The Invisible Jinger (and Her Preacher Man Jeremy)

[Coconut Flan]

15 hours ago, outtheblue said:

Growing up evangelical, I can tell you his beliefs to the majority of the Christian church are not extreme at all. (But that does not mean they're not wrong, obviously)

Evangelicals are not the majority of Christians in the world or even in the US.  They're around 37% of US Christians in the recent survey that I saw.  That may well have included people who didn't know what they were agreeing with since quite a few Catholics said they were evangelical. 

Jeremy seems to be more conservative than Gothard to me. Which is still problematic although possibly easier to live day to day and may give Jinger more freedom than her sister who stay in Gothardism. 

We have the continuing theme of the Duggars don't have insurance while (admittedly years ago) when asked Jim Bob discussed the insurance plan that they had.  Do we have current proof of no insurance or are people stating speculation as fact? 

Yes, I am generally a born fact checker.    Someone has to try once in awhile to keep us honest. 

[eveandadam]

interesting statements on Jeremy's what Jeremy's intentions in marrying Jinger might have been. I am in the "looking for meek , submissive , and clueless wife who will do what I say" plus "it will grow my congregation and I will become famous-ish" camp.

Of course, he will never admit to it, as is constum nowadays with all ulteriour motives. I said in another thread that about half of my female friends married their husbands mainly because he has enough money to support at least an upper middle class lifestyle if not more. They seem to like their husbands well enough ( but sometimes barely tolerate them), but love?, I doubt it! Those are the people who missuse the phrase "love isn't enough to live on" and what they actually mean is "money trumps love if there is plenty". Of course, they would never admit to it, because nowadays noone is as direct and honest anymore, unfortuantely!

Jeremy plays the "G-d send Jinger to me and we met because it was his will" card well. He might think that Jinger, because of her meekness, youth and D-list status, can grow his congregation. But what he fails to see is that she might be simply unapt to fullfill the demanding role of a pastor's wife of a growing congregation. She isn't supposed to be meek for that at all. Jinger is still becoming an adult and hopefully, now that it's too late for her anyway, she will grow into that role.

If I were Jeremy I would have chosen another wife! Any other Duggar girl than Jinger. As a pastor's wife I can see Jill or Jana. Jinger seems to be very sensitive and artsy and introverted.

[Karma]

Has anyone seen this?  I'm assuming this is a fan, not Jinger, but I haven't seen this photo anywhere else. 

 

[outtheblue]

9 hours ago, Coconut Flan said:

Evangelicals are not the majority of Christians in the world or even in the US.  They're around 37% of US Christians in the recent survey that I saw.  That may well have included people who didn't know what they were agreeing with since quite a few Catholics said they were evangelical. 

Jeremy seems to be more conservative than Gothard to me. Which is still problematic although possibly easier to live day to day and may give Jinger more freedom than her sister who stay in Gothardism. 

We have the continuing theme of the Duggars don't have insurance while (admittedly years ago) when asked Jim Bob discussed the insurance plan that they had.  Do we have current proof of no insurance or are people stating speculation as fact? 

Yes, I am generally a born fact checker.    Someone has to try once in awhile to keep us honest. 

I'm sure that is correct, it was early when I wrote that and I misspoke. The way evangelicals are outspoken makes them seem like the majority.  Of course, there are varying definitions of evangelical as well. I should have specified the US, not world. 

[justmy2cents]

48 minutes ago, Karma said:

Has anyone seen this?  I'm assuming this is a fan, not Jinger, but I haven't seen this photo anywhere else. 

 

This photo is from Jeremy's FB page. Jinger does not have an Instagram account.

4 hours ago, eveandadam said:

If I were Jeremy I would have chosen another wife! Any other Duggar girl than Jinger. As a pastor's wife I can see Jill or Jana. Jinger seems to be very sensitive and artsy and introverted.

Perhaps this shows that he actually fell for Jinger and wasn't thinking strategically? It seems to me that those two have a lot of chemistry and he is with her for mostly the right reasons. Of course it doesn't hurt that people know of her.

