed because of it!). 

The road they're on, by the way, is part of America's historic U.S. Route 30, the famous "Lincoln Highway," the first coast-to-coast American road, running from NYC to San Francisco. It's one of the romantic roads of my childhood -- I never got anywhere near either end of it when I was a kid...But a person can dream...lol

Edited August 23, 2020 by Churchhoney

[ginger90]

 

 

2 pictures:

 

 

[GeeGolly]

4 minutes ago, Churchhoney said:

Their new church does a lot of that holding-signs-by-the-side-of-the-road thing. On their website there are a bunch of photos of them out there holding up their signs. So for once the dumb idea isn't Jill's. It's somebody else's. 😈

Luckily the road the church is on is one of those "this used to be the main road through these parts but then they built the great big bypass" roads. So they have fewer chances to be struck by cars while proclaiming their stuff (I wish they didn't think proclaiming their stuff was a good use of their or other people's time -- but I don't want to see them mained or killed because of it!). 

The road they're on, by the way, is part of America's historic U.S. Route 30, the famous "Lincoln Highway," the first coast-to-coast American road, running from NYC to San Francisco. It's one of the romantic roads of my childhood -- I never got anywhere near either end of it when I was a kid...But a person can dream...lol

So they have no clue that standing out there accomplishes nothing.

'My' road, like so many others, was Rte 66.

[Churchhoney]

8 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

So they have no clue that standing out there accomplishes nothing.

'My' road, like so many others, was Rte 66.

Well, I guess you could just have stopped with the more inclusive true statement -- "They have no clue." ....But, yeah. 

Re: roads:  Route 66 is the coolest one, I think. And I'm quite partial to Route 1, also with a coolness factor. But Route 30 was my local romantic road! 

 

 

 

Edited August 23, 2020 by Churchhoney

[BradandJanet]

6 hours ago, Baby Button Eyes said:

Tessie looks like her upper gums have a SEVERE case of gingivitis. They look red and swollen. 

Yikes. Her gums must bleed regularly. Renee may have the same problem. 

I'm kind of surprised that the Rods have any teeth at all given their poor diet and lack of spending on such things. Granted, dental care can be expensive (so can home remodeling and decorating), but Jill should be able to set up a grift with a god-fearing dentist for cleanings; she did it for orthodontia. There might be free clinics they can use. Jill's back teeth are black and rotted, so she just needs to make sure the girls keep their front teeth until she can get them married and pass the upkeep to a new headship. 

[Scarlett45]

11 minutes ago, BradandJanet said:

Yikes. Her gums must bleed regularly. Renee may have the same problem. 

I'm kind of surprised that the Rods have any teeth at all given their poor diet and lack of spending on such things. Granted, dental care can be expensive (so can home remodeling and decorating), but Jill should be able to set up a grift with a god-fearing dentist for cleanings; she did it for orthodontia. There might be free clinics they can use. Jill's back teeth are black and rotted, so she just needs to make sure the girls keep their front teeth until she can get them married and pass the upkeep to a new headship. 

Well the kids are fairly young. Sometimes dental condition is genetic and influenced by the acid in your stomach- not so much diet or hygiene. The kids might just be lucky and have great teeth (I hope for them)!
 

I’m 34 and just had my first cavity (I whined like a little baby in the small talk thread), and although I always had regular dental care I never had braces or was particularly fastidious about brushing (just a normal 2x a day)- I have friends that are always having problems and brush, floss, use water piks, are always in the dentist chair over something. 
 

But the thing with Jill is that the kids would have to be in extreme pain for her to do anything and then it may be too late to avoid serious work or tooth loss. Teeth don’t grow back. Also I could see her caring more about the girls dental health than the boys- girls have to be pretty don’t ya know. 

[Zahdii]

11 hours ago, emma675 said:

People holding religious gloom and doom and judgement signs in traffic confuse me. What is the point? Do they really think they are converting people that way? I don't understand what they hope to accomplish other than feeling self righteous and judgemental. 

I think you're right.  

