Post-Rapture Introductions

[manekineko]

i'm joining the delurking movement @freejinger.org! the rapture is a superb occasion to finally post something. i've been reading on and off since the early ez-board days. i really appreciate the wealth of information and entertainment one can get here. i live in central europe and i'm not religious at all, so a lot of things are rather exotic to me...

anyway, yay for delurking, congrats on the cool new board and greetings to everyone!

[klavierspieler]

I'm klavierspieler, same as I was on the old board. I've hung around freejinger for years but I just starting posting a few months ago, and I still lurk much more than I post. My family growing up swung between fundie and fundie-lite, but due to a lack of what my parents considered "good" churches in our area we went to a hard core fundie church for basically my entire life. I started making the journey out of that lifestyle (although not out of Christianity entirely) when I went to Pensacola Christian College for my freshman year and was traumatized by both fellow students and faculty. It was eye-opening. I now go to a godless state university where I have a full scholarship to study history and psychology, have my own apartment (no SAHDdom here), and I am looking forward to grad school after I graduate next year.

[Deleted03]

Hey guys!!! I leave for a few days and now we moved! I'm a graaad student, and right now I'm visiting my family in France... So I should not be too active in the next weeks...

[Aristeia]

New here! I lurked for quite a while on the old FJ but decided now was probably the best time to make an account. Growing up, I was a bad Catholic, now I'm a bad atheist. ;) I'm a university student and an aspiring Celticist/Classicist. I have a spoiled hound (can't say much more than that since he's a rescue mutt) and I tell a lot of dull stories about him.

My very first "gateway" was the torrid love affair between FSTDT and Rapture Ready. I stumbled onto No Longer Quivering, and from there I found FJ through Razing Ruth. A board devoted to snarking on fundies was too good to be true and I've lurked ever since. You all do a wonderful job. =)

[whit1213]

Hi everyone! I'm Whit1213, same as old board but didn't post over there. Been lurking for about 6 months or so. I pretty much don't have any fundie-cred but I did grow up in Little Rock, Ar. I've never seen a Duggar, though. I now live in NE Louisiana and I am in central AR pretty much once a month since all of my family lives there. I'm 24, married to my husband for 1.5 years, been with him for 5 years and we have a 3 year old son. I am no where close to having a full quiver and never will. We are are trying for #2 but no luck so far. I grew up Southern Baptist but now I don't go to church and I don't know what I believe in. Likes: Harry Potter, Glee, reading, painting, music (pretty much NIN/rock/now getting into dubstep) and of course learning about teh fundiessss!!!!!!!!11!!!!1

[ElijahsMama807]

Hey y'all ..I'm Jennifer, aka ElijahsMama807. I'm 36, single parent to a three year old, and live in MO. Used to post on TWoP as Elijah's Mama, got tired of the mods nitpicking on every tiny thing and I just lurk there now, and from there I heard about Razing Ruth and Free Jinger. Lurked on Free Jinger for the most part and maybe posted once, and now I'm here 8-) Fundie-wise I mostly keep up on the Duggars and the Bateses, but some of these other ones that have been featured on FJ are a bit *ahem* interesting to say the least :shifty: I was brought up as pretty liberal Catholic, but I really don't practice or follow the religion now, though when my son gets much older he can decide whether or not to practice any religion including Catholic.

Other than that, I spend time with my son and boyfriend (he's not my son's father but he loves my son like he's his own :) ), I love to read, go on the computer, listen to music, watch TV, shop, cook, play games on Facebook (FrontierVille, FarmVille, Sorority Life, and Cafe World), take walks, spend time with my other family members and my friends, go swimming, go out to eat and to different places around MO, collecting Betty Boop stuff, taking pictures, selling stuff on eBay and CraigsList, and I'm getting back into gardening. I'm also a Starbucks and coffeehouse fan.. I love my coffee lol, and I have been a fan of professional wrestling since I was eight.

So on that note..

