Bates 24: Selling the ‘Happy Family’ Lifestyle

[lumpentheologie]

I'm not even religious and I read the bible most days.  It's one of the most interesting and multi-layered historical-literary documents we have, and if you like texts and textual interpretation, it's like a gold mine. 

I just got a new translation of the new testament and now I'm reading that most mornings with my coffee. With all the different translations, not to mention the different 'original' sources the bible is compiled from, it's hardly one book that never changes. Not that fundies would ever admit that. 

[nelliebelle1197]

On 5/21/2018 at 6:03 PM, JermajestyDuggar said:

No way. Double weddings are incredibly rare these days. People would love to watch since it’s hardly ever done. How many single fundie weddings have people seen since the Duggars and Bateses have been on TV? Quite a few. UP would make the most of it too. They would make plenty of wedding planning episodes about disagreements and such. 

Nah, it is weird and would seem staged for TV even more than everything else. Double weddings are forced and weird IRL and would be even more so on TV.

[JermajestyDuggar]

33 minutes ago, nelliebelle1197 said:

Nah, it is weird and would seem staged for TV even more than everything else. Double weddings are forced and weird IRL and would be even more so on TV.

But that’s the thing about the Bates family. They somehow make forced situations and weirdness about their family seem cute or fun. The Duggars weren’t able to do that. I don’t want the girls to have a double wedding because it’s probably not what the girls would want. However I have no doubt the humpers would eat it up and give the show high ratings. 

Of course all of FJ would see right through it.

[KelseyAnn]

I would wager money that Carlin would through hands with Gil if he even suggested she share her special day- and for once, I couldn't blame her for being so extra. 

[JermajestyDuggar]

This is Ashley’s youngest Bio sister. I want to preface this by saying I’m not a flag worshipper. I believe people can do what they want with a flag they bought. However I find it incredibly ironic that a fundie is posting a photo shoot with themselves sitting on a flag in the road when fundies seem to be the type to flag worship and get pissy when NFL players kneel during the national anthem. 

Well it looks like Hannah already deleted the post. That was quick. There was only one negative comment about her sitting on the flag. 

[JermajestyDuggar]

The post is back up but it’s missing the two pictures where she was sitting on the flag. I’m surprised she didn’t realize most of her fundie friends are probably avid flag worshippers. But she is young. I guess she knows now.

[candygirl200413]

I was going to say isn't that flag code 101 but you guys are right cause a young fundie obviously doesn't have good education and it wouldn't be explained to them.

Just got me thinking though, since they're homeschooled do you guys think they do the pledge like those in public school do?

[neurogirl]

Shame about the cult, but this looks ridiculously fun...

 

[Seculardaisy]

18 hours ago, neurogirl said:

Shame about the cult, but this looks ridiculously fun...

 

I wonder if this is the same family whose house they went to for the eclipse. I think they had a similar pool set up but I can’t remember.

The Bates shared a very fundie photo of a group of all white men praying.

[JillyO]

"Carpenters for Christ" (I'll ignore the misplaced apostrophe)? LOL

[socalrules]

My understanding is that the flag isn’t supposed to touch the ground so it would be seen as disrespectful to basically use it as a blanket to sit on. For the record, pictures of you sitting in the middle of a road reading a book means you were definitely not reading a book. 

[VelociRapture]

6 minutes ago, socalrules said:

My understanding is that the flag isn’t supposed to touch the ground so it would be seen as disrespectful to basically use it as a blanket to sit on. For the record, pictures of you sitting in the middle of a road reading a book means you were definitely not reading a book. 

Section 176.b of the code states that the flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, of merchandise. So yes, using an actual flag the way that Hannah did in those photos is highly disrespectful. 

http://www.usflag.org/uscode36.html#173

That said, Hannah is about 15, right? She’s young, she did something that was a bit dumb, and hopefully she knows now not to do it again. 

[Tim-Tom Biblethumper]

I think her reading a book in the middle of the road is as dumb as sitting on the flag.  The whole picture is dumb.  But that's just me.   

[JermajestyDuggar]

Very few people actually follow the flag code completely. So I’m always amused when people flip out over not following the code. Because they themselves have probably not followed the code themselves at least once in their lives. 

[VelociRapture]

4 hours ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

Very few people actually follow the flag code completely. So I’m always amused when people flip out over not following the code. Because they themselves have probably not followed the code themselves at least once in their lives. 

I think that tends to happen because most people don’t read through the entire code. I know I haven't at least. I’m too lazy. The part about it not touching the ground seems to be pretty commonly known though and most people do seem to try to follow that portion at least. I’m not about to blame or judge Hannah though because she’s still just a kid and she honestly may not have realized. No one was harmed in the taking or posting of the photos (as far as I know) and I seriously doubt she meant any disrespect. 

