Maxwells: How not to be a Pharisee

[treemom]

Direct link without the frame

http://web.archive.org/web/200006051745 ... 4-99-d.htm

[salex]

Where the hell do the Maxwells, of all people, come off claiming not to be judgmental?

They've spent the whole of their children's lives keeping them away from, well, everybody, because they are so intolerant of people unlike them.

Here is a quote from one of their very earliest blog posts, from priggish, prudish Christopher (yeah, I 'm being judgmental) about their evening of proselytizing at the county fair;

"We’ve been thanking the Lord for the opportunities He has given to share and for putting this outreach idea on Nathan’s heart (just think of all the past years that we weren’t seeking to share at and of all the Fairs across the nation that have no one on-site to share the Gospel!). Although it is not a particularly pleasant project: the expense, the logistics of cooling and transporting so much soda/water, the hassle of setting up and tearing down each evening, the drive time, the hot and muggy weather, and, on top of that, the way people choose to dress."

Poor, poor Christopher (who was in his mid to late 20's when he wrote this) having to see human beings choosing to dress in shorts and tank tops. Oh, the humanity!

But, they're not judging! No, not at all.

And that's just one of zillions of similar comments they've made.

What asshats.

This was the county fair, presumably in their county?

Just WOW!.

First off, i wonder if the Lord laid the idea to have a booth at the fair on Nathan's heart because he knew it was the only way he'd be able to go to the fair in his lifetime? (Or, Steve laid it on his heart as a moneymaker) I think the arrogance in this bit- just think of all the past years that we weren’t seeking to share at and of all the Fairs across the nation that have no one on-site to share the Gospel! is amazing, because I'd say that most county fairs have a Christian exhibit or two, but I don't remember-- And, beyond the "OMG did you see what those people are wearing" complaint, I thought this bit was whiney--Although it is not a particularly pleasant project: the expense, the logistics of cooling and transporting so much soda/water, the hassle of setting up and tearing down each evening, the drive time, the hot and muggy weather. I have worked county and state fairs and a farm show or two (including a couple of exhibits that included handing out ice water) and have managed and worked countless exhibits at conferences and conventions. The logistics are not that big a deal, especially when you have multiple people to help during the day. Exhibit facilities are built to allow drive up or drive close before and after exhibit hours for deliveries, you usually don't have to do a full tear down each night and yes-- Kansas is hot in summer. The expense can be high, but if he did the Leavenworth county fair, the fairgrounds are 17 miles from his home... the the current cost to have a booth at the county fair is $150-$175 (outdoor vs indoor) and the "drive time" he was complaining about was less than 30 minutes... so I guess we know how far out of their way they will go to save souls...

I am very cynical about these people, so I assume that the reason they stopped doing the fairs was that they did not get the local gigs, sell enough books or get enough donations to their kitty to make it worthwhile to drive the 17 miles. That is how I judge whether I'll attend a specific conference for my business. But I don't wrap the decision in a story about all the poor sad lost souls who won't hear about my product.

[twin2]

Hang on, steve wrote "ugh!" To candles??? Why?

I undestand that this is likely a very stupid question.

Yes, yes he did.

Why? He is an arrogant, narrow minded asshat.

[twin2]

AND for exposing the "three oldest children," who, by my calculation, were ages 17, 19, and 22 at the time. :pink-shock: :naughty: :angry-banghead:

Yes, hell is now a forgone conclusion. Clearly, Steve now knows where he will go when he dies. Why does he never think of his "children". Hopefully, the lord jesus will spare them hell for this terrible sin of their father.

[salex]

Yes, hell is now a forgone conclusion. Clearly, Steve now knows where he will go when he dies. Why does he never think of his "children". Hopefully, the lord jesus will spare them hell for this terrible sin of their father.

Not to mention, he damn well wasted $30 dollars on videos he couldn't watch (or return....) I wonder if he sold them on ebay to some unsuspecting sinner, or if he had to destroy them (Or if he or one of the boys keeps them like porn to watch now and then) :lol:

[allyisyourpally5]

Oh my god. That article is beyond ridiculous. Eastern religion? Steve is so patronizing and rude. I reckon it was an Orthodox Church.

Steve, you are a pathetic man.

On a side, I was unaware Teri had miscarried...

[nausicaa]

OH NO!! Not candles! Anything but lighting candles!!

It's done. Clearly Steve is now going to hell for the sin of watching someone light candles in a temple.

