Article by one Jana Duggar on Journey website.

[tabitha2]

http://livingthejourney.com/2012/01/26/all-things/

 

I don't think she will ever marry but be perfectly content being a career missionary and/or devout Gothard employee like Pris Keller.

[Trynn]

Interesting what she said about Michelle breaking up with a non christian guy shortly before she married JB...

[Witsec7]

I would appreciate hearing from one of the medical professionals here.

How hard is it to hook up a bag of kool aid to a young womans arm, set the IV and all of that? 'Cause really that sounds like what they did to that girl.

[Handmaiden of Dog]

Romans 8 is a summary of the many gifts that come with the grace of God in Christ:

• No condemnation

• No guilt

• No weakness

• No defeat

• No despair

• No want

• No separation from God.

Oh boy, here we go. (sigh.) So if you are a good Christian you will never want for anything, never feel guilt or despair and never feel defeated. Ipso facto, if you are poor and needy or you do feel weighed down with despair-- you are not a good Christian. Terrific. That's just the worst sort of Missionary speak imaginable. Imagine if she visited where children are dieing from hunger-- "If you accept Jesus Christ as you Lord and Savior you will want for nothing."

The best Missionaries are the ones that roll up their sleeves and work and live as shining examples; the worst are the ones that believe that faith and prayer fix everything.

Still, she is young and naive, so I will try not to be so hard on her; she is simply parroting what she has learned at her father's knee. I hope Life teaches her some reality.

[mockingbird]

It's hard to believe she is around my age from the article. I'm pretty sure my thirteen year old sister could write better than that. Not saying this to be snotty but to point out the fail that is SODRT.

[debrand]

My mom shares that shortly after she was born again that God began to convict her about a relationship she had developed with a certain young man, who was not a Christian. A wise Christian counselor asked her, “Michelle, have you trusted Christ to take you to Heaven?†She replied, “Yes!†then he responded, “Don’t you think you can trust Him with your love life?â€

It is interesting that Jimbob was basically a rebound guy.

[Mela99]

Trust God for your love life, or trust Daddy? I think if it was up to God, JB would sit down and stfu

[Grace]

That day she prayed & gave that area of her life to God! Shortly after that God miraculously brought my Father into her life!

The complete and utter inability of the Fundies (and many non-fundies that I know) to differentiate between Miraculous and Providential makes me feel violent.

Unless JimBob LITERALLY appeared out of thin air or something that defies logic, IT WAS NOT A MIRACLE.

You have a documented, enormous tumor before you go to bed and you wake up and it is gone: Miracle

Doctors get rid of your kid's cancer after years of training on how to treat cancer: Providential

[NoQuiverNoCry]

The "article" reads like a set of transcribed lecture notes...plus some (inappropriately added) exclamation marks. Very sad writing sample, subject matter aside.

[OnceModestTwiceShy]

Yeah, I had to read through a few times, and I'm still not sure what she's blathering about or why...

[emmiedahl]

I feel like correcting this with a red pen. Pronouns referring to God are capitalized, so it should be Himself and Him. This sentence:

The Son is the sin-bearer.

. . .gave him up for us all

we put our trust in him.

. . . along with him

wtf does that even mean? I did not insert pauses or spaces or punctuation. This shit reads like an outline or a draft.

Some of this is inconsistent with the Duggar's official story. Like this:

This reminds me… My mom shares that shortly after she was born again that God began to convict her about a relationship she had developed with a certain young man, who was not a Christian. A wise Christian counselor asked her, “Michelle, have you trusted Christ to take you to Heaven?†She replied, “Yes!†then he responded, “Don’t you think you can trust Him with your love life?â€

Didn't JB and Michelle fall in love just as she was saved? So she was non-Christian yet being counseled to date only Christians?

As for the following, Jana needs to learn that the absence of punishment is not a gift.

Romans 8 is a summary of the many gifts that come with the grace of God in Christ:

• No condemnation

• No guilt

• No weakness

• No defeat

• No despair

• No want

• No separation from God.

No thesis sentence, her points do not support what I am assuming is her main idea. A child could write this. I guess we are finally seeing the results of the SOTDRT and it is just as bad as I suspected.

