Daddy Arndt on Marriage and God's Timing

[0 kids n not countin]

Couldn't pass up this gem on Dad's Diary:

 

 

Quote

Earlier in the evening, not long after dusk, John and I took a drive through the countryside. While gliding over curving rural roads, we talked in depth about the ways in which God has been preparing each of the guys for the moment when he is introduced to his future wife. We all know that it is God who must play the role of matchmaker, and that His timing in that regard will be precise and perfect!

 

 

Those poor man-boys will be preparing until they reach their graves!

 

Don't know if anyone else here reads the Dad's Diary, most posts consist of the following:

 

Daddy talking about the weather and what scene they are filming for Vine Valley;

Daddy mentioning which fastfood/chain restaurant any combination of him, Cathy, or the kids ate at;

Daddy mentioning where any combination of the kids are at and what they are doing (including the ones who are in his presence at the time);

Daddy spending time one on one with one of the kids and having meaningful discussions on "very important or pressing topics";

 

imo the diary is sort of creepy, the man-boys and Mary-Elizabeth will never have a life of their own because Daddy Arndt has to know where each and everyone of them is at all times and exactly what they're doing.

WTF???

[docmom]

I guess god finds the Arndts as creepy as we do and is thus withholding wives from them.

[anjulibai]

In less than 2 months they are going to have 11 adult children in that house. In less than 3 months, they will have 4 men over 30 living at home. Only 3 of their children will be underage, and 2 of those will be teenagers.

John is 32. I wonder if it ever occurs to him that they way "God" is "leading" his life there will be no special someone out there for him. They may be "prepared", but nothing they are doing is actually bringing them to anyone.

Do they talk about the possibility none of them will marry? Or are they all in total denial about the reality of their lives?

[keen23]

The Arndts are the creepiest of fundies, IMHO. They are so outwardly normal, until you realize they live such an insular life.

Hey, Papa Arndt, did you ever stop to consider that YOU are blocking "God's" will by keeping such a tight leash on your adult children?

[Georgiana]

While I don't agree with it, I can understand how keeping your daughters close/protected/at home works in the fundie world. The men are supposed to be out in the world, moving around, having careers, so hypothetically, if the women stay put, the men will be brought into their spheres so that they can meet.

However, I don't understand how the Arndts expect their sons to meet anyone by keeping them so close to home. Obviously, any woman who is independent enough to enter their sphere on her own is too "worldly". They expect their sons to meet "virtuous" women...who are somewhat cloistered at home...but they wont let their sons go out into the world to meet these women...

It has nothing to do with God, it's just a strategy that cannot work!

[formergothardite]

The Arndt sons are just sad and strange. I don't know what the Pa and Ma Arndt did to them to create 30 year old men who won't think of disobeying the rules the parents create.

Of all the fundies we discuss, this family is the one I would like to meet in person.

[nokidsmom]

What's truly amazing is that they have 10 adult kids at home and absolutely none of them have moved out or seem to even entertain the idea. I'd like to know what they put in the water or something.

[Dandruff]

Sounds to me like adult child was interested in finding a wife and was told to wait on the Matchmaker.

[nokidsmom]

Sounds to me like adult child was interested in finding a wife and was told to wait on the Matchmaker.

Right and hasn't yet figured out that the Matchmaker in the Sky being the one to drop a wife on the doorstep is the cover for Mommy and Daddy wanting to keep him and siblings around forever. All the while lamenting that Princess Charming hasn't shown up yet.

[BrownieMomma]

Jim Bob said they take applications from young ladies.

Aren't the Duggars and Arndt's cut from the same general cloth? :whistle:

[SolomonFundy]

Literally the only women the ManChildren are exposed to are Cathy, Wizzie, and the married women they photograph. I keep hoping that one of them will accidentally speak to an unattached female at one of the weddings they are covering, but alas.

My whimsical projection for the Arndt family future:

I suspect that Mary-Elizabeth may be the first to leave the Nest of Brotherly Celibacy. Maybe she'll fall for a local guy, or someone that Papa Arndt approves (and whom is willing to move close to the compound.) She marries young in a dramatic Summertime baseball-themed wedding, yet remains close by. Somehow, the earth doesn't stop spinning. Suddenly, everyone in the house wakes up. Cathy starts missing Wizzie's female companionship, and spends all of her time at her daughter's house. Papa gets irritated at the resulting diminished order in the home, and starts feeling (maybe for the first time) that there are too damn many kids at home. The ManChildren are left unsupervised for several critical hours a day, during which some of them muster the gumption to speak to females in the grocery store, and others (with trembling hands) disable the filter on the FamTeam Intranet and discover the actual Internet in the process. Within 5 years of Wizzie's marriage, 3 of the middle Arndts are married, and another 3 are "courting."

The oldest 5 spend the rest of their lives living together as bachelors anyway. Jude and Paul figure out how to 3-D print Penguin Waifus with Cathy's luxurious hair for each of them. No real woman can compete; bunk buddies 4-lyfe.

[Jesse911]

Jim Bob said they take applications from young ladies.

Aren't the Duggars and Arndt's cut from the same general cloth? :whistle:

Do you think you have to specify who your applying to court or is it more like your just applying to be in the family and jim bob just casts you in the roll he thinks is best lol.

[JesusPony]

I saw "Arndt" and "Marriage" and almost fainted. Should have known.

I agree Wizzy will escape first. She's the most normal seeming and probably understands men more than any woman would ever care to.

[browncoatslytherin]

can i get a broken link to their website or blog? i've looked in sotdrt and searched but i can't find an actual link.

[keen23]

can i get a broken link to their website or blog? i've looked in sotdrt and searched but i can't find an actual link.

famteam.com

[nokidsmom]

I saw "Arndt" and "Marriage" and almost fainted. Should have known.

