It's strange that none of the Arndt men...

[Guest LilaFowler]

Have moved out or gotten married or even courted. Some of them are in their late 20s and early 30s. It's just really, weird. Will they still be at home at 40? Sure they're Safe At Home, but wouldn't men well into their 20s and 30s be safe on their own as well?

[bananacat]

They're a lot like QF daughters in a lot of ways. Most fundies have double standards for their sons and daughters, but maybe their parents treat them more like daughters because they only have one actual daughter. I mean, maybe they are freaked out by the idea of losing them to someone else or the thought of their sons actually becoming sexual beings.

I also think that the Arndts are on a strange line between fundie and fundie-lite. They play sports, wear shorts, and the boys do "women's work" (out of necessity). But they would probably only want their sons to marry QF women. So they're probably not quite fundie enough to appeal families like the Duggars or Bateses, but if they find fundie-lite women, she probably won't be from a QF family.

[MamaJunebug]

The Maxwells will be in Saint Charles, MO, this month, not 50 miles from the Arndts in Southern Illinois!!

Can nothing be done to introduce Sarah to an Arndt sonMr. Maxwell to Mr. Arndt???

Oh, the (waste of) humanity!!!

The extravagance with which these folks waste their youth!!

[masagoroll]

It is very weird that none of them have gotten married! I mean, they seem kind of awkward, but lots of fundies who are much more awkward have gotten married in our time haha.

I can't believe how they have THIRTEEN sons and only ONE daughter! That kind of sucks!

I was going to say that they should get out and start helping out all of the aging fundie old maids by marrying them, but then I realized that I don't really want to encourage fundies to breed!

[ChickeyMonkey]

I guess they're living Darwin's "Survival of the Fittest," don't you think? If they can't get out there and meet someone to procreate with, their branch of the family tree will be lopped off. Is that irony?

I hope my meaning isn't clear as mud. I'm not as eloquent as many of you here on FJ. :oops:

[Karsaroni]

They're a lot like QF daughters in a lot of ways. Most fundies have double standards for their sons and daughters, but maybe their parents treat them more like daughters because they only have one actual daughter. I mean, maybe they are freaked out by the idea of losing them to someone else or the thought of their sons actually becoming sexual beings.

I also think that the Arndts are on a strange line between fundie and fundie-lite. They play sports, wear shorts, and the boys do "women's work" (out of necessity). But they would probably only want their sons to marry QF women. So they're probably not quite fundie enough to appeal families like the Duggars or Bateses, but if they find fundie-lite women, she probably won't be from a QF family.

The Arndt's were my semi-first Fundie family!! Then I found the McDonald's and then I saw what real fundamentalism is all about! LOL! Anyway, I agree that they are likely fundie-lite and if anything this makes them less likely too marry. They sort of walk that weird line between the QF and just highly religious. As far as I know they do homeschool but they don't attend the homeschool conferences. Which in my opinion makes it almost impossible for them to meet like-minded folks. From following them for a while I get the impression that they aren't even necessarily in the courting mindset (the one son Luke wrote some entry on his online notebook that's part of the family site about thinking of good dates to take a girl on) but it's not like these guys are proactive in finding a mate. They all live at home, they all work together, they all only vacation together, play softball together, home church with basically just their family, etc. There appears to be NO effort on the parents part on helping them find a mate. A few of the brother's are mega-awkward but a few seem normal enough. I truly think that they think God is just going to dumbo-drop a prepackaged bride for each of their son's on their front lawn someday. I think some of them have friends outside their family so I would hope one of them would have the balls to tell them to get out of their comfort zone to find a girl. Go to another church one Sunday for pete's sake! But no, they just keep doing the SAME thing day in and day out. What girl would want to marry into that family that is so all inclusive!? Creepy. And don't get me started on the 14 year old sister who still wears her hair in braids. I'm pretty sure they want to keep her a child forever.

[debrand]

The oldest boy was born in 1980. Why aren't none of these people married? At least one should have a spouse.

[MamaJunebug]

We sound like a bunch of old ladies. "Why aren't they married?!" LOL

Actually the Arndts do have community events like the softball tournament or game they sponsor at a local park with in-kind contributions from celebrities, etc. IIRC some of the Saint Louis Baseball Cardinals are involved?

