Maxwells conference fall 2011

[skankbiscuit]

What is so hard about the way the Maxwells shelter their children from the world? That is the easiest road to take! Not letting them have friends, play sports, or read anything except the bible is EASY!!!! Navigating your children through life, helping them make GOOD choices while having friends, playing sports or doing activities, going to school/church is HARD!!!

My life would be so much easier if I just kept the kids home doing chores and reading the bible.

These Maxwells have designed their lives to be easy - none of the adults, including the "children at home" have real jobs either!

[jockosmom]

I just find it so ironic that this small isolated group of people attempt to travel the country, espousing their isolationist views to others. Sessions on conversing, of all things. How would they know anything about conversation? You'd have to actually, you know, talk to other people in order to become a conversationalist.

Of course, their "conferences" are more sparsely attended and are fewer than ever - the Maxwells have no connections with anything or anyone. They apparently just sit around in Kansas, waiting for an invitation to appear before they make any plans. If you're a salesperson, trying to sell your goods or yourself as a motivational speaker or whatever, I don't think they way to get more gigs is to sit and wait for invitations. You're supposed to get out there and make things happen for yourself. But, oh wait, the Maxwells don't make things happen; God does. How stupid of me, I forgot. :roll:

[Rainbowcolor]

They describe each of their books at the end of each session in case anyone wants further clarification or details. They are all available back on the book table.

[Guest Anonymous]

Of course, their "conferences" are more sparsely attended and are fewer than ever - the Maxwells have no connections with anything or anyone. They apparently just sit around in Kansas, waiting for an invitation to appear before they make any plans. If you're a salesperson, trying to sell your goods or yourself as a motivational speaker or whatever, I don't think they way to get more gigs is to sit and wait for invitations. You're supposed to get out there and make things happen for yourself. But, oh wait, the Maxwells don't make things happen; God does. How stupid of me, I forgot. :roll:

I think a big issue for them is that in order to 'make things happen' they would need to pay out cold hard cash. On the church conference circuit, which has been successful until the last year or so, they pay nothing to tout their wares, they give no % to the host church and they usually get free meals and help to set up.

If they were to attend homeschooling conferences they would have to share the limelight with others and pay for a pitch.

But times are-a-changing.....

[skankbiscuit]

I think there are many fundies that would be shocked and horrified that the Maxwells suggest that church youth groups are ebil. For many fundy kids, that is the center of their social existance, and the parents like it that way.

[jockosmom]

Yes, Anniec, that's exactly right. This way they get everything free from the host church and then get to sell their products on top of that and keep all the profits for themselves.

I wonder what will happen when the bottom falls out? When the invitations stop coming all together? How interesting can it possibly be to hear a family of adults (all but Mary, I guess) talk about homeschooling when nobody's actually doing any schooling anymore?

[skankbiscuit]

Yes, Anniec, that's exactly right. This way they get everything free from the host church and then get to sell their products on top of that and keep all the profits for themselves.

I wonder what will happen when the bottom falls out? When the invitations stop coming all together? How interesting can it possibly be to hear a family of adults (all but Mary, I guess) talk about homeschooling when nobody's actually doing any schooling anymore?

And they are unfriendly and smug to boot.

[emmiedahl]

They have kind of lost their authority. They can't claim that their techniques will lead to a great career, happy life, any kind of balance, etc. I mean, they apparently cannot have a fizzy drink without turning into Satanists.

[skankbiscuit]

They have kind of lost their authority. They can't claim that their techniques will lead to a great career, happy life, any kind of balance, etc. I mean, they apparently cannot have a fizzy drink without turning into Satanists.

That and the fact that they have a sweet, gorgeous, nearly 30 year old daughter with no marriage prospects must make a lot of people think the Maxwells are full of shit. Most fundies do not want a 30 year old unmarried daughter, so why would they want to do anything the Maxwells suggest?

[Guest Anonymous]

And they are unfriendly and smug to boot.

Yeah and I forgot to mention the 'love-offering' boxes. But if the Maxwells go on being smug and unfriendly, they might as well forget the love-offering boxes too, because 'stoic', 'cold' 'shocked' audiences are unlikely to dig so deep into their pockets....

[skankbiscuit]

I can't get over the fact that they had to stay in a hotel when Uriah was kaput. I think that goes to show just how unliked they were at that conference in FL - no one wanted to put them up? That doesn't sound good at all.

