Jessa, Ben and Their Brood: Making a (Diaper) Mountain out of a Mold House

[Defrauder]

That's pretty standard Christan doctrine. Ever since Eve ate the apple humanity has proven itself to be evil and not worthy of the redemption that Jesus offers us, etc.

I don't see that as standard Christian doctrine at all, in fact I see it as the opposite of Christian doctrine.  It may be standard in Duggarland but in mainstream Christianity her viewpoint would be considered absurd.

[Featherhat]

My Church doesn't subscribe to original sin or generational sins and we are mainstream protestant. I think it take's the official line that we all sin because we are human and Jesus was the sinless Massiah to took our sins upon himself in our place (I always think of CS Lewis writing this about Aslan in Narnia when I think about this and not the Bible), but that's a far different thing than saying "Jesus was the only *good* person ever" IMHO.

That line sounds to me like a cutesy idea some fundie had for a meme but either totally mangled doctrine and mixed up the words "good" and "totally sinless" or they have a worse grasp of theology than I thought or believe in some fairly bizarre stuff. Even the Catholic churches I've been to don't really talk about Adam and Eve's temptation much.

Edited August 30, 2015 by Featherhat

[sometimesy]

Did Ben just crash this event, sit down and start signing autographs. Did he speak?

[Churchhoney]

I don't see that as standard Christian doctrine at all, in fact I see it as the opposite of Christian doctrine.  It may be standard in Duggarland but in mainstream Christianity her viewpoint would be considered absurd.

 

Well, that may be kind of true if mainstream Christianity means a lot of people in the pews and what they think their churches preach. When it comes to the theologies and founding documents actually espoused by Christian churches, everybody except Jesus being completely born into sin and being sinners descended from sinner Adam is the standard, and Jesus was born perhaps primarily to remedy that  Presbyterians, Lutherans, Catholics, you name it. It's in their in the creeds and doctrines and catechisms. A few of the most liberal and modernized denominations -- the ones more interested in a social gospel like the United Church of Christ, for example -- kind of downplay it a bit. But it's there too, really, in my opinion.

 

The UCC creed, a much less blatant statement but I think the implication is the same:

We believe...In Jesus Christ, the man of Nazareth, our crucified and risen Lord,he has come to us and shared our common lot, conquering sin and death and reconciling the world to himself....He calls us into his church to...resist the powers of evil....He promises to all who trust him forgiveness of sins.

 

In fact, among the UCC's declared sins is racism -- so when you start including attitudes like that, you're in some ways broadening the definition of true sins from what they seem to be in some other churches -- and you're implicating pretty much everybody.

That line sounds to me like a cutesy idea some fundie had for a meme but either totally mangled doctrine and mixed up the words "good" and "totally sinless"

 

I think it's this. They love to grab onto cutesy statements and post them, for the shock impact, I suppose.

Edited August 30, 2015 by Churchhoney

[Julia]

I'm not sure. I think you'd basically have to ignore that Job and Noah and Jonah and, in a very real sense, Jesus are in the bible to come to the conclusions that (respectively) bad things only happen to bad people, that bad things happening to us are God's direct intervention into our lives, that we get to write other people off because we think they're sinful, and that there's no salvation.

 

Unless Miss Jessa is attempting to say Christian doctrine holds that He failed or He wasn't born at all, it's kind of a ridiculous statement for her to make, JMO. Frankly, I think she was attempting a clever slapdown and fell very, very short. It's still a ridiculous statement, though. Again, JMO.

Edited August 30, 2015 by Julia

[GeeGolly]

Well, that may be kind of true if mainstream Christianity means a lot of people in the pews and what they think their churches preach. When it comes to the theologies and founding documents actually espoused by Christian churches, everybody except Jesus being completely born into sin and being sinners descended from sinner Adam is the standard, and Jesus was born perhaps primarily to remedy that  Presbyterians, Lutherans, Catholics, you name it. It's in their in the creeds and doctrines and catechisms. A few of the most liberal and modernized denominations -- the ones more interested in a social gospel like the United Church of Christ, for example -- kind of downplay it a bit. But it's there too, really, in my opinion.