Someone says "We're not getting our message out.  We need to get the attention of more people, make them visit us, save their poor souls.  We need to grow our church, get new members.  What can we do?"  

In the back of their minds they're counting up new converts, because converts give them bonus points with God.  But there are probably very few people who just show up and start attending services, (except the Rods, and they're hella annoying).  How to get more people to come?  Do we really want more people to come, when they might be a drain on our resources like the Rods?  Crap, we have to at least have the appearance of trying.

They could lead by example, but that takes time and effort.  How about they make up signs and stand by the road?  Did the Rods make up the signs?  I would have thought Jill would point that out if her hunky husband did it with his printing equipment.  Maybe Jill's hunky (portly) husband did so, but she failed to mention it.

So the big day comes.  Jill sends some of her sons out to hold up signs and posts about it later.  I doubt that the church got anyone to ask about their beliefs or visit the church later, or we would have heard about it.

But the church could tell themselves that they were really trying hard to spread the word, and they were ignored or even flipped off a few times.  Now they can gather together to tell each other that the world is in a bad state, how sad for those heathens.  But remember, we tried and were rejected.  It was really hard on our members who went out and exposed themselves to the evils of the world, but hey!  Bonus points for us for trying!  

When we all find ourselves in heaven and we see those who spurned us trying and failing to gain admittance, we'll pray for them with a smirk on our face. We'll be thinking about the floorplan of our new heavenly abode, catching up with those who came before us, and exchanging stories of how life on earth was so hard.

Those heathen assholes who didn't follow the plan will be shunted off the Hell.  So sad for them, but yea for us!!!!

[crazy8s]

8 hours ago, mynextmistake said:

Call me crazy, but considering that he’s flying a plane shouldn’t he be, you know, PAYING ATTENTION? I know these fundies are supposed to let Jesus take the wheel and all that, but unless Jesus has a pilot’s license I think I would be looking out the front window to make sure I wasn’t about to fly into a large boulder.

I once flew on an air ambulance to bring my grandmother from Texas to Michigan. little prop plane. I sat up front with the pilot, med person sat with grandma in the back. I still laugh that there was a lot of time both the pilot and I were doing crossword puzzles and asking each other on different clues. auto pilot was on and every once in a while pilot answered or contacted someone by radio as we entered different areas. but mostly we were doing crossword puzzles. I was not worried at all.

[Churchhoney]

10 hours ago, mynextmistake said:

Call me crazy, but considering that he’s flying a plane shouldn’t he be, you know, PAYING ATTENTION? I know these fundies are supposed to let Jesus take the wheel and all that, but unless Jesus has a pilot’s license I think I would be looking out the front window to make sure I wasn’t about to fly into a large boulder.

Well, flying planes is a little different, especially if you're not in a mountainous area or a thunderstorm or fog or something. A whole lot of flying does go on when pilots are looking elsewhere......And where he is there's really nothing to run into.

That said, I think it would probably speed and cement learning by quite new pilots if they did pay a lot of attention while they were in the air -- not just looking out the front but getting the feel of things with all their senses, watching what the instruments do, thinking through any weather signs they can note and so on. 

The real trouble with not paying attention and not actively flying the plane at all times may be that it accustoms you to do that, so when an actual problem comes along more inexperienced (or just worse) pilots kind of forget that at that point they do need to actively fly the plane.  I've been told that's the cause of a lot of private-plane crashes. 

So, yeah, Tim, pay attention. Although, to be fair, he may just be looking to the back for a few seconds for a photograph. It's possible he's paying a lot of attention and is trying to learn from everything.

His mother and father wouldn't do this, but I always feel like giving the Rod kids the benefit of the doubt. They get so little of anything I figure that's the least I can do. 

Edited August 23, 2020 by Churchhoney

[Oldernowiser]

1 hour ago, Churchhoney said:

The real trouble with not paying attention and not actively flying the plane at all times may be that it accustoms you to do that, so that when a real problem comes along more inexperienced (or just worse) pilots kind of forget that they need to keep actively flying the plane.  I've been told that that's the cause of a lot of private-plane crashes. 

