View Full Version : Intersection of finances, family size, religion
I’m active on a couple of frugality groups on FB. There are a lot of the homeschooling, large family, evangelical Protestant types. You know ‘em when you see ‘em. So they have large families for religious reasons, have to be frugal to keep a roof over the head. The wife seems to be ill educated and little to no work experience. Somewhere along the way, wife realizes the family needs more income and she needs to bring in some money. Preferably from home, but no real work skills and barely able to work a computer besides email and internet. I’m not making this up. All from these groups over the years.
You get some who start YouTube channels, hoping that will bring in some money. Frugality type videos stuffed chock full of religion. Or they try and do crafty stuff from home. But they’re all trying to fit this in with the kid and household stuff.
I just shake my head at all these women. I find it very difficult to feel any pity for them. I’m reminded of the Anne of Green Gables books where Anne’s foster parents wanted her educated as a teacher so she had something to fall back on.
Heck, even my goddaughter’s mom, mother of 6, got a college degree and worked at Starbucks and other coffee places during college and at various times after and since she got married. Kids are older and she’s back to working at a coffee house. The women I’ve encountered online don’t even have the skills to do that. Plus, they have this weird thing about working in public with the heathen and evangelizing on the job is not allowed.
Sheesh.
iris lilies
11-7-23, 2:48pm
Well, Mormon Mommy blogging WAS a thing, back in the day. Like NBA stars and ghetto kids who aspire to the NBA, moms with lotsa progeny aspire to making the big bucks working from “the comfort of your own home.”
I follow a couple of Mormon Mommy bloggers who have faded into obscurity, but still try desperately to engage with followers.
Those work from home schemes have been around for generations.
The Multi Level Marketing folks push their slimy wares on stay at home moms or moms with little jobs.
Tangentially, I have become a big fan of standup comic Leanne Morgan. She got her start peddling jewelry for a Christian home party sales MLM. Her comedic banter about motherhood and marriage had clients booking her parties a year in Advance. The MLM jewelry company took notice and began inviting her to its big sales conferences to be entertainment for the night. I love Leanne, and she is about the only comic who does purposely “clean” comedy that I listen to. It’s not that I require smut, it’s just that the normal “clean” shows aren’t very interesting.
Well now it’s mommy YT channels. LOL.
Didn't Onlyfans steal the market?
iris lilies
11-7-23, 3:13pm
Didn't Onlyfans steal the market?
Haha, not the same market.
iris lilies
11-7-23, 3:20pm
Well now it’s mommy YT channels. LOL.
…And Instagram accounts
We have Mormon and some other fundamental type of religious families in our neighborhood. I guess if you never leave the sect or expose your children to any other world then you make it work. The size of their families always gets me but the Dads work their butts off to provide and they make sure their daughters do not stray from their expected roles.
early morning
11-7-23, 6:44pm
Wow, you guys know very different LDS than I do. I taught several craft classes (weaving, rug braiding, rug hooking, stuff like that) at the local LDS ward years ago, and the women then were well educated, funny, talented, and many worked outside the home, at least part time. They were all very much out and about in their non-LDS communities. One ran the local newspaper office and did other publishing. One headed a local food bank/charity - a fairly well paid position. Several worked in offices, and one organized all the activities for several assisted living facilities. The families we knew encouraged their kids, boys and girls, to go to college and find ways to make a good living. This makes sense to me, as being self-sufficient is one of the principal tenets of the church. But it's a big church, so I'm sure there are plenty of LDS who are of a much more fundamental faith than the ones I knew. I hadn't really thought about it, so seeing Mormons characterized in this way is - slightly disconcerting, I guess.
iris lilies
11-7-23, 7:00pm
Early morning, I agree that most of the Mormons women I have known are college educated, and not always from BYU. I suppose that’s because we’re in the Midwest so not everyone makes the trek BYU. It’s a very family oriented, community oriented culture.
The former two Mormon mommy bloggers I now follow on Instagram have left their religion and frankly, their lives are much poorer for it in ways ranging from lack of focus and personal development to a scary bad 2nd marriage putting their children in danger. Oh yeah, both of them have substance-abuse problems now, too.
