A Saturday With the Moodys (Maxwells)

[Talitha Cumi]

Last Saturday I attended the Energize! conference. Teri, Anna, and Sarah were met. Copious notes were taken. Steve was determined to be off his rocker.

 

I'm going to write each session as a separate post, as I have the energy, because I will tell you that conference wore me the hell out. I got home, fell asleep, and slept most of Sunday. It takes a lot of effort to be undercover for six hours when you disagree with the entire premise of everything. Everything I do, I do for FJ.

 

At least I didn't lie. I talked about my kids, about how the oldest is in school, and that I work part-time as a librarian. Anna and Teri seemed very interested in my family, and they really were sweet. My main issues were with Steve, which I'll get to in the next few posts. Summary: It's good that the world hates us, children, DEATH, no fun ever. You probably know all this already.

 

 

{L_MESSAGE_HIDDEN}:

I totally lied to everyone. I have no children; I used my nieces and nephews as my kids, I took 10 years off my age so I could say I got married young, and I'm a full-time law librarian who supervises men. I'm hiding it because I don't want Anna to feel bad that I lied to her so much. She really was sweet.

[browncoatslytherin]

ooo, i can't wait to read more!

gotta be honest, though, when i saw the title, i thought, "a saturday with the maxwells? gotta be the most boring ever!"

[DrPusey]

Ooh, eagerly awaiting the full set of reports!

[Dru]

:popcorn2:

[Savoring Samsara]

Looking forward to this!

[formergothardite]

I can't to read it!

[IReallyAmHopewell]

Cant' wait! I was just hoping for a snakry summary of the newest Moody tome..... :popcorn2:

[SPHASH]

Thanks for taking one for the team!

[sparkles]

I'm actually jealous of FJers who get to attend the Maxwell shindigs. They fascinate me like no other.

<--------- Waiting with baited breath…

[Jana814]

Looking forward to reading your experience!

[Marian the Librarian]

:popcorn2:

Can. Not. Wait.

Adding my thanks to you for taking one for the FJ team.

[Palimpsest]

Wow! You actually lasted the whole day. I'm not surprised you are exhausted. We vamoosed after the first session at Mr. P.'s request. He is a very slow to anger person but he really wanted tear a strip off Steve.

Eagerly awaiting your report ...

[Talitha Cumi]

I arrived late, and Lord knows the Maxwells start ON TIME. So I missed half of the first session. Sorry, gang! The church was farther away than I realized.

The first session was entitled Today Children-- Tomorrow Leaders. When I came in, Steve was talking about how attending a church church isn't great (didn't have a chance to write down why), but having just a home church isn't great either because you're all alone. Instead, start a nursing home church so you can bless others as well! (Yes, Steve, we get it, what you do is the best thing for everyone to do, and if they don't, they're wrong.)

He said repeatedly "I'm not judging anyone, I'm just saying they'll have regrets." (Which is pretty damn judgy if you ask me.)

At a nursing home church, your kids can also speak. Do they have trouble speaking? Are they afraid? Have them start small, by calling Home Depot. It's nonthreatening and easy to do. (This is actually good advice for getting used to public speaking. I give credit where it's due.)

Next up: fear! America is too fearful. Try going through airport security to see how fearful we are. The rest of the world laughs at how terrified we are. (This is also true.) We shouldn't be afraid of being hated by the world. (Wait... what? That's kind of a rhetorical leap there.)

For example, there are many people out there who hate us! One woman emailed me and actually said that Jesse should be in college, drinking beer and chasing women. (Holy shit, FJ shoutout!) I respect her beliefs, but they hate us! She was so hateful, but I responded calmly, and we ended up having a civil discussion. (Speak up! Who was this?) Again, it's good when people reject us. Matt. 5:11.

Fear is good, because overcoming it gives us confidence. Pain is good, because we know we can live through it and it will have a good outcome, like having a baby. (Pain is a warning that something's wrong. Just saying.)

Courage! Daniel was a slave, but had the courage to stand up for his beliefs. Esther had courage. A life in Christ gives you courage. (I will point out here that neither Daniel nor Esther had a life in Christ.)

Our country was founded as a Christian nation, but now there's no Christ in the schools, the courts or the government. (Others have dealt with the Christian nation fallacy, so I won't reiterate, except to say yes, that's correct, Christ is not in governmental institutions and we're better off for it.)

It's easier to follow a dead prophet, like Moses, which is what the Jews do, rather than a living savior. Because Jesus challenges us to deny ourselves. (I... have no words.) (Okay, yeah I do. Following Moses? Steve, the Jewish people have a rich historical tradition that draws on thousands of years of scholarship and commentary. They THINK about their religion. They discuss it. They argue and persuade. You ignore Christian tradition and commentary and set up your own theories as gospel. Do you really think Jewish people aren't challenged by their religion? Of course you do. Because you don't research. You make assumptions and treat them as fact. And don't get me started on "following Moses." Who do you follow when it comes to gay people? Moses, who wrote Leviticus, or Jesus, who said nothing about being gay?)

You are responsible for keeping your children's hearts. Satan is constantly looking to wear us down. Keep your children at home and you'll keep that from happening. (I fail to see how that helps. Must be the Gospel of Steve.)

