The recent news of the sexual predator-nature of Josh Duggar (of the “Ten Hundred Duggars and Counting” TLC show, and here‘s his slick-as-shit website) is gross.
Though they refuse the label, the Duggars are standard bearers for the Quiverfull movement (no birth control, ever, and women are to keep silent and pregnant, in the home). What TLC presented as an interesting and quirky family is actually a throw-back to the bad old days of orthodox (or fundamentalist) Christianity. So yuck it up, television viewers. Every time you marveled at Mrs. Duggar’s clown-car of a uterus, you were contributing to a dangerous and damaging theology.
And now it appears the family had a snake in their midst in the form of the older son, Josh. And they parked their wagons in a ring because — or so I assume — their TLC show is a cash cow.
Here‘s his apology. Here‘s a notification of his resignation from the awful Family Research Council. And here‘s Arkansas’s affable dip-shit (and presidential candidate!) Mike Huckabee standing by the family. And here’s some more support from the too-extended family. I quote from a note of support from a Duggar sister’s father-in-law:
It pains me to see that they are now having to relive the nightmare that had been laid to rest well over a decade ago with Josh’s repentance and reformation.
And of the victims? Is there any discussion about their having this issue laid to rest “well over a decade ago?” Do any of these people understand the long-reaching effect of childhood sexual abuse? No? Didn’t think so. We had snakes in my family, too. Maybe Jesus would prefer me to forgive them, but I’m not ready yet.
Of all the things I’ve read (and I once had great fun mocking the Duggars here and here and oh, hell, here), this is the most even-handed report I’ve seen. Let me end by saying this is inexcusable — Josh Duggar’s molestations, and the family’s doing precisely nothing serious about it when it came to their attention. For shame, Duggars. For. Shame. May God have mercy on your souls because I have precisely nothing for you.
Dating Jesus 
It shocked me to see the word “orthodox” used to describe the Quiverfull movement, even with a small “o”. There are tens of thousands of congregations in the United States alone that claim the name “Christian”, and who is to dispute them? Certainly not the IRS, which is the only hierarchy that matters to them. But to me, these people are just another cult.
http://www.csj.org/infoserv_cult101/checklis.htm
Sexual abuse is learned behavior. It doesn’t just happen. Which is why The Duggars worked so hard to cover up Josh’s behavior. He had to learn it from somewhere. The Duggar’s lifestyle, more like a cult than a family, would seem to point that finger directly at those responsible for exposing children to, and reinforcing, models of behavior that lead to sexually abusive conduct.
The Duggars home church, so daddy (and Bill Gothard) are the final absolute authority.
“The only difference between a cult and a religion is the amount of real estate they own” — Frank Zappa
Ah. St. Frank of Zappa. I miss him.
Everything about this makes me sick, and that includes how so many ignorant people are talking about this. You hit the nail on the head. What about the victims? The public discussion is all about the perpetrator and what the perpetrator’s family should have done. There is far too little said about the victims and what the family should have done to prevent the harm, prevent the continued harm, and support them. Here again, the ignorance of this issue is rearing it’s ugly head, once again.
Nice to see that some of Huckabee’s (former” fans are angry about his stance:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/05/23/1387169/-Mike-Huckabee-s-Facebook-Fans-Unhappy-with-his-defense-of-Josh-Duggar?detail=email#
That would be (former) fans….
God, I would HOPE they’re former fans. This Huckleberry needs to stay home.
Reblogged this on Embracing life: 4/29/10 and commented:
I had a snake in my home also.
Ah, sister. Me, too. A church-going, Bible-thumping snake. It’s a crappy club to belong to, isn’t it?