Marrying Well

[Shina]

I almost want to take this stupid seminar just for the snark possibilities. But I refuse to contribute any money to the Botkins and their douchey empire.

[camdendayton]

1. You know what, if I were Elizabeth or Anna Sophia, I'd be completely convinced that the Patriarch was basically just fucking with me at this point.

Luckily he control's the G_O_D's umbrella of authority over them, errr I mean has long been practicing mind control!

dh and I have almost ten years of marriage (obviously longer as a couple)

What do you mean "obviously?" You could have skipped courtship altogether ;-)

[Hane]

Hmmm...is marrying well fundie code for marrying your kid off for money, political gain or social connections? Sounds more like a business arrangement than a marriage.

No doubt! And the expression "marrying well" has been around, with the same connotation, for centuries.

Slightly OT: When my very pretty and talented cousin was 20 (back in 1970), her mother noodged her into dating and marrying a certain neighbor boy because of his "good economic prospects." Fast-forward 40 years. My cousin is now a childless, lifelong homemaker who is divorced and unemployed--and Mr. "Good Economic Prospects" is in prison for embezzlement. He's in his 60s, and his term is so long he'll probably die there. So she's just short of Social Security age, completely broke, and has to start over.

So allow me to shout, "GIRLS, GET THE BEST POSSIBLE EDUCATION, WORK HARD, SUPPORT YOURSELVES, and SAVE ALL THE MONEY--IN YOUR OWN ACCOUNT--THAT YOU CAN."

[Cassandra]

No doubt! And the expression "marrying well" has been around, with the same connotation, for centuries.

Slightly OT: When my very pretty and talented cousin was 20 (back in 1970), her mother noodged her into dating and marrying a certain neighbor boy because of his "good economic prospects." Fast-forward 40 years. My cousin is now a childless, lifelong homemaker who is divorced and unemployed--and Mr. "Good Economic Prospects" is in prison for embezzlement. He's in his 60s, and his term is so long he'll probably die there. So she's just short of Social Security age, completely broke, and has to start over.

So allow me to shout, "GIRLS, GET THE BEST POSSIBLE EDUCATION, WORK HARD, SUPPORT YOURSELVES, and SAVE ALL THE MONEY--IN YOUR OWN ACCOUNT--THAT YOU CAN."

Yeah my mom was sent to college to 'find a husband' so she could settle down and be a housewife. While my grandparents hearts weren't necessarily in the right place she ended up with a great education that served her very well.

[Hane]

Yeah my mom was sent to college to 'find a husband' so she could settle down and be a housewife. While my grandparents hearts weren't necessarily in the right place she ended up with a great education that served her very well.

My parents wanted us girls to get an education because "What if something happened to your husband?"--thinking, in the '60s, that widowhood would be more likely than divorce. Turns out that every one of us has out-earned her husband, and and my sisters' paychecks are essential to the running of their households. And I, the divorced loser sister, have no financial worries, because I could always support myself better than any man ever could.

Still, I heard something appalling recently: a young woman told me her friend's mother worried about her daughter's choice of a college--"How can she expect to find a husband THERE?" The young woman and I cried in unison, "BUT IT'S 2011!"

[YPestis]

When I saw the title of "marrying well", my mind immediately turned to a how-to on finding a "good provider" for one's daughter in fundie circles. I'm sure, despite all the religious prostelyizing, it is still paramount to fundie families that the prospective male can support a family well. Obviously, when you have a SAHM wife with SAHD, that ain't gonna be cheap for the guy!

What worries me more than the fundie wives who have ten kids and never went to school/worked are the SAHD who are way past fundie marring age. Sarah Maxwell is quickly approaching the 30 mark. She has no work experience outside her family business. She has no education/training past her (questionable) homeschooling by her fundie mom. What happens if she never marries? She'll have no family of her own, no kids to fall back on in old age, and will not receive much in social security checks. Being completely dependent on siblings, in-laws and nieces/nephews seems a sad way to grow old.

[Swamptribe]

I've been married for like 26 years. The thing I've learned about marriage is that you pretty much have to make it up as you go. Perhaps we can call this the "Indiana Jones" approach.

[Guest Anonymous]

When I saw the title of "marrying well", my mind immediately turned to a how-to on finding a "good provider" for one's daughter in fundie circles. I'm sure, despite all the religious prostelyizing, it is still paramount to fundie families that the prospective male can support a family well. Obviously, when you have a SAHM wife with SAHD, that ain't gonna be cheap for the guy!

What worries me more than the fundie wives who have ten kids and never went to school/worked are the SAHD who are way past fundie marring age. Sarah Maxwell is quickly approaching the 30 mark. She has no work experience outside her family business. She has no education/training past her (questionable) homeschooling by her fundie mom. What happens if she never marries? She'll have no family of her own, no kids to fall back on in old age, and will not receive much in social security checks. Being completely dependent on siblings, in-laws and nieces/nephews seems a sad way to grow old.

Actually, unless she can rack up 40 quarters (or ten years) worth of social security credits between now and her early sixties, she won't even get that.

[Soldier of the One]

I wonder if the 'skipping courtship' development may hint at a new approach: matchmaking...

[erunerune]

I am going to keep tabs on the more visible Botkin-whoring blogs to see if there will be any "giveaways" of this deal -- I too would love to experience some EBB ("Edification By Botkin") but could never stomach forking over any of my family's ca$h for such an opportunity.....

[sableduck]

I'm dying to take this. It is almost worth $29 given to the Botkins to do this.

[Deleted12]

If I were cynical (Me? Never!) I would suggest that this was a way for GBot to get some income for his sons.