Josh Duggar (19 kids and count.) acknowledges he molested 5 underage girls.

[+ dutchmuch]

Sorry, the following is a little political, but it's relevant. From my Twitter feed:

 

Did you know Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are the only people running for President that did not take a picture with Josh Duggar? - Political Nerd, @Sttbs73

 

And include this has-been too!

 

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/05/22/16/28FB4B6500000578-3092839-Josh_Duggar_and_Bristol_and_Sarah_Palin-m-12_1432306858587.jpg

 

 

 

http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/05/22/what-do-ted-cruz-rick-santorum-and-jeb-bush-have-in-common-josh-duggar

[Vato Loco]

He molests a few girls as a teen and all is forgiven, but two consenting adults of the same sex getting married is a sin unlike all others. These fundies sure have an interesting take on things.

[bigvalboy]

Moving on.....15 min is almost gone.

[wisconsinguy]

I was reading something this week regarding this evil man. The Psychiatrist made what I think is a very good point. She was very emphatic about her feelings, and follow ups/studies. Her point(s) were these, paraphrasing: Individuals that commit the kind of crimes he did need expert counseling. Not for a cure, not to excuse, and certainly not to make life softer. But to find out why. This does not include religious intervention. And, she points out , that this was also the crime of concealment. On both the perps part, and his mother and father. This is her reason: It has been shown that if reasons why aren't explored the perp is doomed to repeat again, sometime. Her information was to protect others.

[sincitymix]

He molests a few girls as a teen and all is forgiven, but two consenting adults of the same sex getting married is a sin unlike all others. These fundies sure have an interesting take on things.

 

but of course. 2 men loving each other and getting married is an abomination to the eyes of the lord.. excuse me that's LORD..

have sex with underage girls AND boys.. well just say your sorry, beg forgiveness, pray.. and everything will be fine.

say you are reformed and your.. "teenage indiscretion" or "moment of weakness" will pass.. giving you more time to do it all over again, just pray repeat, wash and rinse.. because well.. everyone knows god.. excuse me GOD just LOOOOVES white conservative Christians, here is a pass card.. don't go to jail and if you happen to be a minority who has a "moment of weakness" pray all you want, but you don't get the pass card.

[marylander1940]

...

 

Your periodic reminder that the Duggar family is part of the Quiverfull movement, a deeply misogynist, quasi-Christian cult.

They're not just a big, Christian family. They're part of a movement to breed a generation of soldiers for Christ to outman unbelievers.

That's why the glib "vagina like a clown car" jokes bother me so much. There's no shame in mothering a large, religious family.

There is a big problem, however, when mothering a large family is made your only option by a patriarchal cult.

The girls are kept ignorant and their sexuality is controlled by their fathers. That's what TLC has been making money off of. [To which I snarkily replied, "And their sexuality is exploited by their brother.]

And people are worried about Sharia law...

All these people worked up over sharia law but no one wants to talk about the child sexual and physical abuse in the Xian homeschool mvmnt.

Ridley, @_ridley_

 

And this: The Duggars use Bill Gothard's Advanced Training Institute for homeschooling. This is how sexual abuse is approached: https://twitter.com/SarahEvonne/status/601838249959620608/photo/1

Basically, lie back and think of England because the character-building that results is God's will. (Not that dissimilar to what goes in GoT.)

 

Brilliant!

 

I wonder if they would feel more comfortable in Saudi Arabia...

 

they want to outman and outvote: fornicators, cohabitators, homosexuals, everybody who is not like them.

 

Cultural wars 202, get ready!

[Kenny]

Organized Christians have been a scourge ever since the founding of the country, as Jefferson knew. Personal faith can be good, but institutional faith carries seeds of horrific damage, so Jefferson tried to empower one and hobble the other.

[+ deej]

they want to outman and outvote: fornicators, cohabitators, homosexuals, everybody who is not like them.

 

Even the "not like them" thing will run out on them eventually. Statistically, at least one of those kids is bound to turn out gay. I pity that kid for the hell on earth he'll live through.

[marylander1940]

Even the "not like them" thing will run out on them eventually. Statistically, at least one of those kids is bound to turn out gay. I pity that kid for the hell on earth he'll live through.

 

I'd love to see that!

 

Talking about having a Waterloo...!

[+ FreshFluff]

The FRC is much more than an anti-gay group. Dobson was very big on the family element of the name, especially child rearing according to the bible. He had a weekly radio show advising parents on child rearing and discipline, especially the finer points of corporal punishment, scheduled rather than on demand feedings...

