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

[DangerousMinds]

1 hour ago, becca3891 said:

When I say obsessed, I mean that we take the time to comment about them on a forum. :) I probably should have used a different word but we HAVE discussed Gothard here extensively, which was my point. Most Christians have no idea who he really is. In all their endless sermon, bible and life discussions while courting, there's really no reason why his name should have ever come up. So I very much disagree with you that Gothard is necessarily someone Derick or Jeremy know a lot about. 

Those are exactly my thoughts, too. They can't even speak alone before marriage, so no way the topic of Gthard comes up.

[Barb23]

2 hours ago, DangerousMinds said:

Those are exactly my thoughts, too. They can't even speak alone before marriage, so no way the topic of Gthard comes up.

Remember Babe didn't even seem to know the courting/engagement rules.  He didn't realize they were so strict about hand holding & hugging.  The girls might have mentioned to the guys the family trips to Big Sandy or that they used a certain home school curriculum but don't think they got into the nitty gritty of all things Gothard.  They (the girls) probably don't know it themselves. 

3 hours ago, becca3891 said:

When I say obsessed, I mean that we take the time to comment about them on a forum. :) I probably should have used a different word but we HAVE discussed Gothard here extensively, which was my point. Most Christians have no idea who he really is. In all their endless sermon, bible and life discussions while courting, there's really no reason why his name should have ever come up. So I very much disagree with you that Gothard is necessarily someone Derick or Jeremy know a lot about. 

Oops, my quotes got mixed up. 

[Sew Sumi]

Holy crap! Esther's back from Zambia! From his FB posting, it appears he stayed in Africa.  But, how on earth did they pay for the plane tickets? John always posts like they're just on this side of starvation, although it might explain how Esther remains so skinny after having TEN KIDS.

Edited November 25, 2016 by Sew Sumi

[Defrauder]

On 11/24/2016 at 6:13 AM, becca3891 said:

When I say obsessed, I mean that we take the time to comment about them on a forum. :) I probably should have used a different word but we HAVE discussed Gothard here extensively, which was my point. Most Christians have no idea who he really is. In all their endless sermon, bible and life discussions while courting, there's really no reason why his name should have ever come up. So I very much disagree with you that Gothard is necessarily someone Derick or Jeremy know a lot about. 

I understand what you're saying, and I agree that the majority of Christians ( 97-99.5%  probably) have no idea who Gothard is however, I seriously doubt Ben, Derick, or Jeremy can claim ignorance. I think they can feign ignorance for the purposes of all things TLC and making everything seem more palatable but I don't believe for one second that they truly don't know.  JB wouldn't let anyone within 10 feet of courting if they didn't know - and follow - the deal.  

[lianau]

9 hours ago, Sew Sumi said:

Holy crap! Esther's back from Zambia! From his FB posting, it appears he stayed in Africa.  But, how on earth did they pay for the plane tickets? John always posts like they're just on this side of starvation, although it might explain how Esther remains so skinny after having TEN KIDS.

do happy to be able to spend time her family . Less proselytizing more spell/grammar checking please . 

[BradandJanet]

I never expected to see Esther again. I wonder if she's here to stay or if John's holding the kids hostage so she has to go back. Also, what number baby is that? 

[Absolom]

The baby is really thin also.  I'm thrilled Esther got to visit her family.

[BradandJanet]

46 minutes ago, Absolom said:

The baby is really thin also.  I'm thrilled Esther got to visit her family.

Very thin and very odd. It doesn't help that he's dressed like an 80-year-old either. I don't predict a happy future for the little guy. 

[kokapetl]

Nobody looks quite right in that photo. 

[lookeyloo]

that poor baby in those black shoes that look like men's dress shoes.  

[Sew Sumi]

5 hours ago, BradandJanet said:

I never expected to see Esther again. I wonder if she's here to stay or if John's holding the kids hostage so she has to go back. Also, what number baby is that? 

#10, and I'm pretty sure it's a girl with a very obscure Hebrew name.

[BradandJanet]

I thought in Keller World, all baby girls have to wear those stupid pink headbands with the bows so no one will mistake the GENDER. Baby Shrader is cross dressing, and Jesus is going to be pissed when he finds out. 

