Real Life Fundie Encounters: Part 5

[GoddessOfVictory]

Had a twofer at the grocery store today - Hutterites and a fundamentalist Mormon woman (not together of course). The Hutterites have been in these parts a long time but it concerns me how common it is to see the fundamentalist Mormons now.

[Howl]

1 hour ago, GoddessOfVictory said:

The Hutterites have been in these parts a long time but it concerns me how common it is to see the fundamentalist Mormons now

What general part of the country do you live in?  Are the fundmentalist Mormons you're referencing dressing in FLDS style -- long pastel dresses, long hair done just so, presumably polygamous? Or are you referring to regular LDS Mormons who have taken it to the nth degree? 

[GoddessOfVictory]

22 hours ago, Howl said:

What general part of the country do you live in?  Are the fundmentalist Mormons you're referencing dressing in FLDS style -- long pastel dresses, long hair done just so, presumably polygamous? Or are you referring to regular LDS Mormons who have taken it to the nth degree? 

FLDS-style with the long pastel dresses and hair usually done in that loose but tucked-up wispy braid. I’m in the northwest.

[JermajestyDuggar]

31 minutes ago, GoddessOfVictory said:

FLDS-style with the long pastel dresses and hair usually done in that loose but tucked-up wispy braid. I’m in the northwest.

Some of Warren Jeff’s’ group has spread out. They aren’t all in one place. So it’s possible you saw a Jeffs group.

[SoSoNosy]

I just checked and we have a Tacos4Life in the general Memphis area.  I checked the menu and it looks pretty good, but like a lot of other cities every other restaurant is some form of Mexican.  And we all grew up with family-owned local restaurants that spread over the area, then all the "outsiders" moved in and ran them out of town.  Their dips and sauces are sold in grocery stores in a fairly widespread area.  It's Pancho's cheese dip, and some salsas.

 

Edited October 6, 2022 by SoSoNosy

[clueliss]

I only brought up tacos for life because I associate the place with the Duggers.

[front hugs > duggs]

I wasn’t home when this happened but saw on my Ring. Curious if they noticed my mezuzah or not 😂

[indianabones]

26 minutes ago, front hugs > duggs said:

I wasn’t home when this happened but saw on my Ring. Curious if they noticed my mezuzah or not 😂

They probably have no idea what that is. Doubt they ever encountered one at home in Utah.

[HereticHick]

I was once chased down by Mormon missionaries on the street in Frankfurt, Germany and they were shocked that I knew what they were (duh, I'm an educated American and know your uniforms! : ). Then I told them I was Unitarian and they had never heard of such a thing.

In fundy theological news,  I was driving my young nephew yesterday and he declared to me, while discussing natural history, that the World was Made in 6 Days.  Oh shit, I thought! What fundy website has he stumbled on?? I asked him who told him that? Dr. McCoy, he said, and I thought that was some theologian he ran across on Youtube.  Then he clarified that it was Dr. McCoy on his favorite old tv show... 🤣

[RC-2017]

McCoy does precede that statement with the words 'According to myth...'.

[HereticHick]

17 hours ago, RC-2017 said:

McCoy does precede that statement with the words 'According to myth...'.

Yeah, we need to work on explaining the "According to myth" part! : )

[FiveAcres]

24 minutes ago, HereticHick said:

Yeah, we need to work on explaining the "According to myth" part! : )

Perhaps something along the lines of:

A long time ago, when people didn't understand something, they would make up a story about how it might be explained. We call these stories myths. 

[Hane]

On 12/5/2022 at 10:22 AM, HereticHick said:

I was once chased down by Mormon missionaries on the street in Frankfurt, Germany and they were shocked that I knew what they were (duh, I'm an educated American and know your uniforms! : ). Then I told them I was Unitarian and they had never heard of such a thing.

. 🤣

I once ran across a webpage that had talking points for conservative Christian missionaries, outlining how to build rapport with various religions: “Catholic? We believe Jesus saved us, too! Muslim? We’re homophobic, too!” etc.

But when it came to Unitarian Universalists, it basically just said, “Walk away. You’ll never win an argument with them.”

