Introduce Yourself- Part 3

[The Wanderer]

Hi everyone! After two years of lurkdom, I finally decided to join FJ!

I first heard about the Duggars when I saw their first tv special years ago when I was a teenager (I am the same age as Jana and JD). After that, I didn't have too much interest for awhile, even after 19 Kids first went on the air. My interest peaked a little though after Josie was born. I didn't watch the show at that point either, but I was pretty concerned about what JB and Michelle were doing by constantly having children, and Josie's premature birth and complications caused everyone in my family to agree that they needed to stop asap.

My roommate during my senior year of college was heavily into the family (and still is). At that point Michelle had announced her pregnancy with Jubilee, and I remember telling my roommate that I felt there were going to be complications again...and well, we all know what happened after that...

Even after that, my interest didn't really start to peak until after Jill and Jessa married, and I started lurking here in early 2015, shortly before Jill had Izzy and the scandals broke. Since then, I have been following the family more closely, and I have also dug a little deeper into a few other families as well (The Bates, Rodriguii, Maxwells, etc.)

The Quiverfull world is fascinating yet terrifying to me at the same time. I find myself following these families with the hope that just one person may escape, but I definitely can see how difficult a feat that is.

[Snowless]

Hello, everybody.  I'm a 30-year-old from Central Florida, and I finally decided to join after a year or two of lurking here.  I've actually been familiar with the phrase "Free Jinger!" since back when Survivor Sucks had a thread on 19 Kids & Counting, and the phrase was used repeatedly.  I first remember watching the Duggars on the (then) Discovery Health special when Jackson was born.  I was honestly curious how a family that big managed to live, even though I fully knew that I did not share their religious beliefs.  I finally got turned off from them permanently when the scandals surrounding Josh came to light.  The fact that some of the Duggar kidults and spouses have openly bashed Catholics was also a breaking point for me (my mother and her family were Catholic, and I was especially close to my maternal grandmother, who remained Catholic to the core until her dying days).  I had taken a two-year sabbatical from computers and the internet and didn't return to using them full time until the summer of 2015, when my dad passed down his tablet to me after he got himself a new laptop.  When I made my full-time return to the Internet, one of the first phrases I Googled was "Free Jinger" (remembering that phrase from Survivor Sucks), and that's how I found FJ.

Religion-wise, I identify as a humanist atheist, and have always felt like I was anti-fundie.  My family itself has never been fundie or even fundie-lite, but let us explore religion and spirituality on our own.  I went to a couple of Baptist churches for a total of about five years, but I never felt completely accepted in the church.  After becoming aware of the influence of religious fundamentalism on our government, I decided to leave religion entirely.  I have a "live and let live" attitude towards those of faith and belief, but I still have an incredible dislike of fundies.

[So-Virgin-It-Hurts]

I may win some sort Free Jinger lurking award.  I've been lurking almost since the beginning of FJ.  I tried to get accounts but then could not successfully post because I was working overseas so much and had "protected" servers (no, I'm not a spy).  For the last five years I've been living in Japan and just moved home to an island within view of Seattle.  I'm pushing 60 and am fascinated by the lies fundies tell themselves.  I've had some personal experiences with a group of them (none that are discussed here) and can attest to the anxiety that manifests in the kids.  I have a husband, am a pescetarian, and love the outdoors and our fur-babies.

[funyuns_and_fundies]

Hi there! I have been lurking for a long time, but finally made an account, mostly because there was something I wanted to start a topic about. I know a lot of people here have taked about being a wannabe fundie for a while and eventually becoming disillusioned and realizing how toxic it really is. I think I am still in the midst of this wannabe fundie stage, and I honestly think I will most likely go on to become one some day. I of course am not here to be a fan, but to discuss the issues of fundamentalism. I don't really know how to explain what is going on with me lol, but hello everyone.

[Quiver Full of Kittens]

Hello! I, like many others it seems, joined after lurking for a while. I've been lurking on and off for the past five or so years, and finally decided to actually join in the conversations. I'm looking forward to getting involved in the community! 

[Griftwood]

Hi hi  Literally been lurking since yuku. I read here pretty much daily. 41, mom to four cats, knitter. Forever pining for the halcyon days of Emily & Dna and the Young Ladies' Christian Fellowship, not to mention Sparkling Lauren, whose blog (and associated threads) I'm visiting for my summer fun. Fave ongoing train wreck is Shrader (hang on, am I spelling him correctly after all...?), with Lori as a close second. 

Right now, whenever not reading Sparkling Adventures or rewatching Game of Thrones while I knit, I'm super into konmari'ng my apartment and documenting the process in my bullet journal. Oh and I'm only missing 4 + non-European regionals in my Pokédex. 

[MayTheWilberforceBeWithYou]

Hi! I'm MayTheWilberforceBeWithYou.  I'm (almost) a 21-year-old female. I've lived most of my life in California, although I did spend one summer in Pennsylvania. I'm about to start my senior year of college studying psychology in hopes of being a school psychologist one day in the future. Truth be told, though, I'd rather be a novelist, and am currently writing a novel. I've been told by pretty much every English teacher I've had, and friends and family as well, that I'm good at writing, so I'm hoping I'll somehow luck out and be able to do that as a career. I'm a huge hockey fan (go Sharks!) and am in a sorority at school, which I'm currently the secretary of. I'm terrified of life after graduation, in all honesty.

