Josh Duggar found guilty in child pornography trial. Another one down!
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Alright, buckle up for this.
You do realize that he molested Jill, Jessa, Jinger and Joy when he was 15 right? Joy was digitally raped by him when she was five years old. When that came out...it was found that the sheriff kind of swept it under the rug because they had him go to a religious reformation camp.
Does that mean that him seeking spiritual reformation is wrong, no. It does speak to the parents likely not seeking the proper care for all children, including Josh, involved.
In addition, the IBLP founded by Bill Gothard showed which they follow(ed) shows that Gothard may have perpetuated grooming of young girls.
Religion is equally wonderful and dangerous. Every man (or woman) needs to ensure that every religious leader they follow is acting in a way that meets with the Bible. Just because someone is religious doesn't mean that their moral compass is correct. For me, my Grandmother professing to be a great Christian woman, that was very well respected and involved in our congregation, that had a lot of hate in her heart pushed me away from religion for a long time. I finally did a lot of soul searching and realized that just because someone professes to be something and acts the complete opposite doesn't mean the whole religion is wrong...but it should call into question the congregation and I should look elsewhere.
The Duggars very well may have started with the best of intentions, but the company they have kept or followed has been problematic.
At the end of the day, everyone involved in the Duggar case are in need of support and prayers.
I feel that a religious upbringing needs to be tempered with teaching the children that their bodies are theirs, to create a space in which a victim (typically women) aren't sinful if they incite lust in a man. Please don't confuse me stating that with that women can do whatever and men have to keep themselves in check. There has got to be a middle ground in teaching modesty/respect for yourself without the burden of the lust that happens in teenage years and the curiously that comes with it in a way that still enforces the beliefs you interpet from the bible with a healthy way to understand that sexuality is a thing. Controlling my last and sexual acts is on me and me alone. It isn't for everyone else around me to be responsible for it. When that isn't done, than it isn't impossible to think that a child/teenager tries to figure things out on their own.
What I am getting at is please look further than the surface on this. Just because they are religious doesn't mean it is a religious persecution. I do not necessarily think that everything is wrong with the Duggar's, but I also think there is a lot going on under what they want you to see that may surprise us.
I like your post, very balanced. I grew up in a church that used the IBLP method. I was too old to be homeschooled thru it. There are a lot of problems with it. I couldn't watch the show because it brought too much back.
There was grooming going on and it came from the top, Bill Gothard himself. They set the organization to look holy and Biblical but there were many flaws that were hidden.
What is really great is that we all get to raise our own children with the best intentions and knowledge that we can muster. Parenting is the hardest job I ever had and I made many mistakes and I have many regrets. Hindsight is 20/20. I don't condemn this family because they are not perfect...I will just leave it to the Lord to judge their souls and to the courts to judge their crimes. I don't rejoice at the pain and sorrow that this family has gone through. I just wish there would be justice for all the crimes and criminals that we have been hearing about for so many years.
I agree with you, to a point.
When the good ole boy system swept the initial part under the rug, where was the justice system then? It failed thr victims, and ultimately Josh. Is it possible that intervention, in addition. To the religious, may have kept the future actions from happening? We will never know.
I can speculate that a lack of balance in rearing their children could quite possibly lead to the initial molestation. It could also be said that Josh, himself, may have been molested at some point as well.
My problem stems that after the molestation, it appears, instead of doing some course correcting and adjusting...the dug in further. Brothers couldn't have younger siblings sit on their laps. The boys then couldn't change diapers. Then on top of that, three of the four eldest girls (that were molested) than were put in charge of their sibling teams and were put in charge of rearing young children, while still children...that were molested. Those choices do not look good.
Before everything came out, I was a bit..uh, taken aback by the older children parenting the younger children....but then realizing that was their responsibility, after being molested....and then giving scripted interviews on Fox to protect the image.
You're absolute right, God will judge them. Although, we do a major disservice if we ignore facts because they continued to make choices that were selfish in nature and not based on their family. We would be lying to ourselves if we didn't realize that they made themselves a lot more secular/mainstream. Then trying to be a ministry of Jesus, using their wonderful family, without actually caring for their family.
More than enough sadness for all involved. I just know so many families destroyed by alcoholism, drug abuse, infidelity, pornography, abuse, divorce, neglect...etc. satan is definitely working overtime. I am sure they wish they had done things differently.
And yes, I have watched every single episode, from the original specials, to when they were picked up...to when TLC wanted Josh off and it went to Counting On.