Bontragers and Bowers Engaged

[StacyW]

44 minutes ago, lilith said:

In Touch Weekly ran an (odd) story about the Bontragers.

http://www.intouchweekly.com/posts/the-bontrager-family-151796

Theyre focusing on the Duggar connection, but it’s strange to see them in a mainstream gossip rag.

credit to @luv2laugh for finding this and mentioning it in the Maxhell thread.

"Joshua is married to Cassidy, Mitchell is marreid to Bryn, Chelsy has a husband named John, and Carson is married to Carolina"

Were they just trying to change to wording to relieve the monotony (xxx is married to yyy) or is there further meaning in this? Chelsy has a husband named John? Does she also have husbands with other names? 

[JermajestyDuggar]

I bet in touch weekly is pissed they didn't find out about the double wedding sisters being due one day apart. That would be the centerpiece of that odd article. That's the type of stuff people are interested in. I think people are tired of the big religious family trope. But a double wedding between two sisters and two brothers and they are due one day apart?! That's gold. I'm sure they will run another story about it. 

[lilith]

15 hours ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

I bet in touch weekly is pissed they didn't find out about the double wedding sisters being due one day apart. That would be the centerpiece of that odd article. That's the type of stuff people are interested in. I think people are tired of the big religious family trope. But a double wedding between two sisters and two brothers and they are due one day apart?! That's gold. I'm sure they will run another story about it. 

They really should credit us.

[JermajestyDuggar]

Bontragers finally announced the new pregnancy ontheir blog. They say they announced to the family at Taylor's birthday party. His birthday is Jan 13th. They are getting really behind on the blog now that Chelsy is gone and they are touring.

[Jigsaw3]

Also on the Bontrager instagram, the reappearance of the bridesmaids' dresses from John and Chelsy's wedding. They posted a group picture from their tour with their producers, and everyone's kitted out in wedding clobber. Did they plan all along to repurpose the matchy-matchy wedding outfits as tour outfits, and will we see the outfits from the double wedding or Bryn's wedding also come back? If so, good Mennonite frugality at work, and it partly explains why Chelsy struggled with finding a bridesmaid's outfit (performance requirements + Maxwell modesty restrictions + too many different women's figures &  preferences =nightmare.)

Are the new DILs now touring as part of the dog and pony show (Cassidy/Carolina/Bryn)? If so, is Chelsy going to really get homesick and feel abandoned in Kansas? I wonder if she and John might make a few tour appearances.

[VBOY9977]

1 hour ago, Jigsaw3 said:

Are the new DILs now touring as part of the dog and pony show (Cassidy/Carolina/Bryn)? If so, is Chelsy going to really get homesick and feel abandoned in Kansas? I wonder if she and John might make a few tour appearances.

Only Josh and Cassidy are in the band out of the married couples. Still I think, Chelsy is gonna be really homesick in Maxhell so I think they’ll make the drive to see the Bontragers very often 

[Pianokeeper]

Hahaha. His new post is so horrendously out of touch that... well, it's not going to do his campaign any favors, I think. 

"You’ve probably heard of C.T. Studd [I hadn't, and I grew up a protestant Christian in the US], but you might not know much about him." [nor care]

"Against the advice of his doctors, friends, and supporters, Studd left to evangelize the unreached cannibals in remote Congo."

Aside from the horribly colonial viewpoint here, maybe some kind soul should inform him that these days in the Congo region, it's Christians eating Muslims...? Yeah, that turned out well, Mr. Studd.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-25708024 

 

[Briefly]

4 minutes ago, Pianokeeper said:

"Against the advice of his doctors, friends, and supporters, Studd left to evangelize the unreached cannibals in remote Congo."

 

Was he serious? Seriously?

[Pianokeeper]

2 minutes ago, Briefly said:

Was he serious? Seriously?

"the unreached cannibals" -- I shit you not. 

I do wonder whether his shiny new wife is totally starry-eyed and thinks he is as glorious as he views himself. For now, I guess. He better hope she stays insulated enough to view him as a catch. 

[Georgiana]

Interesting how Joshua doesn't cover how Mr. Studd and his China Inland Mission became SO HATED in China (for various and very legitimate reasons) that they became one of the main reasons that the Communists threw out ALL religious groups after their rise to power.   

[elliha]

I am a Christian and I have never understood reading the Bible cover to cover. Reading the Bible in a structured way? Sure? Reading whole books and not just separate verses? Yes, that is a important. However, reading the the Bible as it was a novel when it isn't is not my thing. Sure, if you like to read the Bible cover to cover I don't think that is bad in itself but I cannot see that it is BETTER. 