[EyesOpen]

On 9/18/2022 at 6:40 PM, EyesOpen said:

So, I live in a small fairly conservative town. There are a few of us crazy liberals around but mostly conservative and skews older… a man just posted on our town Facebook page. ‘We are new to your community. We are… a large homeschooling… family so if you see our kids playing outside please don’t call CPS on us! Talk about an awkward way to introduce yourself. First of all… intros aren’t really necessary online? Just go meet your neighbors. Secondly, large homeschooling family is just a dog whistle to me. Checked his main profile. I don’t think we’d be friends. His Jesus seems pretty hateful from what I can tell from his personal posts… thirdly ‘please don’t call CPS’… mmmk either I need to drive by and see if your kids look clean and fed cause you have reason to worry or you have a reallll persecution kink, huh? Nobody cares dude… unless someone sees something concerning? Ugh well, anyways welcome to the neighborhood I guess. 🙄

So… this guy has posted several times now on our town page. They need a new van and are ‘hoping for a blessing’. He’s asked about work, seasonal, etc so I guess he’s able/ willing to work. Now he’s posting asking for free childcare for his child who is on the spectrum to give his wife ‘respite’ cause there’s insurance issues with getting ABA/ respite care. I assume those issues have to do with having a Christian/ non existent insurance. His personal Facebook page has continued to be unhinged hyper right wing and religious posts... looks like I knew what I was seeing from the get go. Sorry for their kids

[Howl]

15 hours ago, EyesOpen said:

So… this guy has posted several times now on our town page. They need a new van and are ‘hoping for a blessing’.

Surprised that "the saints" at his church aren't donating "blessings", although he may be so out there that they don't belong to a church.  

What kind of response is he getting for calls for help on social media? 

[EyesOpen]

I think he’s barking up the wrong tree. This is a small town and many people offer to help with all sorts of things but most people suggested therapy and respite care through insurance and he didn’t get anything but likes and one suggestion of someone’s car dealership contact for the 15 person passenger van request. he also posted about looking for odd jobs… can’t figure out if he works a full time job or what 🤷🏻‍♀️

[JermajestyDuggar]

Now that a lot of fundie types that we talk about on FJ wear very mainstream clothes, I’m always surprised when I see the skirts only ones in the wild. But I swear it’s always at the Zoo. I guess fundies like Zoos. But I just went yesterday and there was a group of fundies. The women all had long skirts and long hair. One even had a head covering. They weren’t Mennonite because I can always spot them really easily. For some reason the way they dressed reminded me of the Dinguses (Rod friends). But they weren’t them. I made sure. 

[PumaLover]

Just had a real life fundie encounter! I was at a truck stop in Arizona and saw a family getting out of a van. There were 5 boys, toddler to probably preteen, and the mom was wearing an ankle length modest dress and a small head covering.

At first I thought it was a type of Mennonite covering but I did several Google searches and didn’t see the exact one. Her hair was up in a bun and the covering was black and lacy and covered only the bun.

Also to the previous post about the family who was looking for a van and “hoping for a blessing”-thought it was Bro Gary til I saw the large family part 😂

[Howl]

My fundie encounter was digital!  Several videos of women cleansing their houses of demons popped up on my Instagram feed.

There are incantations, exhortations for the Blood of Jesus!  to cleanse their swelling of a demon infestation causing their kids to be less than perfectly obedient,  plus oil anointings of various doorways.  Apparently demon infestation can also result infidelity on the husband's part. 

So be aware that any part of your home life that is less than perfect, i.e., your children speaking to you in a less than respectful way, can be a result on demon infestation.  

 

 

Edited January 22, 2023 by Howl

[PumaLover]

Hi everyone! I haven't been as active on here lately but I am still reading, mostly the Rod threads. I hope this is the correct place to post this–I have been decluttering and getting rid of 30+ years' worth of stuff and I came across some programs and my baptism certificate from my fundie days.

Quick history, my mom grew up Catholic and had me baptized as a baby, but we only ever went to church for Christmas and Easter (sometimes). I met my first boyfriend in college who I later ended up marrying (cuz courtships only, y'all!) and he ended up convincing me to join his very, very conservative/fundie church. We weren't skirt wearing, KJV-only, but the beliefs were 100% in line with what our fundies here believe. I alienated my friends and family for several years by joining this cult and realizing I couldn't really see eye to eye with them anymore. Also, my ex's family was very, very heavily involved in this church–many of them were group leaders and in positions of authority.

