Bethany is preggers - at last!!!

[atheistjd]

First time posting, but I've been a lurker for awhile. My main issue with Bethany is that has anyone done the math? They've been married for almost 2 years - a long time for no babies with no bc and then right when her husband is going to graduate from law school they announce. It just seems a little too coincidental if you ask me.

This was my very first thought - WAY too convenient IMO... :think:

[formergothardite]

If it had just been "innocent fun" they would have been horrified when people pointed out to them how racist their actions were, but they didn't they just didn't post the comments and went on like nothing was wrong with their behaviour. Didn't they along with the black face do crazy sounds and jumping around to show how natives act?

[formergothardite]

A correspondence law school? Can't wait to watch him fail the bar repeatedly.

He is going to Oak Brook College of Law, it is connected to Gothard.

http://iblp.org/iblp/about/whatwedo/education/

[darkplumaged]

This was my very first thought - WAY too convenient IMO... :think:

I don't know what to think about this. I'd be surprised if they used eeevil birth control, but who knows? Maybe they did. And if it was infertility, of course no fundie would ever openly discuss that, even though I (seriously, no snark) think it would be a blessing to other fundies if they did. So I guess we're just supposed to think that this is God's Timing.

[ohpotteryourotter]

I don't know what to think about this. I'd be surprised if they used eeevil birth control, but who knows? Maybe they did. And if it was infertility, of course no fundie would ever openly discuss that, even though I (seriously, no snark) think it would be a blessing to other fundies if they did. So I guess we're just supposed to think that this is God's Timing.

I thought there was a miscarriage a while ago?

[tabitha2]

I am not sure where people are getting this-Bethany has never been pregnant at all and I have seen no mention of any pregnancy related issue on her blog ever.Are people confusing her with Rebecca Serven?

[Haterblocker]

Haterblocker wrote:

Was the term black face something they used to describe it? Or did that start on FJ. I've only seen posts on here about it with the pictures. Never actually looked on their blogs. Maybe I'm just see the whole picture? To me, it doesn't seem like it was done intentionally.

[atheistjd said: ]Quote:

black·face/ˈblakËŒfÄs/ Noun:

The makeup used by a nonblack performer playing a black role.

Used to imply patronization of blacks by whites or by institutions perceived to be insincerely or ineffectively nonracist.

They don't need to call it blackface. By using black/brown face makeup and then patronizingly depicting, what, "natives," wasn't it, they were performing a historically racist act. Their intentions are less important than their actions. If I "don't know" the historical implications of, say, the N-word to describe African-Americans or the F-word to describe a homosexual male, I am still held accountable for the offensive implications of those terms. Ignorance does not give you a pass. It makes me worry about their SOTDRT education and what it is they are learning about American history, but it is not a pass. Sorry.

[formergothardite]

So you truly didn't know that a white person painting their face dark, jumping around and making gibberish sounds while pretending to be a "native" is offensive? Where exactly did you grow up at? And it still doesn't give them a pass because even if they didn't know, they were told an continued to act like their behaviour was okay. So yeah, I think you can pass judgment know because they are no longer out of the loop.

[darkplumaged]

I am not sure where people are getting this-Bethany has never been pregnant at all and I have seen no mention of any pregnancy related issue on her blog ever.Are people confusing her with Rebecca Serven?

She has never mentioned a previous pregnancy on her blog. There is an assumption that she was pregnant once before because earlier this year, one of her BILs posted on his Facebook that he was going to be an uncle.

[atheistjd]

Wow. Apparently I'm as naive as they are. I went to to public school and public community college and have never been taught about this in any class i've ever taken. I can see why this could be offensive. I guess can't judge them on it because i was as out of the loop as they were. I feel very stupid. And definitely can see why this would upset people.

[terranova]

I am not sure where people are getting this-Bethany has never been pregnant at all and I have seen no mention of any pregnancy related issue on her blog ever.Are people confusing her with Rebecca Serven?

IIRC there were comments on her facebook earlier this year (March maybe?) with people offering their condolences to her and Dan, with no connection to anything else going on at the time that was blogged about. It was generally assumed here at the time that she had lost a baby.

[formergothardite]

I live in the South and know a lot of ignorant people, but I am pretty sure everyone here is aware that black face is offensive. Now there are some racist (but they are totally not!) people who think that people getting offended by it is just silly and too much "political correctness", but they know that people find it offensive. I think the Wissmans fall into this category, I think they knew and just didn't care.

[darkplumaged]

Blackface or acting like a "native" is stupid and offensive, but Bethany didn't do it, her brothers did. I wouldn't like it if someone assumed I was ignorant or a bad person because relatives of mine did something idiotic. Granted, Bethany is probably no more enlightened than her brothers, but until she says something as dumb as what they did (or as dumb as the things Dan posts on his blog!), I won't condemn her.

(I'm not sure why I'm "defending" her--she's not particularly interesting or likable to me. I guess I just see a lot of generalizing here and in other threads.)

[ridethekick]

IIRC there were comments on her facebook earlier this year (March maybe?) with people offering their condolences to her and Dan, with no connection to anything else going on at the time that was blogged about. It was generally assumed here at the time that she had lost a baby.