While the types ones I generally have experience with are evangelical Protestants, a few are Orthodox who are former evangelicals. There were some at the Orthodox parish I used to go to. They often like to keep their women stupid.
There is amazing similarity in all high demand religions especially regarding the treatment of women. Whether Mormon, Muslim, Jewish, etc., the orthodox leaning members want the women in the home and away from other's eyes. As in all things, the members are on a huge spectrum.
Religion just gives men leaning that way the "support" for oppression.
There is amazing similarity in all high demand religions especially regarding the treatment of women. Whether Mormon, Muslim, Jewish, etc., the orthodox leaning members want the women in the home and away from other's eyes. As in all things, the members are on a huge spectrum.
Religion just gives men leaning that way the "support" for oppression.
I think this is why I simply can't feel comfortable going back to church. DH went back almost a year ago to a mainline Protestant church in town--and actually I would not mind being part of his church because it is highly progressive. But I still feel, emotionally, a huge ambivalence to religion lately, but I am far from being an atheist or even agnostic. I just don't think humans have done a great job of organizing and supporting true spiritual beliefs. I think the Buddhists do a better job of that. I think the Quakers are pretty egalitarian as well.
I remember reading biographies as a kid of Quaker women-Lucretia Mott...and others. I was impressed that women were treated equally. Our little local church- originally Brethern, Evangelical United Brethern, then Methodist, then United Methodist and now independent- they paid over $400,000 to break away from the Methodists so they could be "bible based" meaning no gay ministers or gay marriage. I'm not sure what else is in the works, but it made me sad.
There was a guy who use to visit this site 25 yrs ago. He was an engineer by trade. He quit that career and started a carpet cleaning service that allowed him to work when he wanted and spend quality time with family. His wife stayed home with the kids and, according to him, his family was much better off because of this decision to leave the corporate world.
He was held in high regard on these boards. In hindsight, it seems such a contrast to the way stay at home moms have been frowned upon on this thread.
There was a guy who use to visit this site 25 yrs ago. He was an engineer by trade. He quit that career and started a carpet cleaning service that allowed him to work when he wanted and spend quality time with family. His wife stayed home with the kids and, according to him, his family was much better off because of this decision to leave the corporate world.
He was held in high regard on these boards. In hindsight, it seems such a contrast to the way stay at home moms have been frowned upon on this thread.
There is a big difference between the average SAHM and the indoctrinated type that I was referring to in my posts. As many babies as possible due to religion. There’s little to no consideration you may not be be able to afford to have 8 kids (or whatever number).
Please do explain the difference between the average SAHM and the indoctrinated type. Which you referred to as the evangelical Protestant type in your OP. Is it just the " evangelical Protestant types" you have a problem with? How about the Muslims with their rather large families, do you exclude them?
Please do explain the difference between the average SAHM and the indoctrinated type. Which you referred to as the evangelical Protestant type in your OP. Is it just the " evangelical Protestant types" you have a problem with? How about the Muslims with their rather large families, do you exclude them?
Don’t even get me started on Muslims. They’re in a category all of their own. They’re beyond indoctrinated. Brain washed heathen.
The uneducated seem to generally breed like rabbits. It’s been shown that when women are educated, the have fewer children.
Don’t even get me started on Muslims. They’re in a category all of their own. They’re beyond indoctrinated. Brain washed heathen.
The uneducated seem to generally breed like rabbits. It’s been shown that when women are educated, the have fewer children.
LOL. Glad I wasn't drinking a beverage, I would have sprayed the screen.
I found these stats on religionunplugged.com.
Birthrates by religion in US. Mormon 2.8
Muslim 2.76 Orthodox 2.13 PROTESTANT 2.11 Catholic 2.10
Goodness. And Alan thought I was wacky for posting an article about how awful the maga mindset is. His denial is all the more laughable after reading this thread’s a past few posts.
I found this to be a very interesting article about world population and fertility. https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/total-fertility-rate
And this one on the future of world religions: https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2015/04/02/religious-projections-2010-2050
Goodness. And Alan thought I was wacky for posting an article about how awful the maga mindset is. His denial is all the more laughable after reading this thread’s a past few posts.
