Safe At Home 6: PIGS ARE FLYING! Luke is Engaged!

[nokidsmom]

Well, color me shocked that an Arndt is finally getting married.

On 10/21/2022 at 7:21 PM, Ozlsn said:

I am still entirely stuck on this. That would freak me the crap out. Cliff at sunset - fine. Rest of family hiding in bushes and leaping out - way to ruin a private moment.

I hope they move out somewhere at least 15 minutes drive from the rest of the family.

The setting for the proposal sounded very nice.  Perfectly romantic moment until the family leaps out from the bushes.  They all might have thought it was a great idea and I have a hard time thinking Luke was not in on it.   This should be a signal to Catherine that private moments are not going to be private in that family.    The family is going to be in the know on lots of things, I hope she's comfortable with that.  I sure as hell would not be.   

[Anne Of Gray Gables]

On 10/24/2022 at 8:06 PM, Eastcoastn said:

I like when they don't "look like Arndts" too! Lol! Caleb is a little like that. Looks different and seems to act a bit different too

Yes, there's something about Caleb that stands out. Not sure exactly what it is, but he seems to have a gleam in his eye, a spark of something the other manboys lack. 

[Ozlsn]

23 hours ago, nokidsmom said:

Well, color me shocked that an Arndt is finally getting married.

The setting for the proposal sounded very nice.  Perfectly romantic moment until the family leaps out from the bushes.  They all might have thought it was a great idea and I have a hard time thinking Luke was not in on it.   This should be a signal to Catherine that private moments are not going to be private in that family.    The family is going to be in the know on lots of things, I hope she's comfortable with that.  I sure as hell would not be.   

Luke may have mentioned it to his brother(s) and they went with "let's plan a surprise"... but I agree, I think Luke was in on it. It feels a lot less like "will you marry me and we can start a family together" and more like "welcome to the cult!"

After that proposal I'd be looking to move as far away as possible from the Borg, and possibly not letting anyone know the address.

[nokidsmom]

35 minutes ago, Ozlsn said:

Luke may have mentioned it to his brother(s) and they went with "let's plan a surprise"... but I agree, I think Luke was in on it. It feels a lot less like "will you marry me and we can start a family together" and more like "welcome to the cult!"

After that proposal I'd be looking to move as far away as possible from the Borg, and possibly not letting anyone know the address.

From where I sit, I think Luke was lucky that Catherine didn't run away screaming after a proposal like that.  I suppose to each his/her own and maybe some folks are fine with not-so-private proposals, but knowing how enmeshed this family is, it just shows how they are all involved in each other's business, nothing is private.  If Catherine desires a life with Luke where their own business/joint decisions are only their own and not up to family weigh-in, this is not an encouraging sign.

[JermajestyDuggar]

We’ve seen Catherine at the Arndt house during Rick’s long rambling sermons. I think she has a very good idea of what she’s getting into. I think most girls have figured it out and run away. That’s partly why they are all still single. But this is probably the first girl that fits their ridiculously high standards, and is willing to join the weird as fuck Arndt Borg. 

[usmcmom]

Oh my geeeyyyyaaawwwd! I just looked at her Facebook page and we have a mutual friend!  I mean, like, a friend with home I text every month or so. He went to high school with my husband and me.  AND he married my high school best friend. 
 

So, I am definitely trying to figure out how to bring this up to him. 
 

Okay…back to reading this thread. 

[ven]

I scrolled lightly through Catherine's fb . What she mentions is very deeply papel Catholic. Somehow the arndts didn't strike me as that  Catholic before. I guess I was wrong, maybe because so many reformed Christians are talked about on this board. Anyways! I hope they all will follow very rapidly in throwing down the cloth .

[Howl]

4 hours ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

I think she has a very good idea of what she’s getting into.

...which may be why she wants to run away with Luke to "the mission field..." if that is what God has planned...which would possibly be in another country.

