Recount your close encounters of the fundy kind!

[IceQueen]

I'm not sure if these 2 people count as fundies, but two times in two separate ice rinks in two different states I've been asked if I believe in God (harassed is a better term) while just trying to take my skates off. I used to skate on public sessions during the day when I was in college because they are cheap and empty. This one time it was only me and this woman with two daughters and when the session ended she told me that I'm a lovely skater and hooked me in by asking general questions about the sport then she asked me what I do and I told her I'm a student and she asked me what I'm going for and I told her psychology and that I want to be a marriage and family counselor. So then she asked what church I go to and I told her I don't. That was a mistake. Twenty minutes later I learned that basically Muslim men are evil and that I will never ever ever help a family out if I don't show them to God.

The next time was a few weeks ago. I'm trying to get back into coaching ice skating and I was at my first freestyle session in almost 4 years and this high school girl assumed I was a high school girl and asked me where I go to church. I said I don't go to church so she invited me to hers and that I really need Jesus in my heart or something. I said no thanks. She told me how much fun the youth group is and I would love it blah blah she told me when they meet. I told her in the nicest way possible my boyfriend works then I don't want to get a sitter for a our two year old son. The child's mind was blown. She's a nice kid though I just must have this look when I drying my blades that says *THIS GIRL NEEDS JESUS*

[debrand]

Bekah, what were the creators of the Modesty Survey like in person? I've always been curious about them. Several articles on their blog make it sound as if they have a beef with culturally normal adolescent behavior-like playing any video games. They also leave the impression that they feel that their father's methods produced morally and intellectually superior children.

Are they polite? Pleasant to be around? Aloof? Friendly? Outgoing? Introvert?

How do they treat women?

[Evie Teale]

Lillybee,

Yes, my husband has been on active duty for 19 years. I can try to answer any questions you have, but he was more of the home church type fundy most of the time, except when we attended an Assembly of God, then IFB church. In general, we haven't been allowed many friends.

Anyway, I'll give it a shot.

Evie

[Rider]

I wrote in an earlier post that my wife and I ended up at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville with a bunch of fundies. There must have been some kind of homeschool or fundy convention going on because there were A LOT of them.

I tried to make small talk with a teenaged guy and girl waiting for the elevator with us. They looked really nervous, maybe because my wife was wearing pants. Their mom saw this and came rushing over and placed her body in between us and her precious brood. She then looked over her shoulder at us and smiled smugly.

The next day we were walking by the river inside the hotel and stopped too close to 4-5 men talking. They made a deliberate show of turning their backs to us.

A few minutes later, we walked by a pre-teen boy sitting with a bunch of women and girls. He took one look at my wife and dramatically looked at his feet. (I have since learned of Nike.)

I was amused by all the showy attempts to not interact with us that the next morning I again attempted to talk to one while in line for coffee. She was very nice. I guess not all of them are downright rude.

[Cordial]

I live near a very popular fundie church full of back-to-the-land hipster (but still extremely fundie) types. Many of the members are acquaintances of mine and I have to admit that they are lovely, pleasant people who never proselytize at all. But they still make me sad.

Example: many of the vendors at my farmers market involve their 10+ children in running the family farm and market stand. Recently, I happened to be looking as Pig Farmer's daughter and Baker's son, both 14 or so, caught each other's eyes, smiled ear-to-ear, blushed, and quickly busied themselves with work. It was way cute. Until I thought about the fact unlike most of us, who have the opportunity to blunder our way through early crushes, dates, and firsts-- and learn about ourselves and what we're looking for in a mate-- these kids aren't going to be doing that sort of thing. They get to go home and pray for their future spouses, but otherwise, actual experience with anything approaching a romantic relationship will be pretty much nil before marriage. It's not beyond the realm of possibility that in 2-3 years, they could be courting. Which would be cute. But not, I don't think, a recipe for a good marriage.