Latest Seriously e-mail from Steve Maxwell

[SPHASH]

He talks about childbirth and the pain women go through with it. Then he asks what pain have YOU endured for your children? His bible quotes were We have heard the fame thereof: our hands wax feeble: anguish hath taken hold of us, and pain, as of a woman in travail†(Jeremiah 6:24) and “And, ye fathers, ... bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord†(Ephesians 6:4)

[ThisOlGirl]

Please. Steve is ruler of his own little kingdom. You know damn well he hasn't endured so much as a little discomfort for his kids. His kids on the other hand have endured plenty of pain, in various forms, at Steve's hands.

[usmcmom]

He talks about childbirth and the pain women go through with it. Then he asks what pain have YOU endured for your children? His bible quotes were We have heard the fame thereof: our hands wax feeble: anguish hath taken hold of us, and pain, as of a woman in travail†(Jeremiah 6:24) and “And, ye fathers, ... bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord†(Ephesians 6:4)

Wait. What?!? :wtf:

[Rescinded and Mended]

Yeah, that's about right for Stevehovah. We suffer the pain of childbirth, we constantly worry about the health and well-being of our children, and yet, to hear him put it, we haven't suffered enough, and only a Godly penis can fix it.

I tell you what, Stevie: since you seem to have all the answers, why don't you tell me what it's like and how much a woman suffers when a child is diagnosed with a horrific childhood illness and endures chronic pain as a side effect from that illness? Are you actually suggesting that with enough Godly inspiration, the men in our lives can train our children to fear and love God, and we can use THIS to fix these problems? That this will be a suitable solution for a woman's fears and suffering for the children she loves?

I won't hold my breath waiting for a suitable response.

[lilith]

The helpmeet consensus is that this email doesn't count as private communication and can be posted, in part or full, as long as usual fair use conditions are met.

[Marian the Librarian]

Still only one Maxwell conference scheduled for this summer, in mid-July. Seriously!

[Miggy]

Still only one Maxwell conference scheduled for this summer, in mid-July. Seriously!

I like this - no one wants or needs Stevie.

It is also a bit sad. Sarah, Anna & Mary sit at home in Kansas, cleaning their house and those of their sisters-in-law. They go on an occasional hiking holiday to Colorado, still with their family. These conferences are about the only opportunity for the girls to meet non-Maxwells.

[anjulibai]

I like this - no one wants or needs Stevie.

It is also a bit sad. Sarah, Anna & Mary sit at home in Kansas, cleaning their house and those of their sisters-in-law. They go on an occasional hiking holiday to Colorado, still with their family. These conferences are about the only opportunity for the girls to meet non-Maxwells.

Yeah, all this means is more isolation for them. :(

[twin2]

I'd like to turn the question around on Steve...

How much pain have your children suffered for you?

[Jana814]

I'd like to turn the question around on Steve...

How much pain have your children suffered for you?

Great question!! & soo true!

[fundiefan]

The dog and pony show has been losing steam for years. The pool of people interested in Steve's brand is small and no doubt, many of those fell out of the pool after one session. When you have only 2 of 7 adult children married, you can't promote your brand of courting. Everyone and their mother has a scheduling/homeschool plan of action and info can be found with the click of a mouse. It's really hard to promote isolation and no contact with the world when you take your act on the road out into the world. I like to believe that the more Steve has talked, the more people he's pushed away from his crazy. Evidence suggests that is what has happened.

I'm glad of it too. The world is a better place without cults taking it on the road. The world is safer with them at home.

[SPHASH]

The dog and pony show has been losing steam for years. The pool of people interested in Steve's brand is small and no doubt, many of those fell out of the pool after one session. When you have only 2 of 7 adult children married, you can't promote your brand of courting. Everyone and their mother has a scheduling/homeschool plan of action and info can be found with the click of a mouse. It's really hard to promote isolation and no contact with the world when you take your act on the road out into the world. I like to believe that the more Steve has talked, the more people he's pushed away from his crazy. Evidence suggests that is what has happened.

I'm glad of it too. The world is a better place without cults taking it on the road. The world is safer with them at home.

I went back and looked at their past conference schedule. 41 in 2010 not counting Chris's wedding, although maybe I should since death came up during the ceremony, 23 in 2011, 18 in 2012, 17 in 2013.

[Jezebel]

I've always been under the impression that a lot of people attended Maxwell conferences because they thought it would be about, you know--homeschooling. Only to get there, be divided up by age and sex, and have a weird isolationist lifestyle preached at them. I'd be annoyed by that bait-and-switch, and wouldn't support them further.

There are a lot of conservative Christians out there. But only a small proportion homeschool, and of those fewer still practice full-blown patriarchy, and/or eschew all worldly diversions and pleasures. The Maxwells really are way out there, even for fundies. Their potential audience is tiny, so they've reached market saturation. And expanding their horizons isn't going to happen.

