Response from Kelly Bates about Lawsons money they borrowed.

[3 is enough]

So has anyone questioned them about how they can take "loans" from their 18 year old child and still claim to be debt free? I would think they heavily moderate their comments, I wonder if they would let a question like that through. I would love to see the try and answer it.

My guess is that the answer would be something along the lines of "We're a FAMILY, we share all of our resources."

[ladypuglover]

My guess is that the answer would be something along the lines of "We're a FAMILY, we share all of our resources."

But most familes share resources from the parents down, not the children up. Meaning you will gladly work to support your child/ren but most never expect or want their child/ren to have to support them when the parents are healthy, able-body adults.

[bananacat]

My mom and I are a team and I would help her out if she truly needed it and I could afford it, but she wouldn't expect it of me. But most importantly, if I did help her she wouldn't spend on expensive fertility treatments to have more children and more expenses. There's a difference between helping parents who are genuinely in need, and being forced to help because they're just plain irresponsible.

[3 is enough]

But most familes share resources from the parents down, not the children up. Meaning you will gladly work to support your child/ren but most never expect or want their child/ren to have to support them when the parents are healthy, able-body adults.

Totally agree, but these people have all of their priorities screwed up. Most families don't keep on having baby after baby because they know the older siblings will do the actual parenting either.

[Koala]

But most familes share resources from the parents down, not the children up. Meaning you will gladly work to support your child/ren but most never expect or want their child/ren to have to support them when the parents are healthy, able-body adults.

:clap: :clap:

[EmmieJ]

How disingenuous of Kelly to completely gloss over the money she and her husband have borrowed from their son, just to make ends meet because of their own irresponsibility. Most parents would be absolutely mortified to have the world know that because the father refuses to get a job that would more fully support his family, they instead rely on the "kindness" of their son to loan them money, over and over again. It's not like Gil doesn't have the educational background or job skills to find work that pays more than tree trimming -- it's simply that he doesn't feel like going out into the big bad world and getting a job that would do so.

You get a second job if you have to, you skip ATI events if you have to, but you don't expect your kids to pay for your choices. Gil and Kelly created this lifestyle, and now they should be responsible adults and pay for it. But they aren't.

Exactly. Kelly and Gil have made lifestyle choices that leave them short of money to pay for groceries (and who knows what else). So they borrow money from their 18-year old son. This is selfishness. Because they want to live life in a certain way, they expect their 18-year old son to support them financially in their poor choices. It boggles the mind. Gil won't step up and bring in more money to the household, and to add insult to injury, they continue to procreate!!!

(Edited to add a quote and make a slight modification to my last statement.)

[Austin]

If Gil got a real job, he probably would not be given all of the vacation time he needs to gallivant all over to these ATI conferences. I'm guessing that's a dealbreaker.

[formergothardite]

My guess is that the answer would be something along the lines of "We're a FAMILY, we share all of our resources."

But didn't they say it was a loan? Meaning that they owe their son money so they aren't debt free like they claim.

[EmmieJ]

But didn't they say it was a loan? Meaning that they owe their son money so they aren't debt free like they claim.

Oh what a tangled web we weave

when first we practice to deceive

I wonder if Kelly Bates knows how much this applies to her and Gil right now.

[TVR]

Which organization is it that promotes the "family pot" where everyone in the home gives their earnings (even when school aged kids do part time work, and adult kids are working full time but living at home) into one account and Dad as head of the house is in control of it all?

[ThisOlGirl]

Didn't Kelly Crawford mention on her blog that her kids, if they are earning money, it's considered "family money"? Or maybe it was Kendall--I get those two mixed up. So maybe this is par for the course in fundieland (although it appears Lawson is a more extreme example).

It still isn't right, though.

[jockosmom]

If Gil got a real job, he probably would not be given all of the vacation time he needs to gallivant all over to these ATI conferences. I'm guessing that's a dealbreaker.

Exactly. How could he possibly have the time to drag the family all over the country seeking their 15 minutes of fame (I want a reality show too! :crying-yellow: ) if he had to step up to the plate and get a real job like real people do? I didn't see the ABC program, but after hearing all this crap about borrowing money from their 18-year-old son and bragging about being debt-free while accepting free medical care and who knows what else free from their "admirers", I have lost whatever respect I had for this bunch. Why is the media so enamored of these families? TLC and the Today show have their pet family, the Duggars, so I guess ABC is going to have the Bates family as their pet family.

[slickcat79]

Didn't Kelly Crawford mention on her blog that her kids, if they are earning money, it's considered "family money"? Or maybe it was Kendall--I get those two mixed up. So maybe this is par for the course in fundieland (although it appears Lawson is a more extreme example).

It still isn't right, though.

I'm not sure if it was Kelly, but I don't think it could have been Kendal. All of Kendal's kids are something like 7 and under, right?

[blisterine]

the bates are being built up as paragons of virtue, but they are actually white-trash waltons. if they weren't so overtly xian, they'd just be a big sloppy family in a tiny cramped house.

p.s. i just noticed the button says SUBMIT instead of POST. was this intentional?

[doggie]

the bates are being built up as paragons of virtue, but they are actually white-trash waltons. if they weren't so overtly xian, they'd just be a big sloppy family in a tiny cramped house.

p.s. i just noticed the button says SUBMIT instead of POST. was this intentional?

since they are christian then they are fine if they were not they would be white trash. amazing how religion makes the same thing ok. I posted about the submit thing too i thought it was funny.

[IReallyAmHopewell]

Whenever a fundie family says their kid "volunteered", I am always suspicious.

Exactly! If you've been taught since birth to obey any command willingly, and immediately are you going to question? NO! That's the point of parenting in this lifestyle. If you've seen no other life you don't question. Hence every Quiverfull family has kids who "want" to share a bedroom with toddlers or "want" to stay at home and be an unpaid servant instead of going to college or finding a job or whatever. Yes, occasionally, there are kids who grow up to have a decent feeling for their family and would choose this--usually for the short term. And as adults we often care for aged parents whether it's our desire or not, many of us simply must do it due to $. With college so expensive, lots of students accept that they must live at home to afford it. That's a short-term sacrifice. IF you are unemployed against your will and live with parents out of necessity, then YES you should do housework, yard work, babysitting etc to show you are an ADULT. But, when you've seen nothing else, are allowed nothing else and are taught to fear anything else that is not a "choice."

[ophelia]

the bates are being built up as paragons of virtue, but they are actually white-trash waltons. if they weren't so overtly xian, they'd just be a big sloppy family in a tiny cramped house.

p.s. i just noticed the button says SUBMIT instead of POST. was this intentional?

It always makes me smile to SUBMIT my message =)