:roll:

His overreaction makes me wonder what happens if he or is family is out and sees a public religious display (of one of the WRONG religions). What does he do if he sees women in hijab or men in yarmulkes? Since he lives in a small mid-western town maybe those aren't so likely, but what about seeing Catholics walking the stations of the cross on Good Friday or with crosses on their foreheads on Ash Wednesday? I mean, if someone lighting candles in a temple on a video is so offensive that he needs to write a post about it, how does he cope in even his limited interactions in the world?

I guess my question is, how on earth does Steve Maxwell exist in the US in 2014?

[twin2]

His overreaction makes me wonder what happens if he or is family is out and sees a public religious display (of one of the WRONG religions). What does he do if he sees women in hijab or men in yarmulkes? Since he lives in a small mid-western town maybe those aren't so likely, but what about seeing Catholics walking the stations of the cross on Good Friday or with crosses on their foreheads on Ash Wednesday? I mean, if someone lighting candles in a temple on a video is so offensive that he needs to write a post about it, how does he cope in even his limited interactions in the world?

I guess my question is, how on earth does Steve Maxwell exist in the US in 2014?

On one of their tours, the Maxwells stopped in a very small town. As Sarah put it in the blog post it only had one "church". She put church in quotation marks as it was catholic. Steve-o has indoctrinated them well.

Given where they live I doubt they encounter many heathens outside of catholics. Maybe they have encountered a few on their roadshows, but they still tend to stick to pretty small towns.....

[salex]

On one of their tours, the Maxwells stopped in a very small town. As Sarah put it in the blog post it only had one "church". She put church in quotation marks as it was catholic. Steve-o has indoctrinated them well.

Given where they live I doubt they encounter many heathens outside of catholics. Maybe they have encountered a few on their roadshows, but they still tend to stick to pretty small towns.....

Their town is Leavenworth, 3 miles from Fort Leavenworth, which is home to the US Army Combined Arms Center and the which brings in people from across the country and around the world. My husband (non military) worked a project a few years ago with a Swedish Officer who was working and training there

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Army_Combined_Arms_Center

The town is a county seat, and has the military base with a lot of current and former military people living there. They also have Federal and Military prisons, and a state prison nearby. They are more diverse in population than may small towns in KS (My experience is military towns lead to diversity, but that is just anecdotal) And religious wise, again per wiki --

Leavenworth enjoys a diverse religious tradition stemming from its military and international military influences. In the mid to late 19th century, Leavenworth had one of the largest Jewish communities in Kansas.[35] Leavenworth had multiple orthodox congregations by 1870, many of these Jews ultimately intermarried and over generations became Christian.[36] Leavenworth is part of the Archidocese of Kansas City, Kansas, which is responsible for four Catholic parishes in Leavenworth. There are two United Methodist Churches, the First United Methodist Church and Trinity United Methodist Church. Other religions include Lutheran, Southern Baptist, American Baptist, African Methodist Episcopalian, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, United Church of Christ, Community Church of Christ, Church of the Nazarene, Assemblies of God, Presbyterian, Seventh-Day Adventist and the Islamic Center of Leavenworth. A few churches conduct services in Korean. Many Leavenworth residents also attend services on Fort Leavenworth, which has one of the second largest Catholic U.S. military congregations.

A quick google shows them 2.5 miles from the Islamic Center in Leavenworth, which is only a couple blocks from the Catholic University there. They must have to try very hard not to be tainted in their little town! :lol:

[YPestis]

I remember Teri mentioning that when the kids were younger (probably teens), she would white-out the names (and pictures?) of Greco-Roman religions in their Christian textbooks. They didn't even want their kids to be exposed to ancient mythological stories because, you know, Jesus.

I think Steve hates the idea of letting any non-approved items "into" the house. If he's driving his car past a Catholic church, his children will not have their eyes focused on it and will treat it as background noise. Steve probably fears letting a video clip of non-approved items at home because it provides "focus" onto said incriminating image/information which will be absorbed by his precious kids and germinate and turn them into serial killers. It's really all about control. Steve can't control the rest of the world (he only wishes...) but he will control every single item that comes into his house.

I bet the Maxwell kids, especially when they were younger, were not allowed to venture out very often. And when they were, it was straight from home to pre-approved site and back. No stopping unexpectedly. Steve may even takes it upon himself to check out any venues his kids may be at to make sure it's not near something non-approved.

[lilith]

I remember Teri mentioning that when the kids were younger (probably teens), she would white-out the names (and pictures?) of Greco-Roman religions in their Christian textbooks. They didn't even want their kids to be exposed to ancient mythological stories because, you know, Jesus.