[Soldier of the One]

Hello, fellow delurkers, thanks for the welcome :)

Re: Buzzard - it totally IS a Caprica reference. I am passionate about religion so I thought I'd poke a little fun at myself and at the fundies all in one username :)

[PBrooke]

Hi all! I'm PBrooke (I kept the same name for continuity purposes, but I might change it eventually, as it was rather random and I don't like it all that much). I'm in my late 20s, work part-time from home, married to my high school sweetheart (AFTER we attended separate colleges and got our respective degrees). I was raised very secular, no religion but the most generic versions of Christmas and Easter, though I've studied, intellectually, most other religions. I'm sort of agnostic/atheist, but I like the term "secular humanist" best. Also very socially liberal. I hope to get pregnant in the semi-near future, after I lose 20 pounds to get into my ideal weight range and lower my blood pressure (I've been trying to lose this same weight for a year, it's been quite difficult). Though I come from a large (by non-fundie standards) family, I'm not interested in a big family myself - we'll start with one and take it from there.

I originally came to FJ through TWOP and the Duggars, but I've since become much more fascinated with the San-Mor-Mith- clan, and some of the associated families. :geek:

[GenerationCedarchip]

My arrows are of the feline variety.

I just had to say I love this! We're a quiverfull cat family, too.

:animals-cat: :animals-cat: :animals-cat: :animals-cat:

[Buzzard]

Hello, fellow delurkers, thanks for the welcome :)

Re: Buzzard - it totally IS a Caprica reference. I am passionate about religion so I thought I'd poke a little fun at myself and at the fundies all in one username :)

:bow-blue:

I was a bigger BSG fan. But I appreciate and accept all random sci fi references at all times. Yay Poking fun at fundies!

So say we all!

[Guest Anonymous]

Hi, I'm Lissar - same as on the old forum. My handle comes from the Robin McKinley novel Deerskin, which is a retelling of a very dark French fairy tale. There's lots of 29 year olds here, you can add me to the list. I propose a giant FJ 30th birthday party bash!

I grew up Southern Baptist fundie/fundie lite. Sucky childhood, married at 18, (sucky marriage) divorced at 22. I started reading some feminist blogs online after my divorce which really helped me get my head straightened out. I'm bi, happily partnered, and a dog lover. I have three enormously spoiled dogs.

I'm trying to figure things out as far as my beliefs. I don't go to church right now but I kind of want to. MamaJuneBug has got me interested in Lutheranism, I admit. All I know is that I'm not a Baptist, and I'm not a fundie.

[Witsec1]

Hey there!

I am Flora Poste, Robertposteschild on the other board. I decided to go with Flora because it annoyed me when the condescending mansplainers we sometimes get think I'm a dude.

I'm married to Hubs #2 (first marriage was playing house), gravida of one, para of one (that means I was pregnant once and had a live birth once, due teh eevul birth control).

We live in the one of the most leftist and also one of the most expensive places to live in the US, in a tiny cottage from which we can hear the screams of roller coaster riders from the beach boardwalk. I run my own web design/development firm, so when I spend time on FJ when I should be working I defraud (in the dictionary sense) no one but myself :doh:

Thanks to Alecto and everyone who helped out with the move!

The Earth shall burn but we shall QUIVER!

:pray: :pray: :pray:

[Soldier of the One]

:bow-blue:

I was a bigger BSG fan. But I appreciate and accept all random sci fi references at all times. Yay Poking fun at fundies!

So say we all!

May the One True God direct us! So say we all!

I loved both series, but loved BSG more. Can't wait for Blood & Chrome. I just thought it was so cool the way both series wrestled with theological issues in a really profound way (for a sci fi series, that is). And how can I not adopt STO as a moniker? The Battlestar Universe is a running commentary on the dangers of religion. The STO had me glued to the TV screen.

