What Brought You to Free Jinger?

[Whydon'ttheyspeakintongues]

I can thank the "Ladies Against Feminism" website for finally bringing me here - via quite a few disturbing blogs about Godly dish-rag-centered womanhood.  I've actually met quite a few fundies in real life (no-one of note and I'm in Australia btw), which is what lead me to start looking this stuff up in the first place....

 

[CharlieInCharge]

I followed a crooked TLC path here. I got curious about the lack of grandparents on Jon and Kate + 8 and did a quick search. That lead me to Gosselins Without Pity. Since I also watched the Duggar specials I checked out Duggars Without Pity as well. This was just prior to the J&K divorce and there wasn't much happening on DWP in comparison. I lurked there on and off for years and eventually (mid-2012) started reading about a new site (FJ) that had the real dirt on the Duggars. Basically lurked for years and then about a week before the first Josh scandal hit I sensed a disturbance in the Fundie Force and finally felt compelled to join. I only recently passed 75 posts cause the lurker tendencies die hard  Much love to the site and the admins who make it happen!

Edited August 29, 2016 by CharlieInCharge

[molecule]

I'd had a disagreement with Cabinetman on a friend's marriage blog, and one of my friends said she googled him and found this site where he got trashed. Thinking I might appreciate seeing that others were as annoyed by him as I was, she sent me the link to FJ.

[snarkysally]

I found the site years ago...interesting discussions about funding bloggers. Like a train wreck, can't look away.

[fish_ca]

I will quote a bit myself from introduction post. I came across Duggars for the first time over 10 years ago on some of the gossip portals in Poland. I lived in Ireland back then and spied polish celebrities with no reason. They were presented as some kind of curiosity. Don't remember how many Duggarlings they had that time but it doesn't matter now. I was fascinated by the amount of children, this sweet lady and let's say her quite handsome husband (I think I was crazy or sick back then). Aaaand I went dooown rabbit hole. I started looking for information online: quiverfull movement came up, polygamy in U.S., fundies, sheltered children, chaperoning, no touching before wedding, honeymoon babies (terrifynig) and lots of families with lots of children, etc....I found FJ and new fascinating rabbit holes...FJ opened my eyes a bit. I looked on the whole movement from a different perspective, I started reading other sources and I realized how harmful is the whole shit. We do have in Poland orthodox Catolics with their crazy stuff and multiple children but it hasn't reached that level as in Duggarland and Co....yet (I know a bit because my husband and I have relatives with IMHO close to dangerous beliefs) . 

Recently I saw a small article about Duggars and their expanding brood but they wrote partly some bullshit about them so I didn't pay much attention to it.

Found 6 articles about Duggars on one of polish gossip portals. Main topics:

• celebrities who waited for sex till wedding night (2014)
• JillyMuffin getting pregnant 2 weeks after wedding night (2014)
• Mrs. Duggar- how much she spends on shopping monthly (2014)
• Duggar girls won't kiss before marriage (2014)
• Mrs. Duggar on labours (2014)
• Duggar girls on abortion (2014)
• and something I remember from 10 years back

Edited January 7, 2017 by fish_ca
adding last paragraph

[heathenjaye]

hello

i have been lurking on and off for a couple of years. never lurked on Yuka. i cannot remember how i found this site. i know it was in a comments section on some article. that was probably when the Duggars started to get political. however it might have popped up when i was reading about Scientology and it might have been under a anti-cult info link. watched the Duggars until they started toting creationism.  then only watched bits and pieces after that. i am an only child who was fascinated by a huge family. then i realized that they are crazy and TLC should be ignored.

this is probably a bad time to stop lurking since i have officially started calling my laptop "The Lemon."

[abbylabby1]

I used to watch the Duggars on TV out of curiosity about how they managed a large family--day to day living like shopping, cooking, laundry etc.  I have 2 children, grown now, and the thought of homeschooling them was also one of the reasons I watched.  Couldn't imagine how Michelle could do it.  

 Then I discovered Quiverfull and found the Maxwells, the Staddons and Waller families.  When I was searching for Quiverfull, I found FreeJinger and have been a long time lurker, finally made an account but still mostly lurk.  I can't stand to watch the show  any longer and really appreciate the recaps by Buzzard and others.  I really enjoy everyone's point of view and the thread drift discussions as well as the on topic discussions.

[srlm]

Hi!  I've only been lurking I think since Josh's first scandal.  I kept reading online because it was like a train wreck and I couldn't believe it and someone in the comments somewhere mentioned this site, so I came and I love the discussion.  I have had my opinions about the Duggars for some time, but reading other peoples opinions is fascinating. 