 

That makes Duggar's presence at their org even more outrageous.

[+ quoththeraven]

Brilliant!

 

Thanks! Glad to bring the best of Twitter here. Just to let you know, Ridley, who wrote most of what you highlighted, makes me look like a shrinking violet.

[+ glutes]

OK Mrs. Duggar, explain to me again how transsexuals are predators we need to fear.

[+ quoththeraven]

The FRC is much more than an anti-gay group. Dobson was very big on the family element of the name, especially child rearing according to the bible. He had a weekly radio show advising parents on child rearing and discipline, especially the finer points of corporal punishment, scheduled rather than on demand feedings...

 

That makes Duggar's presence at their org even more outrageous.

 

What you're describing is the work of Focus on Family, also founded by Dobson, but separately incorporated, though FRC was a division for a time. They were split out of concern for Focus on Family's tax-exempt status because of the political nature of FRC's lobbying efforts.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Research_Council

[marylander1940]

And include this has-been too!

 

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/05/22/16/28FB4B6500000578-3092839-Josh_Duggar_and_Bristol_and_Sarah_Palin-m-12_1432306858587.jpg

 

 

 

http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/05/22/what-do-ted-cruz-rick-santorum-and-jeb-bush-have-in-common-josh-duggar

 

At least Sarah Palin was virgin when she got married, her daughter and duggar weren't.

[+ FreshFluff]

What you're describing is the work of Focus on Family, also founded by Dobson, but separately incorporated, though FRC was a division for a time. They were split out of concern for Focus on Family's tax-exempt status because of the political nature of FRC's lobbying efforts.

 

Ok. I thought this was still the case.

[+ dutchmuch]

As an aside, I wonder if Jim Bob knows Jim Boi.

 

[Bart]

As always the tragedy here is all kids. Josh was minor at the time as were the 5 victims and we should not make the victims, victims again. Yet I am sure what will happen is the media will probe and probe. This is where Michelle and Jim Bob have made the mistake. I am stunned that mom let the abuser back in the home unless there is more here. I also wonder if actions could not still be done to the law enforcement friend. I also wonder is social services would not begin their own probe into the well being of the children. It is very common for the molester to have started off as being molested. It is not the first time parent(s) have gone to a friend in law enforcement to help keep an issue undercover. Josh's wife knows all this and just goes along with it. TLC is thinking of just axing Josh from the show and concentrate on the girls and their weddings and becoming puppy mills. Michelle needs to pull her family off the public viewing immediately be a mother not a TV personality.

 

While there is no denying a smile crossed my face as the "holier than thou," attitude of the Michelle and Jim are brought to task, this type of issue has gone on for hundreds of years, its not what you know but who you know and how much money do you have. I don't care if you are ultra conservative or liberal, one kid or 19 kids, "good" family or trailer trash. Serial killers and rapists come from all backgrounds. Jim and Michelle thought they could control everything and they were raising clones. Sorry you are raising human beings. I am sure they are asking themselves who knew life would get in the way.

 

I do not watch this type of reality TV, social media just continues to fuel it. From Housewives to Duggars, from Amish to Shah's, Little People to Veterinaries to Bachelors. I do not see the fascination but it is there. Kind of like the song from Camelot, "What do the common folk do." TV and social media just simply put it our face faster.

[sincitymix]

apparently this is why they never reported it. This is what the Duggars use in their faith based clinic.

 

http://undergrounduno.tumblr.com/image/119683268707

[thickornotatall]

The Duggar family knew!...They have known and hid the molestation from anyone they could...Just as guilty as the son...Ma and Pa Duggar are complicit in the fact of the molestation of their children. Wishing and hoping and praying away the sin does not alter the fact that they knew what had happened and chose to hide the facts...Conspiracy to blur facts makes them just as guilty as their errant son. The whole situation gives us a chance to know that they are not what they claim to be..and in fact are all criminals...If TLC knew the facts...guilty also...

Just playing doctor?...thats's the defense being put forth by the "quiverfull" community....Scarey to know that they all knew....even Jesus..after all he forgave them??

[Kenny]

We need to stop using the word molestation, which sounds benign. Sexual assault is what happened. Sexual assault is a crime, and the parents were complicit in those repeated felonies.