 

The UCC creed, a much less blatant statement but I think the implication is the same:

We believe...In Jesus Christ, the man of Nazareth, our crucified and risen Lord,he has come to us and shared our common lot, conquering sin and death and reconciling the world to himself....He calls us into his church to...resist the powers of evil....He promises to all who trust him forgiveness of sins.

 

In fact, among the UCC's declared sins is racism -- so when you start including attitudes like that, you're in some ways broadening the definition of true sins from what they seem to be in some other churches -- and you're implicating pretty much everybody.

 

I think it's this. They love to grab onto cutesy statements and post them, for the shock impact, I suppose.

Well I'm just going to thank ... well be thankful, for my naivete when it comes to religion. I'm going to stick with being good in my heart, and kind with my actions and words.  (Well maybe not on here, I might be less than kind when sharing my wonder & sometimes disgust where the Duggs are concerned)  ;)

[Absolom]

Many people take Augustine's writings too far.  Also the Eastern churches don't accept that part of Augustine's writings.  Jessa and Ben seem to be members of the very extreme Calvinist fringe.

[Julia]

Oh, sure. Augustine, whose mom forced him to be a whoredog, and who kept slipping back to his not-wife to make more babies for him not to support when he got holy again. I can absolutely see how he'd be Jessa's boy.

 

Of course, Catholic saint, but hey. Nobody's perfect, with a fairly small margin of error.

Edited August 30, 2015 by Julia

[Julia]

But do you think Jessa's read St. Augustine, or even a Cliff's notes version? I doubt she could even tell you who he was. Unless he was mentioned in a wisdom booklet, of course.

 

No, I don't imagine she's aware that there is a theological underpinning to her beliefs. It just seems apt that some of it can arguably be traced back to someone who got forgiven kind of a lot before he decided everyone else couldn't be saved.

[Churchhoney]

I'm not sure. I think you'd basically have to ignore that Job and Noah and Jonah and, in a very real sense, Jesus are in the bible to come to the conclusions that (respectively) bad things only happen to bad people, that bad things happening to us are God's direct intervention into our lives, that we get to write other people off because we think they're sinful, and that there's no salvation.

 

Unless Miss Jessa is attempting to say Christian doctrine holds that He failed or He wasn't born at all, it's kind of a ridiculous statement for her to make, JMO. Frankly, I think she was attempting a clever slapdown and fell very, very short. It's still a ridiculous statement, though. Again, JMO.

 

Well, there are a bunch of ideas mucking around here here. I was responding to the idea that mainstream Christianity doesn't subscribe to the belief that all humans are sinners. And it seems pretty clear to me that, contrarywise, although some very modernized and liberal churches really really downplay that and say that they don't believe in "original sin," nevertheless the theologies and doctrines that are the basis of every mainstream Christian group I'm aware of do say that all humans are born into sin and are sinners. 

 

Jessa, though, implies all sorts of other stuff, notably that bad things are somehow visited on people because they're all sinners, which, as you say, isn't something the Bible implies at all. Same for her implication that being "a sinner" means that a person can't also be described as "a good person." But she clearly picks quotes and words for shock value. And the shock she really likes is the one in which she accuses everybody who isn't a Duggar of being a bad person who's likely to be sent horrible suffering now and through eternity because of their unredeemableness. I didn't intend to espouse any of that.

 

But I think it's pretty clear that all Christian belief requires that believers regard themselves and everybody else as sinners -- however they and their churches define that term. Otherwise, there's not much reason to say that Christ died for everybody.

[Julia]

Well, there are a bunch of ideas mucking around here here. I was responding to the idea that mainstream Christianity doesn't subscribe to the belief that all humans are sinners. And it seems pretty clear to me that, contrarywise, although some very modernized and liberal churches really really downplay that and say that they don't believe in "original sin," nevertheless the theologies and doctrines that are the basis of every mainstream Christian group I'm aware of do say that all humans are born into sin and are sinners. 