[RazzleberryPie]

Priscilla's baby looks exactly like TFDW.

Like they put David in the dryer and shrunk him.

[Absolom]

1 hour ago, Sew Sumi said:

#10, and I'm pretty sure it's a girl with a very obscure Hebrew name.

Isn't that Isaiah born in June?

[BradandJanet]

Baby Shrader's strange shiny black shoes have wedge heels. If Baby S. were old enough to try to walk away from its nutty parents, it wouldn't get very far.  

Edited November 26, 2016 by BradandJanet
typo

[louannems]

On 11/12/2016 at 6:23 AM, Malvina said:

Ignore picture!

 

Regarding baby's shiny black shoes, surely they are Manly-Man shoes!

[Sew Sumi]

1 hour ago, Absolom said:

Isn't that Isaiah born in June?

That's not a 5 month old baby. I'm pretty sure she gave birth in September. 

At any rate, Daniel and Candice were invited (far right). Maybe Suze and Esther stayed behind with the parents? No sign of Rebekah, though. I hope she's not ostracized by her parents due to the divorce. ?

[GeeGolly]

What a difference a few years make. 

[Absolom]

Isaiah Kasimpe Shrader, 8 lbs 6 oz and 21.25 inches born around June 1, 2016.  Sorry. 

[louannems]

Which one is Anna?

Ma Keller really needed a better hair style!  No one needs to appear that unfortunate!

[Sew Sumi]

34 minutes ago, Absolom said:

Isaiah Kasimpe Shrader, 8 lbs 6 oz and 21.25 inches born around June 1, 2016.  Sorry. 

Well, as I said, I've been banned from Shrader's page, so I was just going on (obviously faulty) memory. And I still maintain that baby does not look 5 months old. I often think, like the Rodriguii, that the Patriarch is the only one who gets 3 squares a day. 

eta: Anna is lower right. She and Esther are the only ones that look remotely the same. Rebekah is identifiable only by her glasses. Prissy and Suze are unrecognizable. 

Edited November 26, 2016 by Sew Sumi

[Sew Sumi]

This post disappeared! I wanted to point out that brother Daniel, wife Candice, and son are not present in any pictures. Also unaccounted for at the Kellers' this week is Rebekah. I wonder if the parents had the gall to ostracize her due to the divorce? 

Edited November 26, 2016 by Sew Sumi

[Absolom]

I've commented that I think the child is very thin.  I would not be happy if that were a five month old related to me.  He reminds me of Chloe Anderson.  I fear they've both been deprived.

I don't think Rebekah is ostracized.  She was in the grandma's funeral photo.  Perhaps she had other reasons for not making the trip or not being in that photo.  Maybe she was with Esther.

[Sew Sumi]

4 minutes ago, Absolom said:

I've commented that I think the child is very thin.  I would not be happy if that were a five month old related to me.  He reminds me of Chloe Anderson.  I fear they've both been deprived.

I don't think Rebekah is ostracized.  She was in the grandma's funeral photo.  Perhaps she had other reasons for not making the trip or not being in that photo.  Maybe she was with Esther.

That's Esther in the last picture. Daniel is NOT accounted for in any of the Kellers' pictures this week (that's either Nathan or David behind Esther - sorry, they're interchangable to me - the other one is in the front next to Anna). I edited my post to reflect that Daniel was missing, but both this board and my laptop are VERY glitchy right now. 

Edited November 26, 2016 by Sew Sumi

[Barb23]

4 hours ago, lookeyloo said:

that poor baby in those black shoes that look like men's dress shoes.  

Hey,  they're better than what Jim Bob wore to Jinge's wedding !!

[Absolom]

That didn't look like Esther to me at first and of course I posted before you edited or at least typed it as you were editing.  :)  It didn't look like Daniel's wife either.

[Barb23]

Which Keller brother  wanted to help out Anna after the scandals?

[Nysha]

Daniel was the brother who wanted to help Anna leave Smuggar, which is probably why he isn't with the family at Thanksgiving.