[+ dutchmuch]

Just playing doctor?...thats's the defense being put forth by the "quiverfull" community....Scarey to know that they all knew....even Jesus..after all he forgave them??

 

Now now, we have some devout Christians here.

[+ WmClarke]

I am stunned that mom let the abuser back in the home unless there is more here.

I'm not. Given the misogynistic cult they belong to, it makes perfect sense in their world.

[+ WmClarke]

apparently this is why they never reported it. This is what the Duggars use in their faith based clinic.

 

http://undergrounduno.tumblr.com/image/119683268707

Wow. It's better to be raped and spiritual, than to 'complain' about being raped. What a sick bunch.

[+ quoththeraven]

Another article about the Quiverfull phenomenon. Just disgusting, I have to say.

 

http://gawker.com/quiverfull-of-shit-a-guide-to-the-duggars-scary-brand-1706557073

 

Partial excerpts:

 

Ultimately the scariest aspect of Quiverfull is that it’s not just one specific Christian denomination or church: Quiverfull families are all over America, in churches everywhere. That’s why it’s nearly impossible to tell how quickly their numbers are rising. They tend to congregate in fundamentalist evangelical churches, but Quiverfull families could really be found in any traditionalist Protestant denomination. It’s their mission to push more and more people toward their rigid and reactionary view of Christianity, and to eventually outnumber anyone who disagrees.

 

See, the “having a lot of kids” aspect of the Quiverfull movement is just the tip of the iceberg. Catholics, Mormons, and certain groups of conservative Jews also believe in having a lot of kids and not taking birth control. Duggars, along with the rest of the Quiverfull movement, turn having kids into a political statement. They want to out-reproduce Muslims, and see the quantity of children they put out into the world as a maternal mission statement.

 

Struggling with infertility issues? Sorry about your “empty quiver,” but according to the Quiverfull faithful, God doesn’t believe in fertility treatments, and your barrenness is probably the result of your sinful heart. Only the woman is at fault for any problems reproducing. Men are, of course, blameless. Would giving birth be a dangerous health issue for you? They’ll encourage you to get pregnant anyway—because dying in childbirth is a virtuous death by which you can become a martyr.

 

If it seems like the evangelical right isn’t progressing forward along with the rest of the world, it’s probably because—along with the right-wing values of the Tea Party—these patriarchal and oppressive ideas have wormed their way into the mainstream evangelical churches. It’s not only the Duggars; the Duggars are just the most famous example.

 

Aren’t all religious Christians anti-feminist? No, not at all. But Quiverfullers are. And while ultra-conservative views on childbearing have long been present in many religions, Quiverfull’s anti-feminism traces itself back to a woman—a self-described former feminist—who brought the movement to the forefront three decades ago.

 

In 1985, a writer named Mary Pride published a book called The Way Home: Beyond Feminism, Back to Reality, which detailed her journey away from the second-wave feminism of the ‘70s and into what she perceived was a woman’s Biblical place in the home, and the commandment to fill the house with as many of her husband’s children as possible.

 

Pride insisted that no woman could possibly find true happiness without submitting to her vision of Christianity: Relinquish control of your womb to God, and exist only to please your husband, give birth, feed everyone, and educate your children in the home—almost certainly without having received any formal higher education yourself.

 

From the moment a Duggar in possession of a vagina is born or married into the family, she falls under the control of Christian Patriarchy. The wife is forever under the authority of her husband, and a daughter is completely subservient to her father until the day he finds a suitable husband to take up the role. The women of Quiverfull are never supposed to disobey their male authority figure, ever, even if it’s something they find immoral. Because they think God would rather you kill a guy because your husband says so than to disobey the orders of a man.

 

Women aren’t supposed to work outside the home, and if the father can’t find anyone for his daughter to court and marry, they have to live at home to take care of the other children. (Sorry, Jana Duggar.) College? What’s that? There’s no room for individuality for men or women when you’re immediately dictated into a role based on the kind of genitals you have.

All I can say is fuck the patriarchy. Or rather smash it. Fucking it got us in this mess to begin with.

 

One line of argument you might hear is that Josh Duggar didn’t know it was wrong to molest girls or that he didn’t know what he was doing. He comes from a culture in which women are forbidden from showing their shoulders in case it causes their brothers to stumble, where they aren’t allowed to dance or front hug their own siblings—so how would he not know it’s wrong to fondle their breasts and genitals?