I don't want to say I'm a fan, but I have been following the Duggars since I was a freshman in college. What originally caught my attention about them was the People Magazine story about Jilly Muffin's wedding. I noticed that it said she was on TLC's 19 Kids and Counting, and thought to myself, how can anyone have 19 kids? A few months later I started watching the show from the beginning, but stopped around the time that Joshgate hit. I've been lurking on FJ for a while but just recently made an account. As embarrassed as I am to admit this, I actually want to use one of the Duggar kids' names for my future child one day (NOT Wilberforce).

Edited July 9, 2017 by MayTheWilberforceBeWithYou

[kachuu]

Hi everyone! Long time lurker, finally joined & started posting (seems to be a common theme in the posters before me!)

I'm 30 and recently married. Moved around a lot - mostly the south- but recently a year in the PNW and now NY. My family wasn't overly religious at all (unless somebody died), but being in the south, you were definitely rubbing elbows with a lot of it. I'm a fan of God but not his followers. And I have a cat that I'm obsessed with. My poor husband knows his status in our house 

I've always been fascinated and offset by the Duggars - even before the whole Josh shitshow. Now that Jinger has been released (and wearing pants! sweet baby jesus! the horror!), I'm waiting to see what Jana does. The Bates are mildly interesting (only because of the stuff I learned from here regarding them).

Nice to "meet" you all! I have enjoyed a lot of snark so far!

[CarrotCake]

Hi!

Or course, like everyone else, I am a long-time lurker and a longer-time Duggar follower. Living in the Netherlands I am always curious about these American Fundamentalists since people like that are so uncommon here (and if they are existing, they will never seek publicity).

I am an 28 year old data analyst, no husband or kids but live together with my long-time boyfriend. Oh and raised Catholic but not practicing. So basically I am the she-devil according to the Duggar's.

Looking forward to posting here!

[Lollipopgirl]

I'm so glad I'm not the only one who's been lurking for a long time before plucking up the courage to join. I've been following the Duggars since the first specials were shown on UK TV. Fascinated by the whole Fundie thing.

[MarblesMom]

Welcome to all of you   Jump on in!

[WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo?]

It's great to read stories of people's journeys to FJ. Welcome!

[LacyMay]

Hi All, I'm another long time lurker (since 2014 or so) but a new member. 

I'm an almost 30 year old living in a prairie city with my husband and our dog. I did a degree in sociology with some focus on sociology of religion and I can't help but find fundamentalist Christianity to be fascinating and terrifying.

I wasn't raised religious but ended up going to youth group in Junior High and High School and the more I look back the more I definitely see that there were some more conservative/evangelical aspects  (I grew up in the Canadian Bible Belt) As an aside I actually had a scholarship to attend bible college(ironic since I was the unchurched youth group rebel)  but turned that down in favour of an accredited university on the other side of the country. 

I really enjoy the diversity of oppinions on FJ and appreciate the many FJ detectives who seem to know everything. 

 

[bea]

Oh hey. I date from the Yuku days - YLCF was my gateway into the crazy. Though in my family, religion is almost a sport. We're all fascinated by religious beliefs and how people twist themselves into pretzels to fit into self-created boxes. My dad was a Catholic priest for 17 years, my mom was a nun for 12, and my aunt and uncle were also an ex-clergy couple. I was raised culturally Catholic (Catholic school, church every Sunday, but with the understanding that this was heritage, not necessarily faith).
These days, I'm an agnostic polytheist who's practiced ritual magic and witchcraft for over 25 years. I have a master's in library and information science, so I will occasionally hunt down legal documents or court info.

[InTheNameofRufus]

Hi everyone!

I stumbled upon Free Jinger a few months ago after a random search of Jinger Duggar (I was bored at work!). It is now a site I visit daily to keep up with the latest Duggar snark, as my favorite fundie family is obviously the Duggars. I stumbled upon their show a few years ago and was unable to stop watching due to the fact that they are an unbelievable train wreck. I had never been introduced to anything fundie before and had no idea what a patriarchal family was like. 

While lurking, I read the "All Hail Rufus" thread, and I have to admit the legend of Rufus written by @Carm_88 had me laughing! I love that a mounted deer head in JinJer's home somewhere had reached such a status. "Praise Rufus" and "Rufus Bless" are now said frequently around my house! 

A little about me: I am a 43 years old, married to my wonderful husband for 18 years, and have two sons. I also have a Masters Degree I don't get to use much. My 14 year old has Muscular Dystrophy, so I spend a lot of time helping him get around. I am an ebil Catholic, and hate to think of how my son would be treated in a fundie household. My younger son is a typical 12 year old who loves bowling and baseball, and making everyone laugh. 