 

Jessa, though, implies all sorts of other stuff, notably that bad things are somehow visited on people because they're all sinners, which, as you say, isn't something the Bible implies at all. Same for her implication that being "a sinner" means that a person can't also be described as "a good person." But she clearly picks quotes and words for shock value. And the shock she really likes is the one in which she accuses everybody who isn't a Duggar of being a bad person who's likely to be sent horrible suffering now and through eternity because of their unredeemableness. I didn't intend to espouse any of that.

 

But I think it's pretty clear that all Christian belief requires that believers regard themselves and everybody else as sinners -- however they and their churches define that term. Otherwise, there's not much reason to say that Christ died for everybody.

 

No, I get that. I wasn't responding as though I thought you were defending the implications of what Jessa said. I just, for someone who's practically been sitting on the porch with a shotgun daring anyone to judge her very, very, very fallen brother, she seems to reckon grace not too much for the rest of the world.

 

Of course, she did say they'd be willing to adopt, which one could interpret to address a concern about the effects of reality TV-levels of childbearing on that figure she's so fond of, but I've chosen to be generous and read as her being less of an asshole than she appears to be when she's trying to be cutting.

[CofCinci]

The special airs tonight.  It was Jessa's big chance for a spin-off.  But Josh messed that up -- again.

[kandinski]

Does anyone else thin Ben has such an unpleasant aura around him?He just seems to drip negative from every pore,beedy little eyes too....

[GeeGolly]

Does anyone else thin Ben has such an unpleasant aura around him?He just seems to drip negative from every pore,beedy little eyes too....

Yes. And I would like him to spend an hour in a room with people of all faiths. I would pay to watch that.

[Churchhoney]

The special airs tonight.  It was Jessa's big chance for a spin-off.  But Josh messed that up -- again.

 

Thank you, Josh.

[CofCinci]

Do you all think Jessa watches herself?  I think so.

[JenCarroll]

Every wannabe actress has a shit ton of headshots in their trunk.

Who are you calling a wannabe? Jessa has been acting for years now.

[Julia]

Yes. And I would like him to spend an hour in a room with people of all faiths. I would pay to watch that.

 

In Queens, please. Within a few miles of our old house you could find a few ultra orthodox jewish communities, a muslim community, a hindu community, a whopping great big Catholic parish, a greek orthodox cathedral, a big baptist parish, the russian orthodox, the AME baptists, the korean evangelicals, the followers of a cod-buddhist guru, and about four dozen others (I had no idea about the Swedenborgians), as well as the oldest surviving Quaker meeting house in the US. 

 

I would pay cash money to see that (theological) beatdown.

[GeeGolly]

In Queens, please. Within a few miles of our old house you could find a few ultra orthodox jewish communities, a muslim community, a hindu community, a whopping great big Catholic parish, a greek orthodox cathedral, a big baptist parish, the russian orthodox, the AME baptists, the korean evangelicals, the followers of a cod-buddhist guru, and about four dozen others (I had no idea about the Swedenborgians), as well as the oldest surviving Quaker meeting house in the US. 

 

I would pay cash money to see that (theological) beatdown.

Queens sounds like the perfect place!! Now how to get him there ... I know we'll ask him to speak at a Northern Men's Conference. He'll show, but we'll need to give him time to get his head shots ready.

[Joe Jitsu913]

Does anyone else thin Ben has such an unpleasant aura around him?He just seems to drip negative from every pore,beedy little eyes too....

I get that vibe about most of the Duggars.

[Churchhoney]

In the Washington area, people would try to get him to join the interfaith conference, which includes Baha’i, Buddhist, Hindu, Islamic, Jain, Jewish, Latter-day Saints, Protestant, Roman Catholic, Sikh, Zoroastrian and more. We could invite him to some of these events. http://ifcmw.org/programs/ The annual Interfaith Concert is especially fun. I'd really like to see what Ben and Jessa do when someone reaches out to them from across what they consider a Hell-guarded barrier and seeks mutual understanding. They look so angry and grumpy to me a lot of the time. I wonder how they'd respond to a sincere attempt at dialogue, bridge building and a search for common ground.