 

Don’t let anyone tell you this. The Quiverfull fundamentalist Christians are obsessed with sex. It’s the ultimate sin: They’re always thinking about it, and they’re always categorizing what’s wrong and what’s right.

 

This isn’t a particularly arduous task because the list of what’s right is pretty short: Heterosexual, vaginal sex between a biological male and a biological female is the only permitted kind of sex, and it can occur only in the bonds of holy matrimony with the intent of procreation. That’s pretty much it.

 

And women are obligated to give it up to their husband whenever and wherever they want it.

 

Michelle Duggar herself relegated this advice to her daughters Jessa and Jill, on Today.

“In your marriage there will be times you’re going to be very exhausted. Your hubby comes home after a hard day’s work, you get the baby to bed, and he is going to be looking forward to that time with you. Be available. Anyone can fix him lunch, but only one person can meet that physical need of love that he has, and you always need to be available when he calls.”

Modesty and purity are of the utmost importance for a young lady until she gets married—and then she’s expected to turn into an on-demand sex slave robot. That’s definitely what Jesus wanted out of his followers.

 

As it turns out, this kind of obsessive regulation doesn’t lead to healthy attitudes toward sex, and this isn’t the first time that someone from the Quiverfull movement has gotten himself involved with sex-related accusations. In 2014, a group of women claimed they were sexually harassed by Bill Gothard, creator of the Institute in Basic Life Principles, an organization which provided Duggars with their homeschool curriculum. Gothard denied the allegations but was still forced to resign. His curriculum, however, remains the cornerstone for many Quiverfull homeschool educations and includes advice for victims of sexual assault that lays the blame on them, rather than on perpetrators.

 

This kind of cut off, patriarchal, self-sufficient culture makes it hard for people to report sex abuse in their communities: The outside world is seen as being inherently untrustworthy, and the families try to handle as many problems as possible in the home without relying on external institutions. Even after repeated instances of abuse, Josh Duggar was never formally charged or turned into the authorities. He got a “stern lecture” from a state trooper who happened to be a family friend, and also happened to be a pervert who was later arrested on child pornography charges himself. And it’s rumored that neither Josh nor the victims received any therapy from licensed professionals.

Scary that these people actually believe this kind of stuff in this day and age. It's reminiscent of what Margaret Atwood wrote in The Handmaid's Tale, except there the handmaids were outsiders taken against their will at the behest of the powers that be as opposed to being family members who'd been brainwashed. I still don't find The Handmaid's Tale very realistic or likely, but if it were to come true, something like Quiverfell is how it would become true.

[Kenny]

Another article about the Quiverfull phenomenon. Just disgusting, I have to say.

 

http://gawker.com/quiverfull-of-shit-a-guide-to-the-duggars-scary-brand-1706557073

 

"Quiverfull fundamentalist Christians are obsessed with sex." That's the truth.

 

Partial excerpts:

 

Ultimately the scariest aspect of Quiverfull is that it’s not just one specific Christian denomination or church: Quiverfull families are all over America, in churches everywhere. That’s why it’s nearly impossible to tell how quickly their numbers are rising. They tend to congregate in fundamentalist evangelical churches, but Quiverfull families could really be found in any traditionalist Protestant denomination. It’s their mission to push more and more people toward their rigid and reactionary view of Christianity, and to eventually outnumber anyone who disagrees.

 

See, the “having a lot of kids” aspect of the Quiverfull movement is just the tip of the iceberg. Catholics, Mormons, and certain groups of conservative Jews also believe in having a lot of kids and not taking birth control. Duggars, along with the rest of the Quiverfull movement, turn having kids into a political statement. They want to out-reproduce Muslims, and see the quantity of children they put out into the world as a maternal mission statement.

 

Struggling with infertility issues? Sorry about your “empty quiver,” but according to the Quiverfull faithful, God doesn’t believe in fertility treatments, and your barrenness is probably the result of your sinful heart. Only the woman is at fault for any problems reproducing. Men are, of course, blameless. Would giving birth be a dangerous health issue for you? They’ll encourage you to get pregnant anyway—because dying in childbirth is a virtuous death by which you can become a martyr.

 

If it seems like the evangelical right isn’t progressing forward along with the rest of the world, it’s probably because—along with the right-wing values of the Tea Party—these patriarchal and oppressive ideas have wormed their way into the mainstream evangelical churches. It’s not only the Duggars; the Duggars are just the most famous example.