I get the feeling somehow that this is a board that will appreciate sci fi references :)

[Childless]

Hi everyone! I'm Childless, same as over on yuku. I found Free Jinger about 75,000 years ago shortly after it was created. Been around ever since. I found it via TWOP after 14 kids and counting aired. I really had no interest in the Duggars other than to gawk at the train wreck and then turn the tv off. A short while later however, I was reading an article on Jim Bob's ill-advised political career and discovered that he was hell bent on taking away my access to birth control. That's when I decided it was in my best interest to keep tabs on these people. Know thy enemy and all that. I've never been to Duggar country, but I do hail from Chmielewski country. And as ridiculous as the Duggars are, at least they seek medical help when things start going south.

Despite my moniker (which was created eons ago when I was single), I'm married with a beautiful 8 month old baby boy. I'm 36 years old and got my heathen college degree in a male dominated career field. I'm the sole breadwinner of my family right now while my husband works to get his degree. He stays home with our son during the day while I work and the baby's all mine in the evenings while he's in class. I lean left of liberal. The fundies would hate me with a passion (something I take great pride in). I was raised United Methodist, but have since left the church. I guess I would fall somewhere between spiritual and agnostic. I have a sister who is fundie-lite and does a fabulous job cherry picking bible verses and setting up random "biblical rules" for her children. You'll probably here me complain a lot about the inconsistencies and utter ridiculousness of her beliefs on this board.

I love to travel. If you start a conversation about international travel, be forewarned that I will talk your ear off.

Just wanted to add that I like the new digs. And my favorite smilie is :violin: because that's what I feel like doing anytime a fundie claims persecution.

[Soldier of the One]

I'm persuaded... I'm a single, homeschooling adoptive mom... rather than drone on endlessly about myself, I'll just say that I blog at http://tomatosoupcake.blogspot.com/ and be done with it!

And oh yeah, I guess you could call me a fundy :D

Hi there, persuaded. So nice to see a fundie on FJ. I feel like I have a tonne of questions for you :)

Sorry to hear you're closing up your blog though :(

[InkyGirl]

:dance: InkyGirl here! I found FJ about a year ago after discovering (and being horrified by) 7xsunday.

Fundie cred? Grew up in the church, preachers kids, partook in a true love waits ceremony, went to a private christian school (ACE program and skirts on girls) and just graduated from a Christian college.

Currently a stay at home wifey mostly because the area sucks job wise. A new Mommy to a new fur baby named Thor.

[aubrietta]

My heart is so blessed and my spirit is so edified by this introduction thread!

I was mamavee at the old site but had wanted to change my screen name to something a little futher away from my real life name for quite a while and so I took this opportunity.

I was raised in a homeschooling, abortion-clinic picketing, missions-trip organizing, purity-pledging, frumper wearing family. I met my husband in an super-trendy church that seemed liberal on the outside, but was extremely culty and patriarchal if you stuck around for more than two weeks. It was in the process of ditching that church and examining my frustrations with many of the things I was taught that I discovered Kathryn Joyce's book and fell off the Mckmama wagon at the same time and then via followup googling discovered FJ. Oh what a sweet relief to encounter others with similar feelings as I had. I mostly lurk because so many others are much better spoken than I am, but I love this forum very much.

On the outside, I appear to be everything a fundie would love. Faithful churchgoer and Keeper of the Home for my husband of seven years, our quiver has been blessed with two arrows. I garden, sew, can, make jam, bake bread, cloth diaper....however, I also read my three year old "Heather Has Two Mommies" for a bedtime story, donate to Planned Parenthood, breastfeed in public without covering up, drink wine, swear like a sailor, have an egalitarian marriage, attend a church with a female pastor, and other such sinful activities.

Looking forward to lots of snarking in the future! And to Alecto and all the others who have done so much work to get this new board started - many thanks and much gratitude.

[Beeks]

Beeks here, just like on yuku. I think I found FJ from "Duggars Without Pity" back in late 2009, but it's actually hard to remember how I got here.