I am new to message boards and posting, so I really hope I don't make any mistakes or offend anyone. 

[WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo?]

Great screen name, @InTheNameofRufus! My experience with forums/message board posting is limited to FJ, but in my experience, most mistakes are not too hard to get over if you're willing to be open and apologize if you mess up. Even some of the most amazing people here have said things that they later apologized for. We're all human and make mistakes. Just be prepared for push-back if you make a definitive statement based on no evidence. 

[InTheNameofRufus]

Thanks so much @WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo? I'll definitely own anything stupid I say, and more than likely over apologize! I love reading the diverse topics posted here, and hope I can contribute! 

[MarblesMom]

59 minutes ago, InTheNameofRufus said:

I have to admit the legend of Rufus written by @Carm_88 had me laughing!

@Carm_88 is a witty one  

Welcome, fellow Rufusarian!

[DnAismyBaE]

Hello! I'm 29 and live close to Baltimore. The headship and I have one rescue dog, one rescue cat, one betta fish, and are now trying for a human baby. I sell antiques and love the outdoors, cartoons, the Washington Capitals, and strange/bizarre history. My favorite fundie nuts are Emily and Dna (obviously), the Rods, Shrader, the Arndts, the Maxwells, and Raquel. Nice to meet all of you! 

[Playagirl]

On Friday, July 21, 2017 at 3:08 AM, LacyMay said:

Hi All, I'm another long time lurker (since 2014 or so) but a new member. 

I'm an almost 30 year old living in a prairie city with my husband and our dog. I did a degree in sociology with some focus on sociology of religion and I can't help but find fundamentalist Christianity to be fascinating and terrifying.

I wasn't raised religious but ended up going to youth group in Junior High and High School and the more I look back the more I definitely see that there were some more conservative/evangelical aspects  (I grew up in the Canadian Bible Belt)

 

We have a bible belt??????? Who knew. ......

[CancerBomb]

Hello, I found Free Jinger during one of my Duggar obsessed Fundie Research Sprees. I was raised in a semi Fundie household, and I idolized the Duggars, to me, they were the example of a perfect family, and I was very involved with christianity. After being diagnoised with a terminal chronic illness and discovering I couldn't have kids, I began to question the belief system I was raised on, and eventually, as I started college and began engaging in sin (Premarital kissing and other stuff, drinking, wearing tight clothing), I became an agnostic. I'm here because I was bored and wanted to see if any other Fundie kids had difficulty leaving their pasts behind. It's like being in a bad relationship: I know it's toxic, yet it's so appealing and awesome when we make up. Now, on to the fun stuff about me. 

I'm a history student at a prestigious university, and I love bunnies and am very involved with animals. I love cartoons, especially Rick and Morty, and I have a fondness for chocolate pie and Ben and Jerry's. I like being spontaneous and staying up late, am a registered Democrat, and my nickname among my friends is Striker Angel. 

[Hashtag Blessed]

Hello! Apparently I'm one of many who have been lurking on and off since the days of Yuku. Finally joined because in my lurking I occasionally have had something to add to the conversation, but never did. Up until now I was mostly content to read what everyone else had to say. Now when I have that occasional desire to throw in my two cents, I will. My personal experience with Christianity is limited to televangelist megachurches in Texas that my mother dragged me to. Plus I have some Baptist relatives that are probably more like the Duggars than I really want to know. We don't spend too much time with them, and I'm afraid to pry further into their beliefs lest it make our family gatherings even more uncomfortable.

Anyway! I live in New York now, with my husband and dog. 28 and studying art history. I've been actively following the Duggars for so long now. I think I first read about them on ONTD back in 2009? I've always been interested in cults so a whole family displaying their cult-controlled lives for the whole world to see? How could I resist falling into that rabbit hole! I know from my years of reading how awesome this community of people is. Thanks for letting be join!

[Flava Bean]

Bonjour! I stumbled upon your site when looking for some advice (re: fundie friend). I admittedly don't watch the Duggars as I don't want to give them ratings. LOL

I have a friend who started as an evangelical and is now fully into fundie-town. I don't even know why she is friends with me as I am a full-on heathen. She has never tried to convert me and we generally avoid religion as a topic. But the fundie thing....IDK. She keeps popping out kids, whom she now homeschools, they pray to the Christian Flag and she's getting much more vocal about politics and 'sin' (homosexuality) and feminists.

I honestly don't think I can maintain a friendship anymore, but I also feel like she might lose her one tie to sanity. I feel like she has been fully brainwashed  

Anyway, Hello! 

 

 

 

 

[onekidanddone]

@InTheNameofRufus Ebil Catholic! Oh no.  Na, just kidding welcome to FJ. My Rufus always smile upon you. 

[Bob Mackie]

Hi All,

first time poster, long time lurker.

Drawn out of lurkdom by the rabbit hole that is the Jessiqua Wittman blog of how she met her husband. I am gobsmacked about how she basically described her husband and "sensed" he had a child etc - years before she met him. Weirdest thing I've ever read in all my years lurking. Can't find the thread now to thank the poster.

Nice to be here "officially" now!