Does anyone know the names & ages of Esther's children? They look pretty close in age, if she throws a couple of twins in there, she'll beat Michelle to 20 faster than any of the Duggar kids will.

[awaken]

Lumberjack josh. 

[RazzleberryPie]

The missing siblings could be at their spouses' homes for thanksgiving. No conspiracy. 

[Sew Sumi]

Rebekah is divorced, and AFAIK, hasn't remarried. Esther coming home is a HUGE deal, and back when Anna was pregnant with Mack, the sisters were close. Suze was there earlier in the week, but has moved back to FL not too too far from the family with her live-in BF. Now, I think SHE was with his family. Daniel moved to SC to be close to Candice's family; I'm sure they see each other often. That's why this is a bit suspect. 

[becca3891]

On 11/25/2016 at 6:33 AM, Defrauder said:

I understand what you're saying, and I agree that the majority of Christians ( 97-99.5%  probably) have no idea who Gothard is however, I seriously doubt Ben, Derick, or Jeremy can claim ignorance. I think they can feign ignorance for the purposes of all things TLC and making everything seem more palatable but I don't believe for one second that they truly don't know.  JB wouldn't let anyone within 10 feet of courting if they didn't know - and follow - the deal.  

I understand what you're saying, too. And I think the JB of 6-8 years ago never would have approved a non Gothard guy, but he had to make allowances when the ratings began to fall. His now famous 50 page document/quiz for prospective Duggar girl courters no doubt did include many Gothard-approved buzzwords and concepts, asking them if they'd be willing to consider living debt free and trusting god with the size of their family, etcetera, but I still am not convinced they really know the full deal about Gothard. He had already stepped down before Jeremy entered the picture, for a start, and as far as we know Jeremy never attended a conference. The biggest thing the Duggar parents and children talk about wanting is a "godly" spouse who of course embraces the fundie plan of salvation and has a "ministry mindset." Still, we'll probably never know for sure just how much the spouses did/do know.

10 hours ago, louannems said:

Which one is Anna?

Ma Keller really needed a better hair style!  No one needs to appear that unfortunate!

Anna is on the lower right. I didn't see it labeled anywhere; I just tend to have a knack for recognizing people's younger selves in photos. And haha, yes, Ma Keller's hair, glasses and fashion choices have always been quite something! She always reminds me of the women in the fundamentalist Latter Day Saints cult.

[GeeGolly]

Even if potential suitors know of Gothard, they may not know of the true scum that he is. I doubt they would have any reason to Google Gothard and many religions/cults protect/deny the wrong doings of folks within their belief system.

[RazzleberryPie]

10 hours ago, GeeGolly said:

Even if potential suitors know of Gothard, they may not know of the true scum that he is. I doubt they would have any reason to Google Gothard and many religions/cults protect/deny the wrong doings of folks within their belief system.

This - plus they may think the girl will leave and cleave, and take on her husband's family's beliefs.

also, I personally know scads of people who refuse to believe the Duggars aren't just an old fashioned, Godfearing family. They insist it isn't a cult and haters just need to pick up their bibles to see this,  bc the Duggars quote a scripture. Michelle is right up there with The Virgin Mary herself, and Josh repented. We should all send them love offerings right now to keep a wholesome family on teevee.

Edited November 27, 2016 by RazzleberryPie

[BradandJanet]

8 hours ago, RazzleberryPie said:

This - plus they may think the girl will leave and cleave, and take on her husband's family's beliefs.

also, I personally know scadsbod people who refuse to believe the Duggars aren't just an old fashioned, Godfearing family. They insist it isn't a cult and hates just need to pick up their bibles to see this,  bc the Duggars quote a scripture. Michelle is right up there with The Virin Mary herself and Josh repented. We should all send them love offerings right now to keep a wholesome family on teevee

The best way to try to keep order is to subdue individual potential. This is a dangerous move backwards, and it disturbs me that the Duggs are honored for their contribution. History does not support backwardness, but it's hard to have a perspective in the moment. 