[ophelia]

1 hour ago, elliha said:

I am a Christian and I have never understood reading the Bible cover to cover. Reading the Bible in a structured way? Sure? Reading whole books and not just separate verses? Yes, that is a important. However, reading the the Bible as it was a novel when it isn't is not my thing. Sure, if you like to read the Bible cover to cover I don't think that is bad in itself but I cannot see that it is BETTER. 

I'm doing this right now as a little challenge for myself to be persistent and stick to something. Large passages of the Bibel, especially in the Old Testament, are rather boring, but others are really speaking to my heart.

I don't think this makes me a better Christian or person. It is something I do for myself.

[lilith]

1 hour ago, elliha said:

I am a Christian and I have never understood reading the Bible cover to cover. Reading the Bible in a structured way? Sure? Reading whole books and not just separate verses? Yes, that is a important. However, reading the the Bible as it was a novel when it isn't is not my thing. Sure, if you like to read the Bible cover to cover I don't think that is bad in itself but I cannot see that it is BETTER. 

I have never understood proclaimed christians who have never read the complete bible though (I don’t particularly care in what order). I’m a lifelong atheist and even i have read it cause I think it’s vital for understanding western history and culture. To base not just your life but eternity upon a belief system without even reading the whole text that said belief system is based upon is just crazy.

I also think it’s important to know and understand how and why certain books became cannon and certain books were removed.

[elliha]

2 hours ago, lilith said:

I have never understood proclaimed christians who have never read the complete bible though (I don’t particularly care in what order). I’m a lifelong atheist and even i have read it cause I think it’s vital for understanding western history and culture. To base not just your life but eternity upon a belief system without even reading the whole text that said belief system is based upon is just crazy.

I also think it’s important to know and understand how and why certain books became cannon and certain books were removed.

I agree and I have read the whole bible but not from cover to cover. Some parts I have probably not read more than once or twice as they are not at least currently giving me much inspiration like the book of revelations which I find just mostly, strange. 

[JermajestyDuggar]

It's likely the Bontragers have read the whole bible starting at a young age. They are all into the Bible bee and the boys typically do fairly well. 

[Themanda Duggar]

I went to a secular private middle and high school, and we studied the Bible as part of our 9th grade humanities course, not as a religious text, but as a major work of world literature.  We didn’t read all of it, but read a lot, both old and new testaments.  It’s themes are relevant to the study of art and literature, and it’s historical significance is huge.  I’m  still grateful to have had the opportunity to study it from that perspective.

[Briefly]

I've read a lot of the Bible but probably not all of it. I am a Christian but I don't think the Bible is literal.  I view it as a history lesson in some ways.

[artdecades]

The throw away phrase "You’ve probably heard of C.T. Studd" shows how small his world really is. I have never heard of him and I doubt most people I interact with daily have. But to Joshua Bontrager, knowledge of this person is a given. Of course everyone knows this random 19th century evangelist.

 

 

[Iamhispurity]

The Bontragers met with Roy Moore to „learn about the bible as the foundation of law“. I ´m going to puke now. Sure if you call molesting teen girls biblical....

[LurkerOverThePond]

I'm quite intrigued to know where Josh and Cassidy live while touring. Do they have their own private camper or do they go to the nearest motel for the night? Cassidy is pregnant, and I can't imagine traveling for weeks with my in-laws while being a newlywed, newly pregnant with my first, and possibly battling morning sickness!

[JermajestyDuggar]

37 minutes ago, LurkerOverThePond said:

I'm quite intrigued to know where Josh and Cassidy live while touring. Do they have their own private camper or do they go to the nearest motel for the night? Cassidy is pregnant, and I can't imagine traveling for weeks with my in-laws while being a newlywed, newly pregnant with my first, and possibly battling morning sickness!

I'm almost positive they said they travel separately so they must have a little motor home or something. Because staying in a hotel every night would be crazy expensive. 

[Flossie]

12 hours ago, artdecades said:

The throw away phrase "You’ve probably heard of C.T. Studd" shows how small his world really is. I have never heard of him and I doubt most people I interact with daily have. But to Joshua Bontrager, knowledge of this person is a given. Of course everyone knows this random 19th century evangelist.

