Maxwell 56: Mary Found Freedom to Get Engaged

[Hellothere]

I believe I read that back when Alex E. was awarded a scholarship to college while in high school he said his aspirations were to major in business. Perhaps he is t lazer focused on a missionary career and is interested in a more mainstream career?

[JermajestyDuggar]

I wonder how Steve will feel if Mary moves thousands of miles away to be a missionary and he will only see her family once a year at most. 

Edited January 13, 2023 by JermajestyDuggar

[Hellothere]

11 hours ago, Hellothere said:

I believe I read that back when Alex E. was awarded a scholarship to college while in high school he said his aspirations were to major in business. Perhaps he is t lazer focused on a missionary career and is interested in a more mainstream career?

Ugh, typo, I meant to suggest he “isn’t” lazer focused on a missionary career  . . . or maybe not even in a job in the conservative Christian arena.  

[Bethy]

20 hours ago, Hellothere said:

I believe I read that back when Alex E. was awarded a scholarship to college while in high school he said his aspirations were to major in business. Perhaps he is t lazer focused on a missionary career and is interested in a more mainstream career?

The thing is, most of the Maxbrothers also AREN'T laser focused on a missionary career. The reversals, in particular, seem to be doing quite well for themselves in fairly mainstream fields. I find this interesting given that the Maxkids (and the reversals, in particular) grew up being props/manual labor in their parents' ministry after "God brought Steve home from corporate America." Missionary Sam is looking like an outlier among that generation of Maxwell/Maxwell-adjacent men.

[goldbu]

I was messing around on Twitter the other day. Joseph’s Twitter reads very much like a normal tech guy. There’s a mention of playing Mario kart even (gasp! A *video* game!) And the “H” in this tweet? Surely that is “heck”, right?? Maybe this is what Steve is railing about in his columns. A son who has gone astray. 

[Bethy]

6 minutes ago, goldbu said:

I was messing around on Twitter the other day. Joseph’s Twitter reads very much like a normal tech guy. There’s a mention of playing Mario kart even (gasp! A *video* game!) And the “H” in this tweet? Surely that is “heck”, right?? Maybe this is what Steve is railing about in his columns. A son who has gone astray. 

Even "heck" counts as swearing in these circles. Even just saying "what the?" without adding anything else afterward counts too.

[JermajestyDuggar]

3 minutes ago, Bethy said:

Even "heck" counts as swearing in these circles. Even just saying "what the?" without adding anything else afterward counts too.

True. Near swears are often not allowed. I always figured it’s why the Bateses always said “oh my stars” instead of “oh my gosh!” Because gosh is too close to god. And heck is too close to hell. 

[Bethy]

1 minute ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

True. Near swears are often not allowed. I always figured it’s why the Bateses always said “oh my stars” instead of “oh my gosh!” Because gosh is too close to god. And heck is too close to hell. 

Some blogger back in the day (it might've been the one with the Wendy's proposal, but I could be wrong) wrote a post once about how saying "Oh my goodness" was actually taking God's name in vain because only God is good. A lot of fundies refer to things like gosh and heck as "minced oaths" but say they count the same as saying the real thing.

[Caroline]

1 hour ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

True. Near swears are often not allowed. I always figured it’s why the Bateses always said “oh my stars” instead of “oh my gosh!” Because gosh is too close to god. And heck is too close to hell. 

Don't the Bates know that Samantha Stevens (Bewitched) said "Oh my stars!"?  You would think they wouldn't want to imitate a witch, even if she is only a tv witch.

 

[mango_fandango]

I remember Gil Bates saying “son of America” once. Don’t remember the context or anything. 

[Johannah]

I am still haunted by Michelle Duggar breathily saying Praise God over and over through clearly excruciating contractions while she was in labor. So tragic. I don’t think the Duggars even allow approximations or imitations of swearing. I don’t think even oh my stars or son of America would fly

[Granwych]

2 hours ago, Johannah said:

I am still haunted by Michelle Duggar breathily saying Praise God over and over through clearly excruciating contractions while she was in labor. So tragic. I don’t think the Duggars even allow approximations or imitations of swearing. I don’t think even oh my stars or son of America would fly

How about “sweet fellowship?”  It’s an F word after all.  😉

[Red Hair, Black Dress]

It might be fellowship, but I doubt that it's ever sweet for the woman

Edited January 15, 2023 by Red Hair, Black Dress

[Bethy]

On 1/14/2023 at 5:34 PM, mango_fandango said:

I remember Gil Bates saying “son of America” once. Don’t remember the context or anything. 

I seriously wonder if "son of America" was a quick save and he was about to slip and say something else that starts with "son of a" (and doesn't end with "window dresser," because I doubt Monty Python is that much better!) I worked at a Christian camp at one point where even the "lite" versions of words (like crap) were verboten so our go-to was "crud" because it was easy to switch mid-word if you realized you were about to slip out something that was going to get you in trouble.

