Things you like and/or learn from Fundies- mostly Duggars

[ElphabaGalinda]

All fundies have ever taught me is to be extremely grateful to have not been born into a family like that. All the "good" points they have are either common sense or can be found in non-toxic sources.

[ADoyle90815]

I'm able to live my life as I want, as I'll have a husband and not a headship.

Reminder to take my birth control pill daily.

I like the idea of being debt free, and I like thrift stores, but I won't buy underwear or shoes there.

I don't like the sexist bullshit that men aren't able to control themselves around a female, so they're expected to cover everything. I prefer pants myself over skirts, but I like that I have the freedom to do so. That includes being able to wear nice slacks or a nice pair of jeans to church if I want without worrying about any death threats.

I'm grateful not to have been raised like those families, and that my family helped me get out of an abusive situation, including helping me realize that I didn't have to stay in that marriage.

[kiwimusume]

I like being debt free, but I credit Save Karyn for that, not the fundies.

I also second what some people have said about making me appreciate freedoms that I've always taken for granted, especially when I hear about the Maxwells' 30-year-old SAHD.

[Irishy]

I don't know that I've learned anything. But I quite like the idea of having a few j'slaves. I would like them to start on my laundry and then I'd teach them to cook. They'd all share a room so I think they'd fit and we'd get along nicely.

[itsnikki05]

That I might not want kids at all and that's okay. Or maybe 1. Needing a hockey bus to drive somewhere? Oh hell no. Not ever.

I like having one. :) Seeing their show... makes me realize that I REALLY don't want more than one. Maybe two, TOPS.

[flojo]

I became stronger in my identity as a feminist.

I had success with T-Tapp. After 5 weeks I had lost 5kg. I have had to stop because of sickness, but will likely start again.

[Markie]

Things I like about Fundie lifestyle:

- the aim to be debt-free. I hope to be some day, really my only debt is my mortgage and I am working on paying that off.

- having a close relationship with siblings

- having more than one sibling. I always wanted more, but liked being the youngest...

Things that I dislike about the Fundie lifestyle:

- lack of basic education for the majority

- lack of opportunities for higher education

- cherry-picking the Bible to support patriarchial, extreme views, while ignoring the "judge not, lest ye be judged" or the "love your neighbour" ideals

- the guilt, pressure and violence to conform

[sarahbrownie]

That my future daughter(s) will be educated, independent women that hopefully will be too smart for a "servant's heart" and have an opposite of a "meek and quiet" spirit.

[Seal]

I like the idea of praising your children more often than you scold them; however, there are instances where the child clear requires one or the other, but it's a good thing to consider. I think being debt-free is great but I will never wear someone's old worn out shoes nor would I make my children. The nutritional value of the food many Fundies consume is beyond questionable, and you will never see me referring to a Duggar or Jeub recipe.

[luckylibrarian]

Not a damn thing. I definitely see the fundies as an example of what I could have become when I started going down the fundie path. I am so grateful that I didn't become a long skirt wearing, uneducated fundie wife and that my inner merry bitch finally broke free.

[KO84]

Best thing I learned about was home perms. Hands down.

[No Cure for Stupid]

I've learned that people can have big families and function, but you don't have to have religion for that. I've always loved the idea of a large family, nowhere near Duggar-large, but 4-6 kids, and most definitely not one after the other. If I had kids, I'd do my best to space them out at least 3-5 years so they have a chance to grow into their own before they get a younger sibling. I'd never just assign all chores to girls, boys would be just as involved in the family, but as the parents, my husband and I would be the responsible parties, just taking help from the kids on occasion, no stay-at-home daughters at all.

Seeing the Duggars and other fundies made me realize just how backwards a lot of people still are. I'm surprised they aren't claiming the earth is flat with their "science." It made me really confused as well. If a man isn't capable of wanting to rape a girl if she shows a little skin, then how is he able to be the headship?

[Dysfundamental]

I learned a healthy distrust of debt from my ebil Catholic and Unitarian grandparents, so no fundies needed. They had lived through two severe economic crises (the Great Depression everyone knows about, but the Panic of 1907-1911 was also quite severe, in the US and Canada at least) and knew what it was like to go from "comfortable" to "in crisis".

[roddma]

I also like the idea of family being close to each other as long as everyone does have a life outside of their family as well.

Except in QUiverfull it is more like a forced closeness.

While I think most of the contry strives to be debt-free, many of these families got there by living in constant poverty and help from churches and others such as the Duggars. Had the Duggars and ther ilk lived the average American lifestyle and actually bought newer vehicles, sent kids to college, and bough decent houses, it would be more admirable. Jim Bob seemed to have a good work ethic when he was younger but now he has turned to gaming the system IMO.

[Sola]

Actually from them? Not much really. They 'portray' debt free, strong families, well behaved kids, but we know that's just a front. I was already on the route to being debt free (I do have a small credit card debt and about a year to pay on a loan which we used to do up the house) by the time I became interested in the Duggars. My family is strong and my marriage is solid so while I do identify with that ethos, I didn't get it from the Duggars, I got it from my own determination. My kids are reasonably well behaved, my daughter especially so, considering they are both on the autistic spectrum, but I put that down to luck and my own understanding of ASD and what makes my kids tick.

What I learned BECAUSE of them is the lengths people will go to to portray a perfect life, how dangerous the religious right is and to never take things at face value. I also developed a healthy appreciation of feminism.