Real Life Fundie Encountersâ„¢ Part 2

[Geechee Girl]

I wish I read through these threads earlier - I had no idea - what fun!

I live in Central Florida in the city. Business by day, party nearly every night somewhere down there. The hubs and I rarely go out at night (oddly, we joke about how great it would have been to live here when we were in our 20's, since we spent MANY party weekends here in our younger years!) and we were walking home from a concert around Halloween time.

Picture it - a HUGE street party, with every costume (and body part) imaginable for the eyes to see. As we're rounding the corner heading toward the main street downtown, there sits a man with a bull horn and his two long-haired, skirt wearing warriors - warning all the sinners of the error of their ways - trying desperately to save their souls. He was being defrauded left and right, yet managed to stay strong while delivering his message - his comrades dutifully passing out literature, which promptly littered the ground around them. I'll say it - they had balls. BIG ones.

Turns out nearly every weekend someone is preaching on that same corner. Defrauded or not, God's army presses on each Friday and Saturday night Central Florida!

Was this the Ybor City guy or the one on Orange Ave? The guy that was in the Church St. Station neighborhood used to pass out tracts designed to look like after-party flyers.

[Lovebug]

Was this the Ybor City guy or the one on Orange Ave? The guy that was in the Church St. Station neighborhood used to pass out tracts designed to look like after-party flyers.

He was on the corner of Orange and Church! Not sure who the Ybor City guy is, as I don't get down to that area often. That's toward Tampa, right?

[Geechee Girl]

Lovebug, yep Ybor City is the center of Tampa's nightlife & entertainment. It's the home of the Gasparilla Pirate Festival, Guavaween, and Krewe of Sant' Yago events.

[Laurabelle]

A friend of mine got married a few weeks ago...once we got to the reception, I noticed a guy sitting across the room looked familiar. I noticed him at first because he was decked out in a kilt--full attire. The bride and groom aren't Scottish, so I thought it was odd. Then I realized he looked familiar because of FJ...

Finally placed him as RC Sproul Jr.! I honestly did try to snap a pic to share but had my 6 month old with me and she was a handful that day so it didn't happen. I noticed most of his family (well, what I assume was his family) didn't dance during the reception, but who I assume was his adopted son? did dance for a while. I was so excited to have a fundy sighting to share with FJ. Haha.

[toosweet]

"I wish some JWs would come by just so that I could tell them that I'd have died 59 years ago if not for 3 exchange transfusions I had when I was a baby."

Some years ago, two kind JW ladies left some tracts at my home. I read them, determined they were ridiculous and awaited the ladies' return. When, indeed, they did, I invited them into my home and showed them the pictures of my twin daughters all over my walls. I told them that I was a Christian Southern Baptist and although I respected their commitment to their 'faith', I wholeheartedly disagreed with some of their beliefs. Most notably, the disbelief in blood transfusions. If it were not for the selfless actions of one man from Mississippi who donated blood and dictated it go to the NICU at my AL hospital, my tiny, three-month premature twins would not be alive, healthy, and blissfully happy. They smiled respectfully as they left my house. My husband asked them not to come back.

[J'Isabel]

I have a Quiverfull family living in my new neighborhood (Florida panhandle). I think they have 11 kids. I met some of the kids at the local park, where their youngest few were playing with my 3-year-old while the older kids supervised. I've never seen the parents, but the oldest girl (who had to be at least 19-20), invited me and my daughter over to their house for a play date. I made a polite excuse and went home. Now I kinda wish I had said yes!

[lizzybee]

I live in TN so fundamentalists aren't all that strange here, but they are a little more rare for my area of town.

Anyway I was at Aldi and saw a family of four, Dad had on a suit (it's like 90 degrees here today) and the Mom had on a green long sleeve button down and a long brown skirt to her ankles with boots on. Little boy had on khakis and a tucked in polo, little girl had a homemade looking dress down to her ankles with long socks and tennis shoes. She had a long fishtail ponytail and couldn't be older than maybe 4. Boy was about 6. Mom had her hair pulled back in a very elaborate looking almost FLDS style. They stuck out like sore thumbs. A woman walked by in long shorts and I noticed the dad look down as she walked by. Probably did the same to me. I've seen as lot of fundies, living here in Nashville, but these were different to me. We get a lot of Gothard looking girls and typical southern baptists, but rarely full on fundies like these.