[Minerva]

That is some terrible writing. I know a lot of people who didn't learn English until high school, and their writing is better than that. I wrote like that when I was about 10, minus the bizarre use of ellipses. I am just stunned that a native English speaker in her early twenties writes that badly. I know I'm harping on about it at this point, but wow. That was almost painful to read. I mean, what was that even supposed to be? If they're trying to sell Christianity, they'll need a better spokesperson.

I had a wild hope at the beginning that she was going to play on the All The Things meme, but was quickly disappointed.

[Anxious Girl]

I wonder if Michelle checked her paper to make sure that it met up to her standards/if she just told Jana what to type/write.

[valsa]

Oh boy, here we go. (sigh.) So if you are a good Christian you will never want for anything, never feel guilt or despair and never feel defeated. Ipso facto, if you are poor and needy or you do feel weighed down with despair-- you are not a good Christian. Terrific. That's just the worst sort of Missionary speak imaginable. Imagine if she visited where children are dieing from hunger-- "If you accept Jesus Christ as you Lord and Savior you will want for nothing."

The best Missionaries are the ones that roll up their sleeves and work and live as shining examples; the worst are the ones that believe that faith and prayer fix everything.

Still, she is young and naive, so I will try not to be so hard on her; she is simply parroting what she has learned at her father's knee. I hope Life teaches her some reality.

Reminds me of something I was once told, about my childhood anxiety disorder and being a former Christian. I was told that I couldn't have been a "real Christian" because, if I had been, I wouldn't have suffered from an anxiety disorder.

[Anxious Girl]

Reminds me of something I was once told, about my childhood anxiety disorder and being a former Christian. I was told that I couldn't have been a "real Christian" because, if I had been, I wouldn't have suffered from an anxiety disorder.

WTF? :shock: As somebody else who has diagnosed anxiety, I sympathize with you. I'm seeing a psychologist and therapist for coping mechanisms with anxiety and social situations; and it's still not easy in certain situations. *sorry for the mini-personal rant*

[valsa]

WTF? :shock: As somebody else who has diagnosed anxiety, I sympathize with you. I'm seeing a psychologist and therapist for coping mechanisms with anxiety and social situations; and it's still not easy in certain situations. *sorry for the mini-personal rant*

Yeah, "WTF?" was pretty much my reaction as well. I've known so many Christians who've struggled with bouts of anxiety and/or depression that the thought of "Well, obviously they're just not real Christians" never even crossed my mind. Of course, this was the same person who actually tried to convince me that God ordering the massacre of innocent children in the Bible was justified because it was better that they die as innocent children than grow up to be sinners, so... I did have to consider the source.

[Witsec7]

...As the Journey continued, I was amazed at how little sleep I was getting and yet how inwardly refreshed I felt! God was giving me grace and strength for each day. I had been letting my health run my life, but now God was teaching me that He must have first place and that I needed to trust Him with my health no matter how I felt. ...

Miranda

July 2009 Journey

This kinda shit makes me all stabby.

[lilith]

I feel like correcting this with a red pen. Pronouns referring to God are capitalized, so it should be Himself and Him. This sentence:

wtf does that even mean? I did not insert pauses or spaces or punctuation. This shit reads like an outline or a draft.

Some of this is inconsistent with the Duggar's official story. Like this:

Didn't JB and Michelle fall in love just as she was saved? So she was non-Christian yet being counseled to date only Christians?

As for the following, Jana needs to learn that the absence of punishment is not a gift.

No thesis sentence, her points do not support what I am assuming is her main idea. A child could write this. I guess we are finally seeing the results of the SOTDRT and it is just as bad as I suspected.

I've heard Michelle use the "well surely you can trust God with your love life" line before.

Apparently she saw a movie that freaked her out about going to hell, got "saved" by a church a female friend took her to, then met JimBob shortly afterwards when he was out doing bible studies with a friend who mentioned that a cheerleader he knew had just been saved, so they visited her. Michelle doesn't remember this first meeting though, she recalls meeting him six months later when she started work at the yoghurt shop that JimBob's mum was managing (ungodly woman that she was, supporting her family instead of staying at home homeschooling them. Poor JimBob had to go to a Christian school.....).