Oooo, wait -- I am an old lady! TrulyLOLing!

[sea_gale]

Fundie sons can work and add income to the household, perhaps that's why. Also consider that they've been hearing the ZOMG WIMMIN ARE EBIL AND WILL CORRUPT YOU line their whole life. It effs up women, but it must be damaging to men to have an impossible standard to hold women to. Likely they are scared of possible marriage partners while also thinking they aren't good enough.

[Austin]

I guess they're living Darwin's "Survival of the Fittest," don't you think? If they can't get out there and meet someone to procreate with, their branch of the family tree will be lopped off. Is that irony?

Wouldn't exactly break my heart. . . ;)

[clibbyjo]

The Maxwells will be in Saint Charles, MO, this month, not 50 miles from the Arndts in Southern Illinois!!

Can nothing be done to introduce Sarah to an Arndt sonMr. Maxwell to Mr. Arndt???

Oh, the (waste of) humanity!!!

The extravagance with which these folks waste their youth!!

Someone has to take charge here! Can someone quote a few bible verses at Steve, tell him it was "laid on my heart for you to share some fellowship with this wonderful Christian family with 12 MARRIAGE AGE SAHS". We need to throw Sarah a life raft! I know they are probably too lite for the maxwells(Sarah might end up playing softball!),but its worth a shot!

[Austin]

If the Arndt men are fundie-lite, then they probably won't score high enough on the asshole scale to please Steve.

[SunnyAndrsn]

Perhaps all the sons are trying to stay debt free? If you live in mom and dad's house, then you don't have household bills to pay.

IDK, but it's weird that adult men in their 20's ad 30's would want to stay living with their parents.

[Guest LilaFowler]

I thought of them because their Kids By The Dozen TLC special re-aired the other day, and I recorded it to watch again. All those men in their 20s and 30s have to be horny. LOL.

[MamaJunebug]

Wow-whee!

I just watched the promotional program on this year's softball game

www.softballclassic.com/

and it's a goldmine of info, I tell you.

The son on-camera with the early Sunday morning TV crew hardly ever looks at the lady anchor. He does glance her way, but mostly, it's eye-contact with the gentleman anchor.

There's a few seconds of him shaking hands with the gent, but not the lady. Fairly, that could be because the gent is on the "media all stars team" that competes against the Arndt 'famteam' but who knows.

At home, the bald-headed son reacts with excitement when the TV anchor announces the appearance of the Arndt boy. The bald son is at least in his late teens, and also, these folks have been on TLC and have a weekly video show? Seems odd that he'd be so giddy about the appearance. Maybe he's delayed,and I'm not saying that snidely.

Father Arndt looks and holds himself like he's cut from the same cloth as Father Maxwell.

Mother Arndt nods a lot while Father speaks and barely takes her eyes off him. She seems to me the kind of woman who is very comfortable with being in charge when her husband isn't around.

The interviewee-son says the softball game is the one time in the year that "the ministry" really interacts with the public. Other than that, "the ministry" is engaged with publishing and the weekly Famteam video production.

Some house! Some projection screen inside the house!

Takeaway: Father Arndt taught his boys to play softball - albeit on their own teams - and continues to sponsor an annual softball game. Nope! I don't think Father Maxwell knowingly would go within a day's drive of him.

My hopes for a fella for Sarah are shattered.

PS: "Famteam" weekly programs are sponsored by Ashley Furniture, Musselman's Applesauce, and there are what appeared to be other commercial "spots" in there, including one for the Albert Pujols Foundations. Pujols is a Baseball Cardinal, a Christian, and IIRC his foundation benefits children with Down Syndrome.

[Guest LilaFowler]

Sadly, the bald Arndt son is actually 28. http://www.famteam.com/meet/mark.php

Thanks for posting the link. I had found the episodes of their TV show online about a week ago and decided to watch them (I get a strange kick out of watching these fundie families in action, but I guess I'm in good company on this board), but forgot about it, so it's going to be an Arndt watching day for me!

[Karsaroni]

Wow-whee!

I just watched the promotional program on this year's softball game

http://www.softballclassic.com/

and it's a goldmine of info, I tell you.

The son on-camera with the early Sunday morning TV crew hardly ever looks at the lady anchor. He does glance her way, but mostly, it's eye-contact with the gentleman anchor.