I'm 29, married, SAHM to an almost-two-year-old and an almost-2-month-old. Both boys. The older one has some developmental delays, which I occasionally talk about on here. Before I went the SAHM route I was an attorney at a very large law firm. I did mostly anti-trust. I hope to never lawyer again, but it all depends. =)

I'm culturally Jewish and have a brother/family who live in Israel. We go there a lot and think about buying a place there pretty often. I've long had a fascination with Mormons and I'm married to an ex-mormon who converted to Judaism. Don't have any real fundie cred at all as I was raised in the SF Bay Area (super liberal) and have lived in liberal areas of the country my entire life. I did flirt with orthodox Judaism for some time and I still "fantasize" about it if that makes any sense at all. I consider myself politically moderate but most of my friends think I'm super conservative (I maintain that this is only because they are super liberal, but I digress). I guess my fundie obsession stemmed from the Mormons, went to the Duggars, and exploded once I found this place.

That's all!

[persuaded]

Soldier of the One wrote:

persuaded wrote:

I'm persuaded... I'm a single, homeschooling adoptive mom... rather than drone on endlessly about myself, I'll just say that I blog at http://tomatosoupcake.blogspot.com/ and be done with it!

And oh yeah, I guess you could call me a fundy :D

Hi there, persuaded. So nice to see a fundie on FJ. I feel like I have a tonne of questions for you :)

Sorry to hear you're closing up your blog though :(

Well, that's really nice to hear! :) And I'm not really closing up the blog, just scaling way back. I'm going to leave everything up and will probably post a coupla times a month. I might come back with a vengeance in a while. I am really feeling the need and desire to be online less... and my kids are just growing up so fast. In a few years they'll be gone and on their own. I want them to look back at our time together and remember a busy active productive mom, not one who sat in front of the computer all day :D As for the questions.. feel free to ask away and I'll answer what I can.

[dastarddamsel]

Yay new forum! And doodads! :mrgreen:

Dastarddamsel here, same as the old board. A little about me because while I lurked over at the old board, I had the underwhelming post count of 42.

Lapse Catholic, aged mid-20s. I came up in a devout Irish-Catholic household devoted to the community and religious trappings of the church. Went all the way to confirmation, and had a little bit of a dark time after confirmation. I couldn't understand why my supposedly protector God I had been raised to believe in was forsaking me.

Cue college and the time constraints that brings. Also cue all of the education and mind-opening that college brings. Fast forward a few years and I am now a happy, liberal, organic, locavore atheist knitter, spinner, journalist and historian. I have no arrows in my quiver, nor do I want any. I regularly engage in pre-marital carnal relations with a fellow historian, and live with 1 crazy, intelligent, kitty. I am the liberal elite media that Sarah Failin so often refers to.

My Catholic upbringing left me well versed in the Bible. It also left me less than enamored with so-called charismatic Christian sects. Even though I am now atheist, the Bible served as a moral guidebook... a collection of fables suggesting how we might live. I think Jesus was a cool guy with some wonderful suggestions as to how to treat other people ... who wasn't the son of a non-existent god and wasn't a zombie.

I am fascinated by the quiverful movement, patriarchy and FLDS. I originally came here via TWOP and an obsession with the Duggars fueled by my assertion that the illustrious 21-person family (not counting j'Anna and Mac) is a graphic trainwreck from which I cannot look away. I joined FJ in the era of Emily and Dna, and stayed for the Botkins, regency emily, and the Maxwells.

I enjoy reading the musings of the women of this board (because admit it, most of us are women), who are far more experienced and educated about the matters of fundamentalism than I, and I love our new home. I hope I participate more here.

[Soldier of the One]

My heart is so blessed and my spirit is so edified by this introduction thread!

I was mamavee at the old site but had wanted to change my screen name to something a little futher away from my real life name for quite a while and so I took this opportunity.

I was raised in a homeschooling, abortion-clinic picketing, missions-trip organizing, purity-pledging, frumper wearing family. I met my husband in an super-trendy church that seemed liberal on the outside, but was extremely culty and patriarchal if you stuck around for more than two weeks. It was in the process of ditching that church and examining my frustrations with many of the things I was taught that I discovered Kathryn Joyce's book and fell off the Mckmama wagon at the same time and then via followup googling discovered FJ. Oh what a sweet relief to encounter others with similar feelings as I had. I mostly lurk because so many others are much better spoken than I am, but I love this forum very much.

