Maxwell Conferences

[Jana814]

First let me just say I appuled you for going to one of their conforences and writing here about what happens at them. He is worst then I thought.

Everything about Steve and his cult bothers me. But the biggest one is the fact that he does not allow any of his kids to have friends outside of the family. The best part about having outside friends from different walks of life is that you can learn so much from them.

I was just in Temple on Monday and our Rabbi was talking about a trip to Israel that our temple went on along with the local Roman Catholic church. My Rabbi and the Priest from that church have been friends for years, and this was a trip they have been wanted to take for YEARS!! A close family friend of ours was on the trip and they said it was GREAT they got to see both side of that great country.

Also on Monday night I was watching TV and a Temple in Long Island,, New York pipes burst and the 1st people who offered them a place for worship for these holidays was the Priest from the Catholic church right by them. The members of the church even came and cleaned it up so they were able to have services. I wonder have Steve Maxwell would feel about this church coming through from about 250 people in need!!

[Jana814]

The UK is too heathen for the Maxwells! :dance:

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Are you kidding anyplace that does not have fundies or has a large population of people who homeschool are Heathen to the Maxwells!!

[mystikchick17]

Can't agree with you more. When I read that she had broken off the wedding, I honestly thought that Anna Marie's family got a hold of her family and said "tell her to run as far away as possible."

Agreed. I just checked out their blog and there's lots of fun pictures of one turning three (with a farm themed birthday, replete with candles, piggy cupcakes, and piggy sugar frosted cookies), and one of the other kids turning eight (with a fun, kind of awesome LEGO themed birthday). Birthdays were celebrated with friends. The tree was decorated. DVDs were given as gifts. ALL the cupcakes were eaten, and they went to Cracker Barrel. That shit would never fly in the Cult of Steve. Liz also looks like she's put on weight again (I don't mean this in a critical way) which, though I know is unrelated (I hope) to Steve's influence over her life, still feels like a nice little "Fuck You" to him. Liz, you may have been depression eating, or maybe you're no longer on the pre-wedding diet, but either way, love and embrace your freedom, you lucky, lucky girl.

ETA: Apparently the Muncks also go to a church. They found out about their new farm from their pastor. :naughty: How on earth did they begin to pass muster with Steve-o?

[Sola]

The 'freejinger is watching you' thing, I don't have a problem with it. Yes I see everyone's point, but I also see Treemom's point when she said that she didn't want that bullshit taking hold in her town. And honestly, do any of you?

Sure the Maxwells might just hunker down, and if we rattled them enough, they might even stop the conferences - let's face it they aren't doing as many as they used to and their sales there are slim pickings from what they used to be. I don't see how them hunkering down would be such a bad thing as it would mean that Steve-O's bullshite is harder to spread.

Some have suggested leaving notes offering help. Well we've been through this before really, with a couple of members. Free jinger is not a help group. We're a snark board. That's not to say that if Sarah Maxwell turned up on my doorstep wanting help to get away I would turn her away, I wouldn't. I'd help her in any way I could. We aren't a help group, we don't rescue trapped fundies, we snark.

My opinion; leave an offer of help if you want, but also leave the FJ is watching you thing. Steve needs to know that we wont go away.

[Maude]

This speaks volumes to me about what kind of experiences Steve has had in his life, and also that he is an extremely fearful and paranoid person, so much so that I TOTALLY agree with whoever said that he probably has a mental illness - a very, very serious one.

I mean, I don't know who he thinks he's kidding anymore - he doesn't ban television, friends, attending college or whatever else just because he has some deep-seated religious conviction that his kids will be tempted to drink and watch porn; he does it because HE'S been tempted to drink and watch porn and believes that it was those things that led him to it. He doesn't believe that platonic relationships between males and females cannot exist due to hormonal reasons because that's what the Bible says - it's because I'm 100% convinced that Steve has been (or, through his paranoia, believed himself to be) unfaithful to Teri. I don't for one second buy that cock-and-bull story that his female coworker came on to him over a business lunch, or that he was just so overcome by a "feeling" of "spiritual adultery" or whatever - I think that he realized HE was the one attracted to his coworker.

The man is a paranoid control freak in a very, very serious way and it is going to end badly for him and his family.

Exactly this. He can't (or won't) control himself, so he controls others. Thank you, Sprocket, for enduring the insanity.

[mystikchick17]

Are you kidding anyplace that does not have fundies or has a large population of people who homeschool are Heathen to the Maxwells!!

I believe the reason is actually that Steve won't let them fly because a) it's too expensive, and b) too many major airports now have the full body scanners. Which is, of course, whorishly immodest. Patdowns by a female officer are obviously also out, I'm guessing. This was in response once to a family who desperately wanted him to come to Australia to preach.

[gardenvarietycitizen]

Wow. VERY much thanks for this - I've long thought I'd like to be a fly on the wall at a conference, but there are all kinds of reasons it wouldn't work out. So I am happily living through you!

The content seems to match what I've read in the books, right down to the sewage in a glass of water analogy.

