A Saturday With the Moodys (Maxwells)

[thoughtful]

Regarding the latest conference post:

"We prayed that husbands and wives would come together, and they did!". Ahem. That's usually the goal, but usually that's done in private. I can only imagine how interesting those noises were in a church sanctuary.

:lol:

So glad Sarah gave the writing session. Yikes. Especially since later in her post she says "...we love to be apart of helping them meet each other". It's "a part", Sarah, not "apart".

http://biblehub.com/matthew/15-14.htm

[Marian the Librarian]

Steve and Teri Maxwell disgust me. Deeply and profoundly.

That's all I've got.

[NotALoserLikeYou]

Neither can I imagine Steve doing this now.

Didn't they go overseas on a plane without the kids? Left them with grandma. But now that they're older, I think Steve is even less inclined to leave them. It's all about accountability.

[Coco]

In one of the conference pictures - the one with two random women at lunch - the woman on the right has a very defrauding slit in her denim frumper. :pink-shock:

Ita the other lady's slit is kind of up there :lol:

The first time i saw the conference post i felt sad for the girl on the left. She doesn't look very confident. Limited opportunities really hurt girls' self-confidence. I don't know her, of course, i hope i'm totally wrong in assuming, but the way she posed in that one photo just made me think about all the fundie girls who have no real goal in life except marriage and they try so hard to be happy waiting when they could be working toward a career and pursuing interests like travel or theater or just, anything. But they have to try to catch a hubby. It just struck me as an awkward photo. (probably just projecting from my own awkward youth group days before i moved out and got a job, lol) Freedom is empowering!

[Jana814]

Steve and Teri Maxwell disgust me. Deeply and profoundly.

That's all I've got.

Agree!!

[Eternalbluepearl]

Do you think the Maxwells still use a schedule? With their adult children? Whatever would it say? Do you think they even schedule like showers? Whoah. I'd be wanting to get married to get the hell outta there and write my own schedule.

[uber frau]

A few years ago they posted their old schedules as samples. Admittedly SOTDRT was more of a focus at that point, but ALL of them had schedules. Even the 'independent' children.

[AllisonWndrland]

Mr. Allison and I were talking about the conference last night. He brought up a few things I forgot to add to our random observations list.

1. The Maxwell family was thrown out of a Veteran's Day Parade a couple years back. They were not asked back, according to Steve. They were thrown out for handing out pamphlets about the "fallacy of Atheism." It's been fairly recent, as they showed photos of the parade and Mary looks to be maybe two years younger, if that.

2. Mary organizes the dress for conferences. She tells them what color scheme to wear. John brought the wrong sport coat for Saturday. It was hilarious. :roll:

3. The blog photo of the little girl hanging upside down from the pew was actually very cute. Sarah would know precisely who I am if she reads this post, as Sarah and I were sitting a few feet apart when she took the photo. Other than the grandfatherly-looking man sitting with the girl, Mary sitting next to Sarah, and the couple down the pew from the child, I don't think anyone else saw it happening.

Also, there are no releases signed by anyone for photographic purposes. Mr. Allison told me photos were taken when I was speaking to a Maxwell daughter, but I was totally oblivious. I am sort of on the edge of another photo that is on the blog. At least, I can tell you exactly where I was standing when the photo was taken. You can't see me because of a big guy standing just to my right and blocking me from the camera. I was not approached either time to sign a release. Registration for the conference was by phone and I never voiced permission for photo releases during registration, either.

4. They showed videos of the Maxwell grandchilren parroting Bible verses. An adult Maxwell would read a few words, the child would repeat, and so on. The little Maxwells are absolutely adorable. The videos themselves? Not so much. I had visions of 1984. I imagine that was not Steve's intent.

[sparkles]

Also, there are no releases signed by anyone for photographic purposes. Mr. Allison told me photos were taken when I was speaking to a Maxwell daughter, but I was totally oblivious. I am sort of on the edge of another photo that is on the blog. At least, I can tell you exactly where I was standing when the photo was taken. You can't see me because of a big guy standing just to my right and blocking me from the camera. I was not approached either time to sign a release. Registration for the conference was by phone and I never voiced permission for photo releases during registration, either.

In general, as long as you're not using the photos for commercial purposes, you don't need to get signed releases at public events. I have seen notices on some registration forms stating that if you go ahead with your registration, you're also giving consent to have your photos used but otherwise, it's not necessary as there's really no expectation of privacy at these events. Your consent is implied (inferred? I never get it right) by your presence. It would be different if they decided to use your photo to help sell a product, but on the blog, no.

