Family Living on Purpose (FLOP) : Erika Shupe Pt 11

[Eternalbluepearl]

1 hour ago, merg429 said:

Isn't today Erika's birthday?

It is. And I so wonder if Halloween is allowed now. Karen seems to celebrate it and I remember a few years ago, Bob shared a Halloween meme on his facebook page.

[Teaistheway]

Goodness me - I haven't followed the Shupes for ages and have just spent 10 mins scrolling through Karen's FB page - am both astonished and heartened at the life she's making for herself.  Although, to be fair, somehow Erica for all her scheduling etc never struck me as malicious (unlike some of the fundies we follow) and Bob never seemed to be particularly fundie at all.

Go Karen!

[JermajestyDuggar]

1 hour ago, Teaistheway said:

Goodness me - I haven't followed the Shupes for ages and have just spent 10 mins scrolling through Karen's FB page - am both astonished and heartened at the life she's making for herself.  Although, to be fair, somehow Erica for all her scheduling etc never struck me as malicious (unlike some of the fundies we follow) and Bob never seemed to be particularly fundie at all.

Go Karen!

I have hope the younger ones will have normal childhoods now and won't grow up completely fucked like many other fundies. Karen seems to be doing well and I like what she shows of her personality. I wonder about Melanie though. I really hope she can get out and move in with Karen. I imagine life at home is hard without her built in BFF there.

[December]

While it's interesting that they just rebranded to FLOP less than a year ago, I can't say I'm shocked that they're shutting everything down. There are so many apparent changes, on top of the ones they mentioned on their Facebook/blog. Hopefully, it's due to positive changes, especially for the kids.  

[Howl]

13 hours ago, December said:

Hopefully, it's due to positive changes, especially for the kids.  

I wonder if Bob just put his foot down and said enough already! and Erika had to go along because patriarch! headship!  But here's to them becoming more mainstream and enjoying life!  Public School! Wearing pants!  Riding Bikes! Wearing SHORTS! 

[elliha]

18 hours ago, Teaistheway said:

Goodness me - I haven't followed the Shupes for ages and have just spent 10 mins scrolling through Karen's FB page - am both astonished and heartened at the life she's making for herself.  Although, to be fair, somehow Erica for all her scheduling etc never struck me as malicious (unlike some of the fundies we follow) and Bob never seemed to be particularly fundie at all.

Go Karen!

No, I do think that Erika believed (or still believes) that the life she created was a positive thing. She might be very controlling but not for malicious reasons, more because of her personality I think.

[ActualReality]

Erika is to tightly wound.  It's nice to see that she's telling go of the reigns a bit.  I guess she really didn't have a choice.  Once the oldest kid(s) start bucking the rules parents either get it or they don't.  Seems like she's come around to the idea that you can't control the kiddos forever. 

I know that a lot of religious people believe and spread the idea that if you raise them "right" that they'll not depart from the teachings.  Surprise!  That's not how parenting works.  Also good for Karen for breaking out of the mold without hurting herself.  Some kids go on a real destructive streak.

[ActualReality]

I just saw the pic from this summer where Erika was wearing shorts!  All of the kids were.  Karen was in shorts and a tank.  Is this the same family!?

[Howl]

32 minutes ago, ActualReality said:

Is this the same family!?

Well, yes and no!  Big changes in Shupeville! 

[JermajestyDuggar]

Karen posted pictures of her dressed up for Halloween at work. Did Erika allow Halloween celebrations in the past? 

[mango_fandango]

Nope, because it's not Godly to celebrate death. In her Halloween post she described as one of the two biggest Satanic holidays of the year. I remember we FJers were confused as to which other holiday was Satanic.

Halloween is Erika's birthday so they celebrated that instead.

[JermajestyDuggar]

I figured they didn't since most of these fundies don't celebrate Halloween. I wonder what Erika thinks of Karen celebrating. 

[mango_fandango]

Erika may outwardly say something like "I am supportive of my daughter doing what she wants as she has left the nest" but will probably be praying for her inwardly. Or she may just realise that Karen is no longer under her 24/7 control; Halloween is unGodly and bad, but of all the hills to die on, it's not the most important.

Although to be honest I don't know what Erika and her convictions are like any more. Do any of us?

Karen also posted a nice message on her profile about Erika's birthday. 

[Shiny]

1 hour ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

I figured they didn't since most of these fundies don't celebrate Halloween. I wonder what Erika thinks of Karen celebrating. 

