Jill & Jessa Counting On, Regular Season 1 - Part 2

[RoseWilder]

I wouldn't find the unmade bed such a big deal if they didn't spend so much time harping about how a woman is supposed to be a homemaker and mother. So far Jessa has bragged about not being able to cook, needed tons of help with her baby, and not kept up with homemaker things like making the bed. I don't judge women for any of these things (and I'm not going to win any housekeeping award myself) but good grief if you're going to hold yourself up as some kind of example and act like everyone who isn't living your way is wrong then at least be good at the thing you're doing that you think makes you superior to everyone else. 

[Lillymuffin]

Just finished watching Tuesday's episode on dvr. Did it seem to anyone else like they kept saying "Spurgeon" an awful lot? I kept thinking, "It doesn't matter how many times you say it, it will never be a good name!"

[SportsgalAnnie]

19 minutes ago, ClaraOswin said:

I never make my bed. But I also never let people in our bedroom.

Same, I karate chop the covers off in my sleep 

 

[quiverofdoubt]

24 minutes ago, lascuba said:

And have him to women's work?! Surely, you jest. 

If I pray for anything, it's for the lot of them to only birth sons. 

Nah, they're master manipulators and justifiers. They'll just make it a plot line. Like when Michelle was "teaching"the boys to cook. 

I have wondered what happens in these families if they have boy after boy and mom is the on,y women to so the domestic work

[Coconut Flan]

22 minutes ago, ClaraOswin said:

I never make my bed. But I also never let people in our bedroom.

No film crewing arriving in the morning?  What?

[Mothership]

When we talk about them reading the Bible, we have to realize that reading and studying are two very different things.  In reality, I'm not sure they even read the Bible--they memorize portions of it.

Much like being able to recite the Gettysburg address or pledge of allegiance--you rarely thinks about what you're saying?  I'm actually surprised that the Jillards haven't phonetically learned to recite verses in Spanish--same difference.

 

[Kittikatz]

I agree that there is a huge gap between reading and comprehending something like the Bible. Given the questionable intelligence of Moochelle and Jim Boob, and the less than adequate level of education imparted on the Duggar Spawn, I would be surprised if they can grasp anything beyond the most basic concepts of the Bible. 

Also, I thought that, among the ATI crowd, Wisdom Booklets and other dumbed down curriculum take a level of precedence over actual Biblical study?

[foreign fundie]

The issue is that the Gothard framework is so enforced that they only read the Bible through his eyes. Whatever fits this framework well, they will emphasize and memorize. What does not fit will be ignored or reinterpreted to make it fit.

I found the scriptures very powerful. After I had been so used to read them through an academic framework, I noticed it had become just another studybook for me. So for a while I left all theology behind and just read the whole Bible again from cover to cover and tried to let the stories speak for themselves. 

It is impossible to be objective in reading the Bible. Our personal context cannot just be forgotten. Still, I found if you let it, the Bible has a way to break through, surprise and challenge what we believe and do. And challenge structures and societies. It is not for no reason that it is a forbidden book in so many countries.

The Duggar kiddults may be cut of from many healthy sources of information, and have few good examples. But if they want to find the truth about the destructive ways of the Gothard cult, they can find it right under their noses, in their beloved scriptures.

[Ungodly Grandma]

9 hours ago, nst said:

in the newest preview on TLC - Jana comes over to help Jessa with light fixtures and they show Jessa and #theedgypreachers bedroom and the bed is a total upheaval mess - you would think because they are being filmed they would make the damn bed. 

 

 

 

Maybe part of being "joyfully available" means keeping the bed ready for a tumble!

9 hours ago, RoseWilder said:

I bet they can't. I also notice that they can't ever explain why God wants them to do the things that Gothard has taught them to do. They try to pretend like all the stuff that Gothard tells them to do is in the Bible, but they can't ever seem to tell us what Bible quote inspired that rule. Does anyone else remember that episode where producers were asking them why they believe God wants them to wear skirts? Every member of the family rambled and tried to come up with something and the only one who came up with an actual answer was Michelle, who said, "Because God wants us to dress like ladies." I'm trying to recall a Bible verse that says that God wants us to dress like ladies. Nope. Can't think of one.