Is it wrong that I'm practically peeing myself with glee that the Maxwells got tossed out of a LOCAL event? That's just beyond awesome.

[AllisonWndrland]

In general, as long as you're not using the photos for commercial purposes, you don't need to get signed releases at public events. I have seen notices on some registration forms stating that if you go ahead with your registration, you're also giving consent to have your photos used but otherwise, it's not necessary as there's really no expectation of privacy at these events. Your consent is implied (inferred? I never get it right) by your presence. It would be different if they decided to use your photo to help sell a product, but on the blog, no.

Is it wrong that I'm practically peeing myself with glee that the Maxwells got tossed out of a LOCAL event? That's just beyond awesome.

Not wrong about the glee, because I felt the same way. Gave a little mental cheer when Steve said they were thrown out. :lol:

Also, I have issues with the photos. The conferences are little more than Scripture and anecdotes surrounded by constant promos of their products and the love-offering boxes. Their blog features conference specific posts and is used as a way to promote their products and classes. While they may not have monetized the blog, they are certainly using their photos to further their end goal of raising money through product sales and love offerings. I understand the difference between using a photo on say, the cover of MOTH versus a random selection of the photos on the blog, but they're still using those photos to reach a financial end. It's not an area of law I typically think about or work in, so it's not something I've researched, but it pisses off the lawyer in me regardless. :)

[sparkles]

Not wrong about the glee, because I felt the same way. Gave a little mental cheer when Steve said they were thrown out. :lol:

Also, I have issues with the photos. The conferences are little more than Scripture and anecdotes surrounded by constant promos of their products and the love-offering boxes. Their blog features conference specific posts and is used as a way to promote their products and classes. While they may not have monetized the blog, they are certainly using their photos to further their end goal of raising money through product sales and love offerings. I understand the difference between using a photo on say, the cover of MOTH versus a random selection of the photos on the blog, but they're still using those photos to reach a financial end. It's not an area of law I typically think about or work in, so it's not something I've researched, but it pisses off the lawyer in me regardless. :)

I'll have to see if I can find my notes from my street photography workshop. You'd think I'd remember some more details but then again, I only take pictures of food.

4. They showed videos of the Maxwell grandchilren parroting Bible verses. An adult Maxwell would read a few words, the child would repeat, and so on. The little Maxwells are absolutely adorable. The videos themselves? Not so much. I had visions of 1984. I imagine that was not Steve's intent.

Actually, I think that would make Steve very happy. Big Brother and the Thought Police? It's his dream come true.

[Paperplate]

A few years ago they posted their old schedules as samples. Admittedly SOTDRT was more of a focus at that point, but ALL of them had schedules. Even the 'independent' children.

Really? Where are they?

I looked again and I can only find schedules for "Mom" and the (then) school-aged children.

[gustava]

Actually, I think that would make Steve very happy. Big Brother and the Thought Police? It's his WET dream come true.

[AllisonWndrland]

Edited because my laptop is doing weird things.

[kpmom]

Mr. Allison and I were talking about the conference last night. He brought up a few things I forgot to add to our random observations list.

1. The Maxwell family was thrown out of a Veteran's Day Parade a couple years back. They were not asked back, according to Steve. They were thrown out for handing out pamphlets about the "fallacy of Atheism." It's been fairly recent, as they showed photos of the parade and Mary looks to be maybe two years younger, if that.

I really wish they'd had the same fate from the State Fair they went to last year. Especially after approaching kids and teens. If I'd been local I would have called the fair organizers and complained.

[Brittany15]

What is interesting is that in Maxwell land adult offspring are treated as kids and children are expected to act like adults. Abby is given a huge amount of work to do at home and a lot of responsibility at the age of six. However, as she gets older she won't gain any additional responsibilities. She may be a 35 year old woman at home doing the same chores.

[usmcmom]

What is interesting is that in Maxwell land adult offspring are treated as kids and children are expected to act like adults. Abby is given a huge amount of work to do at home and a lot of responsibility at the age of six. However, as she gets older she won't gain any additional responsibilities. She may be a 35 year old woman at home doing the same chores.

Exactly. It's always struck me that Sarah, in her thirties, has the same life experience as Mary, who is still a teenager. And Mary basically has the same life as her young nieces - a day fully scheduled by mom and dad with no unchaperoned time allowed.