 

Okay, I suppose I'm dreaming ... but they're young, they're thinking about the birth of their first child. Surely they must have some desire for peace, love and understanding in there somewhere, right?

Edited August 30, 2015 by Churchhoney

[sshellowe]

http://radaronline.com/celebrity-news/jessa-duggar-ben-seewald-speak-southern-womens-world-convention-babies-adoption/

Alright then......they really want to have twenty kids? Finish their "adoption class" next year and start adopting younguns? What adoption agency in their right mind would give this clueless couple a baby? Well, aside from Jim Bob and Michelle..with the lack of money coming in, they probably would pass a few of the younger ones off on them. Who am I kidding .....the "rehab center" probably runs a sister adoption agency for gothard teens that strayed from the path of righteousness.....

[CofCinci]

Adoption is a big "F.U." to her cult.  I find it so interesting that she is following through with her threats to adopt.

[Satchels of gold]

In Queens, please. Within a few miles of our old house you could find a few ultra orthodox jewish communities, a muslim community, a hindu community, a whopping great big Catholic parish, a greek orthodox cathedral, a big baptist parish, the russian orthodox, the AME baptists, the korean evangelicals, the followers of a cod-buddhist guru, and about four dozen others (I had no idea about the Swedenborgians), as well as the oldest surviving Quaker meeting house in the US. 

 

I would pay cash money to see that (theological) beatdown.

I was just watching a documentary called biological Adam and the opening segment says that Queens is the most diverse place on the planet. So from a former Bronx girl ,yea Queens!!!

[Churchhoney]

http://radaronline.com/celebrity-news/jessa-duggar-ben-seewald-speak-southern-womens-world-convention-babies-adoption/

Alright then......they really want to have twenty kids? Finish their "adoption class" next year and start adopting younguns? What adoption agency in their right mind would give this clueless couple a baby? Well, aside from Jim Bob and Michelle..with the lack of money coming in, they probably would pass a few of the younger ones off on them. Who am I kidding .....the "rehab center" probably runs a sister adoption agency for gothard teens that strayed from the path of righteousness.....

 

OMG. Don't tell me that the adoption plans are now linked up in their nasty little heads with another bid to get themselves back on television.

 

Hoping this is just a misleading juxtaposition created by Radar Online. But it's scary to me. ... Not that anyone will let them adopt a bunch of kids, thank goodness. But how else does Binjermin propose to pay the bills for this army?

 

"And the couple even revealed they hope to have as many as 20 kids — but many of them will be adopted. The couple revealed they hope to prepare to welcome children into their home after they complete an adoption class within the next year.

"So is more reality TV in the pair’s future? It remains to be seen, Seewald said in an interview. “I don’t know…if people want to watch us, I don’t mind, but I want to live a peacefully quiet life and just serve the Lord and if people find that interesting, then awesome, but I won’t seek that out myself,” he said.'

[Julia]

I was just watching a documentary called biological Adam and the opening segment says that Queens is the most diverse place on the planet. So from a former Bronx girl ,yea Queens!!!

 

Both of my parents lived in the Bronx growing up (and my uncle the Monsignor once reduced an israeli friend of mine to laughing to the point of tears by referring to a doctrinal kerfuffle as a "mishegoss"), so yay the Bronx!

Edited August 30, 2015 by Julia

[JoanArc]

Jess looks like she's aged a bit. If there's 20 kids it'll look like Michelle 2.0. I wouldn't adopt these fools a cat, let along a kid. Don't you need A JOB to adopt. Jessa's will be all gone next year.

[kokapetl]

OMG. Don't tell me that the adoption plans are now linked up in their nasty little heads with another bid to get themselves back on television.

Hoping this is just a misleading juxtaposition created by Radar Online. But it's scary to me. ... Not that anyone will let them adopt a bunch of kids, thank goodness. But how else does Binjermin propose to pay the bills for this army?

