Page "Survivor (Chuck Palahniuk novel)" Paragraph 6

Tender begins to explain how the Creedish Church works.

Only the firstborn sons and their wives get to stay and reside in the community ( located in rural Nebraska )-the rest, like Tender, are sent out to work as humble servants, and are considered to be the Church's missionaries.

They are extensively trained in etiquette, housecleaning, and other menial labor, after which they are baptized and sent out into the world to make a living.

Every month, they are expected to send back money and a letter of confession.

" Tender " is not really a name, but a title, which is given to all male children except the firstborn, who is called " Adam ".

Likewise, all female children are called " Biddy ", including the eldest.

" Tender " is meant to denote one who tends ; " Biddy ", one who is biddable.

All but the firstborn sons and their wives are discouraged from having sex of any kind and are forbidden to marry, and the latter are expected to have sex only for procreation.

All the Creedish wear highly recognizable clothing, both inside the community and out.

This makes it easy to spot another member of the Church in the outside world.