Grifting 101: Fundies and Their Grifted Loot

[EyesOpen]

This thread is awesome... and infuriating. Walk me through how this works? I need new pipes in my kitchen. Do I just tell the plumber The lord has laid it on my heart to ask him to donate his time because... ... damnit I’m such a hard working heathen. I just can’t figure how they live with themselves. GET JOBS, SUPPORT YOUR FAMILIES, STOP HAVING KIDS YOU CANT AFFORD... 

Edited April 20, 2018 by EyesOpen

[Gimme a Free RV]

1 hour ago, EyesOpen said:

Do I just tell the plumber The lord has laid it on my heart to ask him to donate his time because... ... damnit I’m such a hard working heathen. 

The fundie grifting procedure goes something like this (if we've learned anything from newsletters):  

I am so blessed to have this house that God provided.  Satan, however, has attacked the pipes in this home, causing me much turmoil.  I wonder if I might beseech you to lift up this prayer request, that God would miraculously provide new pipes and a person to install those pipes.  I'm asking for people to agree with me in prayer about this.  

 

[Palimpsest]

@Bethella, can we add "a chicken coop full of a hundred or so chickens that died from neglect before John could sell them for profit" to Shrader's gifting list.  Thanks.

 

[ophelia]

19 hours ago, Palimpsest said:

@Bethella, can we add "a chicken coop full of a hundred or so chickens that died from neglect before John could sell them for profit" to Shrader's gifting list.  Thanks.

 

this sounds atrocious!! did he starve the poor chickens or what happened?

[formergothardite]

38 minutes ago, ophelia said:

this sounds atrocious!! did he starve the poor chickens or what happened?

I'm not sure exactly what happened to his chickens, but he didn't seem to treat them very well. John has grand plans but doesn't really do any of the follow through to make these plans work. The chickens and their care were sadly one of those grand plans. 

Miss Raquel managed to get "God" to give her a horse. She then neglected the horse and finally got rid of it when she realized horses are actually a lot of work. 

[Palimpsest]

36 minutes ago, ophelia said:

this sounds atrocious!! did he starve the poor chickens or what happened?

They got some kind of chicken plague.  The "men" were responsible for their care because no way would John shovel chicken shit.  To my amateur eyes the coop looked very over-crowded, I think he grifted 200 baby chicks at the beginning, but memory fails.  

John sent out a desperate appeal on FB for a referral to a "Christian" vet stateside.   We wondered by he didn't contact a local vet.  Presumably only "Christian" American vets can make the right diagnosis by internet. 

And the famous chicken enterprise was no more.  Never to be mentioned again.  

 

8 minutes ago, formergothardite said:

Miss Raquel managed to get "God" to give her a horse. She then neglected the horse and finally got rid of it when she realized horses are actually a lot of work. 

She also wrote a post about lying down next to the grifted horsie in a field, cuddling it, and thinking beautiful thoughts.  Raquel, honey, horses are not stuffed toys.  She was bloody lucky it didn't roll on her.

[applejack]

Zsu grifted new kitchen counters from a church she spoke at, IIRC?

[Glasgowghirl]

On 20/04/2018 at 3:23 PM, Palimpsest said:

And Jody is still chowing down fish 'n chips as of March 24.  Converting Scotland one fast food joint at a time.  Someone's got to do it.

Well he is more likely to meet people in fast food joints than at churches.

[Granwych]

Good heavens--I have 8 chickens that I raised in my dining room from when they were a week old.  They started out in a Rubbermaid tub, grew into a steel stock tank (still in my dining room) then into a smallish chicken coop outside, and now into an 8x6 coop with a wood and steel mesh chicken tractor.  These ladies get darn good care and they've never needed a vet, Christian, pagan, or "witch doctor."  Plus, we get fresh eggs daily.  John couldn't keep a goldfish alive,  good that Esther's there to keep the eleventy children safe, sound, and fed.