Especially since in Jesus's time, even the gentlemen wore skirts!

[DuggarWatch]

9 hours ago, RoseWilder said:

I bet they can't. I also notice that they can't ever explain why God wants them to do the things that Gothard has taught them to do. They try to pretend like all the stuff that Gothard tells them to do is in the Bible, but they can't ever seem to tell us what Bible quote inspired that rule. Does anyone else remember that episode where producers were asking them why they believe God wants them to wear skirts? Every member of the family rambled and tried to come up with something and the only one who came up with an actual answer was Michelle, who said, "Because God wants us to dress like ladies." I'm trying to recall a Bible verse that says that God wants us to dress like ladies. Nope. Can't think of one.

Well, at least "dressing like ladies" is a step up from dressing like Little House on the Prairie, which is how they dressed when the show first started!

[anotherone]

11 hours ago, iweartanktops said:

Yes, I've also noticed that they never (that I've heard) speak of Jesus. I was raised Christian and following Jesus is basically the point. 

 I also never understood why OT followers called themselves Christians if Jesus wasn't a part of it. As kids we viewed the OT and NT as a sort of fire and brimstone vs. hippy viewpoint. Jesus was kind of they hippy with love thy neighbor, turn the other cheek, do unto others, etc.  I never understood why the fundies weren't that way and were more OT.  Is that technically Christian without Christ?  Maybe someone here can help.

[lascuba]

9 hours ago, quiverofdoubt said:

Nah, they're master manipulators and justifiers. They'll just make it a plot line. Like when Michelle was "teaching"the boys to cook. 

I have wondered what happens in these families if they have boy after boy and mom is the on,y women to so the domestic work

That was the case with the Arndts. Only one girl after a string of boys. IIRC from their TLC special, the mom said something about feeling bad that the boys have to do housework, but with only her and a small daughter there was no other way to manage. 

[Ungodly Grandma]

1 hour ago, DuggarWatch said:

Well, at least "dressing like ladies" is a step up from dressing like Little House on the Prairie, which is how they dressed when the show first started!

Be careful, you.re insulting RoseWilder's family!

[anotherone]

1 hour ago, DuggarWatch said:

Well, at least "dressing like ladies" is a step up from dressing like Little House on the Prairie, which is how they dressed when the show first started!

Well dressing like ladies now is mini skirts, leggings, capris, tank tops, so why aren't they doing that?

[lascuba]

13 minutes ago, anotherone said:

 I also never understood why OT followers called themselves Christians if Jesus wasn't a part of it. As kids we viewed the OT and NT as a sort of fire and brimstone vs. hippy viewpoint. Jesus was kind of they hippy with love thy neighbor, turn the other cheek, do unto others, etc.  I never understood why the fundies weren't that way and were more OT.  Is that technically Christian without Christ?  Maybe someone here can help.

OT, but that reminds me of Amazon reviews of the Bible. If you have time to kill, I highly recommend reading through them. People review it as any other form of literature and it's hilarious. One review I remember from years ago went something like, "The second half didn't match the first...less focus on smiting and not eating pork."

[Hera]

11 minutes ago, anotherone said:

Well dressing like ladies now is mini skirts, leggings, capris, tank tops, so why aren't they doing that?

Clearly, only harlots wear tank tops and capris. 

[foreign fundie]

15 minutes ago, anotherone said:

 I also never understood why OT followers called themselves Christians if Jesus wasn't a part of it. As kids we viewed the OT and NT as a sort of fire and brimstone vs. hippy viewpoint. Jesus was kind of they hippy with love thy neighbor, turn the other cheek, do unto others, etc.  I never understood why the fundies weren't that way and were more OT.  Is that technically Christian without Christ?  Maybe someone here can help.