I don’t even use cruise control for the same reason... I am absent-minded by nature. Anything that removes me further from the process is not a good idea!

Timmy. Poor schmuck. And that sad little girl with her thumb in her mouth. Sigh.

[Churchhoney]

15 minutes ago, Oldernowiser said:

I don’t even use cruise control for the same reason... I am absent-minded by nature. Anything that removes me further from the process is not a good idea!

Timmy. Poor schmuck. And that sad little girl with her thumb in her mouth. Sigh.

Ditto to all of the above.

[GeeGolly]

1 hour ago, Oldernowiser said:

I don’t even use cruise control for the same reason... I am absent-minded by nature. Anything that removes me further from the process is not a good idea!

Timmy. Poor schmuck. And that sad little girl with her thumb in her mouth. Sigh.

I 'don't allow' my husband to listen to sports when he's driving. I swear he gets so lost in the game he forgets he's driving and thinks he's at home in the living room.

[sondraK]

12 hours ago, Chicklet said:

Those Carvers- well that picture makes them look over-eager and, for lack of a better term, "hungy" like they are going to jump someone. And are sure the one on the right isn't a secret Duggar with his hairline? Things that make you go hmmmm.

And J'chelle continues with her journey as the Incredible Shrinking Woman.

I won't even go into what the hell Josie is wearing. Jeez.

I know.They look like they're thinking of running off with one of the Duggar ladies,though Jana is the only one of age.They'll have to fight for her.LOL

Maybe Jill is hoping to win more converts so she'll have more ppl to grift from.Jat

[Nysha]

On 8/22/2020 at 12:01 PM, sleepysuzy said:

I know quite a few guys with his kind of features - big nose, weak chin, very lean - who went from goofy dork to macho mountain man by growing a beard.

I watch a science YouTube video and the guy doing it did the same thing. He's not bad looking w/o the beard but he just doesn't have a chin. Now that he has a well-trimmed beard he's kind of hot.

[floridamom]

That little Rod girl with her thumb in her mouth needs attention. That poor kid.

[ginger90]

 

5 pictures:

 

 

 

If anyone is thinking this looks familiar:

[GeeGolly]

JillR looks like she's having a bathroom affair with a microphone. Run microphone, run.

[Churchhoney]

1 hour ago, ginger90 said:

 

5 pictures:

 

 

 

Longing To Hear "Well Done", Jill 🙂

What???

[Nysha]

Now we know why there is a chair in the bathroom. What happens if one of the Rodlets need to use the toilet?

[Pixie Chicken]

6 minutes ago, Churchhoney said:

Longing To Hear "Well Done", Jill 🙂

What???

It's a reference to scripture, one of the parables: "Well done, good and faithful servant." 

It's Christianese humble brag: "I'm doing such wonderful things! Look at me! But I'm just serving God...." 

Edited August 24, 2020 by Pixie Chicken

[Churchhoney]

11 minutes ago, Pixie Chicken said:

It's a reference to scripture, one of the parables: "Well done, good and faithful servant." 

It's Christianese humble brag: "I'm doing such wonderful things! Look at me! But I'm just serving God...." 

Got it. Thanks. I never recognize these for some reason.

13 minutes ago, Nysha said:

Now we know why there is a chair in the bathroom. What happens if one of the Rodlets need to use the toilet?

"Practice holding it, dear."

[BigBingerBro]

So she does 10 minute segments?  They are pretty generous to her.

[Liddy52]

44 minutes ago, Pixie Chicken said:

It's a reference to scripture, one of the parables: "Well done, good and faithful servant." 

It's Christianese humble brag: "I'm doing such wonderful things! Look at me! But I'm just serving God...." 

I also think she is pretending that when she goes to heaven she hopes to hear, "Well done, Jill." from God. But I think she REALLY hopes to hear " Well done, Jill",  from her followers accompanied by a generous donation to help further her "ministry."