So before all that Michelle was dating, and acquired her infamous baggage. I do sometimes wonder if a bad breakup contributed to her throwing herself into religion, and if guilt over fooling around with her boyfriend contributed to her marrying so young, so she could have guilt free sex.

Anyway, Jana's "article".

It's so badly written, just a very simplified version of the Duggar party line. Not an original thought in it, some of it is Michelle's words verbatim. I really don't see how anyone could read that and find inspiration, or anything at all. It is so stilted, and doesn't really say anything. Poor Jana, it is yet another indicator that she isn't able to express any individuality.

[marmalade]

I feel like correcting this with a red pen. Pronouns referring to God are capitalized, so it should be Himself and Him. This sentence:

wtf does that even mean? I did not insert pauses or spaces or punctuation. This shit reads like an outline or a draft.

Some of this is inconsistent with the Duggar's official story. Like this:

Didn't JB and Michelle fall in love just as she was saved? So she was non-Christian yet being counseled to date only Christians?

As for the following, Jana needs to learn that the absence of punishment is not a gift.

No thesis sentence, her points do not support what I am assuming is her main idea. A child could write this. I guess we are finally seeing the results of the SOTDRT and it is just as bad as I suspected.

Thanks, emmiedahl! I was going to wade through the mess, slog through the mind-numbing pap that they actually think is the mark of "deep faith" and smack her a good one. Even worse, this was probably her "essay" to go back to indoctrination camp earlier this year but after the January post date. They don't plan "Journeys" from November - March. Jana went to the first "young women's" camp in early April.

Speaking of the indoctrination camp schedule, it's interesting that they have 3 camps for girls and one for boys (although they also have their lameass "ALERT!!!!!!1111"" camp). Still, something's not right with this picture.

[geniebelle6901]

http://livingthejourney.com/2012/01/26/all-things/

I don't think she will ever marry but be perfectly content being a career missionary and/or devout Gothard employee like Pris Keller.

But Priscilla is married now. As for her post...it sounds like somebody dictated those words to her. Jana is not just drunk on the kool-aide...she's a full blown addict. Poor thing.

ETA: hit submit button too quickly

[Mela99]

This kinda shit makes me all stabby.

. . . . . what.

God makes you sick to teach you to stop worrying about your health?

Annnnd here we see the beginnings of anti-vaccine people who pray away sickness.

[Mela99]

More thoughts on J'chelle, though. In their book, she talks about becoming a Christian and how it was boob and friend of boob who came over to her house to proselytize and boob immediately fell for her, praying to become "her spiritual leader". I half wonder if it was boob himself who was the wise counselor.

Was it really such a miracle that boob showed up? No. He told his mom to hire her. And he went after her.

I don't get how they equate everything God/Earth/Beings do as a miracle. I'm a Catholic, but I base my thoughts on fate/etc on the words of Desiderata "No doubt the universe is unfolding as it should." It's not a miracle as far as I'm concerned. It's... life following a path. Not the hand of God reaching down and playing chess with us. It's just the order of things.

I almost think it's selfish and narcissistic to think, "Omg God did this just for me because I wanted it!". I tend to believe life is so much more complex and complicated than that. We are one in 11 billion. Domino effect.

With most of the fundie girls like Jana, I think they'd be happier if they lived a little more to the effect of "God helps those who help themselves" and not just sit, wait, and pray for something to happen.

But I'm getting theological here, so I'll zip it for now.

[naysayersspeak]

As poor as the expression in that piece is - and it really is dreadful- what made me really sad was the total lack of critical thinking. She has no idea how to structure an argument or how to engage meaningfully with an idea. Instead, her "insight" is just parroted talking points that are loosely structured around one out-of-context Bible verse. Granted, that's not exactly surprising, but still, it's sad.

[tabitha2]

To borrow a quote from MIB:

Yeah, (s)he's just really excited and (s)he has no clue why we're here.

:lol:

[Tator Tot Tubby]

If this is the best writing the Duggar kids can produce (And it most likely is given that Jana is one of the oldest) then I'm scared for their futures. If any of them try to escape they're going to have a very hard time finding employment. Jimbob and Michelle have not only brainwashed their children, they've also robbed them of the ability to be independent. It's sickening.