Those sound like Pentecostal (the SUPER conservative kind). My former stepmother was a conservative Pentecostal (she didn't dress like they did or really follow like she should have if she was going to go to church with them though). She would bring me to church with her from time to time and you know that song, "one of these things is not like the other?" that was us in church with the fundie Pentecostals. I'm from Georgia, currently in Alabama, and I can tell a difference pretty easily between Pentecostal and Baptist fundies - I've been a practicing Baptist at a full spectrum of Southern Baptist to Hardshell to fundamentalist, etc. But I grew up amidst her Pentecostal church and families. They looked down their noses at us, and I never really understood why at the time (I was under the age of ten mostly, so I had no idea what the deal was other than the obvious fact that they didn't cut their hair, wear pants, or makeup).

BUT what I was going to say is the most distinct thing about them is their hair. A lot of them have looooong hair because they don't cut it and they take the "crowning glory" thing very seriously. They can concoct some of the most glorious hair styles out of their long manes. Like you said, it harkens to some of the FLDS hairstyles. I think it's one of those unspoken parts of their church culture. Erin Paine has some of their "je ne sais quoi" when it comes to perfecting her "do."

ANYWAY I don't know if the people you encountered were Pentecostal, but your description made it pop into my head.

It's funny how time changes things and opens your eyes. I was an adult before I realized those people were "fundie." I just thought they were judgy and several of them were named "Melissa." I knew most of her relatives all wore skirts, but I didn't really even wonder why we didn't. It never occurred to me that it was because we weren't like them. I thought it was more because we weren't in church every week. Do you ever wonder why you didn't put something together? :roll:

[lizzybee]

For fun, I googled Apostolic hairstyles. It really is an art, lol. :shock:

google.com/search?q=apostolic+hairstyles&espv=2&biw=1280&bih=638&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAmoVChMIoq72-f7GxwIVRJeACh2NwQSL

[allthegoodnamesrgone]

For fun, I googled Apostolic hairstyles. It really is an art, lol. :shock:

google.com/search?q=apostolic+hairstyles&espv=2&biw=1280&bih=638&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAmoVChMIoq72-f7GxwIVRJeACh2NwQSL

Why do fundies turn to the 80's for hair and fashion? :confusion-scratchheadblue:

[formerlyfundie]

We actually had a group of the young "hip" Pentecostals come in to tgi fridays a few weeks ago, we were there for the endless apps (which are kind of a rip off). Anyway what was interesting was it looked like a youth group, older woman was in a skirt to her ankles, high HIGH hair, many layers of tops. But all the teens had knee length denim skirts and one had a longer maxi. So much hair lol. The guys were all in formal looking attire, lots of bright colors. They sat separate from the girls. One of the girls complimented my maxi dress lol. I was pretty fascinated by them, their hairstyles were indeed masterpieces. Even the guys were perfectly coiffed.

Also on my drive home from church we pass the Heritage building aka the Nashville IBLP headquarters. I live literally 5 minutes from it now! Incredibly weird.

[Moraine]

Long time lurker, now confused. I thought Fundie meant Christian fundamentalist. I'm wondering why some people are posting sightings of people who are not Christian?

[jerkit]

My hair was that fancy once.

ON MY WEDDING DAY.

[Bethella]

Long time lurker, now confused. I thought Fundie meant Christian fundamentalist. I'm wondering why some people are posting sightings of people who are not Christian?

You can have fundamentalists in any religion: christian fundamentalists, jewish fundamentalists, muslim fundamentalists...

[ladyamylynn]

For fun, I googled Apostolic hairstyles. It really is an art, lol. :shock:

google.com/search?q=apostolic+hairstyles&espv=2&biw=1280&bih=638&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAmoVChMIoq72-f7GxwIVRJeACh2NwQSL

YOU GUYS

[anniebgood]

YOU GUYS

Back in the late 60's early 70's, if you were going to go to a big dance or wedding, you'd buy all these "falls" and set them yourself. Then take them out and layer them on your head. And spray the living bejesus out of them. When I look back on those pictures I cringe. :wink-kitty:

[heagleca]

Haha, my hair looked a little like that on my wedding day....which was only 7 years ago! I have often looked at pictures and wondered wtf was I thinking with all my hair piled so high.