It's sad, really, to think how many people want a horse and have no clue on how to keep it safe, healthy, and alive.

[formergothardite]

20 minutes ago, Granwych said:

It's sad, really, to think how many people want a horse and have no clue on how to keep it safe, healthy, and alive.

Miss Raquel wanted a Pinterest version of a horse, just like she wants a Pinterest husband and Pinterest children. She had this idea that the horse would do nothing but stand beside her and look nice in the pictures she took. It wasn't that way and she laughed about forgetting to get him water and how he acted when he got thirsty. Raquel had people helping her learn to care for a horse, but she didn't want to learn. 

[Granwych]

13 minutes ago, formergothardite said:

Miss Raquel wanted a Pinterest version of a horse, just like she wants a Pinterest husband and Pinterest children. She had this idea that the horse would do nothing but stand beside her and look nice in the pictures she took. It wasn't that way and she laughed about forgetting to get him water and how he acted when he got thirsty. Raquel had people helping her learn to care for a horse, but she didn't want to learn. 

Miss Raquel was damned lucky she didn't get kicked in the head by her horse.  Horses are big, powerful animals that just don't think like humans.

[cara]

Not major enough to make the list, but Hellena and Currawong seem to grift a lot when they travel around. She's bragged about getting free food from restaurants and soup kitchens when everyone sees how big and scruffy (and amaaaazing) her family is. I think they've left their living arrangements in the hands of others often. In her defence, she is grateful. And it's nice to be reminded how kind and caring people are. I just don't believe it should be your modus operandi. Not everyone gives them money because they're so blown away by the charming kids and rad lifestyle. Few people will deny a child food and shelter when backed in a corner. 

Erika Shupe complained about restaurants not being super accommodating to large families (on purpose). I don't blame them, nine children eat half as much and make twice the noise. I imagine they took advantage of family offers (sharing bags of refillable popcorn on a cinema trip comes to mind). 

Rodrigues - I think funding for all of their sons' college educations will be grifted. In fact, since neither of the parents work basically everything they have is grifted from somewhere. Fundies try to promote the large family lifestyle, but tend to be very coy about how they fund it. Why is that? 

[Palimpsest]

2 hours ago, cara said:

Hellena and Currawong

I would argue strongly against this because they are not Fundie.  They are hippies and Rainbow folk who do not grift in the name of God.  

They are infinitely more responsible in their alternative life-style than most Fundies, and definitely more so than Sparkling Lauren.  Lauren grifted from Hellena.

And I like Hellena.  She makes me laugh.  To say nothing of the fact that she is a former member here and I want her to come back! 

 

[AliceInFundyland]

 Yeah, Lauren abused the entire philosphy of Rainbow goodwill and communal living.  One might say she just generally grifted people’s goodwill, making random strangers take care of her children, or refusing to evacuate a flooded out area while SEVERELY pregnant (iirc)

[cara]

9 hours ago, Palimpsest said:

I would argue strongly against this because they are not Fundie.  They are hippies and Rainbow folk who do not grift in the name of God.  

They are infinitely more responsible in their alternative life-style than most Fundies, and definitely more so than Sparkling Lauren.  Lauren grifted from Hellena.

And I like Hellena.  She makes me laugh.  To say nothing of the fact that she is a former member here and I want her to come back! 

 

That's fair enough.

I'm actually quite fond of them too. Didn't intend to sound so mean. 

[Melissa1977]

Erin and Chad grifted their honeymoon. In their wedding, they asked  their guests for donations for the travel. But the truth is that, once married, they have been hard workers and no grifters. So maybe we can forgive them and not put them in the list.

Which Bates kid will inherit Gil's grifting powers?

[Terrie]

What's the line between gifting and grifting? ZZ got an embroidery machine from a woman who listened to PP's sermons online. She didn't seek it out, though she certainly has always made it clear she would never turn down stuff.

[Palimpsest]

4 minutes ago, Terrie said:

What's the line between gifting and grifting?