There's a few seconds of him shaking hands with the gent, but not the lady. Fairly, that could be because the gent is on the "media all stars team" that competes against the Arndt 'famteam' but who knows.

At home, the bald-headed son reacts with excitement when the TV anchor announces the appearance of the Arndt boy. The bald son is at least in his late teens, and also, these folks have been on TLC and have a weekly video show? Seems odd that he'd be so giddy about the appearance. Maybe he's delayed,and I'm not saying that snidely.

Father Arndt looks and holds himself like he's cut from the same cloth as Father Maxwell.

Mother Arndt nods a lot while Father speaks and barely takes her eyes off him. She seems to me the kind of woman who is very comfortable with being in charge when her husband isn't around.

The interviewee-son says the softball game is the one time in the year that "the ministry" really interacts with the public. Other than that, "the ministry" is engaged with publishing and the weekly Famteam video production.

Some house! Some projection screen inside the house!

Takeaway: Father Arndt taught his boys to play softball - albeit on their own teams - and continues to sponsor an annual softball game. Nope! I don't think Father Maxwell knowingly would go within a day's drive of him.

My hopes for a fella for Sarah are shattered.

PS: "Famteam" weekly programs are sponsored by Ashley Furniture, Musselman's Applesauce, and there are what appeared to be other commercial "spots" in there, including one for the Albert Pujols Foundations. Pujols is a Baseball Cardinal, a Christian, and IIRC his foundation benefits children with Down Syndrome.

Yeah, these guys are definitely uncomfortable around women that aren't from their own family. Oh, and the bald headed kid, Mark, is actually 28!! Hah! I guess he has alopecea (sp?) which explains his hairlessness but I'm pretty sure there is a way to medically treat it and he chooses not too. Can't be real easy to attract the opposite sex when you look like you're sick. I feel kind of bad for him as I think he's pretty desperate to not be single. If you have spare time and want to read his musings on love, girls, etc. go to the family website and click on the "Mark's remarks" section and then "Waiting on God's Best" section. I think his part of their family business is wedding photography. Sort of ironic.

I just think these guys are too stuck in their comfort zone of family to where there is no room for anyone outside of it. And the older they get the less likely they are to find someone. Apparently this family has no multigenerational vision!

[clibbyjo]

OK, we plan: We get all the guys ages 26 and up to go to the Maxwell conference. We mention desperate,cute Sarah needing a husband stat. Come on Arndts, put on your best khakis and show Steve even though you play softball, the lord is telling you Sarah is to be your bride.

I never read this family, but I WILL send them a link to the Maxwell blog if anyone thinks it would help?

[Guest LilaFowler]

If Sarah married an Arndt, she might die of shock at seeing all of them wearing shorts on a regular basis, especially the mom and sister.

[MamaJunebug]

Karsaroni, "no multigenerational vision" - Love it!! :)

Lila Fowler, is there a way to view the episodes without paying $10 or more to "join the famteam"??? I can't find it. :( TIA!

[NurseNell]

You can't view anything on their site unless you pay to join!

To join the Family Room today, click here!

One month: $10 donation Three months: $25 donation One year: $90 donation

I'm sure not paying.

Nell

[Guest LilaFowler]

Karsaroni, "no multigenerational vision" - Love it!! :)

Lila Fowler, is there a way to view the episodes without paying $10 or more to "join the famteam"??? I can't find it. :( TIA!

http://www.famteam.tv/secure.php

[Guest LilaFowler]

I would love to get the Arndt mom a case of lipstick that flatters her. That frosty pink lipstick is not doing a thing for her.

[ChickeyMonkey]

I thought softball was for girls? (Which I never really understood WHY)

[lilah]

I've thought before that the Arndt men would be good husbands for the Duggar girls, the tv crews wouldn't be a turn off in any case as would their fundie-lite ness might be a good match for the duggar's modern modesty. I do wonder a bit about the age difference but then girls mature faster than boys. And fundie girls it is even more the case.

The bigger issue is what kind of business they are supposed to be doing to support their wives? How many film crews does a small town need? (in general this is a huge challenge for fundie men is in this economy getting and holding down a job with a supbar education is hard enough, starting a sucessful business that could support a family is tremendously challenging) The family needs to diversify, unless Duggar is inclined to throw some ready-made tow-truck company or other business at them.