[Black Aliss]

On 1/12/2023 at 6:51 AM, HereticHick said:

It would also be nice if Alex is simply a platonic friend to Anna (and Mary and Samuel--aren't they on the soccer team together?)

My money is on "platonic friendship" 

[ClareDeLune]

Maybe he went with Sam to Kansas so he and Anna could chaperone Sam and Mary?

I can't see male friends being welcome at the Maxwells, but two godly men camping in a brother's spare bedroom might work better.  

 

[Howl]

On 1/14/2023 at 2:11 PM, Bethy said:

A lot of fundies refer to things like gosh and heck as "minced oaths" but say they count the same as saying the real thing.

Apparently, at one point, fundies boycotted Oshkosh brand clothing (Oshkosh B'Gosh) for this reason. 

[Irishy]

I’m surprised to read that the word handicapped is used still in the US. In Europe it is unacceptable and outdated. It’s a disabled parked space. But even the word disabled is contentious with some because of it’s negative connotations.

[MamaJunebug]

42 minutes ago, Howl said:

Apparently, at one point, fundies boycotted Oshkosh brand clothing (Oshkosh B'Gosh) for this reason. 

PURE RUDICULOUSITY!

Thank you for a laugh on a somber day. 

[caitrona]

On 1/14/2023 at 3:34 PM, mango_fandango said:

I remember Gil Bates saying “son of America” once. Don’t remember the context or anything. 

A friend of mine's grandma became fond, in her waning years, of "Jesus God and tits America" because apparently when she was growing up those were the worst swears she knew. 

 

My great-grandfather was a Baptist preacher, and my dad & aunt were reminded every time they visited that they were not allowed to say "gosh", "jeez", "crud", "hell", "heck", or anything similar.  My Catholic relatives on my mom's side were much looser with their language, but mostly cursed in French or Creole so the kids wouldn't pick it up. 

[IReallyAmHopewell]

On 1/11/2023 at 9:18 PM, ClareDeLune said:

I kind of hope not.  He's only 22 and no matter how good-hearted he is, that is quite an age difference.  Anna is the one who has tech skills, construction skills, all the outdoorsy sporting interest as well as the children and home-making skills. She is still young enough to do whatever she wants with her degree before settling down.  I would love to see her go off and forge her own path.

She has been pretty much brought up to be some man's helper though, so maybe Alex will strike it lucky (If being a Max son-in-law isn't a dealbreaker).

Let's hope he's nice and would take care of her in the right sense of that. By that I mean, he'd be nice, give some thought to what she's interested in, and help around the house. If I was a Maxwell turning down a husband would be brutally hard I think. So glad Anna and Mary "got out"--they got their eyes opened more than you may think.I used to work for an Evangelical college. Many go there because Mom & Dad say "If we are paying....." it can be VERY eye opening

[Hane]

3 hours ago, caitrona said:

A friend of mine's grandma became fond, in her waning years, of "Jesus God and tits America" because apparently when she was growing up those were the worst swears she knew. 

My Catholic relatives on my mom's side were much looser with their language, but mostly cursed in French or Creole so the kids wouldn't pick it up. 

My maternal grandmother was a character. When my mom (age 47) told her that she’d be meeting my fiancé’s parents, Grandma told her, “Be nice around these people! Don’t say ‘balls’ or ‘Jesus Christ’!” “Balls and Jesus Christ” rapidly became our cuss phrase of choice.

Grandma, who was born in NYC of Italian immigrant parents, refused to swear in English. She insisted that swearing in Italian “sounds nicer.” When my cousin, an altar boy, was introduced to a priest visiting from Italy, he told him, “My grandparents are Italian!” When the priest asked him if he knew any Italian words, he said, “Yes, but I don’t think they’re very nice!”

[anniebgood]

I was watching Wheel of Fortune the other night and one of the women on it said Oh My-Lanta. Sajak  took a double take and moved on. 

My ob/gyn asked my husband where I learned to cuss like a sailor. Evidently coming out of anesthesia I let loose. I have a few choice ones that I still use but mainly when I'm driving. 

[Johannah]

In I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou describes being beaten by her grandmother as a child for saying “by the way” because Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the light.

[Bethy]

7 hours ago, ClareDeLune said:

Maybe he went with Sam to Kansas so he and Anna could chaperone Sam and Mary?

I can't see male friends being welcome at the Maxwells, but two godly men camping in a brother's spare bedroom might work better.  

 

I'm really confused as to why he went there at all. If FB is to be trusted he's from Maryland which is not exactly a lengthy hike from ABC. If he lived in Oregon and couldn't afford a Christmastime flight home, then crashing anywhere with any friend would've made sense. But that doesn't seem to be the case, and Kansas is a LONG way farther than going home would've been.