Bontragers/Bowers/Helferichs 11: Get Your Christofascism Here Folks!

[JermajestyDuggar]

33 minutes ago, SassyPants said:

And did any of them learn a lick of Spanish?

It never seemed like it. But who knows.

[Notjean]

Across the state line, schools allow homeschoolers to opt in and out throughout the day for classes and after school activities.  The school enjoys getting partial federal aid for those students.  

Our state refuses to allow homeschoolers to participate in any classes or school activities.  It is very frustrating.  

[4boysmum]

Homeschool laws vary quite a bit by state.  I only know about Massachusetts, where I live, and a bit about New Hampshire because we are right on the state line.  And in MA there is also significant variation by school district.  We homeschool in a town that allows home schoolers to take individual classes or participate in extracurricular activities.  There are other towns that don't allow it.  And there are also some that don't have an official policy because no one has ever asked, but if a parent makes inquiries they will work something out.  

As to special education services, I think MA is now requiring the schools to notify homeschool families that kids can receive services at the public school.  We have gotten letters about it for the past couple years.  I know some families who are taking advantage of this.  My medically complex kid can get all his therapies covered by insurance, so we went the private route, but I know the public school is there for us if anything changes.  I would say anecdotally that my homeschooling friends in New Hampshire have had to fight harder to access special ed. services at their local public schools.  It definitely varies according to where you live.

[ElizaB]

On 11/28/2022 at 5:18 PM, Bastet said:

  Is it really the only service they could access?  They couldn’t get occupational therapy, for instance? Years ago I worked in the public school administration building of a small city and used to overhear the assistant superintendent of academics talking to parents who planned to homeschool, and her message seemed to be “let us know if we can help you with anything.” I wasn’t eavesdropping, so I don’t know what she was specifically offering, but why couldn’t parents choose to have their kids participate only in PE, or just AP chemistry if the student qualified? How could  a public school say no if a parent provided transportation? If the parents live in town, I think the children have a right to what is offered in the public schools, but you say schools deny them this? That’s a shame. Anything to mitigate the isolation of those children is a plus all by itself. 
  Of course,  this is largely hypothetical: fundie homeschooling parents would not want their children to have contact with school personnel  because they are all Satan’s minions. 

What I meant is this is often the only special education service offered. So if your student attends a private school (or is homeschooled) you usually don't get free special education services. However, the state will pay for a speech therapist to go to a private school (or your home) to offer speech services. The state doesn't usually pay to send other special ed teachers to home schools or private schools. Of course, this is different in different states. I don't like to say on the internet where I live- but this is how it works in the few states I have lived in. 

[feministxtian]

many years ago my stepdaughter got help from the public school spec ed services although she attended a parochial school. She had learning disabilities and between the parochial school and the public school services she did pretty well. This was in BFE Indiana, the entire county population was maybe 40k

[Bluebirdbluebell]

New blog post up (link); it's just photos of them. Marlin grew facial hair. @JermajestyDuggar might recognize a few faces I don't. 

[JermajestyDuggar]

The Bonts just did their offensive live animal Christmas show at their church. I think a lot of those folks in the pics are people from their church. 

[browngrl]

15 minutes ago, Bluebirdbluebell said:

Marlin grew facial hair

....it's a look but not a good look

[JermajestyDuggar]

12 minutes ago, browngrl said:

....it's a look but not a good look

Marlin’s eyes are too intense for me. They just always look like he is boring his eyes directly into your soul. And stealing it. 

[marmalade]

23 minutes ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

Marlin’s eyes are too intense for me. They just always look like he is boring his eyes directly into your soul. And stealing it. 

They're evil to me. I see a very intense, mean man. 

[JermajestyDuggar]

The penis worship instilled in the female Bontragers is intense. It’s pathetic. Doesn’t she realize her brothers must be extremely fragile if they won’t respect her until she respects them?

Edited January 8, 2023 by JermajestyDuggar

[Bluebirdbluebell]

At least this post doesn't call it dating her brothers. 

[indianabones]

1 hour ago, Bluebirdbluebell said:

At least this post doesn't call it dating her brothers. 

As the kids say, the bar is in hell.

[LurkerOverThePond]

Elizabeth seems like the next Allison to me. Did these kids ever have a chance with parents like Marlin and Becky?!? 

[christiane87]

6 hours ago, Bluebirdbluebell said:

At least this post doesn't call it dating her brothers. 

Yes, but "being sandwiched in between two of the most amazing men I know" is still bringing a -ehm- strange image to my mind😅 🙈

Bare with me, today I am back at work after the Christmas holidays and I need to be silly to forget about all the complaining customers I have to deal with (and also, a part of me still refuses to acknowledge there are girls like the Bonts sisters who really believe in this crap)

[JermajestyDuggar]

8 minutes ago, LurkerOverThePond said:

Elizabeth seems like the next Allison to me. Did these kids ever have a chance with parents like Marlin and Becky?!? 

I don’t think so. But I’m hoping she will grow out of it as she gets a little older. She’s still pretty young. 
 

Fundie women make men out to be these fragile little beings that need to be coddled and placated at all times. It’s as if men have no control so the women have to not only control themselves but also all the men around them. Don’t wear anything remotely attractive or they will lust after you and you will cause them to stumble. Always respect them first or they ever never respect you. 

Edited January 9, 2023 by JermajestyDuggar

[Nothing if not critical]

7 minutes ago, christiane87 said:

Yes, but "being sandwiched in between two of the most amazing men I know" is still bringing a -ehm- strange image to my mind😅 🙈

 

Glad to hear I'm not the only one with a one-track mind... 🤣

[postscript]

19 hours ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

The penis worship instilled in the female Bontragers is intense. It’s pathetic. Doesn’t she realize her brothers must be extremely fragile if they won’t respect her until she respects them?