Three months after the wedding:  "Wake up, My Darling Penguin Luke Honey! God just spoke to me! Yeah, OUT LOUD in this dream, but it was more like a clear vision than a dream. God was very specific! He wants us to move to a foreign country and be missionaries!  How soon can we leave?" 

But SRSLY, I hope these two can carve out a life of their own and leave Vine Valley and the Borg in the rear-view mirror. 

[OyToTheVey]

I LEAVE FOR A LITTLE WHILE AND COME BACK TO THIS???????!!!!?!!!! OMG Penguins really do fly! This is probably the most shocking news I've heard in a while.

[Hane]

4 hours ago, OyToTheVey said:

I LEAVE FOR A LITTLE WHILE AND COME BACK TO THIS???????!!!!?!!!! OMG Penguins really do fly! This is probably the most shocking news I've heard in a while.

*gently pats comfy chair* Please sit down, @OyToTheVey. We have some news to share about Sarah Maxwell. Oh, and Elizabeth Botkin.

[JermajestyDuggar]

7 minutes ago, Hane said:

*gently pats comfy chair* Please sit down, @OyToTheVey. We have some news to share about Sarah Maxwell. Oh, and Elizabeth Botkin.

You mean Sarah Bollinger and Elizabeth Thompson 😉

[OyToTheVey]

14 hours ago, Hane said:

*gently pats comfy chair* Please sit down, @OyToTheVey. We have some news to share about Sarah Maxwell. Oh, and Elizabeth Botkin.

Wait what? ima deep dive on my lunch break. WTFFFF

[JermajestyDuggar]

7 hours ago, OyToTheVey said:

Wait what? ima deep dive on my lunch break. WTFFFF

Oooooh weee you are in for a surprise. 2022 has been crazy in fundieland. 

[0 kids n not countin]

Is it just me, or does anyone else here feel Caleb and Mary-Elizabeth aren't very good singers. Mary-Elizabeth's singing just grates on me. 🙉

[Eastcoastn]

14 hours ago, 0 kids n not countin said:

Is it just me, or does anyone else here feel Caleb and Mary-Elizabeth aren't very good singers. Mary-Elizabeth's singing just grates on me. 🙉

I think they can hold a tune but I don't like their voices. Mary's seems forced to be that high and Caleb's sounds like he needs to clear his throat. 

[Anne Of Gray Gables]

On 10/26/2022 at 7:41 PM, ven said:

I scrolled lightly through Catherine's fb . What she mentions is very deeply papel Catholic. Somehow the arndts didn't strike me as that  Catholic before.

Cathy and Rick were both raised Catholic. IIRC, they met at a Catholic youth retreat. Cathy's father was a deacon (a member of the clergy) and the oldest four boys attended Catholic schools for a year when Cathy was overwhelmed with babies and assisting Rick in the business. But they clearly are no longer practicing Catholics. I wonder how this plays out for the new Mrs. Catherine Arndt. Does she have to abandon the Church to marry into the family?  Is/was that a sticking point?

I'd love to see Luke and Catie break away over this issue with Luke returning to the Church. Pastor Rick would be very displeased!  

[nelliebelle1197]

Yes; the Arndts were Catholic. Heck, they may still be basically Catholic in theology now since I do not think we have any deep insight into Pope Richard I's theological bent.

[Anne Of Gray Gables]

14 minutes ago, nelliebelle1197 said:

Yes; the Arndts were Catholic. Heck, they may still be basically Catholic in theology now since I do not think we have any deep insight into Pope Richard I's theological bent.

Probably because there is no depth there. I don't know which Bible they use, but Rick has memorized it and his sermons are just rambles about what he thinks passages mean in relation to modern daily life. The oldest sons who are allowed to speak all have the exact same interpretations, so there appears to be a requirement that everyone in the family agree with Pastor Rick. No actual discussion ever happens. 