[SPHASH]

1. The Maxwell family was thrown out of a Veteran's Day Parade a couple years back. They were not asked back, according to Steve. They were thrown out for handing out pamphlets about the "fallacy of Atheism." It's been fairly recent, as they showed photos of the parade and Mary looks to be maybe two years younger, if that.

Never heard of them getting kicked out of a public event before. Was it on the blog?

[ncb]

I cannot fathom a god who would want people to raise children this way. These children, now two generations of them, have had their spirits broken, their minds dulled, and their experiences and opportunities limited to the point of abuse. If there is a god(s), that god did not create the world in all its beauty and hideousness to have people live the lives those children have been forced to live by their very sick parents.

[Coco]

I cannot fathom a god who would want people to raise children this way. These children, now two generations of them, have had their spirits broken, their minds dulled, and their experiences and opportunities limited to the point of abuse. If there is a god(s), that god did not create the world in all its beauty and hideousness to have people live the lives those children have been forced to live by their very sick parents.

And the Maxwells aren't the only family doing this. That photo of a grandpa with his little granddaughter from the conference could have been another multi-generational family just as isolated. It's no wonder they like to talk after the conference with attendees.

[AllisonWndrland]

Never heard of them getting kicked out of a public event before. Was it on the blog?

I don't remember it being on the blog. Steve talked about it at some point in the late afternoon. Mr. Allison thinks it may have been last year's parade.

[Rhetorica]

Exactly. It's always struck me that Sarah, in her thirties, has the same life experience as Mary, who is still a teenager. And Mary basically has the same life as her young nieces - a day fully scheduled by mom and dad with no unchaperoned time allowed.

This, this, this! To me, this family dynamic is a key difference between this new breed of homeschooling fundamentalism from the old-style Protestant fundamentalism of the 20th century. In practice, these young people LOSE more of their parents' trust the older they get. (At least that's how it felt to me as I was growing up, and the Maxwell's lifestyle seems to bear that out as well.) I remember the moment I realized that there was no possibility of earning my parent's trust to let me do adult things like go to college. In fact, their trust meter seemed to be going in the opposite direction. Of course, they had no problem trusting me (at the age of 16) to oversee the homeschooling of my younger brothers and run the farm while they went on extended trips out of state. Funny how that works (not).

[gardenvarietycitizen]

...all the fundie girls who have no real goal in life except marriage and they try so hard to be happy waiting when they could be working toward a career and pursuing interests like travel or theater or just, anything. But they have to try to catch a hubby.

Not to mention that for most people, if they want to catch a hubby they realize that maybe a good way to find a pool of potential hubbies who might share their interests is precisely to GO OUT and engage in those interests, join some clubs, do volunteer work, be in a community play, go on community trips, take classes at the community college or the park district, go attend public talks, that sort of thing.

How are you supposed to meet people when you don't leave the house???

Heck, I met my husband through political activism. Move to a place, find out the politics, go join up groups lobbying for what you want, go to events, eventually notice who in the circle isn't paired up, make it clear you're not paired up, arrange to volunteer for stuff with a single person, or even dare I say it just ASK a guy if he wants to go do some other activity alone.

But that would require... initiative, which is apparently forbidden for women to have. :roll:

[Talitha Cumi]

So slightly off topic...i was wondering today, have the Maxwell "kids" ever been to the movies? Do they go to the mall? Do the female Maxwells own cars? Could they have a pet if they wanted one? So many mysteries for one family. It boggles the mind.

Steve is anti-movie, as you'll see when I get more of the conference written out. Not just anti-going-to-the-movies, anti ANY MOVIE EVER.

And speaking of, I won't be able to get the next segment written up until next week. Sorry, y'all, but I promise it's coming.

[Talitha Cumi]

Mr. Allison and I are trying to remember the stories behind the crying. One was when they moved the elderly woman back to her home from assisted living, even though she could barely walk over to them to thank them. That story didn't touch our hearts in quite the same fashion as theirs. We were worried for the woman's health.

The rest of the stories all related to his children, but for the life of me, I can't remember them. I remember the frequency and how fake it appeared. Talitha, did he do the same during your conference?

Honestly, I don't remember. I was frantically typing to get down every word I could. Also, I suck at recognizing fake crying. It all looks real to me. :) But I don't remember if he was crying or not. If he was at yours, then he probably was at mine too, because I don't think he'd change it up that much.

BTW, thank you for writing up your experience too! I feel bad that I keep taking so long in between installments.