Good question.  If you claim to have prayed for money or items and thank God for the donations, rather than the donors, I think.  Or if your grifting is all for the "purpose" of proselytizing the "right kind" of religion and you have no other job or discernible source of income.

I don't count the donations on the TV reality shows as grifting myself.  They are "working" and making their children work for the money and products they get from the shows.  MMV.

[NakedKnees]

10 hours ago, Melissa1977 said:

Erin and Chad grifted their honeymoon. In their wedding, they asked  their guests for donations for the travel. But the truth is that, once married, they have been hard workers and no grifters. So maybe we can forgive them and not put them in the list.

I don't think it's that uncommon for weddings to request donations for a honeymoon in leiu of gifts. Most couples I've known have lived together before getting married, so maybe that's why I've seen it come up a few times (travel is a lot more appealing than stuff in that circumstances, sometimes).

Did Cherin ask for donations in addition to gifts? That does sound potentially grift-y, if so.

I do think they've proven to be able to sustain their family and lifestyle so far. That's great, but if push comes to shove, I would be surprised if they didn't leverage their fundie royalty status.

[JermajestyDuggar]

2 hours ago, Terrie said:

What's the line between gifting and grifting? ZZ got an embroidery machine from a woman who listened to PP's sermons online. She didn't seek it out, though she certainly has always made it clear she would never turn down stuff.

Zoo is smart. She knows how to grift without sounding desperate or even coming right out and saying it. Do you know how many times she complained about those damn countertops? It was no surprise to me that a church she visited took up a collection for new countertops. She often makes posts about how she receives gift cards and loves them. It’s not shocking that she receives so many as gifts. I should post a link to her blog post about how people should treat their pastor’s wife. I’ll look for it...

[JermajestyDuggar]

I found it! Zoo is telling her congregation that 1) she’s not going to do shit for you and 2) you should help her and give her stuff. 

http://stevenandersonfamily.blogspot.com/2017/05/15-ways-to-be-blessing-to-your-pastors.html

[apandaaries]

Grifting v. gifting -- that's a hard distinction for our fundies.  As mentioned, Zsu never directly appeared to ask about kitchen counters, but the need was obviously there.  Her charming husband also receives various love offerings, often seemingly without directly requesting them.  In the BBC special on America's Hate Preachers, he receives some kind of rifle from an online supporter (I believe he got it in the mail, as well, which is...odd). As far as I can recall, it's an unsolicited donation, but sent by a like-minded minion who enjoys PP's youtube rants. So, grifting or gifting? That is the question.

I'll link to the BBC documentary, for the curious, and also to the article written by the director.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ae4xlZlsSLE

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/2e465c60-cdd3-48f5-8944-e9b2786e3ce9

 

[JermajestyDuggar]

I want to add that I think working for free for these fundies is also a type of grift. Many fundies like PP and Zoo will get tons of free work from their humpers. 

[apandaaries]

Just now, JermajestyDuggar said:

I want to add that I think working for free for these fundies is also a type of grift. Many fundies like PP and Zoo will get tons of free work from their humpers. 

Agreed, which would then also include Zsu's "Navajo Nanny" mother's helper, the mysterious woman who did (does?) the sewing for Zsu's SAH business of drowning suits   swim dresses, and whoever is helping out with their new "Framing the World" trading cards (wtf) with the faces of various pastors...I doubt they paid full price for that work. 

The Andersons are vile, hateful, and oddly skilled at running their cult of vitriol. 

[lilwriter85]

PP and Zsu have a church member who does their pool maintenance for free. Zsu  had a few church members go over and pre-cook and store meals a few weeks before the births of Stephen, Boaz, and I think Chloe. I can't remember if she did the same a few weeks before Peter was born.

I doubt Zsu and PP ever do similar things for church members who may be in need. An FJer said that one of PP's church members had financial problems and had a GoFundMe to raise money for groceries.