truly the ultimate wife guy, we love to see it.

and Dr. Burke isn't exactly wrong about any of this (of course if women aren't pursuing education, they're more likely to have children younger), but it is wild that the new go-to is "limit access to higher education" rather than, like, expand access to parental leave

the second part to this proposal: allow parents to use public funds for religious education to "increase the religiosity of the next generation" because "religious people see stronger benefits in having children and are less bothered by its expense"

Thank you so much! Your work has been so important to me!

Thank you so much, Madolyn! @rlstollar.bsky.social and @julieingersoll.bsky.social are indispensable voices around this topic.

If you want to know more about the Stay-At-Home-Daughter movement, you can read my latest Substack deep dive: elenacecilia.substack.com/p/so-much-mo...

In 2014, Doug Phillips was sued by a former Stay-At-Home-Daughter for the alleged sexual abuse he perpetrated against her. Vision Forum went dark. But the rippling effects of biblical patriarchy and the Stay-At-Home-Daughter movement went far beyond one man and one organization.

Many former Stay-At-Home-Daughters have told their stories years later. Some, like Jasmine Holmes (formerly Baucham, Voddie Baucham's daughter), framed the movement as something she was drawn to by choice. But how much choice exists in a world where you're not encouraged to consider what you want?

As a teenage girl, I was unnerved that the Botkins were answering the question I had been asking (what did God want from me, anyways?) unambiguously: my calling, and the calling of every girl, was to make myself into an impeccable helpmeet to the men in my life. First my father, then my husband.

In 2005, Vision Forum sparked a small but mighty movement by publishing a book written by two teenagers, Anna Sofia & Elizabeth Botkin: "So Much More." These daughters preached skipping college & careers to stay home under their father's "headship," learning to be helpmeets to their future husbands.

Vision Forum published all kinds of materials on biblical patriarchy. Its stated mission was to "reinforce godly masculinity and femininity," which included selling these knock-off American Girl dolls to "fill your daughter's childhood with memories to inspire her as she grows up to be a mommy."

As a teenage girl in the world of conservative Christian homeschooling, biblical patriarchy was very familiar to me early on. One of the most notable patriarchal forces in my life and in that world was Vision Forum, a ministry founded by Doug Phillips (who resigned in disgrace in 2013).