 

My true love, though, is polygamy.  I don't know why, though I feel like probably some people here might understand, but I must have been a polygamist in a past life, I find it so fascinating.  

 

Anyway, hi!  Back to lurkdom now.

[Million Children For Jesus]

I was never a loyal fan to the 19KaC show. I didn't know what channel, day, or time it was on, but if I caught an episode, I watched it. The logistics of a large family and home schooling were fascinating to me. I liked that Michelle advocated for VBACs, since my doctor wouldn't give me the option. Although I enjoy studying comparative world religion, I really didn't give any attention to their religion or modest wear, except for a little pity when I saw them wearing what looked like roofing tarps to go on a Slip-And-Slide. The no-hugging thing set off some alarm bells. It seemed unnatural and emotionally unhealthy. I didn't follow the Josh scandal or the first seasons of Counting On. 

I didn't start watching Counting On until a few months ago when some friends who work in Public Relations were talking about the Duggars PR manager, Chad Gallagher, and what a crappy job he did. Some discussion followed about whether anyone could help the Duggars or if they are a lost cause. More discussion followed on the crappy job TLC did rebranding the "Duggar Kids," specifically how the words "Duggar" and "Kids" should be scrubbed from all things CO, especially Jim Bob. I have several friends who work in public relations, tv and film production, branding, and entertainment marketing, so I guess I got interested in the business side first. At that point, I started reading articles about the Duggars and one mentioned Free Jinger. 

I started off on FJ feeling indifferent to the Duggars. The more I learned, the more offended I became and the less I liked them. Ben's anti-Catholic rant and Derick's grifting really soured me. Like I've said before, initially I felt like I was watching animals in their natural habitat and I wasn't emotionally invested. 

When I discovered there were more fundie families, that's when I became hooked. The Freak Factor fascinated me. I have even watched three episodes of BuB now. Sort of watch. I skip through A LOT of CO and BuB. Both shows can be painfully boring. The forums are way more entertaining than watching the shows. 

I'm torn between wanting to jump in and revive their public images  (nobody offered me a job to do this), and cheering for their demise because they're despicable people. 

 

[LiLSeaWitch]

I had watched all the Duggar shows, it just seemed like to me there was something lurking underneath. So I googled the Duggars and there was something about sin in the camp relating to Josh. I'm pretty sure I ended up here only to find out nothing because at the time it was still rumors and the children were all underage. But I laughed at some of the comments and loved the idea of Jinger moving to New York. I bookmarked the site and would check in every now and then to catch up on the snark. I finally decided I had lurked here long enough and made an account. 

***yay, I'm out of the bathroom. Feels better to be a Tater Tot!***

Edited April 2, 2017 by LiLSeaWitch

[Quiver Full of Kittens]

I'm not sure how I found the site to be honest. I looked around a bit, found it mildly entertaining, and then went on my merry little way. I came back around after the Josh scandal when I remembered the site and thought that it would have lots of insider information. Then, of course, I got distracted by some other shiny thing. I came back the third time a few months ago. I've been lurking ever since. I find it way more than just mildly entertaining now. 

I also spent my childhood/teen years/ early and mid 20s drinking the fundie-lite kool-aid with my immediate family. It's been interesting to really see this through the FJ lens since I'm still processing through it at thirty.

[DesiLu]

I was one of the first people to sign up here back in the day. I only remembered part of my screen name so I had to start over. My name back then I think was BeezusQ.  I remember when they were discussing starting this site back on Twop.   I'm just getting reacquainted with the site. 

[Jenn43]

On 2/8/2013 at 12:50 PM, nokidsmom said:

The whole Jubilee debacle was responsible for me coming here. I never paid much attention to the Duggars or any fundies for that matter, but was appalled by the whole thing with Jubilee and I started googling info about the Duggars. I found the old Yuku site with the heading about being FJ raptured to FJ, and I folllowed the link. I lurked for a bit before signing up and posting.

Me too!! I was a huge Duggar fan and I just couldn't get over that episode on TLC! I kept scratching my head.  I'm not sure how I found FJ, but I love it here.  I have been lurking for about  4 years and a couple weeks ago decided to join up.

 

My hubby and I started out our marriage as fundies! We were big into ATI, and no birth control! That was of the debil. :/ We had 6 kids in about 9 years.  I wore dresses all the time and we homeschooled our kids.  I'm not exactly sure when we starting drifting away from fundieland, but it happened. We had a vasectomy after #6 because I was going bonkers.  I did homeschool and graduate 4 of my oldest kids.  My youngest 2 daughters are in the 8th grade in public school, and I work full time.  I was so  full of myself when I was younger! I'm embarrassed of how prideful I was of homeschooling, having lots of kids, being a sahm.  I am so happy that we are out of that lifestyle!  I'm still a conservative(eek) politically speaking, but I don't beat people over the head if they believe/feel/vote different than me.    I love this site! 