I still firmly believe that for Steve-O, the fear of death came first. How THAT happened I don't know, but he became afraid of death and so got hooked in hard by the "where will you go when you die?" question, which now pervades every bit of his life. It's why he talks death at a wedding, and regards this life as "heaven's waiting room" (love that phrase!). Interesting thing is, Teri and Steve-O met in college (yes, that's right! College!) and only after they were together were they born again. I'd love to know just what happened.

I agree too that he's seeing his own temptations when it comes to women, and also his father's too. He's written in the past about anger at his father for throwing a good marriage away. I suspect his dad cheated on his mom and that caused the divorce, which is still having repercussions now.

Bottom line through all of it is, there is no such thing as moderation when it comes to Steve-O. He can't control himself if he has any little bit of whatever the forbidden thing is, so he has to ban it all, unfortunately not only for himself but for his whole family. So no alcohol at all lest you instantly become an addict, no fun lest you waste your entire life away (ironic to me, because I think THEY are the ones wasting their entire lives on utterly pointless NONSENSE), no socializing with women lest you fall into lust and have sex right there, it goes on and on.

[Black Aliss]

I know you are all kidding around, but are there some Wiccans, psychics or other paranormal buffs here? I don't consider myself to be a Wiccan but many of my beliefs are certainly in line with theirs, and I have deep roots in the other categories I just mentioned. Now I'm curious......it would be a pleasant surprise to make a new friend or two on that front as well, while I'm here.

I think there are more than a few pagans/wiccans on FJ. I left the Aquarian Tabernacle Church (wiccan) because they were too fundie for me. Trust me, wiccan fundies are just as annoying as any other fundies. I still follow an earth-centered spirituality, and celebrate the traditional holidays. (Give me that old-time religion!)

[mrs]

I could totally pull that off...and not let my Catholicism slip, even. I have fundie-approved clothing and I speak Christianese fluently.

I think the blogger "That Mom" has alot of information disagreeing with CP/QF/ Gothard. In her current podcast series about the FIC movement, she has quoted many bible versus contradicting the idea of "family" isolationism.

[ILoveJellybeans]

I think there are more than a few pagans/wiccans on FJ. I left the Aquarian Tabernacle Church (wiccan) because they were too fundie for me. Trust me, wiccan fundies are just as annoying as any other fundies. I still follow an earth-centered spirituality, and celebrate the traditional holidays. (Give me that old-time religion!)

Im a big fan of the paranormal and have been known to do paranormal investigations.

[NurseNell]

I still firmly believe that for Steve-O, the fear of death came first. How THAT happened I don't know, but he became afraid of death and so got hooked in hard by the "where will you go when you die?" question, which now pervades every bit of his life. It's why he talks death at a wedding, and regards this life as "heaven's waiting room" (love that phrase!). Interesting thing is, Teri and Steve-O met in college (yes, that's right! College!) and only after they were together were they born again. I'd love to know just what happened.

It could have been something that happened in the Air Force then. I think he's a little too young to have served in Viet Nam. He was stationed in Thailand. Maybe a near crash in a plane?

[Deleted01]

I think the blogger "That Mom" has alot of information disagreeing with CP/QF/ Gothard. In her current podcast series about the FIC movement, she has quoted many bible versus contradicting the idea of "family" isolationism.

Awesome! I have a feeling I'll get sucked into reading there, so if you all don't see me here for a while, I'm stockpiling ammo for the Maxwell Throwdown of my Dreams. :dance:

[Phyllis Styne]

Spprocket, your account saddened but I had a different take on Teri. She seemed as sterile emotionally as Steve--except when she mis-read a bible passage and neither of them knew what to do

Were there any tears when they spoke of children gone bad? That seemed so false to me.

Excellent job with the marked bills!!

[samurai_sarah]

Thanks, Sprocket, for sitting through that and reporting back. It all sounds really sad, and depressing.

[Anxious Girl]

I wonder if Stevie will get mad that FJers are going to his events; and when the the cork pops; he will want to come here to demand us to stop persecuting him by going when we have the freedom to do what we want and defend himself. Or has he come here already? :think: * taking a break from homework *

[Seven Severn]

Something else I didn't expect... she is overwhelmingly kind and intelligent.

The whole thing made me sad, but this makes me almost cry and I wonder what Teri could have been if Steve hadn't gone off the deep end. She's probably had to stifle herself (intelligence, instincts) so much that she might not even know who she is anymore.

Something else I've wondered is why she didn't fight back when Steve started going 'round the bend. What kind of hold did he have over her when all this went down originally?

[Arete]

And to lighten it a little: Steve! Dude! JESUS HAD FRIENDS.

Kian wins today's toaster! In all seriousness, take a bow, "Jesus Had Friends" would be a great thing to put on a dollar bill in their love offerings. It IS Biblical. In all 4 Gospels, the one thing you definitely cannot get away from is that Jesus had friends who he loved and who loved him. That cannonball alone brings down most of Steve's theology.

[Deleted01]

Kian wins today's toaster! In all seriousness, take a bow, "Jesus Had Friends" would be a great thing to put on a dollar bill in their love offerings. It IS Biblical. In all 4 Gospels, the one thing you definitely cannot get away from is that Jesus had friends who he loved and who loved him. That cannonball alone brings down most of Steve's theology.