(Now, if Derick Dillard posted a photo like that I would judge the hell out of him for it. That’s mainly because he was an ass about NFL players choosing to kneel during the anthem though.)

[just_ordinary]

There is a code? Wow! US- Americans never cease to surprise me. Who cares if a piece of cloth touches the ground? People have doormats with the pattern. 

This whole pledge and flag mentality is very fascinating but I cannot wrap my head around it on bit. For comparison: I love my country, am proud of how we developed so far (even though there are always things to do better) and would argue that we are definitely at least on of the top 5 countries to live in, but I wouldn’t pledge or wave flags or care about some code....

[Seculardaisy]

My favorite ridiculous thing about this photo is the fact that it’s so posed. Like did she ask somebody to take a photo of her while she quickly sat down to pretend to read a book on the street? So much silliness.

[VelociRapture]

1 hour ago, just_ordinary said:

There is a code? Wow! US- Americans never cease to surprise me. Who cares if a piece of cloth touches the ground? People have doormats with the pattern. 

This whole pledge and flag mentality is very fascinating but I cannot wrap my head around it on bit. For comparison: I love my country, am proud of how we developed so far (even though there are always things to do better) and would argue that we are definitely at least on of the top 5 countries to live in, but I wouldn’t pledge or wave flags or care about some code....

This is a Wikipedia link, but it gives a brief breakdown:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Flag_Code

The Flag Code is just one section of the United States Code, which lays out the permanent and general federal statutes of the United States. That Wikipedia page is here:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Code

As far as I know, people aren’t punished for not following the Flag Code - it’s more of an etiquette guide for private citizens who voluntarily follow it than anything. And certain portions have been ruled unconstitutional - such as a section banning acts like flag burning because it conflicts with the First Amendment right of freedom of speech. 

One final link:

http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/faq.htm

It appears a movement for a Flag Code was first started as a way to prevent people from commercially profiting off the flag or misusing it for political purposes back in the 19th century - which is kind of amusing considering just how commercialized its become. The American Legion (a veteran group) was instrumental in forming a Code and the VFW (Veterans of Foreign War) has a history of encouraging flag etiquette, so the Code appears to be tied closely to the military. 

I have no clue if this is at all accurate, but I wouldn’t be shocked if the Civil War somehow played a role. The movement started in the same century the Civil War was fought and it was an absolutely brutal war in so many ways. I could see Union Veterans especially feeling somewhat bitter over the commercialization of what was an important symbol for them during the War and wanting to push back against that somehow. 

This turned out much longer than I expected, so sorry! Personally the only parts of the Code I actually take seriously are the parts about keeping it aloft, keeping it in decent shape, and taking it down prior to inclement weather - that last one is just smart because it could probably cause damage in very high winds.

My dad is a Vietnam Vet though and that also was an extremely contentious period of time in our nation’s history. I’ve found a lot of Vets, especially Vietnam Vets, can be protective of the flag - they were treated really poorly by a lot of people angry about the war and I think politicians supportive of the war likely preyed on that to foster patriotic feelings somehow (this was all well before I was born, so I really don’t know for sure.) My dad’s experiences have definitely colored my view a bit on some aspects of the flag, but I do acknowledge that others are free to feel otherwise and disregard the Code completely if they want to. 

And I fully support the NFL players protesting the anthem too. They have an important message and chose a non-violent form of protest in which to share it. This upcoming season should be very interesting considering the recent actions of the NFL. (Though the team husband and I cheer for, the Jets, is pretty awesome since they announced the team will absorb any fines incurred by players protesting and will continue working with them to advance social justice causes. Fingers crossed they stick with that approach.)

[just_ordinary]

5 hours ago, VelociRapture said:

This is a Wikipedia link, but it gives a brief breakdown:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Flag_Code

The Flag Code is just one section of the United States Code, which lays out the permanent and general federal statutes of the United States. That Wikipedia page is here:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Code

As far as I know, people aren’t punished for not following the Flag Code - it’s more of an etiquette guide for private citizens who voluntarily follow it than anything. And certain portions have been ruled unconstitutional - such as a section banning acts like flag burning because it conflicts with the First Amendment right of freedom of speech. 

One final link:

http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/faq.htm

It appears a movement for a Flag Code was first started as a way to prevent people from commercially profiting off the flag or misusing it for political purposes back in the 19th century - which is kind of amusing considering just how commercialized its become. The American Legion (a veteran group) was instrumental in forming a Code and the VFW (Veterans of Foreign War) has a history of encouraging flag etiquette, so the Code appears to be tied closely to the military. 