You are correct. There were some comments congratulating them before hand, and then a whole lot of people making comments about their loss. They must be a lot further along this time, if they've announced it publicly.

[No KoolAid]

so this means you actually know them? and went to church with them? How long ago was this? Tell us more!

Yes, we went to church and socialized with them for quite a few years when Loren pastored a church in Seward. Their oldest four kids graduated during that time, and Alaythia and Nathaneal were born.

I still have friends and relatives who go to church or maintain social contact with the Wissmanns, and I'm pretty sure some of them read freejinger. I want to be protective of people who might not want to be talked about in the Wissmann's circle so Im going to be circumspect with what I share. Nice people could get hurt if I were indiscreet and Nebraska's a small state.

We heard hundreds of Loren's sermons in Seward. The Wissmanns' teachings and doings were right in line with Bill Gothard's ATI and Vision Forum.

How Loren "got his own church" in Seward in the 1990's, and why he left it in 2004, were two things which caused realizations about the Wissmann's theology to click into place for me. I didn't like what I saw in person, and I didn't like what I read in volumes of records that were left behind in the church office when the Wissmanns quit the Seward church.

A lot of people got hurt in Seward by the Wissmanns' teachings before I was there. And a lot of people were hurt while I was there. I think it was the way the Wissmanns applied their beliefs to the management of "their" church, and to interpersonal interactions, which were as damaging as any bad theology itself.

The church they're at today is a fairly big "Family Church" of ATI and Vision Forum persuasion. I used to attend that church when I visited Omaha periodically and I remember telling the Wissmanns they should go sometime and meet the pastor and his family, and others, because they seemed to have a lot in common.

I no longer consider myself to be a "fundie," and I'm sure they'd agree with my assessment of myself. My family and I left behind all vestiges of ATI and Vision Forum influence due to what we learned from the Wissmanns' teaching and practice of these doctrines over the years, and we haven't looked back.

[No KoolAid]

I have exceedingly high hopes that some of the kids will break out and be normal. Bethany seems to still be riding the Fundie wave but I think Andrew will pull away a bit.

Do you know the Wissmanns? I've wondered if Kori will get sucked into the whole ATI/Vision Forum Group Think by living so close to the Wissmanns and hanging out with their church and social crowd. Maybe it would be easier for Andrew to come to his own conclusions if he and Kori weren't living right there in Nebraska?

[Sarahisawesome]

Do you know the Wissmanns? I've wondered if Kori will get sucked into the whole ATI/Vision Forum Group Think by living so close to the Wissmanns and hanging out with their church and social crowd. Maybe it would be easier for Andrew to come to his own conclusions if he and Kori weren't living right there in Nebraska?

I personally don't know them. . I just follow their blogs frequently. I think your story is very interesting.

I don't think Kori is ATI/vision forum. Have you read her blog at all? She's a christian, but is definitely a more mainstream one. She went to real school, was involved in extra curricular activities, had a job, wears pants, strapless dresses, shorts, etc. I do feel like it's probably hard for her being around that lifestyle all the time. I hope she and andrew stay out. I'd hate to see such a cute couple wasted on such a lifestyle.

[No KoolAid]

I agree Sarahisawesome.

f it was infertility, of course no fundie would ever openly discuss that, even though I (seriously, no snark) think it would be a blessing to other fundies if they did.

Gloria Wissmann told a barren woman at our church that barrenness is God's chastisement for some horrible sin in the woman's or husband's past or present. So, yeah, I don't suppose the Wissmanns or Bethany would want to talk about infertility if she and Dan couldn't have a baby.

The Wissmanns also taught that miscarriage was God's punishment for hidden sin in the life of the believer. Years later, when Gloria had a miscarriage after Nathaneal, there was an about-face. The devil was trying to mess with their singing business, I mean "ministry," which was having a great effect for God with the Gospel of Big Family and turning the hearts of fathers toward their children.

[Sarahisawesome]

Sounds like you have a lot of animosity towards them. Were they really that bad to be around? Theyve always been my favorite fundie family.

[No KoolAid]

Sounds like you have a lot of animosity towards them. Were they really that bad to be around? Theyve always been my favorite fundie family.

I don't have animosity, just a factual and detached observation of their teachings and a complete and total rejection of those teachings. Oh, and compassion for anyone hurt by those teachings. That is all.

[onlyorganic]

wait wait... where is the thing where they did blackface? can anyone provide a link?

[No KoolAid]

I don't have animosity, just a factual and detached observation of their teachings and a complete and total rejection of those teachings. Oh, and compassion for anyone hurt by those teachings. That is all.

Sarah, I just went and read the history of all of your posts on freejinger. Every one of them is about the Wissmanns, Kori and the Beasleys whom you say you do not know. I hope you're not a troll but I think I can understand why some people were suspicious of that. Anyway, to each their own.

[Dee-Dee]

What about the Grady family? I've seen/heard alot about the Wissmann and Beasley families but not so much about them.

[Dee-Dee]

What about the Grady family? I've seen/heard alot about the Wissmann and Beasley families but not so much about them.

[Sarahisawesome]

I can assure you I am not a troll. I am a lurker. I follow this family, so I only comment on threads about them.