[Jigsaw3]

I've been thinking about TLC, money, and Jeremy&Jinger for a while.

Jeremy was a professional soccer player. He might not have been the most high-level player but he's been around pro sports for long enough to pick up the basics of TV and endorsement contracts from watching his teammates and big names in his sport. He's worked with agents and seen other people negotiate terms. He's not as young or naive as Ben and Derrick seem to be.

I hope that with this experience, Jeremy actually read his TLC contract before signing it and is insisting that he and Jinger have a separate contract and separate payments, and that the money owed to him and Jinger be paid directly to them, not to a family account. Since Jinger and Jeremy's wedding and honeymoon are the central stories of this season and last, he's in the best possible negotiating position right now, and I very much hope he took advantage of that.

I would assume that Jeremy controls his own funds and accounts and isn't letting JB dictate to him about it. I wouldn't be surprised if JB did indeed take an agent or manager's cut, as someone upthread speculated, but Jeremy is hopefully aware that said cut should be in the 10-15% range, not more. I also hope he's making sure that Jinger takes control of any money she might have before their marriage away from JB, although that might be a harder fight. But Jeremy's been acting as an independent adult for a long time, and I doubt he wants to return to childlike dependence.

Controlling your own money means independence. I don't have the confidence that Ben&Jessa have anything like the same separation from Duggar family control. Derrick&Jill should, but who knows?The longer the couple lives separate from the family and their finances remain independent, the harder it is for JB to control them. Josh&Anna probably lost any independence they might have had after his scandals, but that was a special case. Even if Jeremy&Jinger eventually move to Arkansas, they'll retain a lot more independence just due to the fact that they've been out from under the Duggar umbrella.

Of course, the last thing they'll ever talk about publicly is money, so we'll never have confirmation, but it'll be interesting to see how all of this plays out.

[calimojo]

This is a good point, in that Jeremy hopefully had more savvy and business acumen when negotiating his contract.  However,  in order to get more ground on a negotiation, you have to have something worth trading,  some sort of currency.  In sports, the more talented or high profile the athlete is, the better deals they will get.  On a TV show, the 'star' who draws in the viewers will get the better contract. 

What currency did Jeremy have upon which to base a lot of strategic negotiations?  Well,  to some his looks are good, so that would be worth it.  And, the show needs new courtships or babies since that is all they have to offer viewers for stories, and Jinger seems like a fave, so that would be another.  And, they needed some 'new blood', instead of more of the same, and Jeremy is about as diverse as the Duggar world will tolerate.  He is tall dark and handsome ( not to me, but many find him handsome), he has a well known, and yet very acceptable 'ethnicity' with his Italian Heritage,  He is a reformed 'man of the word', and they really seemed to play up his past soccer connection even though it seems evident he was a minor player at best and likely left the sport because he wasn't going to have a long career. 

 

Still Jeremy was not well known, and didn't come from a big well known church. 

 

So, He had a bit of currency but not a ton.  The advantage to him over hooking up with the duggars was still probably higher than the advantage to the duggars.  Unless of course, Jinger was madly in love to the point of denying her dad and insisting that TLC and Duggar Inc find a way to make it all work out.  I suppose the TLC and Duggar Inc contracts are the Fundie version of Pre-nups. 

I do think Jeremy had the advantage of his life experience though, and hopefully did what he could to protect his and Jinger's money.  It is possible he might still have contact with an agent from his sports days, and may have had some help from them.