On the outside, I appear to be everything a fundie would love. Faithful churchgoer and Keeper of the Home for my husband of seven years, our quiver has been blessed with two arrows. I garden, sew, can, make jam, bake bread, cloth diaper....however, I also read my three year old "Heather Has Two Mommies" for a bedtime story, donate to Planned Parenthood, breastfeed in public without covering up, drink wine, swear like a sailor, have an egalitarian marriage, attend a church with a female pastor, and other such sinful activities.

Looking forward to lots of snarking in the future! And to Alecto and all the others who have done so much work to get this new board started - many thanks and much gratitude.

Aubrietta, you sound like my kinda woman :) Fundies don't have the monopoly on the loveliness of the domestic sphere :) And yay for reading 'Heather Has Two Mommies'and donating to Planned Parenthood and a church with a female pastor. Those are all good things :)

A question about MckMama: I saw her blog and it looked alluring. Is there a whole subset of fundies who do the 'trendy' thing? What are the tell-tale signs of decoding the trendiness and revealing the fundamentalism and patriarchy? It sounds so easy to get sucked in! I'd love to hear more about those church experiences too :) Thanks!

[Soldier of the One]

Well, that's really nice to hear! :) And I'm not really closing up the blog, just scaling way back. I'm going to leave everything up and will probably post a coupla times a month. I might come back with a vengeance in a while. I am really feeling the need and desire to be online less... and my kids are just growing up so fast. In a few years they'll be gone and on their own. I want them to look back at our time together and remember a busy active productive mom, not one who sat in front of the computer all day :D As for the questions.. feel free to ask away and I'll answer what I can.

I think 'friendly fundies' can add so much more spice to the FJ community (as long as they don't poop on the rug, as the saying goes) - and help us understand the cultures we love watching/snarking on. I am all for religious debate and I think it comes with the social science M.A. I hold :)

So... questions :)

1) What brought you to FJ and what makes you stick around? (I can imagine this not being the most inviting place for fundies :P)

2) Do you believe in wifely submission, and if so, how?

3) What kind of a fundie are you?

4) What are your feelings on the more extreme fundies out there, like Bill Gothard, the Botkins and Doug Phillips?

5) What do you like best about being a fundie?

Thank you so much - I appreciate it!

Edited for small grammar fail.

[Cordial]

Hello, I'm Cordial. I was a new-ish and very sporadic poster on the old board, and will probably continue to be here but I read all the time.

I am a Quaker with some funde-lite friends and a large group of friendly acquaintances who attend a pretty notorious and terrifying (to me) "fundie royalty" super-Calvinist Quiverfillin'-government-hatin' church. I am here because I want to understand what makes them tick. And occasionally gossip about them. That's very unQuakerly of me, sorry.

I have two kids and I'm a freelance journalist.

[mbeezer]

Hi everyone, I'm actually new here. I was on the old board lurking for a couple of years and decided to join the fun. I'm in my mid-50's, married and have two grown kids, both of whom still live at home. Son is in college, daughter getting her life back together after a difficult time. I'm a recovering Catholic getting over the childhood indoctrination and fairy tales I was subjected to.

I find fundies absolutely fascinating yet somehow horrifying but I'd like to see a couple in person. The closest I get is watching the Duggars with open mouthed horror most of the time.

[HopelessWanderer]

Hey Y'all! I had been lurking on the old site since about January, and now with the move thought i would come out and join the fun :). I am in my early 20s and married to a United States Marine, i grew up Catholic and practice to this day. My husband however grew up in a fundie-lite family, and is pretty much the only one who didn't drink the kool aid. Multiple times they have made clear to us that they don't believe we are saved, when we became engaged i was given a copy of Created to be his Helpmeet, and they (until recently) home church-ed....among many MANY other things. While i tend to be conservative, i.e being a keeper at home, being feminine, so on and so forth, i also firmly believe in being educated, working before i have children, and a marriage being an equal partnership!