I have no clue if this is at all accurate, but I wouldn’t be shocked if the Civil War somehow played a role. The movement started in the same century the Civil War was fought and it was an absolutely brutal war in so many ways. I could see Union Veterans especially feeling somewhat bitter over the commercialization of what was an important symbol for them during the War and wanting to push back against that somehow. 

This turned out much longer than I expected, so sorry! Personally the only parts of the Code I actually take seriously are the parts about keeping it aloft, keeping it in decent shape, and taking it down prior to inclement weather - that last one is just smart because it could probably cause damage in very high winds.

My dad is a Vietnam Vet though and that also was an extremely contentious period of time in our nation’s history. I’ve found a lot of Vets, especially Vietnam Vets, can be protective of the flag - they were treated really poorly by a lot of people angry about the war and I think politicians supportive of the war likely preyed on that to foster patriotic feelings somehow (this was all well before I was born, so I really don’t know for sure.) My dad’s experiences have definitely colored my view a bit on some aspects of the flag, but I do acknowledge that others are free to feel otherwise and disregard the Code completely if they want to. 

And I fully support the NFL players protesting the anthem too. They have an important message and chose a non-violent form of protest in which to share it. This upcoming season should be very interesting considering the recent actions of the NFL. (Though the team husband and I cheer for, the Jets, is pretty awesome since they announced the team will absorb any fines incurred by players protesting and will continue working with them to advance social justice causes. Fingers crossed they stick with that approach.)

Thanks a lot for all the links and your explanation. Will do some reading on the matter.

[RainbowSky]

I was pleasantly shocked at the players in the NFL who chose to make a statement. I was watching the news sources at the beginning of whatever games I coild (I was at work but a lot start at a dead part of the day ) last year because of it, especially at the beginning of the season.

 

I also think the pledge is bullshit, especially  making little kids say it. So there's that. 

[VelociRapture]

9 hours ago, RainbowSky said:

I was pleasantly shocked at the players in the NFL who chose to make a statement. I was watching the news sources at the beginning of whatever games I coild (I was at work but a lot start at a dead part of the day ) last year because of it, especially at the beginning of the season.

 

I also think the pledge is bullshit, especially  making little kids say it. So there's that. 

I agree on the pledge. It always made me feel uncomfortable and I don’t really know why. 

On 6/2/2018 at 11:53 PM, just_ordinary said:

Thanks a lot for all the links and your explanation. Will do some reading on the matter.

You’re welcome! I’m sorry it was so much all at once. The main point though is that the Flag Code is more of a voluntary etiquette guide than anything. Private citizens can choose whether or not to follow all of it or any of it without any real fear of legal repercussions. Other people may get pissy if you don’t follow it “right”, but someone somewhere is bound to take offense at anything you do. 

[formergothardite]

21 minutes ago, VelociRapture said:

It always made me feel uncomfortable and I don’t really know why. 

It wasn't until recently that I realized how weird it is that we train small children to continually pledge their allegiance to America. 

[nastyhobbitses]

On 6/1/2018 at 11:54 PM, socalrules said:

My understanding is that the flag isn’t supposed to touch the ground so it would be seen as disrespectful to basically use it as a blanket to sit on. For the record, pictures of you sitting in the middle of a road reading a book means you were definitely not reading a book. 

Also, why the fuck is "oh look at lil' ol' me striking a pose in the path of oncoming cars/trains" such a popular photo shoot theme? I see all these people posing on busy roads and train tracks; is it a For Your Consideration for a Darwin Award? 

[Dutchie]

On 6/2/2018 at 9:28 PM, just_ordinary said:

There is a code? Wow! US- Americans never cease to surprise me. Who cares if a piece of cloth touches the ground? People have doormats with the pattern. 

This whole pledge and flag mentality is very fascinating but I cannot wrap my head around it on bit. For comparison: I love my country, am proud of how we developed so far (even though there are always things to do better) and would argue that we are definitely at least on of the top 5 countries to live in, but I wouldn’t pledge or wave flags or car about some code....

I agree, I’m from Holland. I love and am very proud of the fact that we were one of the first to legalize stuff like, gay marriage, abortion, euthanasia, pot. Also always rank high in the happiest people, happiest children, best healthcare rankings. Wouldn’t wanna live anywhere else and feel very happy my kids had the luck to have there crib in the right place. BUT.... don’t know more than the first part of our anthem, just recently bought a flag (haven’t lived with my parents for 15 years) and always forget when to put the damn thing out.

[Seculardaisy]

Saw this meme and instantly thought of Nathan and Lawson:

Spoiler