 

Aren’t all religious Christians anti-feminist? No, not at all. But Quiverfullers are. And while ultra-conservative views on childbearing have long been present in many religions, Quiverfull’s anti-feminism traces itself back to a woman—a self-described former feminist—who brought the movement to the forefront three decades ago.

 

In 1985, a writer named Mary Pride published a book called The Way Home: Beyond Feminism, Back to Reality, which detailed her journey away from the second-wave feminism of the ‘70s and into what she perceived was a woman’s Biblical place in the home, and the commandment to fill the house with as many of her husband’s children as possible.

 

Pride insisted that no woman could possibly find true happiness without submitting to her vision of Christianity: Relinquish control of your womb to God, and exist only to please your husband, give birth, feed everyone, and educate your children in the home—almost certainly without having received any formal higher education yourself.

 

From the moment a Duggar in possession of a vagina is born or married into the family, she falls under the control of Christian Patriarchy. The wife is forever under the authority of her husband, and a daughter is completely subservient to her father until the day he finds a suitable husband to take up the role. The women of Quiverfull are never supposed to disobey their male authority figure, ever, even if it’s something they find immoral. Because they think God would rather you kill a guy because your husband says so than to disobey the orders of a man.

 

Women aren’t supposed to work outside the home, and if the father can’t find anyone for his daughter to court and marry, they have to live at home to take care of the other children. (Sorry, Jana Duggar.) College? What’s that? There’s no room for individuality for men or women when you’re immediately dictated into a role based on the kind of genitals you have.

All I can say is fuck the patriarchy. Or rather smash it. Fucking it got us in this mess to begin with.

 

One line of argument you might hear is that Josh Duggar didn’t know it was wrong to molest girls or that he didn’t know what he was doing. He comes from a culture in which women are forbidden from showing their shoulders in case it causes their brothers to stumble, where they aren’t allowed to dance or front hug their own siblings—so how would he not know it’s wrong to fondle their breasts and genitals?

 

Don’t let anyone tell you this. The Quiverfull fundamentalist Christians are obsessed with sex. It’s the ultimate sin: They’re always thinking about it, and they’re always categorizing what’s wrong and what’s right.

 

This isn’t a particularly arduous task because the list of what’s right is pretty short: Heterosexual, vaginal sex between a biological male and a biological female is the only permitted kind of sex, and it can occur only in the bonds of holy matrimony with the intent of procreation. That’s pretty much it.

 

And women are obligated to give it up to their husband whenever and wherever they want it.

 

Michelle Duggar herself relegated this advice to her daughters Jessa and Jill, on Today.

“In your marriage there will be times you’re going to be very exhausted. Your hubby comes home after a hard day’s work, you get the baby to bed, and he is going to be looking forward to that time with you. Be available. Anyone can fix him lunch, but only one person can meet that physical need of love that he has, and you always need to be available when he calls.”

Modesty and purity are of the utmost importance for a young lady until she gets married—and then she’s expected to turn into an on-demand sex slave robot. That’s definitely what Jesus wanted out of his followers.

 

As it turns out, this kind of obsessive regulation doesn’t lead to healthy attitudes toward sex, and this isn’t the first time that someone from the Quiverfull movement has gotten himself involved with sex-related accusations. In 2014, a group of women claimed they were sexually harassed by Bill Gothard, creator of the Institute in Basic Life Principles, an organization which provided Duggars with their homeschool curriculum. Gothard denied the allegations but was still forced to resign. His curriculum, however, remains the cornerstone for many Quiverfull homeschool educations and includes advice for victims of sexual assault that lays the blame on them, rather than on perpetrators.

 

This kind of cut off, patriarchal, self-sufficient culture makes it hard for people to report sex abuse in their communities: The outside world is seen as being inherently untrustworthy, and the families try to handle as many problems as possible in the home without relying on external institutions. Even after repeated instances of abuse, Josh Duggar was never formally charged or turned into the authorities. He got a “stern lecture” from a state trooper who happened to be a family friend, and also happened to be a pervert who was later arrested on child pornography charges himself. And it’s rumored that neither Josh nor the victims received any therapy from licensed professionals.

Scary that these people actually believe this kind of stuff in this day and age. It's reminiscent of what Margaret Atwood wrote in The Handmaid's Tale, except there the handmaids were outsiders taken against their will at the behest of the powers that be as opposed to being family members who'd been brainwashed. I still don't find The Handmaid's Tale very realistic or likely, but if it were to come true, something like Quiverfell is how it would become true.