Christians should follow Jesus, who confirmed the validity of the OT scriptures. The early church only had the OT. And in it you can find plenty about the love of God. Likewise the NT has plenty of fire and brimstone. The real contradiction therefore is not following the OT vs the NT. 

A helpful way of looking at it maybe the way Jesus is spoken about in John chapter 1 as being full of grace and truth. Those who seek truth without grace, will end up with distorted truth. There may be a lot of truth in the rants of fundies about abortion, crime and immorality. But without grace it becomes a charicature of itself.

Likewise, if you apply grace without truth (duggar style molester rehab) it distorts grace.

Those who follow Jesus should strive to hold grace and truth together as he did.

[season of life]

I never saw the point of making the bed, unless guests were coming over. It's just gonna get messy again and it's my comfy spot, not my neat spot!

[BenjerminSeaOtter]

I'm not sure if anyone has posted this yet, but:

http://www.inquisitr.com/2902021/who-is-sponsoring-duggar-family-show-jill-jessa-counting-on-sponsors-say-they-didnt-approve-ads/

The article says that companies like Milk Bone and Blue Apron didn't intend for their ads to be run during Counting On. Definitely interesting. If it's true, I don't understand why TLC is so in love with the Duggars that they have to pull these sketchy moves. 

[Dollypeeps]

I can't read the article cos it's taken me to betting sites 

[TShirtsLongSkirts]

Is that even legal? If Crayola (e.g) had it written in their advertising contract with TLC that specified certain shows not to run their ads in. Could Crayola sue TLC for that? 

[Bad Wolf]

Interesting. If Hobby Lobby and Chick Fil A are not advertising, and many advertisers say their ads were run without their knowledge, then who will be left to sponsor the Duggars. I'd love to see them fail due to a lack of advertising. Even TLC would have to end the love affair.

[genever]

It'll be very interesting to see what adverts air this week.

[DuggarWatch]

If you really look at that first episode, most of it was about discussing what Josh did and what it did to Anna.  

Remember everything that happened to her.  Within just three months, Josh's sexual molestation of his sisters became public knowledge, Josh lost his job, Josh and Anna moved back to Arkansas, Anna had a baby, the Ashley Madison scandal was published and Josh was immediately flown away by himself to be secluded in Illinois.  Anna, with her three kids and newborn baby, moved in with the Duggar family and they shared a dormitory bedroom with seven of Josh's sisters. Reports surfaced of a paid-sexual encounter Josh had with a bisexual porn star who filed a lawsuit against Josh for $500,000.

There was no time for any kind of resolution because Josh left the state.  Anna said:

"He had accounts set up on websites that were set up specifically for having an affair and cheating on your spouse, and it was just feeling like your world instantly shattered. How? Where? Why? Just all of those questions running through your mind. It was overwhelming."

I think that she is in the midst of Post-Traumatic-Stress Disorder (PTSD), which apparently is common with betrayed spouses dealing with infidelity.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/talking-about-trauma/201503/love-is-war-post-infidelity-stress-disorder

[Cleopatra7]

23 hours ago, RoseWilder said:

I'm starting to wonder how much time the Duggars actually spend even reading the Bible. The older girls were probably too busy running their parents household and raising their children, and everyone else in the family seems so lazy that I'm having a hard time imagining them actually taking the time to read/study the Bible. 

But I agree with a previous poster from part 1 of this thread, if they are actually reading the Bible, how can they not notice all the inconsistencies between what Bill Gothard tells them about God and Christianity and what the Bible says about it. I haven't even read the Bible since I was in high school (which was almost 2 decades ago) and I didn't read it that thoroughly back then either, and I can see tons of ways that Gothard's teachings contradict the Bible. So how can such supposedly devout Christians not notice these glaring differences?

I also wonder how much the Bible the Duggars actually understand, since they are KJV-Only but exhibit low levels of literacy. There's a meme in KJV-Only circles about how the KJV only requires a seventh grade reading level or something like that, but even assuming this is true (which I doubt), does anyone think that the Duggar kids actually read at a seventh grade level?