 

 

What I think Happened, is Jeremy somehow met Ben and Jessa.  The story they tell of meeting sounds really sketchy to me and is likely a lie.  I think someone from one side or the other was scouting out the other side.  I think Jeremy somehow met someone who kind of / sort of knew the Duggars.  Feelers were put out and some sort of early contact was made.  Maybe through Ben, since Ben is probably easy to manipulate and is likely hungry for guy friends since I don't get the impression that any of the Duggar boys have much use for him.    Jeremy went looking for a way to meet or connect with the Duggars with the idea in mind of possibly courting one of the eligible girls.  Enter Jinger, pretty, tiny, sweet, possibly fragile Jinger.  It is easy to see why a young man, who sees himself as a spiritual leader, in need of a wife, would be attracted to Jinger.  Her sweetness and naivete could easily appeal to the savior complex that someone like Jeremy probably has.  And her ties to that part of the fundie and conservative Christian world would benefit him. 

I think Jinger, was very taken with Jeremy.  He is different from her dad and her bros.  He has a worldly quality to him that I think Jinger has always liked.  He has some past big world experiences, has lived in big cities, and yet he is 'godly' and conservative.  Really, in terms of Jinger,  this is probably a perfect match for her.  Just enough worldliness and just enough godliness. 

And lets face it,  Anyone who made jinger feel really special could probably win her over pretty easily because of her inexperience. 

 

I definitely believe that Jeremy had an agenda.  But, I also believe that he has genuine feelings for Jinger.  They have good chemistry and their comfort with physical affection is nice to see compared to the other couples.  It felt real and not put on. 

My hope for Jinger is that Jeremy is wise enough to realize that it will take her awhile to learn to live away from the compound, and to find her voice.  If he can be patient, and not throw her into situations where she is not ready to handle them yet,  it might be a good and long match.  Pastor's wife is a big role, especially in these smaller churches where the pastor's wife fulfills a lot of informal roles.  Jinger might be great at that, but it will take her some time. 

And, I hope Jeremy doesn't move her back to Arkansas, but I think that is a big possibility.  JB wants his kids  under his thumb

 

 

 

[Iamtheway]

6 hours ago, justmy2cents said:

This photo is from Jeremy's FB page. Jinger does not have an Instagram account.

Perhaps this shows that he actually fell for Jinger and wasn't thinking strategically? It seems to me that those two have a lot of chemistry and he is with her for mostly the right reasons. Of course it doesn't hurt that people know of her.

Maybe he was going for Jana, she seems like the perfect fit for a pastor, but then actually fell for Jinger. You do get the feeling he actually loves her and that they are staying a bit more private. One can always hope ...

[ClaraOswin]

19 hours ago, Kira said:

Ben: music, anti Trump political statement(and other political and religious statements he's made)

Derick: his hair, shorts(the Duggar boys started wearing shorts after Ben and Derick came in the picture)

I don't think any of these things matter, including Jeremy's statements about pants and wine. They still have awful, dangerous beliefs. Are we going to ignore that Jeremy quote(I can't seem to post it)?

I just think the Duggar women will eventually wear pants. 

@allthegoodnamesrgone I'm one of those people who doesn't believe JB is supporting the married couples. I think we underestimate how much TLC pays them. I'm not saying they make Kardashian money, but I think they're fine. If things get bad Derick can use his accounting degree, Ben is getting a degree in Theology. Also do we know for sure that Josh isn't working(I thought he was working at a car lot) or that the Duggars don't have insurance? 

Maybe JB isn't directly giving them money. But living in houses owned by JB, likely rent-free, to me qualifies as supporting them. Plus, I think Ben still "works" for JB. And sometime recently, Josh was selling cars off the Duggar property, not at an actual car dealership. Other than that, not sure what he's doing these days. Jill and Derick are likely living off TLC money and money from idiots who donate to them. But I think they are also living in a house provided by JB.

[missegeno]

Jeremy has a lot to bring to a negotiation. If Jinger wanted to marry him, TLC would do what was necessary to ensure they get to air the wedding.

[candygirl200413]

Slightly off-ish topic, but Jessa's video on instagram said that Jing and Jeremy are still on their honeymoon but they looked like they had a possibly Christmas celebration?