And none of his friends believed and behaved exactly like Jesus, either! Matter of fact, there's a story in one (or more) of the Gospels about the Pharisees getting their knickers in a twist because Jesus was having dinner with "sinners".

[Mela99]

oh, hamburgers. I wanna go! I don't suppose they're coming to Michigan?

[Sprocket]

I question the wisdom of using cards that say "Freejinger is watching you" also. I think it serves to reinforce that the world is out to get them and that they all need to hunker down. Plus, if one were on the receiving end, it would freak a person out (and cause them to go running back to daddy as protector?). I understand the need to put Steve on notice, but I think the greater good is helping the children know there are options and a softer approach would be more successful. Flies, honey, vinegar, and all that.

For the record, I didn't write "Free Jinger is everywhere and we are watching you." I just wrote, "we are everywhere." And we are. The range and scope of fj is not limited to Germantown, TN. It's in Tn, Atlanta, Japan, Colorado, etc.

[Jezebel]

Steve, Steve, Steve,

Don't you realize that Free Jinger is in Canada, too?

And doesn't he realize that some of us uppity wimmen have passports and aren't afraid to use them? If they turn up in the greater Vancouver area, I'm there. In fact, I'll willingly show up anywhere on the wet side of the Cascades between Vancouver, BC and Portland. I might even consider going as far south as Eugene, especially if I cave in and buy another camper.

[Sprocket]

oh, hamburgers. I wanna go! I don't suppose they're coming to Michigan?

The closest they are getting to you this time around is Oshkosh, WI.

[thekate]

The 'freejinger is watching you' thing, I don't have a problem with it. Yes I see everyone's point, but I also see Treemom's point when she said that she didn't want that bullshit taking hold in her town. And honestly, do any of you?

Sure the Maxwells might just hunker down, and if we rattled them enough, they might even stop the conferences - let's face it they aren't doing as many as they used to and their sales there are slim pickings from what they used to be. I don't see how them hunkering down would be such a bad thing as it would mean that Steve-O's bullshite is harder to spread.

Some have suggested leaving notes offering help. Well we've been through this before really, with a couple of members. Free jinger is not a help group. We're a snark board. That's not to say that if Sarah Maxwell turned up on my doorstep wanting help to get away I would turn her away, I wouldn't. I'd help her in any way I could. We aren't a help group, we don't rescue trapped fundies, we snark.

My opinion; leave an offer of help if you want, but also leave the FJ is watching you thing. Steve needs to know that we wont go away.

No, I don't want that in my town either, and I don't feel the need to "rescue" them. But I also don't want to scare the victims of the cult into thinking the cult leader is right. I agree that it's a personal decision on what, if any, message an FJ attendee leaves.

For the record, I didn't write "Free Jinger is everywhere and we are watching you." I just wrote, "we are everywhere." And we are. The range and scope of fj is not limited to Germantown, TN. It's in Tn, Atlanta, Japan, Colorado, etc.

Sorry, I didn't go back to read your original post and read what you actually wrote. I like the "We are everywhere" better, personally.

Edited to not add another post.

[ncb]

This post really did change my take on Teri. I have always seen her as a victim but also held her accountable as an adult and I still do, but, to hear her talk about how she resisted Steve's increasing insanity for so long gave be new sympathy and respect for her. I can imagine that in her depression she felt relief when Steve first got the vasectomy and there was the prospect of raising three kids and sending them off to school and getting to the roots of her depression. I cannot imagine the horror she must have felt when Steve came to her several years later wanting to reverse the vasectomy and I wonder if she ever knew that was possible before that. Here she was with the prospect of her three oldest getting older and less dependent allowing her to focus more on herself and her mental health and Steve essentially hounds her into having five more children. I can just imagine her despair and she dealt with it the only way she was allowed.

I too agree that we are not a help group but, there are groups out there that help people who are involved in cults or suffering religious abuse and while it is fun to annoy Steve by letting him know that we are watching, maybe it would be better to start putting down information for those more "neutral" groups that are capable of helping people in a more systematic and professional way. I absolutely admire what you all have done calling this monster out and coming up with ways to let the children and Teri know that they are being seriously abused. But, we are a snark board and that makes it easier for them and others to dismiss us so I think giving them resources that are more geared toward gently dealing with these situations seems like a good idea to me. Didn't someone say Aunt Tami was a fan of one such organization on her FB page? For the record, I think Aunt Tami could be a great person for them to turn to but, I saw her FB profile before it was private and while she may not be a cult member or leader, she is pretty darn conservative herself. Of course that may be something that ultimately makes her a palatable person for the girls to turn to in the sadly unlikely event that they ever start to question Steve.

[Justme]

It could have been something that happened in the Air Force then. I think he's a little too young to have served in Viet Nam. He was stationed in Thailand. Maybe a near crash in a plane?

Nope! He's the same age as my Uncle (60). My Uncle served in 'Nam. (He was a Marine.)