Christian or not?

[Ethdyl]

I'm curious about different countries and Christianity.

I am a Christian (and proud to be one!) and I attend a Church of Christ here in Australia. Women work and go to University and decide how many children to have but we still love our God. I don't know of any people here that have those beliefs that the Duggars do over here. Surely they exist? We have a baptist church near us but the women work and wear pants etc etc. what's the difference? Would we not be considered Christians in the duggars eyes? Is it really that different in America?

[BrownieMomma]

Why bless your heart. I'll pray for you.

That's what you would probably hear from Michelle Duggar. Cuz you are clearly not on the right track if you haven't seen the ways of Gothardism.

That's the sweet way Southern women let you know that you aren't up to snuff.

[Free Them All]

The Duggars say their are Baptist but they belong to a cult led by Bill Gothard. It is his extreme beliefs on men controlling women and children that they follow. He dictates how to dress, raise your children, etc.... They use Christianity as a cover for their extreme right wing political beliefs and cult lifestyle.

[grandmadugger]

IMO the Duggars aren't Christian. They follow a man not Christ.

[CorruptionInc.]

I'm curious about different countries and Christianity.

I am a Christian (and proud to be one!) and I attend a Church of Christ here in Australia. Women work and go to University and decide how many children to have but we still love our God. I don't know of any people here that have those beliefs that the Duggars do over here. Surely they exist? We have a baptist church near us but the women work and wear pants etc etc. what's the difference? Would we not be considered Christians in the duggars eyes? Is it really that different in America?

I don't think we can really equate Duggars into the "Christian" spectrum because they are extremists.

Life here in Australia is awesome too.

[SassyPants]

IMO the Duggars aren't Christian. They follow a man not Christ.

Agree.

Other than throwing in the word Jesus every now and again, their brand of Christianity is one I am unfamiliar with.

[Toothfairy]

IMO the Duggars aren't Christian. They follow a man not Christ.

And make up their own ridiculous rules and twist the bible for everyone that disagrees with them

[Rachel333]

Well I have a fundie friend (fundie enough to have been pretty good friends with the Duggars, actually, and I saw her family in some of the pictures from Jill's wedding) who is now living in Australia with her Australian husband she met at a missions training program. I think fundies exist everywhere, but it does seem that they are much more visible in the US.

[grandmadugger]

And make up their own ridiculous rules and twist the bible for everyone that disagrees with them

I don't think they twist the Bible. They just leave out hunks of it to make it agree with them. I often wonder if there is a Gothard version of the Bible that just has that pesky stuff left out. Like the story of Jesus loosing his shit on the pharisees.

[RosyDaisy]

First of all I define Christian as someone who believes in Jesus Christ as the son of God. I am also a former member of the Church of Christ. I left the church, because I couldn't reconcile the teachings of the church with the teachings of Jesus and the Bible in general. I am still a Christian...a liberal one who attends a liberal church. However, Churches of Christ can run the gamut from extremely strict to conservative.

Here in America, we are entitled to freedom of religion. There is no state religion. We are free to worship as we please. What the Duggars or anybody else think about the religious beliefs of others, I don't care. I do care that they are supporting politicians that are taking away our rights. They are Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB for short) which is not to be confused with mainstream Baptist churches, but it's also a home church. That means that JimBob started it, and only like-minded and invited people attend.

They follow Bill Gothard, IBLP, and ATI. The believe that the husband has authority in the home, wives and children submitting to his authority. Adult children are to remain at home under their father's authority until they marry. They don't date. They believe in courtship, with the permission of the parents. There is no physical contact or sex, except for brief side hugs. When they are engaged, they can hold hands, but no sex. However, the degree of physical contact during courtship and engagement vary. Some families allow no physical contact at all before marriage. The believe homosexuality and abortion are sins. The tend to keep to themselves, even on the various trips they've made. They homeschool, and don't believe in going to college/university.

Please don't think all American Christians are this way. I live in the heart of the Bible Belt (Alabama), and I'm a liberal Christian. Free Jinger is a very diverse community with people from different races, cultures, religions, and socio-economic backgrounds.

ETA additional info

[clese]

My husband taught me that christian is a doing word

[Rebelwife]

I'm a member of a liberal mainstream denomination with female priests and bishops and lots of people with worldly education and jobs (men and women!). I'd venture to say there are more Christians that look like me in the US than ones that look like the Duggars, although the US tends to me more conservative as a whole than most of the world.

[lisab506]

Others have posted but I will join in and say the Duggars are Christian but they belong to a particular cult inside Christianity that has its own set of conservative beliefs, politics, lifestyle and lingo.

[silverspoons]

The Duggars are pretty popular with my LDS neighbors. They frequently ask what faith they Duggars are. I have a hard time answering. I'll say they were raised Baptist but now seem to follow a Christian belief system/faith. I don't now what IBLP/ATI , Jim Sammons, FoF, FRC, all these groups and seminars they preach about makes them? So do they belong to a church, faith, or belief system?

I really think Jim Bob should open his church of Duggar.

[SassyPants]

Others have posted but I will join in and say the Duggars are Christian but they belong to a particular cult inside Christianity that has its own set of conservative beliefs, politics, lifestyle and lingo.

Mainstream Christians should be calling them out for attaching themselves to Christianity.

Either you follow Gothard or you follow Jesus. I'm not so sure that Jesus would be impressed with Gothard's rules, regs, beliefs or behaviors.

[grandmadugger]

Mainstream Christians should be calling them out for attaching themselves to Christianity.

Either you follow Gothard or you follow Jesus. I'm not so sure that Jesus would be impressed with Gothard's rules, regs, beliefs or behaviors.

Since Jesus to save us from the legalism I'm guessing he's going "WTH? People I made the sacrifice, you don't have to follow all those crazy rules. It's easy peasy now, accept me, love each other. The end."

[RosyDaisy]

I'm a member of a liberal mainstream denomination with female priests and bishops and lots of people with worldly education and jobs (men and women!). I'd venture to say there are more Christians that look like me in the US than ones that look like the Duggars, although the US tends to me more conservative as a whole than most of the world.

This! QFT!

[Four is Enough]

l would say that the Duggars consider themselves Christians, followers of Christ, but I believe their actions speak otherwise.

[Miggy]

Christian is someone who believes Jesus was the son of God, who came to earth, died and rose again. So yes, of course the Duggars are Christian. The worst insult I've ever received was when a fundy relative said to me "When you're as Christian as me ...". NO! They don't know what my relationship with God is. You can't judge it from the outside. I don't like the "Christian is a doing word" thing. It comes very close to the Gothard teaching of Grace being the desire to do the will of God.

As for fundies in Australia - they're here - you just have to know where to look. Plymouth Brethren (aka Exclusive Brethren) are our biggest fundy group. They mostly keep out of the limelight but they are active behind the scenes in politics. One of my friends at school was number twelve of thirteen. Her nephew was also in our class. An ex-Brethren colleague is no longer allowed to speak to her family members because she left the church. Girls normally marry at eighteen but I know several who married younger. Birth control is a no-no. There is a church a couple of doors down from my house and we always laugh at the number of mini buses in the carpark. My husbands family also has more than it's share on religious nutcases. They belong to various mainstream churches but their personal beliefs are extreme.

[Reverend Ladypants]

I agree that everyone has fundies if you know where to look.

I bet everywhere also has not-fundies. For example, I am an American lesbian who is a Christian minister in a Protestant denomination. Very, very different from anything the Duggars believe!