I think Steve hates the idea of letting any non-approved items "into" the house. If he's driving his car past a Catholic church, his children will not have their eyes focused on it and will treat it as background noise. Steve probably fears letting a video clip of non-approved items at home because it provides "focus" onto said incriminating image/information which will be absorbed by his precious kids and germinate and turn them into serial killers. It's really all about control. Steve can't control the rest of the world (he only wishes...) but he will control every single item that comes into his house.

I bet the Maxwell kids, especially when they were younger, were not allowed to venture out very often. And when they were, it was straight from home to pre-approved site and back. No stopping unexpectedly. Steve may even takes it upon himself to check out any venues his kids may be at to make sure it's not near something non-approved.

I suspect Steve would view allowing that sinful footage of idolatrous candle lighting into his home and into his children's precious minds as endorsing it on some level. The "kids" have been told over and over that Daddy only lets godly things into their hearts and minds - remember, even "neutral" things like sports and lyrics to "Row Row Row Your Boat" are out in Maxhell, because even though they aren't inherently sinful they don't glorify god- that it would be a reasonable assumption on their part that anything Daddy allows in bears his seal of approval.

[lilith]

Their town is Leavenworth, 3 miles from Fort Leavenworth, which is home to the US Army Combined Arms Center and the which brings in people from across the country and around the world. My husband (non military) worked a project a few years ago with a Swedish Officer who was working and training there

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Army_Combined_Arms_Center

The town is a county seat, and has the military base with a lot of current and former military people living there. They also have Federal and Military prisons, and a state prison nearby. They are more diverse in population than may small towns in KS (My experience is military towns lead to diversity, but that is just anecdotal) And religious wise, again per wiki --

Leavenworth enjoys a diverse religious tradition stemming from its military and international military influences. In the mid to late 19th century, Leavenworth had one of the largest Jewish communities in Kansas.[35] Leavenworth had multiple orthodox congregations by 1870, many of these Jews ultimately intermarried and over generations became Christian.[36] Leavenworth is part of the Archidocese of Kansas City, Kansas, which is responsible for four Catholic parishes in Leavenworth. There are two United Methodist Churches, the First United Methodist Church and Trinity United Methodist Church. Other religions include Lutheran, Southern Baptist, American Baptist, African Methodist Episcopalian, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, United Church of Christ, Community Church of Christ, Church of the Nazarene, Assemblies of God, Presbyterian, Seventh-Day Adventist and the Islamic Center of Leavenworth. A few churches conduct services in Korean. Many Leavenworth residents also attend services on Fort Leavenworth, which has one of the second largest Catholic U.S. military congregations.

A quick google shows them 2.5 miles from the Islamic Center in Leavenworth, which is only a couple blocks from the Catholic University there. They must have to try very hard not to be tainted in their little town! :lol:

The Stevehovian Church of the Holy Nursing Home doesn't rate a mention on Wikipedia? I'm shocked!

[NoneandDoneinCali]

I usually read the Maxwell posts when they're mentioned on here, but I've never gone back through their posts. Based on what has been mentioned in this thread, I think it's undeniable that this family qualifies as a cult, and that Steve is moderately mentally ill (I mean no slight by this, but it's the only way I can understand his behavior). Those "kids" never had a chance. And now the grandkids won't either. Censoring a (presumably Biblically based) textbook? Fear of candles? Staring down people at the airport? Spending all time together and pooling their money? I am full of pity and revulsion.

[kpmom]

When you get right down to it, Steve is a genius. At least when it comes to controlling his family.

He didn't beat the kids into submission. If he had, some probably would have left by now.

No, he took them out for milkshakes and cried along with them when he had to make unpleasant decisions.

He kept their hearts through love, or at least a reasonable facsimile, rather than through anger or demands.

The Keeping Our Children's Hearts book is a blueprint about how he did this.

Because he did such an outstanding job at keeping his children's hearts, I don't see any adult child leaving the cult.

The only hope would be if the sisters marry men who become a little less fundy crazy after the wedding. Sadly, you could picture the opposite happening, and the sisters would become stuck with some abusive assholes and have nowhere to turn.

[sparkles]

When you get right down to it, Steve is a genius. At least when it comes to controlling his family.

He didn't beat the kids into submission. If he had, some probably would have left by now.

No, he took them out for milkshakes and cried along with them when he had to make unpleasant decisions.

He kept their hearts through love, or at least a reasonable facsimile, rather than through anger or demands.

The Keeping Our Children's Hearts book is a blueprint about how he did this.