And the men have no obligation to do the same for her? The whole “take interest in their interests and what they have to say” sounds like advice from a women’s magazine from the 50s, 60s or 70s. Even as a teen, I found the idea that the man didn’t have to reciprocate ridiculous, but it was ingrained in society at the time. Why bring this antiquated notion back? 

The one saving grace is that all of the Bontrager daughters are still young and  will hopefully mature enough to see the danger in this list. 

And yes, “being sandwiched in” has an alternate connotation which she is probably too innocent to recognize. 

[ElizaB]

4 hours ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

I don’t think so. But I’m hoping she will grow out of it as she gets a little older. She’s still pretty young. 
 

The problem is a lot of these girls are not given the opportunity or space to grow out of anything. While most kids get to go away to college, or more out for a job, she won’t get to do that. Your late teens/early twenties are a chance to be exposed to new ideas and have views challenged. However, she will stay sheltered at her parents house until she is married off to someone who will then get to pick her beliefs.

[JermajestyDuggar]

39 minutes ago, ElizaB said:

The problem is a lot of these girls are not given the opportunity or space to grow out of anything. While most kids get to go away to college, or more out for a job, she won’t get to do that. Your late teens/early twenties are a chance to be exposed to new ideas and have views challenged. However, she will stay sheltered at her parents house until she is married off to someone who will then get to pick her beliefs.

True. But I do think there’s some room for growth if they move away, attend a new church and have kids. Just having your own kids can challenge long held beliefs. Unfortunately someone like Chelsy seems to be just like her mother. But maybe there’s hope for Liz.

[Aithuia]

I think (Lincoln) Taylor Bontrager is dating Susanna Helferich. During the most recent Bontrager concert on January 12 (video here at like the 15:30 mark), he brought a young woman who looks just like her up on stage (the video quality was terrible, but I'm almost sure it was her) and introduced her as his girlfriend Susanna. 

I only skimmed through the usual part where they introduce each other, but I don't think they included the usual child and grandchild count. 

Taylor is the one with all the Bible Bee money, right?

 

[JermajestyDuggar]

6 minutes ago, Aithuia said:

I think (Lincoln) Taylor Bontrager is dating Susanna Helferich. During the most recent Bontrager concert on January 12 (video here at like the 15:30 mark), he brought a young woman who looks just like her up on stage (the video quality was terrible, but I'm almost sure it was her) and introduced her as his girlfriend Susanna. 

I only skimmed through the usual part where they introduce each other, but I don't think they included the usual child and grandchild count. 

Taylor is the one with all the Bible Bee money, right?

 

Ughh I was hoping there wouldn’t be a third Hell-rager pairing. Both of those families are just…. Insufferable. And together it’s just nuts. 

Edited January 15, 2023 by JermajestyDuggar

[JermajestyDuggar]

Yes it’s Susanna Helferich. All 4 Helferich daughters look just alike: 

So the Helferiches really don’t branch out in marriage much. 2 sisters are married to Hardy brothers and by the end of 2023, 3 Helferiches will be married to Bontragers. 

[CaptainFunderpants]

1 hour ago, Aithuia said:

I think (Lincoln) Taylor Bontrager is dating Susanna Helferich. During the most recent Bontrager concert on January 12 (video here at like the 15:30 mark), he brought a young woman who looks just like her up on stage (the video quality was terrible, but I'm almost sure it was her) and introduced her as his girlfriend Susanna. 

I only skimmed through the usual part where they introduce each other, but I don't think they included the usual child and grandchild count. 

Taylor is the one with all the Bible Bee money, right?

 

Yup. Also interesting that it's another gap where the woman is four full years older than the guy.

With this pairing, the Helferichs now have two single males, while the Bonts have two single females remaining -although depending, it could be too big of an age gap. We don't have the year of birth for the youngest Helferich and so it could easily be a six year gap between their youngest and Rebecca.

It's hard to tell whether or not the Bonts are against underage marriage. They're scary enough that it seems like they would be for it, but the kids have all married in their 20s.

Chelsy noted that Denver had originally intended to get married at 16, but it didn't happen, and then otherwise... Chelsy, Allison, and Mitchell were all in their mid-20s, while Carson, Josh, and Denver were all in their early-20s. Taylor literally just turned 20, and presumably announcing the relationship publicly means engagement is imminent. It also wouldn't surprise me if the younger kids got married younger, largely because Becky and Marlin have decided they're done with the parenting season of life.

[JermajestyDuggar]

3 minutes ago, CaptainFunderpants said:

Yup. Also interesting that it's another gap where the woman is four full years older than the guy.

With this pairing, the Helferichs now have two single males, while the Bonts have two single females remaining -although depending, it could be too big of an age gap. We don't have the year of birth for the youngest Helferich and so it could easily be a six year gap between their youngest and Rebecca.

It's hard to tell whether or not the Bonts are against underage marriage. They're scary enough that it seems like they would be for it, but the kids have all married in their 20s.

Chelsy noted that Denver had originally intended to get married at 16, but it didn't happen, and then otherwise... Chelsy, Allison, and Mitchell were all in their mid-20s, while Carson, Josh, and Denver were all in their early-20s. Taylor literally just turned 20, and presumably announcing the relationship publicly means engagement is imminent. It also wouldn't surprise me if the younger kids got married younger, largely because Becky and Marlin have decided they're done with the parenting season of life.

But then they won’t have unpaid musicians to travel around with. They have to keep a few.