Not only did she celebrate, but she did so while wearing black, not too modest clothing. I'm so happy to see Karen's personality coming out! I followed the Shupes for years...pretty much since my first child was born and I did a google search for organization. 

 

 

[JermajestyDuggar]

2 hours ago, Shiny said:

Not only did she celebrate, but she did so while wearing black, not too modest clothing. I'm so happy to see Karen's personality coming out! I followed the Shupes for years...pretty much since my first child was born and I did a google search for organization. 

 

 

I'm really glad this is all happening now. And not when Karen is 35 and spent her early adulthood stuck at home helping her mother with her siblings. I have a lot of hope for Karen's future. 

[Coy Koi]

On 10/31/2017 at 9:00 AM, Shiny said:

The kids may be expanding their boundaries, but the parents sure aren't. Bob's facebook page is gross. Do conservatives know any words other than "libtard"?

And am I missing something that completely changes the meaning of this, or is Bob really, actually suggesting that perpetrators of sexual abuse should get a supportive hashtag too if victims of sexual abuse do???

[Lurky]

@Coy Koi I read that as Bob saying HW is innocent til proven guilty, and all those women are opportunistic liars etc etc - which is insane.

[Coy Koi]

@Lurky but I thought Weinstein even (halfass) admits (some of) it! Jesus Christ, Bob Shupe might be a much bigger piece of shit than we even thought. Wtf would his proposed hashtag be? #RapistLivesMatter?

[Lurky]

@Coy Koi Yes, exactly - it's unfathomable. 

I have a special hate-on right now for all those people trying to frame Weinstein and Spacey (and all the rest) as the real victims here - like utter, utter rage.

[Eternalbluepearl]

Bob Shupe needs to stop posting. What the hell does being in the same camp as Weinstein even mean? *vomits* it's like people like Bob get off on saying the absolute worst thing at the worst time. I think they call that being a troll. Or an asshole. Does Erika really go along with shit like that? It's shocking to me when people like Bob Shupe or Derick Dillard have supportive spouses smiling in the background. How? Okay, I will stop ranting. 

[JermajestyDuggar]

The only thing that makes me feel better is that Bob's comment didn't get a single like. Hopefully he takes that as a sign to shut the fuck up about this.

[ActualReality]

3 hours ago, Eternalbluepearl said:

Bob Shupe needs to stop posting. What the hell does being in the same camp as Weinstein even mean? *vomits* it's like people like Bob get off on saying the absolute worst thing at the worst time. I think they call that being a troll. Or an asshole. Does Erika really go along with shit like that? It's shocking to me when people like Bob Shupe or Derick Dillard have supportive spouses smiling in the background. How? Okay, I will stop ranting. 

Having grown up with these kinds of people let me tell you how it works.  Jerk husband says something crazy.  The submissive wife (even if she disagrees) says nothing publicaly.  Privately she might express her opinion to him.  Then he helpfully explains why she's wrong.  At the end of the day his opinion/thoughts will speak for the family.

Quietly to girlfriends she MIGHT express a dissenting view.  They all get it - he's the husband.  How much are you willing to give up to be "right".  Usually not much.  

The other tact is to be willfully ignorant about what he says and all outside social/political issues.  That way you don't have to worry about disagreeing with him. 

[Shiny]

5 hours ago, Coy Koi said:

And am I missing something that completely changes the meaning of this, or is Bob really, actually suggesting that perpetrators of sexual abuse should get a supportive hashtag too if victims of sexual abuse do???

There has been a lot of support for people like Weinstein. I assume Bob feels like a lot of them...if only they had followed better modesty rules, this wouldn't have happened. It's gross, but I don't expect anything different from him. 

[ActualReality]

2 hours ago, Shiny said:

There has been a lot of support for people like Weinstein. I assume Bob feels like a lot of them...if only they had followed better modesty rules, this wouldn't have happened. It's gross, but I don't expect anything different from him. 

Kind of makes me wonder what he's up to while the wife his home with the kids.

[FunFunFundie]

Is this Melanie with Karen?  Dressed for a Halloween party?  Taking a picture inside the Shupe household?  With Bob in the background?  Decidedly immodest?  I can't figure out if it's Melanie or not, though.

ETA: It's not for Halloween, it was early in October for a masquerade party, although I'm sure that used to be equally Satan-ish.