When did MAGA get mentioned in this thread? You’re starting to see red hats behind every tree.
When did MAGA get mentioned in this thread? You’re starting to see red hats behind every tree.
I was referring to a different thread on the assumption that most (many? at least some?) posters here read most of the threads since this board isn't really that busy. By all means continue to pretend that your political party hasn't been fully subsumed by maga. I realize that may be difficult once your likely presidential nominee is a felony convict but I'm sure you're up for the task.
I was referring to a different thread on the assumption that most (many? at least some?) posters here read most of the threads since this board isn't really that busy. By all means continue to pretend that your political party hasn't been fully subsumed by maga. I realize that may be difficult once your likely presidential nominee is a felony convict but I'm sure you're up for the task.
OK then. Red hats behind every thread. Personally, I would be delighted to see Trump off the ballot, convicted or otherwise. I think any other GOP nominee (except mane Vivek) would have an excellent chance of defeating a Biden/Harris ticket; and that would be a good thing for the country. How “fully subsumed” is that?
catherine
11-10-23, 9:40am
I do think it must be really difficult for the Republicans in this board to be faced with the conundrum that there are several "reasonable" Republicans out there, but they don't have a chance in hell of being the 2024 nominee unless something renders Trump unable to run. We Dems have a conundrum because we have Biden, but 1) his ratings are abysmal, even though he has done what I think is a commendable job of getting us out of COVID and staving off a recession and getting us back on track with an environmental policy; and 2) his age is a serious limitation to his popularity and thus his likelihood to get re-elected and save us all from Trump. Frankly, I wish we had a fresh start all around. Where's the reset button?
I was referring to a different thread on the assumption that most (many? at least some?) posters here read most of the threads since this board isn't really that busy. By all means continue to pretend that your political party hasn't been fully subsumed by maga. I realize that may be difficult once your likely presidential nominee is a felony convict but I'm sure you're up for the task.
jp1 you are way outta line. What are you, a board stalking bully?
I know you and I disagree on covid vaccines, but I have no desire to get into a political argument with you or anyone else. So go back to the public policy boards and spew your feelings there.
iris lilies
11-10-23, 12:06pm
I do think it must be really difficult for the Republicans in this board to be faced with the conundrum that there are several "reasonable" Republicans out there, but they don't have a chance in hell of being the 2024 nominee unless something renders Trump unable to run. We Dems have a conundrum because we have Biden, but 1) his ratings are abysmal, even though he has done what I think is a commendable job of getting us out of COVID and staving off a recession and getting us back on track with an environmental policy; and 2) his age is a serious limitation to his popularity and thus his likelihood to get re-elected and save us all from Trump. Frankly, I wish we had a fresh start all around. Where's the reset button?
that “reset “idea was one on a meme I saw. It suggested someone hit our country’s Power Off button and turn it back on.
catherine
11-10-23, 12:15pm
that “reset “idea was one on a meme I saw. It suggested someone hit our country’s Power Off button and turn it back on.
Exactly. I'm thinking of it in the context of pushing the reset button to having no predetermined candidates and starting from scratch to find the best candidate.
iris lilies
11-10-23, 1:38pm
jp1 you are way outta line. What are you, a board stalking bully?
I know you and I disagree on covid vaccines, but I have no desire to get into a political argument with you or anyone else. So go back to the public policy boards and spew your feelings there.
Please be kind to jp1. He suffers from a Trump obsession , just as a couple of others here suffer from obsessions. Like Iris with her trans idealogy. Jeppy with her masks. While irritating, we do manage to put up with the foibles of the old and obsessed folks that bleed into all threads.
yes it is annoying and odd, but we are an annoying and odd bunch here. :~)
iris lilies
11-10-23, 1:39pm
Exactly. I'm thinking of it in the context of pushing the reset button to having no predetermined candidates and starting from scratch to find the best candidate.
Yes! Maybe “ clear the cache” would be a better analogy.
catherine
11-10-23, 1:42pm
Yes! Maybe “ clear the cache” would be a better analogy.
That is a better one!
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