[Sister Mary Loquacious]

The direct reason why I wandered in here is the horrible Turpin case- it seems similar to the case we had in the Netherlands of a fundamentalist, Henk Koelewijn  (known as Henk de Voeger) who abused his 19 children in cult-like conditions.

But there is also another thing that happened a few years ago and left me with a few questions. maybe it rings a bell with someone here- though I have little information.

I was cycling over Antwerp, Belgium's main shopping street, de Meir, when I hear a man shout about how we are all going to hell. He had a fine pair of lungs, as he could be heard from hundreds of meters away in a street full of shoppers. As I came closer he looked like a buff military type of guy, and he certainly had that whole drill sergeant bark going. He was surrounded by a small group of quiet followers carrying signs. He had a strong American accent, I would even say a Texan accent.

It stuck with me because In Europe religion is generally considered a private matter and standing in the middle of a street in a foreign country shouting at random people about how they are going to hell seemed exceedingly rude. I know that that's not much to go on, but does anybody know these clowns?

[Frumper]

Hello!  I used to participate in the 19 Kids forum on TWoP and then migrated to the Previously.tv forums.  That's where I learned about this board.  I actually find some of the other fundie families more interesting than the Duggars but discussion of non-Duggars is limited on Previously.tv - so when I saw all of the subforms here on Maxwells, Rodriguii, Andersons, etc. I was hooked!

[PsyD2013]

I lived and worked (briefly) in the Bible Belt.  That life experience piqued my interest in the early Duggar shows and eventually to FJ were I discovered the Maxwells, PP, the Smith/Morton, Botkins, etc.  

[new espadrille]

I love gossip and I keep up with the Duggars, so I was excited to find this forum!

[nomoxian]

I forgot exactly how I came across FJ, but it had to do with the Duggars.

I do remember my first exposure to the Duggars! It was seeing a Motivational Poster style meme on Livejournal with the heading "Vagina - It's not a clowncar" and a picture of the family all dressed in frumpers and fundie suits. I had no idea who they were, but when I found out... oh boy!

[jojo]

I think it was the Razing Ruth lie.

[mollysmom]

I'm not real sure how I got here to be honest! I'm guessing I had googled the Duggars and found FJ! I will say, having been raised like the Duggars (only more strict if you can believe that) I have found this site to be very therapeutic. I've only been out of the cult a few years so I'm still trying to heal and become somewhat of a normal human being in society. I'm recently divorced and have a full time job, live on my own and take care of myself (which is very difficult after being taught to rely on the men in my life, my whole life) but it's very satisfying and rewarding, for sure!!!

[JillRodsEyeliner]

On 2/3/2013 at 12:01 PM, StacyW said:

I google "TWOP Howard is a Jerk." I had hardly paid attention to the Duggars before this, and wasn't aware of all these fundy bloggers.

I totally remember TWOP. Why did they take it down? I think I heard about free Jinger on the pickles page on Facebook. She seems to like to ban/block people who disagree with her. I guess I just needed a place to snark on the AWESOME Duggars, totally!

[emmeline]

I've been lurking here for ages on and off but I can't properly remember how I first came across FJ. I think I may have seen references on TWOP when idling clicking through threads but I'm not sure. Clearly my memory is spectacular! 

Nomoxian, I remember seeing that poster of the Duggars as well. I think I'd seen it around for a couple of years before I found out who they were. 

[adidas]

I can’t even remember (and I can’t remember if I’ve relied to this thread either).

FJ was probably mentioned at another forum and I came to have a look. It was back at yuku and the first threads I was super invested in were Carri and Under1000emily. But I’d been reading for a long time before that. 

[SaintSeya]

Hi to everyone!

I came here just searching fundies' blogs in google. Why? Three or four years ago I was looking for some organic and natural cleaners during a brief season of «eco-fever» and that lead me to a fascinating blog called «A Christian Home»... and I was mesmerized. Then, I found « Ladies Against Feminism»...

The rest is history...

[Jellybean]

Glad you found us to provide some balance to the blogs! I definitely couldn’t cope with the blogs without the snark from people here. My husband finds Brother Gary Hawkins very traumatic because he just hears bits of preaching without the laugh-until-you-cry commentary. It’s my favourite thread topic here - I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard on an Internet forum!