[rainbowbabycakes]

On 12/23/2016 at 10:36 PM, formerhsfundie said:

Sharing the video link for those who didn't see it, or just want to cringe watch it again... 

http://content.jwplatform.com/previews/0bLWux4N-qInh6Xrr

That was a horribly awkward video... Everyone was staring at Jim Bob like he was crazy, lol

[SassyPants]

I think jessa pushed Jinger with Jeremy.

[PartriarchydefyinValkarie]

On 12/24/2016 at 5:01 PM, SassyPants said:

In fundieville you generally marry a stranger, so...

All it does is make me think of Princess Anna and Prince Hans.

"He's the first man I've been allowed to spend time with...I LOOOVE HIM!"

[JesusCampSongs]

On 12/24/2016 at 1:59 PM, immodest_countenance said:

 

But to be honest, those beliefs are shared by a huge percentage of evangelical christians in the United States. Not trying to say these beliefs AREN'T problematic, but I think there needs to be a distinction between the criticism for the duggar's beliefs and the criticism of evangelical christianity in the US as a whole. Many (including the duggars) try to say their critics are just anti-christian and criticize the duggar's simply because they are christian family on tv. This is NOT the case. The duggars are NOT normal christians, nor should they be representing them. The duggar's have a warped, fundamentalist, toxic version a christianity created by a perverted, power-hungry man. 

So in the case of Jeremy, yes he has some bad, problematic beliefs. They are not good; but the jury is still out on how "dugger-fied" he will be. Not thinking pants or a glass of wine are the first steps to whore-ville is a pretty good sign. Will he be kind and supportive of Jinger; will he let his future daughters go to college; will he encourage them women in his life to become more than just helpmeets to the men in their lives. These are the deciding factors for me at least. 

I agree with all of this. I'm no fan of mainstream conservative, evangelical Christians. Being raised Southern Baptist in the Bible Belt during the 80's and 90's was pretty terrible for a variety of reasons, and I experienced most of them for myself-- but it wasn't the same thing as being raised in a totally isolated, Jesus-flavored fertility cult. Not only was getting out comparatively easy, it didn't cost me relationships with people I cared about.

So while I'll never be a fan of Jeremy's theology beyond his stance on pants and wine (and think this whole relationship is weird as hell in a lot of ways), I still think this is probably a big improvement for Jinger, and any kids they have are going to be way better off than the other married siblings' kids. I'm also heartened by the fact that Jeremy appears to have a good relationship with his siblings, who, from all accounts, appear to be really secular. He also has kept on good terms with old school and soccer buddies. So, even though his views are pretty awful, they're not far out of the realm of regular conservative Christianity, and he's willing to associate with (varying degrees of) non-believers. That's a pretty big departure from Duggarville. 

It also gladdened my heart to watch Jeremy antagonize JB. Repeatedly. 

Also, to contribute to the discussion on US religious beliefs: the most recent Pew survey on religion in America. Interesting numbers, for sure. 

[Incognito22]

56 minutes ago, rainbowbabycakes said:

That was a horribly awkward video... Everyone was staring at Jim Bob like he was crazy, lol

That was so painful to watch.  All it did is make JB look like an ass.

[allthegoodnamesrgone]

15 minutes ago, Incognito22 said:

That was so painful to watch.  All it did is make JB look like an ass.

It didn't make him look like an ass, it just pointed out how BIG of an ass he is. 

 

 

[December]

1 hour ago, candygirl200413 said:

Slightly off-ish topic, but Jessa's video on instagram said that Jing and Jeremy are still on their honeymoon but they looked like they had a possibly Christmas celebration?

 

Could they be counting time beyond their vacation as part of the honeymoon? I've known people who took some extra time off work after or instead of going on a post-wedding trip, and counted their alone time at home as their honeymoon. (Or I'm overthinking and they're just playing with timelines again? )

[allthegoodnamesrgone]

2 minutes ago, December said:

Could they be counting time beyond their vacation as part of the honeymoon? I've known people who took some extra time off work after or instead of going on a post-wedding trip, and counted their alone time at home as their honeymoon. (Or I'm overthinking and they're just playing with timelines again? )

I'm sure it is more of they are still in "the honeymoon stage" of marriage, or the fact that they have no kids yet so they are on their honeymoon. 