I agree Wizzy will escape first. She's the most normal seeming and probably understands men more than any woman would ever care to.

Yep, Wizzy has had a bunch of brothers to deal with versus the brothers only having their sister and their Mom. And while this is pure speculation on my part, I suspect that Momma Arndt will have a lot easier time letting go of her daughter versus her sons. Why? She will still see her daughter as being her daughter after marriage while any married sons will be seen as being taken away by the wife. I suspect that is what might be behind the sons remaining unmarried. Momma Arndt is terrified of being supplanted by someone else in her children's hearts and she will always be the Mom or main female influence in Wizzy's life but that won't be the case with her sons.

ETA: I have always suspected that Mamma Arndt is behind whatever voodoo that is keeping those adult kids staying at home. Daddy just seems rather out there and is content doing his eternal film project.

[browncoatslytherin]

famteam.com

thanks, keen!

side note (and i know there's a lot going on, so this probably isn't much of a focus) but our fundie list and blog links don't seem to list all the fundies we discuss right now. does anyone know if there's a plan to update this?

[Jana814]

I'm actually kind of surprised that none of the Arndt boys r married.

[keen23]

thanks, keen!

side note (and i know there's a lot going on, so this probably isn't much of a focus) but our fundie list and blog links don't seem to list all the fundies we discuss right now. does anyone know if there's a plan to update this?

Are you volunteering?

It's one of the parts of the site that does need to be updated, but it's kind of low on the priority list right now.

[browncoatslytherin]

Are you volunteering?

It's one of the parts of the site that does need to be updated, but it's kind of low on the priority list right now.

i certainly can! but since i'd been on a hiatus, i don't have all the blog links on those that aren't already in there (like the arndts). i can start doing a summary on the ardnts, though.

[JillsFlowerHeadband]

Yep, Wizzy has had a bunch of brothers to deal with versus the brothers only having their sister and their Mom. And while this is pure speculation on my part, I suspect that Momma Arndt will have a lot easier time letting go of her daughter versus her sons. Why? She will still see her daughter as being her daughter after marriage while any married sons will be seen as being taken away by the wife. I suspect that is what might be behind the sons remaining unmarried. Momma Arndt is terrified of being supplanted by someone else in her children's hearts and she will always be the Mom or main female influence in Wizzy's life but that won't be the case with her sons.

ETA: I have always suspected that Mamma Arndt is behind whatever voodoo that is keeping those adult kids staying at home. Daddy just seems rather out there and is content doing his eternal film project.

I would totally believe this, my ex-mother-in-law (who was not a fundie, just controlling) was a lot like Cathy Arndt: way, way overly invested in her adult sons' lives and not so much with her daughters.

(For a long time, I thought I'd like the of-age Seven Sisters and Rebecca Eleventy to court the manboys but the more I see of this family, the more I wouldn't wish that on those girls. I've been there, and it's not fun.)

[nokidsmom]

I would totally believe this, my ex-mother-in-law (who was not a fundie, just controlling) was a lot like Cathy Arndt: way, way overly invested in her adult sons' lives and not so much with her daughters.

(For a long time, I thought I'd like the of-age Seven Sisters and Rebecca Eleventy to court the manboys but the more I see of this family, the more I wouldn't wish that on those girls. I've been there, and it's not fun.)

I had a friend whose mom was like this: very invested in her sons' lives but her daughter, no big deal. Mom saw all of her daughters in law as "competition" for the no. 1 place in sonny boyz' hearts. Son in law was off the hook, lucky him, he and my friend fared the best of all the siblings.

Back to the Arndts, At this point, some of the older manboys have to be so totally brainwashed that they have serious Mommy issues that will interfere with any kind of normal married life. They probably won't be able to live without consulting/involving Mommy or her butting into their business all the time. At this point, it might be better for the manboys to just keep on wishing for Princess Charming while holding their stuffed penguins and save some nice, unsuspecting SAHDs the grief and weirdness.

Backing in my dating days, I would not consider any Mommy's boyz or guys who had parents, particularly Mommy, that were too involved. I am all for a guy having a good relationship with one's Mother (I considered it a good thing) but there was healthy and there was unhealthy.

[Palimpsest]

i certainly can! but since i'd been on a hiatus, i don't have all the blog links on those that aren't already in there (like the arndts). i can start doing a summary on the ardnts, though.

Yes, they really need their own summary. Thanks.

Don't forget the :wink-penguin: :wink-penguin: :wink-penguin:

[eh02]

The Arndt boys are going to be "safe at home" forever. They are a truly bizarre family. Something about them just really gives me the heebie jeebies - compared to a family like the Duggars (who have problems of their own, obviously) they just seem so socially stunted and, well, weird.

Totally agree that their mom's relationship with the boys just feels...not right. I'm not sure an Arndt man would really know what to do with a wife if they ever found one. My guess is a sexless marriage with Mom 2.0.

I really don't know how long they'll be able to pretend they're totally fine with "God's timing" if they've got sons pushing 40 with no marriage in sight - especially if every single one of them is single. They can keep saying it, but that doesn't mean people will believe it.

[johnhugh]

I think its 'safe' to say that whilst Cathy is still alive the Manboys will never marry. Her personality is very dominant in the videos and is the power behind the thrown. All Rick is interested in is that bloody never ending Vine Valley project. I suppose the project does giver the younger manboys filming and editing skills, something they could use as career, as Cathy doesn't seem to mind the older ones going out to work on their own.

But are they attempting to at last start thinking slightly along the lines of finding potential helpmeets? I drop in on their blog from time to time and the pictures of playing with Lego and the penguins seems to have stopped being featured. (I'm sure they still do :wink-penguin: ) Quite a lot of recent pictures have been them playing sports or at the gym... Something to think about? :wink-penguin: