Kelly-Nathan, Lawson & JD Dugger in Philippines.

[Justme]

New blog w/ lots of pictures. So sad what happened. At least they are trying to help.

 

Things like this is why the Bates have 2 married kids, 1 engaged, and 1 courting. They are allowed to travel without the entire clan and interact with people. I'm talking to YOU, Steve Maxwell!!! You would never let Joe, John and Jesse make such a trip.

[formergothardite]

I'm glad that they are helping and it looks like this is not ATI sponsored, which I thought it would be since Gothard has worked a lot in the Philippines. But of course they have to preach, preach, preach while they are there. What sort of testimonies can these sheltered people give that can be any comfort to people who have just experienced that?

[anjulibai]

Well, it looks like they are at least doing something positive, versus some of those Venezuela trips the Duggars took.

[nellautumngirl]

Cool that some Duggars are now family friends of the Bates and go on trips together, Jim Bob would never initiate something this useful.

[Jana814]

I think that what the Bates/Duggar kids did was wonderful!! & I agree w/ an above poster the Steve would NEVER allow his kids to do this!!

[artdecades]

The idea of charity with catch always bothered me. While I agree that the help is wonderful, it rubs me the wrong way that they use this to evangelize and then celebrate, as kelly said in one post, people being "saved". No, giving them food and medicine is saving them, not accepting Jesus as savior.

[hollyandivy]

It says they are handing out PRESCRIPTION DRUGS????? I hope it's just simple painkillers and multivitamins…. I would not trust them to give me anything more serious than that!

[thekate]

It says they are handing out PRESCRIPTION DRUGS????? I hope it's just simple painkillers and multivitamins…. I would not trust them to give me anything more serious than that!

It just says they were filling prescriptions. I assume a medical professional was doing the actual prescribing.

[formergothardite]

Don't you have to have training to fill prescriptions so you won't mix medications up? I thought they were just handing people medicine that the real medical professionals had already prescribed and filled.

[anjulibai]

Don't you have to have training to fill prescriptions so you won't mix medications up? I thought they were just handing people medicine that the real medical professionals had already prescribed and filled.

That was what I thought they were doing.

They were also paying for the medications, which is a very nice thing to do.

[Dutch_girl]

In the pic of the 3 boys JD looks.. kind of relaxed, genuinely smiling.

Weird that something so normal stands out.

[Coconut Flan]

That is shocking how different John looks - almost like a different person. I'm really glad he was able to go help and to have time away from his family.

[NotALoserLikeYou]

Off topic but about the bates:

Kelly says in the comments section in the abortion post that her younger kids wore snow suits with SKIRTS OVER THEM to play in the snow. How crazy is that? Like a snow suit is showing any type of sexual shape? And these are little kids!

[doubleT]

John looks like he has lost weight or something.

[SPHASH]

I just visited the Bates blog and saw the pictures of the Pro-birth not pro-life rally. I decided next year I'm gonna go and carry a sign that says "I had an abortion, and I liked it" just to piss them off.

[Tangy Bee]

I just visited the Bates blog and saw the pictures of the Pro-birth not pro-life rally. I decided next year I'm gonna go and carry a sign that says "I had an abortion, and I liked it" just to piss them off.

You know they are gonna pray for you :roll:

[uber frau]

This is just more povo-tourism for Jeebus. What can the offer to the ppl of the Philippines that the ppl of the Philippines don't have themselves? The Philippines aren't short on unskilled muscle and they aren't short on Jesus (no matter what the Bateses might think). They'd be much more helpful if the shoved the money it cost into an envelope and sent it to a real charity. The only possible positive outcome to this is that the Bates children might become a little more educated, but surrounded by a tour group of fellow (probably American) Christians , but I doubt it will happen. It will just be more brainwashing in how the poor Philipinos would be so much better of with their brand of religion.

Feel free to call me a cynic.

[artdecades]

Are the Duggars/Bates part of scamaritan? I ask because with them paying for and filling prescriptions, are they doing it for all of them? I would assume so since I doubt any of them can read tagalog but would they support filling prescriptions for mental illness medication? What about medications that treat conditions caused by living unchristian lifestyles, i.e. drinking, smoking, sex?

[scc12]

The Phillipines are primarily Catholic,but you have to be careful bc believe me,they lie a lot! There are a lot of scammers who like to prey on others,esp. via the net.A lot of the women pretend to be interested in Americans bc they think we all live like a bunch of wealthy Saudi's here.Of course most of us don't!

That said,I do feel for their situation right now,in general,it is bad and they need all the help they can get.Just make sure you donate only thru reputable charities.

[Marianne]

Does this people can help other people WITHOUT preaching their religions ?

I did a lot of humanitarian work with the PCF or the Front de Gauche (PCF : French Communist Parties and the Left Front, two far-left parties), and we never, NEVER, made propaganda for our parties and said that we were here in his name. Because we were here to help, not to convert them. In September 21, 2001 when a factory exploded in my city, houses were destroyed with dozens of dead and wounded, the Catholic church help us, and they have NEVER made ​​propaganda for their religion, and we are are grateful for this. Learn to make charity without proselytizing.

[TheJewAmongUs]

First thought when reading through the Philippines post was that they money spent on a plane ticket could be donated to the Red Cross. Of course, you can't ensure that every bit of aid comes with a helping of bible that way, but it's a good way to stretch your relief dollars. My opinion didn't really soften much the end of the post.

And of course, the best time to march on DC against abortion is MLK weekend. Right to life, but what about right to sexual orientation or right to practice any religion you choose? I'm afraid to even right to gender equality or a whole bunch of other protected things I imagine MLK would march for that fundies oppose.

(I realize he probably wouldn't support abortion, but the irony that this march usually falls around that weekend just stood out to me.)

[Luisainlondon1]

John looks like he has lost weight or something.

…and Lawson looks like he has gained a little weight. He looks more and more like Zach.

[mpheels]

First thought when reading through the Philippines post was that they money spent on a plane ticket could be donated to the Red Cross. Of course, you can't ensure that every bit of aid comes with a helping of bible that way, but it's a good way to stretch your relief dollars. My opinion didn't really soften much the end of the post.

And of course, the best time to march on DC against abortion is MLK weekend. Right to life, but what about right to sexual orientation or right to practice any religion you choose? I'm afraid to even right to gender equality or a whole bunch of other protected things I imagine MLK would march for that fundies oppose.

(I realize he probably wouldn't support abortion, but the irony that this march usually falls around that weekend just stood out to me.)

I don't think MLK would like abortion, but I think it's fair to say he would recognize the realities of poverty and discrimination that lead to high rates of unwanted pregnancy. He would also definitely have something to say about a mentality that refuses to support children once they are born to parents than can't of don't want to care for them.

[GeoBQn]

(I realize he probably wouldn't support abortion, but the irony that this march usually falls around that weekend just stood out to me.)

Planned Parenthood gave MLK Jr. the Margaret Sanger Award in 1966. His wife Coretta read a speech by him on his behalf. It doesn't mention abortion specifically, but he shows a deep admiration for Sanger's work and emphasizes the importance of family planning in "the quest for security and a decent life."

There is scarcely anything more tragic in human life than a child who is not wanted. That which should be a blessing becomes a curse for parent and child.

plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are/reverend-martin-luther-king-jr-4728.htm

[Cleopatra7]

Planned Parenthood gave MLK Jr. the Margaret Sanger Award in 1966. His wife Coretta read a speech by him on his behalf. It doesn't mention abortion specifically, but he shows a deep admiration for Sanger's work and emphasizes the importance of family planning in "the quest for security and a decent life."

plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are/reverend-martin-luther-king-jr-4728.htm

However, prior to Roe v. Wade, PP didn't support abortion, because it believed that access to birth control and sex education would make abortion unnessesary. Abortion, for the most part, was not on the radar of the average American during the 1950s and 1960s. There was a movement to decriminalize abortion, but it was mostly lead by medical professionals, who believed that it should be doctors, not the state, the church, or even women deciding when an abortion was needed. MLK received the award because he support birth control in the black community as a way to lower the poverty rate. There's really no way of knowing what MLK would have thought about abortion, since he died before it became an issue. Coretta Scott King was a supporter of feminism and women rights, but as far as I know, she never really talked about abortion in particular. However, I always got the impression that her real interests were in anti-violence and anti-racism activism.