[jockosmom]

Well, there are how many people? Eight of them? That's a lot of people for one person or family to have as guests. And the Maxwells probably wouldn't consent to being split up - how would they protect everyone's hearts if they were separated, even for a night?

[VodouDoll]

We have our children’s hearts, and for that it is worth it.

Translation: "But we've brainwashed our children, so that's nice."

[Justme]

That and the fact that they have a sweet, gorgeous, nearly 30 year old daughter with no marriage prospects must make a lot of people think the Maxwells are full of shit. Most fundies do not want a 30 year old unmarried daughter, so why would they want to do anything the Maxwells suggest?

Exactly. I don't know how they can "preach" courtship when they have a spinster daughter (s) living at home. If Steve was acting like a "proper Father", she'd have been long married.

[skankbiscuit]

Translation: "But we've brainwashed our children, so that's nice."

This is so offensive. Don't get me wrong, I am pretty strict about modest dress, and heavily monitor games/TV my kiddos view. However...

My children' hearts belong to THEM, not me.

[skankbiscuit]

Well, there are how many people? Eight of them? That's a lot of people for one person or family to have as guests. And the Maxwells probably wouldn't consent to being split up - how would they protect everyone's hearts if they were separated, even for a night?

yeah, I know it just seems like people were clamoring to house them pre-Uriah. They were always at someone's house (a lot of times these folks had families of 10 themselves) eating and fellowshipping. I am surprised the conference coordinator didn't figure something out for them. They made a point to mention how welcomed they felt at the most recent church, I wonder if this comment was made in contrast to the previous church where "hearts were not open"

[flojo]

This is so offensive. Don't get me wrong, I am pretty strict about modest dress, and heavily monitor games/TV my kiddos view. However...

My children' hearts belong to THEM, not me.

This.

[FloraDoraDolly]

They have kind of lost their authority. They can't claim that their techniques will lead to a great career, happy life, any kind of balance, etc. I mean, they apparently cannot have a fizzy drink without turning into Satanists.

I suppose they can claim succeess in the sense that not one of their kids has turned out to be a dope addict, a criminal, a porn star, a gang member, or a teen mom/dad. But the vast majority of public school kids raised via conventional, less restrictive methods don't turn out to be any of these things, either. In deeply impoverished inner city neighborhoods, you might see a majority of kids caught up in some form of dysfunction, but it isn't because of sports, church youth groups, or Pepsi. Actually, the inner city kids who play sports or get involved at church are the ones who are doing well.

[FloraDoraDolly]

This post was so creepy to me. They way Sarah talked, you would think Uriah was her lover she had been longing for :shock: I have never heard anyone talk about an RV/bus in that manner. So creepy, and weird.

At home, Sarah uses Uriah as her writer's retreat. This is where she can be alone and do her own work. I can totally understand where she's coming from here.

[desertvixen]

I'd never hear from another one. I bet the UPS driver just looked through a binder or something, or even just shuffled a few papers, those guys are timed and usually very professional with very tight schedules. They wouldn't stop to paw through their truck for some freaks unless it was at gunpoint or something!

I would imagine they have the truck inventory on the little tablet thing that the driver has you sign. At least that's how mine works...

And yes, UPS men are very often defrauding. It makes me sad in the winter time.

[lilwriter85]

At home, Sarah uses Uriah as her writer's retreat. This is where she can be alone and do her own work. I can totally understand where she's coming from here.

I can also understand where she is coming from. When I went to community college, I took a creative writing class with a retired lawyer who was writing a book. He said that he did a good portion of his writing in his camping trailer which is parked on the side of his house. He said it was good place to get away because he was away from TV, radio and the neighborhood he lived in was pretty quiet.

[ChickeyMonkey]

Doesn't Steve know that a person can drown in an inch of water? And what do skirts have to do with life jackets? Asshat.

[quinoa mama]

I can't snark on this. It would be awfully hard to drown in a few inches of water with all those people around. It would certainly depend on the condition of the water, but my husband and I enjoy canoeing on the river or lake. The water is deep, but calm. I never wear my jacket. I hate the way it feels and I'm a good swimmer. It's a risk I'm willing to take.

[formergothardite]

OMG, is that for real? Funniest thing I've heard all day!

At the yearly ATI conference there were always stories of families who came down with some sickness, but they struggled through to come anyway because it was obviously Satan attacking them and trying to keep them from coming.

[margiebargie]

And they wonder why we snark?