I started out agreeing reluctantly to attend regular Sunday service but soon he convinced me that I needed to be there for Sunday School and then Sunday evening church as well. It was a deeply frustrating and unhappy time for me. Long story short, I became friends with my now husband who told me I needed to look out for myself, and I eventually got the courage to leave that situation. Still happily with Mr. Puma 16-ish? years later.

Anyway, in going through all my clutter I found these and thought you all might find them interesting. Names and identifying details redacted. Church program, baptism certificate, ladies' outreach and a booklet, "Called to be Mothers," which I guess I received because I'm female and had no other options in life.

Spoiler

church brochures

 

Edited January 31, 2023 by PumaLover
messed up spoiler as always

[Howl]

Thanks for sharing your trip down memory lane, @PumaLover! Now I'm wondering if I've ever visited the "deepest regions of my being"  and what's actually down there.  I don't think I'll find what Elizabeth Elliott thinks should be there. 

I love the Everything's Coming Up Roses and that that the menu names each dish.  It seems so...effusively Southern. Sun Splashed Salad! Variegated Veggies!  So. Much. Alliteration

I googled Betty Boop potatoes and came across a recipe for crispy potato slices with melted cheese and bacon. 

[PumaLover]

13 hours ago, Howl said:

Now I'm wondering if I've ever visited the "deepest regions of my being"  and what's actually down there.  I don't think I'll find what Elizabeth Elliott thinks should be there. 

Same here! I knew I was never called to be a mother,* at least not in the traditional way. My life already had plenty of satisfaction and meaning without having babies, a VERY unpopular opinion amongst that group. My ex and I started courting when I was probably 19-20 and at that time I thought I might still change my mind, and he was very upset years later when I said I didn't want biological kids. That was just one of our many issues.

I met him while I was going to college, working on my career, and one day he said he didn't want me working when we had kids. I asked him, what's the point of me going to college then!? He replied that I could work until we had kids. *facepalm* I should have run far away when I heard that, and also a few other very bright red flags, but unfortunately I was under the creepy fundie spell. 

It was only after I started working a job with regular people and got to see other lifestyles that I realized just how unusual ours was. I feel bad that so many of our fundies don't have that chance to get out and see fundamentalism from other peoples' perspectives, especially the women. This family that I married into was extremely close and didn't really have friends outside the church, and especially not people who were divorced/heathens/single parents, etc., and they had plenty of negative things to say about those people. That is yet another reason that I am glad I was able to get away, because I was actually starting to think the way that they did and judging these people.

*(I ended up becoming a mother in an unconventional way, through adoption of an older child who was somewhat related to our family through marriage. She's 18 and planning to move out soon and has her career and life all lined up and figured out, and we are proud of her!)

[Cults-r-us]

On 12/31/2022 at 12:53 PM, EyesOpen said:

I think he’s barking up the wrong tree. This is a small town and many people offer to help with all sorts of things but most people suggested therapy and respite care through insurance and he didn’t get anything but likes and one suggestion of someone’s car dealership contact for the 15 person passenger van request. he also posted about looking for odd jobs… can’t figure out if he works a full time job or what 🤷🏻‍♀️

Where I life the county mental health provide some respite services for a child with an autism diagnosis. He should start at the department of aging to register his child.

[FiveAcres]

9 hours ago, Cults-r-us said:

Where I life the county mental health provide some respite services for a child with an autism diagnosis. He should start at the department of aging to register his child.

It sounds as though he (the homeschooling patriarch) is all about the handouts and getting additional assistance while avoiding any potential entanglements with the (evil, in his eyes) authorities. And a lot of homeschoolers are home churchers as well, so that cuts off that avenue of potential support. 

[Cults-r-us]

7 hours ago, FiveAcres said:

It sounds as though he (the homeschooling patriarch) is all about the handouts and getting additional assistance while avoiding any potential entanglements with the (evil, in his eyes) authorities. And a lot of homeschoolers are home churchers as well, so that cuts off that avenue of potential support. 

I think you can qualify for services even if your child does not attend public school. When my child attended a private Christian school the public school sent PT/OT there to provide services to a child. Anybody remember that lady who adopted/fostered a gob of children and one disabled child drowned in the tub? I remember PT/OT services came to their house as they homeschooled. 

But you are right, this fellow is probably gimme, gimme, gimme and unwilling to jump through the hoops to get services.