[snickerz]

On 10/21/2022 at 11:39 AM, 0 kids n not countin said:

From Paul's Facebook:

My brother Luke Arndt is officially engaged!!! It happened last night perfectly at sunset on a cliff surrounded by hiding Arndts with cameras and Mary-Elizabeth Arndt waiting in the wings with flowers. We hiked up a long, steep trail with way too much equipment so we'd be ready for their arrival and it was worth every step. Afterwards, we all celebrated at Arndt headquarters at my parents' house. It's a day that we'll never forget! Welcome to the family, Catherine Cox ! 💙

 

Is Arndt Headquarters the parents' room? Was there cake?

Editing to add: I think God has called them to be missionaries to Antarctica, to convert the penguins. 

Edited October 30, 2022 by snickerz

[usedbicycle]

Catherine has branched out from  Roman Catholic to a very charismatic/spirit-filled type of Christian. I made a post a while back about how she attended Bethel's school of supernatural ministry, the same course that Sitara Smith was supposed to attend before her death. It fits right into the Arnt prayer meetings complete with virtually healing strangers with anointing oil. They're all cuckoo. 

[Eastcoastn]

Do you think they still share bedrooms in their "new" house? #Accountability

[Smee]

On 10/22/2022 at 11:21 AM, Ozlsn said:

I hope they move out somewhere at least 15 minutes hours drive from the rest of the family.

FTFY.

So is the consensus that she’s being absorbed into the cult, not that he’s edging out of it? My prediction is that in 3 or 4 years time he’ll still be the only Arndt boy who “made it”, and his children will grow up with 12 weird uncles but no cousins. I think the others will be like “see! It’ll happen! God will make it happen like He did for Luke” and take this as a sign that they don’t need to question their approach to life, family & the cult, thus continuing to fly red flags for every woman they manage to encounter.

OR she’ll gradually help Luke to escape and we’ll finally get the Arndt tell-all. 

This is just wild.

[gustava]

1 hour ago, Smee said:

FTFY.

So is the consensus that she’s being absorbed into the cult, not that he’s edging out of it? My prediction is that in 3 or 4 years time he’ll still be the only Arndt boy who “made it”, and his children will grow up with 12 weird uncles but no cousins. I think the others will be like “see! It’ll happen! God will make it happen like He did for Luke” and take this as a sign that they don’t need to question their approach to life, family & the cult, thus continuing to fly red flags for every woman they manage to encounter.

OR she’ll gradually help Luke to escape and we’ll finally get the Arndt tell-all. 

This is just wild.

I think she is being absorbed into the borg.

[Anne Of Gray Gables]

1 hour ago, gustava said:

I think she is being absorbed into the borg.

Yes, I think Luke is the one "lucky" brother who found someone they could easily pull into the fold. Unless she has a bunch of like-minded sisters, I don't see lightening striking too many more times here.  She'll live on the property and have as many kids as time will allow, and those kids will be indoctrinated into Pastor Rick's world. And when Rick is gone John or Paul will continue in his stead.

When a younger brother starts dating non-religious Ashley who works down at the 7/11, we may then see changes in their world. But I don't expect Catie's entrance to change much aside from the addition a new generation of Arndts. 

Speaking of kids, do we have any idea how old Catherine is? I know Luke is pushing 38. 

[JermajestyDuggar]

39 minutes ago, Anne Of Gray Gables said:

Yes, I think Luke is the one "lucky" brother who found someone they could easily pull into the fold. Unless she has a bunch of like-minded sisters, I don't see lightening striking too many more times here.  She'll live on the property and have as many kids as time will allow, and those kids will be indoctrinated into Pastor Rick's world. And when Rick is gone John or Paul will continue in his stead.

When a younger brother starts dating non-religious Ashley who works down at the 7/11, we may then see changes in their world. But I don't expect Catie's entrance to change much aside from the addition a new generation of Arndts. 

Speaking of kids, do we have any idea how old Catherine is? I know Luke is pushing 38. 

I agree. I think they’ve never found success before because any girl they casually dated in the past refused to be absorbed into the Borg and things were broken off. There’s no way this is the first girl any of them have dated. I bet there have been plenty of potential girlfriends that were shot down quickly by another family member.