"And the couple even revealed they hope to have as many as 20 kids — but many of them will be adopted. The couple revealed they hope to prepare to welcome children into their home after they complete an adoption class within the next year.

"So is more reality TV in the pair’s future? It remains to be seen, Seewald said in an interview. “I don’t know…if people want to watch us, I don’t mind, but I want to live a peacefully quiet life and just serve the Lord and if people find that interesting, then awesome, but I won’t seek that out myself,” he said.'

Radar online neglects to quote Ben or Jessa stating at the "southern women" event that they want 20 kids including some adopted, which isn't a good indication.

[Churchhoney]

Radar online neglects to quote Ben or Jessa stating at the "southern women" event that they want 20 kids including some adopted, which isn't a good indication.

 

True.

[Joe Jitsu913]

I was just watching a documentary called biological Adam and the opening segment says that Queens is the most diverse place on the planet. So from a former Bronx girl ,yea Queens!!!

I watched that on Netflix. Very interesting.

[BitterApple]

Does anyone else thin Ben has such an unpleasant aura around him?He just seems to drip negative from every pore,beedy little eyes too....

Both of them do. Their Instagram posts are all judgment and damnation. Who the hell would want to be around those two self-righteous Debbie Downers all the time? It's okay to have fun and enjoy life, God doesn't mind.

[lulu69]

A poster in the radar comments section hit on a possible Benessa master plan; get a whole bunch of older foster kids - each comes w/govt $ and they can be groomed to raise the younger kids ala TTH. Jessa can sit back, collect the $ and have others raise her 20 kids. MEchelle would be sooo proud!

Edited August 31, 2015 by lulu69

[pinkelephant3]

You know I really don't hate Ben I just think he's young and dumb

[MrsMommy]

A poster in the radar comments section hit on a possible Benessa master plan; get a whole bunch of older foster kids - each comes w/govt $ and they can be groomed to raise the younger kids ala TTH. Jessa can sit back, collect the $ and have others raise her 20 kids. MEchelle would be sooo proud!

I cloud see this.. also I think she wants to adopt that way she can have babies faster than she can make them. One point for jessas team. (My mom and hubby know this joke)

[cmr2014]

A poster in the radar comments section hit on a possible Benessa master plan; get a whole bunch of older foster kids - each comes w/govt $ and they can be groomed to raise the younger kids ala TTH. Jessa can sit back, collect the $ and have others raise her 20 kids. MEchelle would be sooo proud!

 

I think that could be their plan, but I don't think it will work out for them. First of all, I don't think that the state $$ are more than the minimum required to keep a child in food, clothing, etc. Most importantly, though, foster children come with state oversight as well as state $. That would be a non-starter for that family.

 

As far as adoption goes, the state may offer some money to families who adopt special needs children, but there would be a lot of oversight in that case. Arkansas just had a HUGE scandal with the state representative who "re-homed" his adopted children to a pedophile. I can't see them getting a child through a state agency after the Josh scandal.

 

They might be able to adopt through a private Christian agency (which I would assume would have been their plan all along), but that may be harder than they expect. More than a few countries are now closed to US adoptions after various scandals including multiple "Christian" couples who adopted children and then killed them with the Pearls child "training" methods.

[Sew Sumi]

You know I really don't hate Ben I just think he's young and dumb

That's okay. As for me, I can't stand that sanctimonious little shit. :D

[toodles]

Oh those crazy kids. They remind me of kids starting a lemonade stand. The planning and setting up is fun. But after you've been sitting in the hot sun for an hour and you only sold one cup to your mother it's not so fun anymore.

After the baby comes and has its third ear infection in as many months and needs really expensive medicine and you have no health insurance or money, it's not so fun anymore. And neither one of them have a job to fund the lemonade stand.

So good luck with the 20 kid thing. My advice is to sit down, shut up and learn some job skills. You're going to need them.

[leighdear]

Those two simply need to talk.  And talk, and talk and talk....and pray that somebody, anybody at all will pay attention to them.  It doesn't matter what they say, it's just their ignorant and desperate word clumps thrown into cyberspace towards the general public.  