That they're a poor model for courtship is evident. But they're also a poor model for homeschooling, and all you have to do is read their blog to notice that. Steve and Teri can both write passably well, but they obviously didn't pass those skills along to their children. There are plenty of incompetent, and indifferent homeschooling parents, who only care that their kids are fully indoctrinated and controlled, and see anything beyond the most basic education as worldly or irrelevant.

But I'll venture that most really do care about giving their kids a solid education. And how can those parents read Sarah's (or her siblings') stilted, clumsy prose and think the Maxwells have anything useful to say about homeschooling? The fruits of Steve and Teri's homeschooling efforts are stunted and shriveled. Held up next to other patriarchalist homeschool kids--such as the Botkins--the Maxwell kids' educations look even worse.

So they've failed at courtship, and failed at homeschooling, and the only thing they do well is keep their adult kids completely under their thumbs. And there really isn't a big audience for that--or at least not to the extremes Steve and Teri take it.

[Toothfairy]

Wait. What?!? :wtf:

:lol:

[Toothfairy]

I went back and looked at their past conference schedule. 41 in 2010 not counting Chris's wedding, although maybe I should since death came up during the ceremony, 23 in 2011, 18 in 2012, 17 in 2013.

None in 2014

[16strong]

None in 2014

Speaks so many volumes, they've got a full encyclopedia set. With free dictionaries thrown in. The unabridged Oxford set.

[DGayle]

What would happen to those unmarried kids if Steve and Teri drove off a cliff tomorrow? Serious question. Those kids don't have the skills to run their lives and support themselves. At some point, Steve and Teri won't be there. They better start thinking about a Plan B.

[Jana814]

What would happen to those unmarried kids if Steve and Teri drove off a cliff tomorrow? Serious question. Those kids don't have the skills to run their lives and support themselves. At some point, Steve and Teri won't be there. They better start thinking about a Plan B.

Good point!!

[twin2]

What would happen to those unmarried kids if Steve and Teri drove off a cliff tomorrow? Serious question. Those kids don't have the skills to run their lives and support themselves. At some point, Steve and Teri won't be there. They better start thinking about a Plan B.

Steve or Teri did a corner on this not too long ago. Don't worry. It's all good. Their children have plenty of marketable skills.

[Cassia]

Steve or Teri did a corner on this not too long ago. Don't worry. It's all good. Their children have plenty of marketable skills.

I mean, c'mon, Sarah has already authored 8 successful(!) children's books!!!

Anna has much experience in nutrition and exercise!!!

Mary is taking art classes!!!!!11!!

(where IS that sarcasm font anyways!?)

[Coconut Flan]

Minor note: One scheduled conference in 2014. It's in conjunction with "what some might call a vacation."

[anjulibai]

I'm honestly very surprised they only have on conference scheduled for this year. Even though they have been dropping the number of dates over the years, that's a big drop from last year, and they've done nothing this spring. I keep feeling like something else is going on, but I'm not sure what. Maybe they need to be around to care for Teri's dad? They want to help out with Christopher and Anna's baby? They want to be around to in case something goes wrong with the Melanie's baby?

I don't know, it just seems off.

Oh, and you know, we never heard what the results of that brain-storming session were. They promised to let us know. They've done this a lot lately, said they were going to talk about something on the blog but never followed through.

[nausicaa]

I'm honestly very surprised they only have on conference scheduled for this year. Even though they have been dropping the number of dates over the years, that's a big drop from last year, and they've done nothing this spring. I keep feeling like something else is going on, but I'm not sure what. Maybe they need to be around to care for Teri's dad? They want to help out with Christopher and Anna's baby? They want to be around to in case something goes wrong with the Melanie's baby?

I don't know, it just seems off.

Oh, and you know, we never heard what the results of that brain-storming session were. They promised to let us know. They've done this a lot lately, said they were going to talk about something on the blog but never followed through.

My thoughts as well. To go from 40some gigs to one in the span of four years is a tremendous drop off. I agree with people who are pointing out their flawed business model, but it seems like something else has to be at play. I keep thinking something else is going on in the background--Steve and Teri want to retire, one of them has health problems, or perhaps Teri's dad is very ill.

[SPHASH]

I'm honestly very surprised they only have on conference scheduled for this year. Even though they have been dropping the number of dates over the years, that's a big drop from last year, and they've done nothing this spring. I keep feeling like something else is going on, but I'm not sure what. Maybe they need to be around to care for Teri's dad? They want to help out with Christopher and Anna's baby? They want to be around to in case something goes wrong with the Melanie's baby?

I don't know, it just seems off.

Oh, and you know, we never heard what the results of that brain-storming session were. They promised to let us know. They've done this a lot lately, said they were going to talk about something on the blog but never followed through.

They were supposed to have a post about the little girl's baby chicks. Still waiting on that.

[anjulibai]

They were supposed to have a post about the little girl's baby chicks. Still waiting on that.

I was thinking about that. I hope the chickies didn't die. :?