[Zella]

12 hours ago, RazzleberryPie said:

This - plus they may think the girl will leave and cleave, and take on her husband's family's beliefs.

also, I personally know scads of people who refuse to believe the Duggars aren't just an old fashioned, Godfearing family. They insist it isn't a cult and haters just need to pick up their bibles to see this,  bc the Duggars quote a scripture. Michelle is right up there with The Virgin Mary herself, and Josh repented. We should all send them love offerings right now to keep a wholesome family on teevee.

I've noticed this too.

I had several family members/friends who never watched the show or really knew anything about them other than they were Christian and had a large family. Whenever the Duggar scandals started to break, they hadn't bothered to read or research anything, so their knee-jerk reaction was "That poor family." I had to basically beat them over the head with examples, police reports, and research before they finally conceded that the family was way creepier than they had assumed. 

[IndianPaintbrush]

Have any of the Bates posted on social media since the fire started in TN? They live close to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. 

[Sew Sumi]

I'm banned from Whitney's page (still haven't figured out why), but Zach posted something fire-related. 

It's about 70 miles from them, in the town where the younger Bateses all seem to go to lose their virginity. I hope that place has been spared. 

eta: Things can't be that bad. Pizza party at Erin's! 

Edited November 30, 2016 by Sew Sumi

[MunichNark]

I'm banned too, but I know why:-))

That pizza looks yummy, what is all that orange stuff though?

Cannot stand Lawson, his smugness, hypocricy and whatnot gets on my last nerve. Carlin's rather a show off as well.

Why is he wearing those gigantic headhphones when he is with company?

[Bitter Betty]

Is Lawson still playing the heartbroken suitor who can find no joy in family togetherness or pizza?

Carlin is gorgeous.

[Lemur]

5 hours ago, MunichNark said:

I'm banned too, but I know why:-))

That pizza looks yummy, what is all that orange stuff though?

Cannot stand Lawson, his smugness, hypocricy and whatnot gets on my last nerve. Carlin's rather a show off as well.

Why is he wearing those gigantic headhphones when he is with company?

Because he's a musician.  And musicians always have something to signify their trade on them ... right?  /snark

ETA: The orange stuff looks like chicken of some nature, probably pre-packaged barbeque or Buffalo flavor.

Edited November 30, 2016 by Lemur

[RazzleberryPie]

Looks like buffalo chicken pizza. Quote adventurous for people who didn't even eat broccoli a few years ago. 

[flyingdi]

Most of the Bates children seem somewhat like show offs to me.  Some of them may be more quiet about it than others.  Plus the children like to all talk at once.  That house would probably drive me crazy.  Still they are allowed more personality than the Duggar kids.

[Sew Sumi]

Lawson, or rather UP, is having a free "concert" in Mt. Airy, NC on 12/13. Who is in the area and willing to take one for the team? ?

[Lady Edith]

On 11/21/2016 at 8:49 AM, Defrauder said:

It would not surprise me if there is some secret fundie courtship ritual group meeting somewhere where they(the fathers of course) determine who goes with who and when.  It would horrify me yes, but would not surprise me.

There is...and these folks apparently meet semi-regularly.

http://letthemmarry.org/

[Sew Sumi]

Sad news. It looks as if the cute rustic hotel where the Bates kids have gone to lose their virginity before heading off on their respective honeymoons was gutted by the Gatlinburg fire. I recognized it on the Weather Channel this morning.

[Love2dance]

32 minutes ago, Sew Sumi said:

Sad news. It looks as if the cute rustic hotel where the Bates kids have gone to lose their virginity before heading off on their respective honeymoons was gutted by the Gatlinburg fire. I recognized it on the Weather Channel this morning.

That is so sad. The fires there are devastating.

[Churchhoney]

On 11/25/2016 at 2:38 PM, Kokapetl said:

Nobody looks quite right in that photo. 

Very true-to-life photography, then.

[kokapetl]

2 hours ago, Sew Sumi said:

Lawson, or rather UP, is having a free "concert" in Mt. Airy, NC on 12/13. Who is in the area and willing to take one for the team? ?

Oh give it up and get a real job. Or take some clothes off. 

[Sew Sumi]

He flexed a bicep the other day! His 14 year old leghumpers  (and given comments made between siblings and him, he's well aware who his target demographic is) were enraptured.