The Duggars

[ericadawn16]

AOL had an interview with Michelle Duggar this morning. I made a comment, but it doesn't appear to have been published...maybe they block everything with the word "homosexual"?

Here it is:
Since their birth control is tied to God's will, I would hope that He decides that Josie will be her last pregnancy. She has spoken several times on the show that she will find it sad when she can't have anymore, but I think it could be good for her to see who she is without the constant pregnancies and infants. It would be a new start.

I understand their religious beliefs in that way. Many people share them...they just don't happen to get pregnant or deliver as often.

However, it does concern me whether they are getting a well-rounded education, including what us "liberals" believe. In a regular public school, they would be seeing that side while being told their parents' views at home as well, but since they are home-schooled, they are being taken to Creationist museums and told that scientists don't know what they're talking about when it comes to dating things. I hope this doesn't cause problems for the children in the future when they realize how different their childhood was to their peers.

Yes, they are well-mannered and polite which you will often find in strict religious upbringing whether they're Christian, Jewish, Muslim or something else. I'm just not sure how well they can cope outside their close friends and family and whether they will be ostracized or made fun of for not knowing about TV shows or video games. I've seen this happen before where home schooled children with strict religious parents can have a hard time relating to their peers and making friends outside of their church when they go to college, job, etc.

Also, with nineteen children, it's very genetically likely that one of them will have been born a homosexual and I'm not sure how well that would be accepted by the family since they encourage traditional gender roles...although I was proud of them for letting the girls play with trucks and balls and things, at least the gender roles aren't that strict.

Comments

[flamingo-bandit.livejournal.com]

Honestly, though, a lot of strictly religious children remain in strictly religious circles. I attended a very religious Bible college. There were kids there who had been homeschooled or attended private Christian schools and, after college, intended to pursue ministry or Christian nonprofits or just becoming a stay-at-home mom (nothing wrong with that but there really were girls there who just attended to find themselves a nice Christian husband so they could have nice Christian babies). Their friends were all Christian, and they rarely if ever interacted with non-Christians except, perhaps, in church-sponsored missionary events or the like. In other words, not only did they not have experience with "the outside world," but they never really intend to. Maybe the Duggars are hoping their kids will follow a path like that. :/

[ericadawn16.livejournal.com]

Yeah, you're probably right.

Even Amish kids have Rumspringa...

:(

[flamingo-bandit.livejournal.com]

Oh, I know. And honestly, it's a mindset I don't understand. Is your faith really strong if it's never challenged? If you're exposed to some other situation for the first time and wind up giving up your previous belief, how dedicated were you really? It's a mindset I really don't understand.

Then again, I'm the one who was the token Christian amongst my atheist friends in public school, and then in said Bible college surrounded by conservative Christians wound up agnostic and stayed that way, so . . . obviously I'm Doing It Wrong. heh.

[that-was-cheesy.livejournal.com]

Yes, they are well-mannered and polite which you will often find in strict religious upbringing whether they're Christian, Jewish, Muslim or something else. I'm just not sure how well they can cope outside their close friends and family and whether they will be ostracized or made fun of for not knowing about TV shows or video games. I've seen this happen before where home schooled children with strict religious parents can have a hard time relating to their peers and making friends outside of their church when they go to college, job, etc.
THIS. All of it.

I'm kind of annoyed at my parents for sending me to a Jewish school for my entire life because now when I'm with kids who go to public school, they seem so much more experienced than me. I can hold my own and not seem too weird around them because of the internet, but there are others who are just so clueless. :/

[ericadawn16.livejournal.com]

(hugs)

My mom was a bit protective in wanting me to be in situations with adult chaperons that she knew and she had to meet any teenage drivers beforehand. I was fairly caught up with pop culture, but even though I went to public school, I was a bit behind socially when I entered college. It was so different having the freedom to go wherever, whenever with no one to report to or even stay up all night talking with a guy outside a hotel. I'd never even been offered alcohol before.

I think I did well though, I never smoked or took drugs. I kept my drinking to a minimum which means I didn't most of the time. I almost think I should have tried to be more active though, maybe have taken a leadership class. Now I'm back to being socially shy, lol.

I think you'll do fine, but yes, it's a definite worry and problem that most people ignore. It's different when an adult decides to reject popular culture because they still have that background to relate to their peers with childhood memories, but when a child never gets that in the first place...I think that would put them at a definite disadvantage throughout life unless they do limit themselves to those that were raised the same...and what kind of life is that? Not getting to meet those of different faiths and backgrounds?

I just think if a parent insists on controlling their child's viewing, music and books, their child should go to public school as a balance. Otherwise, college or work might become a culture shock. If you never give a child a chance to prove themselves against "evil influences", how do you know they have the means to protect themselves?

[politicette.livejournal.com]

Their queer child is going to have a time of it. :/ Because really it's not a question of "if," anymore, but of "who?" and "how?"

[geminia905.livejournal.com]

I do my best to avoid anything to do with that family since I think having that many kids on purpose in this day and age is unconscionable, however, with a 30% greater chance a boy is born homosexual for every older brother they have, I'd say there's a good chance they have more than one. Poor kids.