 

 

He's trying to be impressive.  His internal dialogue is this:  "I'm going to reference Stubb, who was known over a hundred years ago for being a good cricket player and a missionary.  Most people won't know who I'm talking about, but they'll be impressed that I do.  They're going to assume that I'm well read, well educated, and have an encyclopedic knowledge about many things they don't understand.  They'll be impressed that I'm so so well spoken at my age.  They'll think I'm light years ahead of them and be grateful that I'm sharing what must seem to be a vast font of wisdom with them.

I hope my youth and good looks don't distract my audience from realizing how mature, understanding, and devoted I am to teaching them about the Lord.  Listen up, people, I'm here to show you the way!"

But behind that is another small voice that is saying "I hope I can pull this off.  Don't let them see how my youth and insular life has me afraid of them.  I'm supposed to be a great teacher and leader, and I don't know anything about these people.  

I'm supposed to know the Right and True path towards Christianity but I know that when questioned I can only parrot things that my religion has taught me.  I've been kept removed from most people to protect me from their thoughts and lifestyles.  

I've been told to never question what I've been taught.  I don't know how to defend my beliefs because they're actually pretty superficial and I don't know much at all about what all those other people have been taught.  Keep talking.  

Say what I've been told to say.  Try to draw those others in through confidence and personality.  Don't engage them in debate.  Keep talking."

And a tiny core is screaming "I'm right!  I've got to be right!  Being wrong is bad!  Why is everything else so scary?"

[lilith]

On 27/01/2018 at 10:57 AM, Briefly said:

I've read a lot of the Bible but probably not all of it. I am a Christian but I don't think the Bible is literal.  I view it as a history lesson in some ways.

I’m not trying to be dismissive, I’m  genuinely curious - what do you base your Christianity on if not the bible? Church tradition, an internal faith - what parts of Christianity do you believe and why do you use the label Christian? Do you believe that other faiths and traditions have truth to them? Do you believe all gods are one god? Do you believe non believers are damned?

I’m just very interested in the concept of a christian who doesn’t believe the bible. I know not all Christians are biblical literalists, but I thought believing it was the inspired and preserved word of god was pretty foundational.

[lilith]

7 hours ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

I'm almost positive they said they travel separately so they must have a little motor home or something. Because staying in a hotel every night would be crazy expensive. 

The Bontragers have been touring these routes for years and often drop in on friends. It wouldn’t suprise me if the newlywed couple are often staying with friends and in the prophets chambers of churches - spaces that are too small for the whole family but work for a young pregnant couple.

It seems the Bowers family and their bus from god have joined them for some of the trip too.  Both families must be enjoying the extra space in their busses.

This reminded me of the hitchhiker John photo Chelsy posted. Did he travel in the bus with them after being picked up? That’s awkwardly close quarters, even if he did bunk on the boys side - it would be hard to avoid he and Chelsy seeing each other in pyjamas etc and it would have been excruciating knowing that the object of their affection was sleeping metres away. It just seems curiously intimate, even though it would have been heavily heavily chaperoned.

[Briefly]

23 hours ago, lilith said:

I’m not trying to be dismissive, I’m  genuinely curious - what do you base your Christianity on if not the bible? Church tradition, an internal faith - what parts of Christianity do you believe and why do you use the label Christian? Do you believe that other faiths and traditions have truth to them? Do you believe all gods are one god? Do you believe non believers are damned?

I’m just very interested in the concept of a christian who doesn’t believe the bible. I know not all Christians are biblical literalists, but I thought believing it was the inspired and preserved word of god was pretty foundational.

What I meant by not literal is things like God creating the world in 7 days.  God's day isn't necessarily 24 hours, it's however long He needed it to be.  Things like that, not that I don't believe in the Bible, but I do think that it's misinterpreted pretty often.  There are some things that are more of a history lesson, for example.  I sometimes have trouble putting the correct words together, usually I do ok when typing but have problems when I'm speaking sometimes.  I had a pretty bad concussion as a child and had some slight brain damage as a result - the speech issue is part of that. I may mean to say "pen" but say "pencil" or sometimes another word entirely and it's worse if I'm tired, hurried or stressed..  Typing things is easier because I can go back and edit to make sure I'm saying what I actually mean, but I was in a hurry when I typed that so I probably wasn't clear. I do believe the Bible, I'm just not a literalist.

As far as other faiths, I'm of the mindset that people can believe what they choose to because I believe in free will. I feel like there may be truths in more than one faith, and I have always been interested in different religions as well as why people believe different things.