 

And as a couple, I simply can't see them being approved by any state as even a temporary foster home for any child, much less a special needs child.  The whole adoption subject is just an item on their list of things that can possibly get them attention.  

[Honeycocoa]

Ya know I hope they do it. I'm all for both Ben and Jessa taking as many classes as possible. The both need to be exposed to more ideas, especially parenting. Jessa can't really expect people to think she's an "expert" any more,  her parents so clearly screwed up.  Obviously she's done more time with babies than most 22 year olds, and obviously some of the parenting techniques she  knows are crap. So I really do hope they take a class together and learn a little more about the world.  I hope they apply and are put off. Or someone explains to them that they don't qualify yet.  because I think that will be good for them too. Not to be mean, just to make them think about their situation from another perspective.  Maybe it will motivate Ben to stay in school or something.

Edited August 31, 2015 by Honeycocoa

[TaxNerd]

Ya know I hope they do it. I'm all for both Ben and Jessa taking as many classes as possible. The both need to be exposed to more ideas, especially parenting. Jessa can't really expect people to think she's an "expert" any more, her parents so clearly screwed up. Obviously she's done more time with babies than most 22 year olds, and obviously some of the parenting techniques she knows are crap. So I really do hope they take a class together and learn a little more about the world. I hope they apply and are put off. Or someone explains to them that they don't qualify yet. because I think that will be good for them too. Not to be mean, just to make them think about their situation form another perspective. Maybe it will motivate ben to stay in school or something.

Not to mention adoption guidelines are way more strict. When you have a baby, they just let you check out of the hospital and head home!

Adoption requires applications, divulging personal finances, letters of recommendation, home visits, restrictions on where kids sleep, after visits etc.

[Honeycocoa]

Exactly!  Going through that kind of process, having their home and parenting style subject to scrutiny( beyond their parents) could be good for Ben, Jessa and their biological children.  Especially their children. I'm sure Ben is just hoping to privately adopt some baby that the mother wanted to abort, so he can feel all heroic about it.  But I honestly think an adoption agency's involvement in their life  could only be a good thing.

Edited August 31, 2015 by Honeycocoa

[sometimesy]

That's okay. As for me, I can't stand that sanctimonious little shit. :D

 

I just don't understand why he was speaking and signing things at Jessa's event. He is her accountability person, I understand, but take a back seat Bin.. There ya go Southern Women.. a woman not allowed out untethered. GREAT role model. Ellen too busy? :)

Oh those crazy kids. They remind me of kids starting a lemonade stand. The planning and setting up is fun. But after you've been sitting in the hot sun for an hour and you only sold one cup to your mother it's not so fun anymore.

After the baby comes and has its third ear infection in as many months and needs really expensive medicine and you have no health insurance or money, it's not so fun anymore. And neither one of them have a job to fund the lemonade stand.

So good luck with the 20 kid thing. My advice is to sit down, shut up and learn some job skills. You're going to need them.

Jessa might plan on borrowing a sister-slave. She is close enough to the TTH and Michelle would probably be glad to get rid of one or two. Just keep having children responsible for childcare. 200 year plan.

[SomePity1066]

Good Lord, they are such pretentious, insufferable blowhards !  Such wisdom and lofty ideas from two people who aren't old enough to rent a car. 

 

I will, however, give a sideways, sort-of compliment to them for fostering intelligent, articulate discussions of religion and faith here on this board, even if they don't know about it. The last few pages have been a joy to read ! I love the discourse and the differing but informed opinions flying back and forth. I spent an hour on the Interfaith Council of DC website and only stopped reading to come back here to comment. And to add that I think I want to be a Zoroastrian :)

 

As for their adopting, I don't know which way to go with that. There are so many children in the system, especially minorities and those with physical or emotional/mental challenges, that need a good, permanent home with love and stability, but are Ben and Jessa the right people to provide that ? CAN they provide that ? Right now Ben is an unemployed, Hipster Doofus with a big mouth, and Jessa is an... unemployed, Faux-Modest hack with a big mouth. 

 

I don't think I need to even worry about them adopting because who's going to give a child to a couple with no income, no house of their own, and a family track record of simply being a Duggar ? They haven't even successfully demonstrated that they are capable of raising the ONE child they haven't even had yet !!! 

 

They remind me, in their youth and wide-eyed, so-obvious-it-hurts immaturity, of one of my old college roommates. She went through and then discarded, in just ONE semester, being a Vegan, a Communist, a Born Again Christian, an animal rights activist, and, in rapid succession, a pro-choice then pro-life fanatic. There weren't enough petitions for her to sign or things for her to protest for. Or against. Ah, youth is wasted on the young, no ?

 

In what Ben and Jessa say they have a clear agenda, or clear to me, at least, and neither one says "parenthood"...

 

Ben wants to raise a child army so they can be interesting enough to be back on TV. He might be more Goofus than Gallant, but his message is dark. 

 

Jessa wants to raise a child army of 20 kids - one more than her own, dear mother - as an FU Moment to JB and Michelle. She might be all smiles and tight t-shirts, but that girl is MEAN. 

 

Thanks my story and I'm stickin' to it !

[Darknight]

Yeah right. Benessa ain't adopting. They wouldn't even pass the homestudy. And with no job or skills what agency would place a child with two kids playing house.

Good Lord, they are such pretentious, insufferable blowhards ! Such wisdom and lofty ideas from two people who aren't old enough to rent a car.

I will, however, give a sideways, sort-of compliment to them for fostering intelligent, articulate discussions of religion and faith here on this board, even if they don't know about it. The last few pages have been a joy to read ! I love the discourse and the differing but informed opinions flying back and forth. I spent an hour on the Interfaith Council of DC website and only stopped reading to come back here to comment. And to add that I think I want to be a Zoroastrian :)

As for their adopting, I don't know which way to go with that. There are so many children in the system, especially minorities and those with physical or emotional/mental challenges, that need a good, permanent home with love and stability, but are Ben and Jessa the right people to provide that ? CAN they provide that ? Right now Ben is an unemployed, Hipster Doofus with a big mouth, and Jessa is an... unemployed, Faux-Modest hack with a big mouth.

I don't think I need to even worry about them adopting because who's going to give a child to a couple with no income, no house of their own, and a family track record of simply being a Duggar ? They haven't even successfully demonstrated that they are capable of raising the ONE child they haven't even had yet !!!

They remind me, in their youth and wide-eyed, so-obvious-it-hurts immaturity, of one of my old college roommates. She went through and then discarded, in just ONE semester, being a Vegan, a Communist, a Born Again Christian, an animal rights activist, and, in rapid succession, a pro-choice then pro-life fanatic. There weren't enough petitions for her to sign or things for her to protest for. Or against. Ah, youth is wasted on the young, no ?

In what Ben and Jessa say they have a clear agenda, or clear to me, at least, and neither one says "parenthood"...

Ben wants to raise a child army so they can be interesting enough to be back on TV. He might be more Goofus than Gallant, but his message is dark.

Jessa wants to raise a child army of 20 kids - one more than her own, dear mother - as an FU Moment to JB and Michelle. She might be all smiles and tight t-shirts, but that girl is MEAN.

Thanks my story and I'm stickin' to it !

Benessa would probably tell their adopted child to thank their birth mother for choosing life even if their birth mother is a drug addict or abusive. They would force their adopted child to be the poster child for the prolifer movement. Ugh! Again two idiots.

[CofCinci]

Yeah right. Benessa ain't adopting. They wouldn't even pass the homestudy. And with no job or skills what agency would place a child with two kids playing house.

I was once a social worker (now I'm a clinical social worker/psychotherapist).  They would most likely pass a homestudy.  Ben and Jessa are employed; They're public speakers and most likely make decent money at these bullshit conferences.  You don't have to be rich to adopt.  They have stable, safe housing.  Large supportive families on both sides.  Character references from tons of people in government, like their buddy Mike Huckabee.  If Jessa and Ben honestly want to adopt, they would be able to do it.  They'll make us all sick in the process though.

