The Town of Odyssey

Focus On the Family had the Duggar Family for a convention or something. Anyway, they posted about the event on Facebook. That started people into a big argument about the Duggars being "sick" and stuff for having so many kids. The Bible clearly says that children are a blessing from the Lord. Which side would you be on? The pro-Duggars or the anti-Duggars?

Neither "side". They have the right to have as many kids as they want, and I don't think they are any more or less right in choosing to have so many. I personally don't understand why in the world you would want that many kids, but to each their own. I think there are pros and cons for the kids to have so many siblings, but they seem to be turning out ok, so who am I to tell them I know better? So basically...I'm neutral.

SoccerLOTR wrote:Neither "side". They have the right to have as many kids as they want, and I don't think they are any more or less right in choosing to have so many. I personally don't understand why in the world you would want that many kids, but to each their own. I think there are pros and cons for the kids to have so many siblings, but they seem to be turning out ok, so who am I to tell them I know better? So basically...I'm neutral.

Well, people that have one or two kids usually grow to be lonely people. But the Duggar's won't be lonely, that's for sure! (My family probably won't be either, with me having six brothers ) I do think they have some weird ideas, but whatever.

Lol, not all people with few or no kids are lonely. If you let yourself be lonely, then yes you may become lonely. But there are other things to do, and other ways to use your time, and other people to help--even when you're old--that helps you to continue to be a productive member of society and contribute to the well-being of others, and brings contentment, along with the peace and joy that comes from knowing God and knowing He's always there, even when others aren't.

There's nothing wrong with having big families. Nothing wrong with having little families. It varies on each person. I myself come from a rather large family (youngest of 6 kids) and plan to have a lot of kids as well. although I'm slightly different from most. I plan on fostering and adopting a lot of my kids

I think that they have a good idea of having lots of kids, although I probably wouldn't have near that many. I am an only child, so my house gets quite boring. But, I think that is why God allowed us to create cell phones so I can text my friends and not be so bored. I probably will have 1 or 2 of my own kids, then adopting 1. Maybe not. That will be decided as time goes on.

StrongNChrist wrote:There's nothing wrong with having big families. Nothing wrong with having little families. It varies on each person. I myself come from a rather large family (youngest of 6 kids) and plan to have a lot of kids as well. although I'm slightly different from most. I plan on fostering and adopting a lot of my kids

That's cool! The past 4 years I've worked at a camp for neglected/abused kids currently in foster care, and it is so sad to see them, knowing how they've been hurt and are still being pushed around from home to home. Unfortunately, there are even some bad foster homes out there, so it would be great for another good home. And it is ridiculous how many kids are out there needing to be adopted, yet people are bound and determined to only have their own kids, even if it means paying 20,000 for operations that may or may not work. {sighs} sorry, I'll get off my soapbox rant.
Personally, I'm not a kid person AT ALL...particularly young kids. I have considered, when I'm much older (maybe 40's) adopting some older kids (10-15 years). Those are the kids i feel like I can start to relate to, and I feel like those are the least wanted kids, due to people not wanting kids who are already set in their ways and into their "difficult teen years". So sad. We'll see what happens when I get to that point, but that's my current thinking....

Just for the record, adopting costs thousands of dollars. Not everyone can afford it. And I do understand why they would want their own kids. There's something special about having a child from your own DNA.
I hope you don't marry someone who loves kids, SoccerLOTR
No offense meant

StrongNChrist wrote:Just for the record, adopting costs thousands of dollars. Not everyone can afford it. And I do understand why they would want their own kids. There's something special about having a child from your own DNA.
I hope you don't marry someone who loves kids, SoccerLOTR
No offense meant

Lol, I know it costs thousands of dollars...hence why it should be spent on adoption instead of implanting eggs or whatever...and I really don't see the attraction in having a child from your own DNA...lol...yeah, that's just me though, I know a lot of people feel like you do, just sayin' I don't get it! I'm weird like that
And absolutely no offense taken...I agree! One reason it might take a while to find somebody willing to marry me! Or maybe I'll turn into one of those alone grumpy old people who run screaming after kids, shaking their canes at them because they dared step foot on the property... But either way, I think God has called me to get involved with helping teens in one way or another at some point in the future--even if not adoption, just volunteering where I'm needed. As I said, we'll see what the future holds...

Ya, this family bugs me; not because they have so many kids but, because they sort of use them. I mean I'm not going to say they had all those kids just to get rich and famous but, they have rather capatalized on them. I mean, making the decision to raise your kids with a crazy amount of siblings is one thing but, making the decision to raise them with a camera stuck up their nose for their whole life? I have a feeling that some of those kids are gonna end up kind of getting screwed over by the whole thing. But, that's true of other family-type reality shows as well.

Just my opinion.

StrongNChrist wrote:Just for the record, adopting costs thousands of dollars. Not everyone can afford it.

That's not necessarily true. U.S. adoptions can be practically free.

I just think it's wrong for a man to have more than one wife.

King Butter Turtle wrote: That's not necessarily true. U.S. adoptions can be practically free.

Maybe some of them can, I don't know everything about it, but from what I've read in a book written by a person who adopts kids, and from what I've heard from someone who once looked into adopting kids, it costs thousands of dollars. So not every single one is free.

Does he have more then one wife, Josef? I know next to nothing about the Duggars so I don't know I could be for or against on them.

I think it's funny that they named all their kids names that start with 'J'.

StrongNChrist wrote:

King Butter Turtle wrote: That's not necessarily true. U.S. adoptions can be practically free.

Maybe some of them can, I don't know everything about it, but from what I've read in a book written by a person who adopts kids, and from what I've heard from someone who once looked into adopting kids, it costs thousands of dollars. So not every single one is free.

Does he have more then one wife, Josef? I know next to nothing about the Duggars so I don't know I could be for or against on them.

About adoptions... my cousin's family did something called Foster Adopt or something like that. It works through the Foster Care system, and it's completely free. I'd really love to do that, and I think I'd like around 5 or 6 kids.

But about the Duggars, I do think they have a lot of strange ideas, and I'm not against them having so many kids, but I think at this point, for the mom to have more at her age, it's just for the publicity. They get a lot of money for being on TV.

I disagree with that conclusion - from all I've heard, the Duggars are a very sweet Christian family. The decision to let the Lord determine their family size instead of controlling it themselves is not driven by desire for publicity. I actually fully agree with them on that issue...as the old birth control debates proved. So I applaud them for having the courage to stand up for that very unpopular position.

Josef1004 wrote:I just think it's wrong for a man to have more than one wife.

What does that have to do with... anything. o.O

Brock posted some pictures of the get-together on his blog. How much fun that would've been.

Laura Ingalls wrote:I disagree with that conclusion - from all I've heard, the Duggars are a very sweet Christian family. The decision to let the Lord determine their family size instead of controlling it themselves is not driven by desire for publicity. I actually fully agree with them on that issue...as the old birth control debates proved. So I applaud them for having the courage to stand up for that very unpopular position.

I may be slightly wrong about that... the only thing I really disagree with them on, is that their family doesn't attend church. And the birth control issue only because in today's society it's just not feasible to support a family of 20. I admire them for doing what they believe is right though.

I'm not trying to be critical of them, so sorry if I came across that way.

Do they do house church, out of curiousity?

Yes.... but with just themselves. We have their book "20 and Counting" that talks about it.

I don't see anything wrong with house church I have friends who do house church.