Breaking MAXWELL news/Liz cancelled the wedding to Joe

[samurai_sarah]

I'm glad for her that she had the courage to break off the engagement, so close to the wedding, if she felt it was wrong for her. Looking in from the outside, it all seemed to go so fast that it was making my head spin. It's not particularly nice of me with regards to Elizabeth, but I do feel vindicated in my personal belief that courtship isn't a very workable model, and actually leads to more emotional damage than dating.

While we have felt God’s leading in Joseph’s courtship and engagement to Elizabeth, we also accept His leading in closing it down.

Their deity seems to be a tad fickle. Why can't they just go with "she changed her mind/wasn't that into him"? And why am I even asking? Women don't get to have minds of their own, and their deity decides everything. /minor grumble

[thoughtful]

Eleventy!!

I found it hard to believe a that EM would have had a happy life with Joe. She's a bit more worldly than the Maxwells. I think it came down to an email or text where EM said "and we'll place the celebration tree here".

Or "I want to have lots of dogs."

[twin2]

Sigh, I'm going to be what some might call a horrible person and say it, THANK FUCKING GOD!

Those two hardly knew each other. Hell, Elizabeth had not even seen her husband and future in-laws in their natural habitat. Even by fundie standards this whole thing was rushed, less than five months from initial contact to the impending I dos. I've always thought there was a reason as to why the Maxwells were rushing this so much and I think it was exactly for this reason. I now think Joesph will go the way of Christopher, a long bachelorhood at casa Maxwell waiting til he can do like his brother and find someone exactly his sisters to marry.

[Guest Anonymous]

It must have taken incredible strength for Elizabeth to break off this engagement. Her family have invested hugely in the Maxwell belief system. They were in so deep. It was so public. A house has been built for her.

So many people (religious and secular) go ahead with marriages they are unsure about.

Massive kudos to her for following her heart.

[theologygeek]

Thank God she won't be a part of that cult.

[Witsec7]

I just realized they were on schedule to be married on the anniversary of my wedding to the current douchebag. I should have had a foreboding. :lol:

[marmalade]

Man, to be a fly on the wall during THAT conversation . . .

AMEN!

Interesting that it's always the GIRL'S fault, and we'll likely hear nothing about what SHE truly felt. It well could have been Arthur who came to the realization of the Maxwell brand of Crazy and got hit daughter out, just in time.

As others have said, this all went down in about 3 months; given the distance and other strikes against them actually getting to know each other, this was bound to happen. Frankly, it never should have started in the first place.

And ha! Another not so tacit admission that hearts are broken, hence pieces ARE given away. Their stupid courtship with all of its inane rules do NOTHING to protect human hearts.

[lilith]

I hope this is the start of Elizabeth questioning a system that takes away her choices.

The decision to say "I do", would ave been the last decision she ever got to make.

Thanks to her having the courage to do what must have been very difficult right now, she has opened up a future for herself with a wealth of possibilities.

Elizabeth - they told you courtship would find you your god given mate and save you from hurt. It didn't.

You need to start questioning the other things your family tells you that you must do to be a good Christian young lady.

[Deleted07]

I'm glad for her, those Maxwell were clearly just using her as a prop! I am glad she got out in time!!!

Nothing on their family blog:

muncksquiver.blogspot.com/

Thats her right, Elizabeth Munck?

[twin2]

Steve says:

Because this involves another family, in respecting their privacy, we don’t feel we should share details or answer questions.

Yet he gives just enough details to let his readers know exactly that it was Elizabeth who called off the wedding (read not Joesph) and it was nothing to do with him. If he really wanted to respect their privacy he just would have said "the wedding is off" without detail of who called it off.

I'll echo the sentiment of others who said she dodged a bullet.

[Lady Elaine]

Two broken courtships (that we know of) in one family... and one only days before the wedding!! Kinda makes you think there might be something wrong with that bunch, doesn't it?

[treemom]

I doubt my comment will be posted but :

Kelly on August 12, 2012 at 5:49 pm said:

Your comment is awaiting moderation.

I have only been engaged and married to one man, though I had dated several. Somehow I suspect my heart was less broken and pieces given away that your two sons who have has broken engagements and Courtships. Perhaps this guarding of the heart isn’t work. 2 failures out of 4 tries isn’t very good success.

[Deleted07]

I'm glad for her, those Maxwell were clearly just using her as a prop! I am glad she got out in time!!!

Nothing on their family blog:

muncksquiver.blogspot.com/

Thats her right, Elizabeth Munck?

Oh all engagement posts and mention of Joseph has been deleted it seems!!!

GO LIZZY!!!

[twin2]

Oh all engagement posts and mention of Joseph has been deleted it seems!!!

GO LIZZY!!!

Looks like the Maxwells have scrubbed their blog clean as well, granted I can't say that I blame them.

[luckylibrarian]

Thank freaking God! I'm so glad that Elizabeth had the guts to stop that trainwreck. I wonder if the Muncks read FJ. Didn't a few posters post on their blog warning them about the Maxwells?

[Smithie]

The great beige gift registry is still available as of 6:55 ET. I wonder how long it will take them to pull that.

[tabitha2]

Poor Joseph.

[flojo]

I'm glad it was her choice and that she was able to make it...

[sparkles]

So what? Now they pretend it never happened? It did. Own it and learn from it. Maybe, just maybe...

[theologygeek]

The great beige gift registry is still available as of 6:55 ET. I wonder how long it will take them to pull that.

It's a damn shame that she's not gonna get the ice cream maker now. My sister just bought me one. They are nice.

[Coconut Flan]

I'm so happy that she has escaped. Her family seems to be so much closer to normal and hopefully now they'll be free of Maxwell influence.

[justlurking]

I doubt my comment will be posted but :

Kelly on August 12, 2012 at 5:49 pm said:

Your comment is awaiting moderation.

I have only been engaged and married to one man, though I had dated several. Somehow I suspect my heart was less broken and pieces given away that your two sons who have has broken engagements and Courtships. Perhaps this guarding of the heart isn’t work. 2 failures out of 4 tries isn’t very good success.

And do we care to mention Stevie's hand in Sara's 'failure to launch'? For a family that loves to give advice on courtship there seems to be little overall success.

[Deleted07]

It's a damn shame that she's not gonna get the ice cream maker now. My sister just bought me one. They are nice.

I'd gladly put in and start a collection to give her the ice cream maker as a "Happy breaking off your engagement, you're a smart cookie" gift :mrgreen:

[Witsec7]

Do fundies return engagement rings?

[Witsec7]

And do we care to mention Stevie's hand in Sara's 'failure to launch'? For a family that loves to give advice on courtship there seems to be little overall success.

Under the courtship model love and attraction come after the wedding. Courtship is supposed to be an unemotional time for the couple to learn about each other. Using that standard (as est. by the fundies) why would the two families be hurting per Steve's blog post? They could be chagrined, disappointed, but butt hurt should not enter into the equation.