[Julia]

I think Jessa would have to be willing to say that her parents didn't handle their children being molested en masse over a stretch of years appropriately before the state is going to put the wellbeing of children into her hands. I don't know if she's going to be willing to do that.

Also, she keeps talking about how small her house is. Unless Jim Bob still has the house kit he scammed out of the prefab company and the kids' construction skills have improved, I doubt they're going to have the wherewithal to move to a bigger one.

[kokapetl]

I think she's not being entirely truthful about her adoption "dream". She's had a taste of raising children that weren't hers eg Jordyn, and she didn't seem all that enthused about it.

[Darknight]

I was once a social worker (now I'm a clinical social worker/psychotherapist). They would most likely pass a homestudy. Ben and Jessa are employed; They're public speakers and most likely make decent money at these bullshit conferences. You don't have to be rich to adopt. They have stable, safe housing. Large supportive families on both sides. Character references from tons of people in government, like their buddy Mike Huckabee. If Jessa and Ben honestly want to adopt, they would be able to do it. They'll make us all sick in the process though.

The homestudy process is exhausting. The foster care agency really gets into her deepest deepest thoughts. I felt like I was in a therapy session when I did my homestudy. I still don't believe any agency would actually allow them to adopt. And even if an agency did allow them to adopt, I mean that would go against everything they believe in. You can't spank foster kids and there are a list of other rules you must follow. You have to respect a foster child's beliefs and privacy. I know you don't have to be rich, but you can't live off foster care payments as income. I can't see Benessa doing this. But since foster parents are in high demand I agree that they probably could do it. I really hope they don't and it's all talk. Benessa should get themselves together first and leave ATI and JimChelle before adopting.

[CofCinci]

The homestudy process is exhausting. The foster care agency really gets into her deepest deepest thoughts. I felt like I was in a therapy session when I did my homestudy. I still don't believe any agency would actually allow them to adopt. And even if an agency did allow them to adopt, I mean that would go against everything they believe in. You can't spank foster kids and there are a list of other rules you must follow. You have to respect a foster child's beliefs and privacy. I know you don't have to be rich, but you can't live off foster care payments as income. I can't see Benessa doing this. But since foster parents are in high demand I agree that they probably could do it. I really hope they don't and it's all talk. Benessa should get themselves together first and leave ATI and JimChelle before adopting.

It's not just talk - It's bullying. She has no interest in actually adopting. She's no longer on the bottom bunk kicking up to bother Jana. The media is her bunk bed. Every time she mentions adoption, she's putting the screws to her father and their faith. Passive aggressive. JB will give Jessa another gift and she'll quiet for a while. Edited August 31, 2015 by CofCinci

[Churchhoney]

Good Lord, they are such pretentious, insufferable blowhards !  Such wisdom and lofty ideas from two people who aren't old enough to rent a car. 

 

In what Ben and Jessa say they have a clear agenda, or clear to me, at least, and neither one says "parenthood"...

 

Ben wants to raise a child army so they can be interesting enough to be back on TV. He might be more Goofus than Gallant, but his message is dark. 

 

Jessa wants to raise a child army of 20 kids - one more than her own, dear mother - as an FU Moment to JB and Michelle. She might be all smiles and tight t-shirts, but that girl is MEAN. 

 

 

 

Stop articulating my worst fears so precisely. Not that I care that Jessa wants to FU Michelle. Can't blame her, really. But the tv thing -- argh. Luckily, I think reality in the form of adoption agencies, the toll childbearing takes on your hot body and money money money will intervene before they can get too far with this "plan." But, still -- awful. Also disturbing is the fact that, unlike just about any other young silly couple with a plan like this, when these two mention it nobody in their immediate acquaintance is even likely to look uncomfortable and suggest that they just proceed carefully. This probably sounds like a good plan to their parents, siblings and most of the Duggar hangers-on. That's appalling.