[CyborgKin]

Does attending a conference that Scott Brown and Kevin Swanson spoke at (2 years ago) count?

Kevin just can't stand still while preaching. He paces back and forth on the stage rather rapidly.

[IamCanadian]

I found this today and it made me giggle. I hope it's in the right place as it's not really a fundy encounter. I do wonder if they're being purposely cheeky or is my brain just ultra programmed to detect possible fundy speak?

Background: Purity Factories is an iconic company in Newfoundland who happens to be hosting a booth at the St. John's Regatta today.

https://twitter.com/PurityFactories/status/628878996076302336/photo/1

OMG...I'm from Newfoundland and was actually home in time to go to the Regatta. I saw this as well and thought of FJ.

I had no idea there were other Newfoundland Free Jingerites out there. PM me with the usual east coast details (if you like) so we can figure out how we are related.

[ChuckleBeam]

I'm in central Florida, small town, you've never heard of it :D and to my surprise at our Christmas parade last year, Daniel Webster was being driven in a pick up truck by Alyssa Bates Webster and her husband. She's very pretty (and tiny) in person.. My father was not as impressed with my fundie sighting as I was and looked at me like I had 2 heads..

[Geechee Girl]

I'm in central Florida, small town, you've never heard of it :D and to my surprise at our Christmas parade last year, Daniel Webster was being driven in a pick up truck by Alyssa Bates Webster and her husband. She's very pretty (and tiny) in person.. My father was not as impressed with my fundie sighting as I was and looked at me like I had 2 heads..

There are quite a few of us here familiar with central FL. I'll guess the parade was in either Lake or Polk county.

[ChuckleBeam]

There are quite a few of us here familiar with central FL. I'll guess the parade was in either Lake or Polk county.

[rosethorne]

I went to the State Fair here in Alaska over the weekend. As I was walking around I played count the Fundies. I paid particular attention to faces so that I wouldn't count anyone more than once. I was walking around appx. 3 hours.

I counted 4 women in prairie dresses and snoods.

3 of the 4 women were pushing strollers with either 1 or 2 children under 2, at least 2 of the women were visibly pregnant.

Accompanying them were men in slacks and brightly colored long sleeve button downs.

Not a single one of them looked more than 17...

In my own family someone that age pushing a stroller would be an older sibling taking a younger one out for a fun day, but it was patently obvious these were couples from the body language and physical contact

[Handmaiden of Dog]

My husband and I went to a funeral today. The deceased was a member of the Middle Creek Primitive Baptist Church. The church elder who led the service had the strangest way of praying I have ever heard. He spoke in patter that was a cross between an auctioneer and someone chanting the verses to a song punctuated with "Ah! Ah!" ever few words. It started out at a normal volume and speed but then got louder and louder and faster and faster. There was a lot of grunting from the congregation which I took to mean agreement. I wish I had recorded it.

[nastyhobbitses]

Why do fundies turn to the 80's for hair and fashion? :confusion-scratchheadblue:

Really beats me. There are so many eras you could draw inspiration from for cute modest styles that don't look ridiculous. 1910s, anyone? Though generally when fundies go Victorian/Edwardian, it looks less like Downton Abbey and more like a really low-budget production of Hello Dolly.

[skrimp]

I am 99% positive I just encountered a fundie family but I was perplexed because while they had on the expected clothing (floor length skirts, long sleeves, layers, all very loose), the mom and older daughters all had very short hair. It was cute, don't get me wrong. But very un-fundie. Is this a deal-breaker that would move them into the fundie-light category? Or could they be hardcore fundie and just living in a constant state of cognitive dissonance on this issue a la Erika Shupe? This is one of the most confusing types of discrepancies for me. It's one thing to pick and choose which Bible passages you follow, but having such a constantly visible violation of 1 Corinthians, which seems to be one of those randomly important tenets of modesty in fundie woman circles, doesn't make a lot of sense. (For reference the scripture I mentioned says this: "But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering." - American King James Version)