Because he did such an outstanding job at keeping his children's hearts, I don't see any adult child leaving the cult.

The only hope would be if the sisters marry men who become a little less fundy crazy after the wedding. Sadly, you could picture the opposite happening, and the sisters would become stuck with some abusive assholes and have nowhere to turn.

Love? Really? I don't see anything "loving" in the way Steve got a death grip on the hearts of his family. He may THINK it's out of love but he's a megalomaniacal, manipulative control freak and he was going to get what he wanted by any means necessary. He may not have gotten angry (I doubt it), he may not have been physically abuse (we don't know and since they were fans of the Pearls, it's highly likely that they were), but he knew how to get what he wanted. Coldness? Crying? Constant threats that one wrong move or thought will condemn you to an eternity burning in hell? That if you "choose" to go against him, you'll no longer be part of the family? No wonder he broke his kids. And it wasn't out of love.

The crying to get his way (how very Steve Jobs-ian of him) is what really gets me. I was an adult when I first saw my dad cry, after back-to-back deaths in the family over one week. I would have done ANYTHING, anything to make him feel better. Imagine how Nate and Chris, kids at the time, felt when their dad took them out for lunch to talk to them about quitting Little League and then burst out blubbering to make his point. It must have been terrifying for them. So of course they "choose" to quit. Give me a fucking break.

The only love Steve has is for himself.

[kpmom]

Love? Really? I don't see anything "loving" in the way Steve got a death grip on the hearts of his family. He may THINK it's out of love but he's a megalomaniacal, manipulative control freak and he was going to get what he wanted by any means necessary. He may not have gotten angry (I doubt it), he may not have been physically abuse (we don't know and since they were fans of the Pearls, it's highly likely that they were), but he knew how to get what he wanted. Coldness? Crying? Constant threats that one wrong move or thought will condemn you to an eternity burning in hell? That if you "choose" to go against him, you'll no longer be part of the family? No wonder he broke his kids. And it wasn't out of love.

The crying to get his way (how very Steve Jobs-ian of him) is what really gets me. I was an adult when I first saw my dad cry, after back-to-back deaths in the family over one week. I would have done ANYTHING, anything to make him feel better. Imagine how Nate and Chris, kids at the time, felt when their dad took them out for lunch to talk to them about quitting Little League and then burst out blubbering to make his point. It must have been terrifying for them. So of course they "choose" to quit. Give me a fucking break.

The only love Steve has is for himself.

That was the point I was trying to make. Love, or a reasonable facsimile...

[Handmaiden of Dog]

The only hope would be if the sisters marry men who become a little less fundy crazy after the wedding. Sadly, you could picture the opposite happening, and the sisters would become stuck with some abusive assholes and have nowhere to turn.

I like to fantasize that one of the boys will marry a strong woman (she would have to appear soft and malleable on the surface.) Mainly I like to imagine the show down between someone tough and smart taking on Steve inside Steve's haven. What, after all, are his weapons? Words? A strong daughter-in-law might be the making of that family and the breaking of Steve's death grip. It infuriates me that he has isolated himself so well that he is never called on his shit-- he isn't accountable to anyone. Normally the type of stuff that he pulls would raise some concern from family members, church members, school officials, etc. But Stevehova has had free rein.

[lilith]

I like to fantasize that one of the boys will marry a strong woman (she would have to appear soft and malleable on the surface.) Mainly I like to imagine the show down between someone tough and smart taking on Steve inside Steve's haven. What, after all, are his weapons? Words? A strong daughter-in-law might be the making of that family and the breaking of Steve's death grip. It infuriates me that he has isolated himself so well that he is never called on his shit-- he isn't accountable to anyone. Normally the type of stuff that he pulls would raise some concern from family members, church members, school officials, etc. But Stevehova has had free rein.

Unfortunately I think Melanie is the closest thing we'll ever see to a "strong" Maxwellian daughter in law. I think that the reversal boys will marry very young girls (like Elizabeth, but without the strong family support) and Steve will keep them brainwashed from day one, having Teri and NR Anna "mentor" them. Remember Teri reciting bible verses with Melanie while she was in labor so she wouldn't resort to pain relief? Some young fundie girl will go straight from her father's fiefdom to Steve's, with no time or space for independent thought or choices.

And if the daughters married a man who went less fundie they would weep and wail and run home to Daddy. And Steve would find a way to justify it as biblical. I'm not saying he'd condone divorce, but I think he'd take his daughters and grandchildren back in til the errant husband repented and conformed to Steve's standards.