[trustworthy]

On ‎12‎/‎23‎/‎2016 at 11:49 PM, grandmadugger said:

On ‎12‎/‎25‎/‎2016 at 6:42 PM, Kira said:

11 hours ago, Karma said:

Has anyone seen this?  I'm assuming this is a fan, not Jinger, but I haven't seen this photo anywhere else. 

 

It's on Jeremy's Facebook page, which seems to be legit.  I think this Jinger and the "Jingerduggarvuolo" are both fake.

 

 

[eleanora3]

15 hours ago, eveandadam said:

If I were Jeremy I would have chosen another wife! Any other Duggar girl than Jinger. As a pastor's wife I can see Jill or Jana. Jinger seems to be very sensitive and artsy and introverted.

I agree that she seems like that now, but did you see her when she was younger? (e.g. the driving video). She was super extraverted and opinionated back then! I think (hope) she may still act differently when the cameras aren't around.

[HeadshipRegent]

That  "love" sign with the coffee is so Jinger. Aw.

 

And I'm pretty sure those accounts are fake, didn't her maid of honor say Jinger didn't want to use social media as of now?

[anotherone]

On 12/25/2016 at 6:23 PM, calimojo said:

Perhaps Jinger and Jeremy will live more separately, for a time, but I really think that eventually Jeremy will be persuaded to live in Arkansas and perhaps plant a church there, maybe with Ben.  And God only knows what Derick and Jill will do.  He is a freak and has no direction and possibly no ethics, married to a woman with no spine or maturity. 

Can you just go "plant a church" anywhere you want?  Do they really need more churches around?  It seems that in my area in the last 20 yrs there have been so many new churches being built.  And they are these massive new brick buildings with huge steeples and organs and big projection screens for who knows what.  A friend of mine started attending this church that was real modern and he said they played like REM music and the like.  I said that doesn't sound very church-like to me.  But if I am going to listen to someone's sermon, I probably would only respect their view if they have a degree or at least studied for a long time, had some life experience, had a mentor or another priest to guide them. If not I may as well just listen to Oprah and other talk show type celebrity sermons. I would never think the Ben ilk has anything of value to say.  I don't really know about Jeremy though.

[CrazyMumma]

With that video.. Hahaha I loved Jeremy's reaction to Jim Bob saying that thrift shopping gets expensive. He's freaking talking to an Italian who was a celebrity from his own achievement. The guy probably would never enter a thrift store. The dress his mother wore to the wedding was not from a thrift shop. Jim Bob just doesn't like to spend any money on the kids most probably.

[Scribber]

Can you just go "plant a church" anywhere you want?  Do they really need more churches around?  It seems that in my area in the last 20 yrs there have been so many new churches being built.  And they are these massive new brick buildings with huge steeples and organs and big projection screens for who knows what.  A friend of mine started attending this church that was real modern and he said they played like REM music and the like.  I said that doesn't sound very church-like to me.  But if I am going to listen to someone's sermon, I probably would only respect their view if they have a degree or at least studied for a long time, had some life experience, had a mentor or another priest to guide them. If not I may as well just listen to Oprah and other talk show type celebrity sermons. I would never think the Ben ilk has anything of value to say.  I don't really know about Jeremy though.

Different denominations have different rules. (And most non-denom plants are based off a bigger mega church.

Many of the more contemporary churches have full bands, worship leaders and screens with flashy videos.

I know the church I work for has pretty strict rules about planting a church (including a masters degree in theology - although where you get that masters degree is up for negotiation. It doesn't have to be a specific college.)

They started 50 years ago in a rented space in a strip mall - and slowly purchased property and built. (And now have a large facility, acres of property and worship 4000+ on a weekend.)

But we also have a full band, full time sound engineer, etc.