You need to know these three numbers: 1, 2, and 8. There is exponential growth in Christian generations. It's better to have 1 child who loves God than 20 who don't. (Is this a dig at the Duggars?) If that 1 child has 2 children who love God, and those 2 children have 4 each, and those 8 have 8 each, after 10 generations there will be 1 billion, 700 million (and change; I didn't get all the numbers down), and at the 11th generation, the entire world will be Christian.

---

Okay, the math thing is bugging the living hell out of me. The pattern doesn't work. 1 has 2, okay. 2 has 4, okay. Then shouldn't it be 4 has 8, 8 has 16? Or each kid from the second generation (8 kids) has 8, and then those 64 have 64 each? I've tried five different ways, and I can't find the number he's using. Who is good at exponents? He's an engineer, he can do math, he must have done something to get the number, but I can't figure it out.

On top of the weird math, he assumes that each child is going to totally believe the way his family does, and that each child is going to be able to reproduce a lot. Let's factor in the ones who don't have children because their father doesn't let them get married. Let's factor in the ones who'll be infertile, who'll be gay, who'll die before having their quota. This number is just not going to happen. 10 generations is about 250-300 years. Tell me a belief system that has stayed static in that time.

Next up, Teri talks to the moms about how to have an awesome day! It will be exciting!! And awesome!!

[16strong]

{L_MESSAGE_HIDDEN}:

You took your nieces and nephews along? Wow, what troopers! I wonder how they handled it all? What did you tell them about the conference?

[latraviata]

For example, there are many people out there who hate us! One woman emailed me and actually said that Jesse should be in college, drinking beer and chasing women. (Holy shit, FJ shoutout!) I respect her beliefs, but they hate us! She was so hateful, but I responded calmly, and we ended up having a civil discussion. (Speak up! Who was this?) Again, it's good when people reject us. Matt. 5:11.

That was me.

[Talitha Cumi]

{L_MESSAGE_HIDDEN}:

You took your nieces and nephews along? Wow, what troopers! I wonder how they handled it all? What did you tell them about the conference?

{L_MESSAGE_HIDDEN}:

No, no, I just talked about them. Good luck getting any of them to sit still for this madness.

[Talitha Cumi]

For example, there are many people out there who hate us! One woman emailed me and actually said that Jesse should be in college, drinking beer and chasing women. (Holy shit, FJ shoutout!) I respect her beliefs, but they hate us! She was so hateful, but I responded calmly, and we ended up having a civil discussion. (Speak up! Who was this?) Again, it's good when people reject us. Matt. 5:11.

That was me.

Hateful woman!! :clap:

[16strong]

Next up, Teri talks to the moms about how to have an awesome day! It will be exciting!! And awesome!!

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I apologize for the heathenous backbeat. :?

[Talitha Cumi]

[bBvideo 560,340:jnbozzwg]

[/bBvideo]

I apologize for the heathenous backbeat. :?

LOL, my kids love that song! (So do I!)

[Coco]

On top of the weird math, he assumes that each child is going to totally believe the way his family does, and that each child is going to be able to reproduce a lot. Let's factor in the ones who don't have children because their father doesn't let them get married. Let's factor in the ones who'll be infertile, who'll be gay, who'll die before having their quota. This number is just not going to happen. 10 generations is about 250-300 years. Tell me a belief system that has stayed static in that time.

This is what i don't get about quiverfull. Out of all my siblings, NONE followed in my parents' footsteps down the fundie road. My parents aren't even totally fundie anymore. :lol: We're all various degrees of worldly.

i think these quiverfull parents must believe in predestination and eugenics, (the ones that examine their lives). It's the only way what they're doing makes any sense at all. I'm sure a lot of them are just in herd mentality, swallowing all the bs their preachers spew.

Thank you for doing this! Can't wait for the rest of the summary. Very interesting.

[latraviata]

Hateful woman!! :clap:

I wasn't hateful at all. I asked him some questions and I critised their way of living and certainly not in a hateful fashion. We indeed had an interesting and civilised exchange of emails and not because he responded calmly to my hateful tantrums.

[Marian the Librarian]

If that 1 child has 2 children who love God, and those 2 children have 4 each, and those 8 have 8 each, after 10 generations there will be 1 billion, 700 million (and change; I didn't get all the numbers down), and at the 11th generation, the entire world will be Christian.

Hey Stevie - how's this little plan going to work for your daughters, given that you don't seem to be willing to allow them a snowball's chance in hell of forming relationships with men???

[IReallyAmHopewell]

Hey Stevie - how's this little plan going to work for your daughters, given that you don't seem to be willing to allow them a snowball's chance in hell of forming relationships with men???

If God does not send a Steve-approved man to their very doorstep then they God must have judged them unfit for helpmeet-dom and condemns them to a life of Bible time and burrito-filling-making . For fun, once the brother's are all married, they can load, unload [photograph of course] and learn to lube the bus. Unless the smile. Then they could be making an idol out of lube-jobs. [Yes it was intended to be suggestive.....] :nenner:

[Jana814]

This is great!! Can't wait read about Teri's session.

[Toothfairy]

How did u last? :sleeping: I wouldn't be able to. And again how is Steve suppose to take over when his oldest daughter is almost in her mid 30s. And it takes these people forever to get married and date because daddy doesn't approve. A long with no education or social skills. Steve and fundies make up less than 00000000000000000.1 of the population