We are loath to give space and exposure to the Duggars, but
I suppose a brief note is in order in an Encyclopedia like this. And Jim Bob
Duggar actually did serve in the Arkansas House of Representatives between 1999
and 2002. The Duggars are followers of the Quiverfull movement and members of the Institute in Basic Life Principles organization, a
Bible-based homeschooling program run by the deranged monster Bill Gothard.
The oldest daughter, Jana Duggar, is a leader at the IBLP’s Journey to the
Heart youth ministry. Josh Duggar, supported in all his antics by Mike
Huckabee, is the executive director of Family Research Council Action, which would have been hilarious if it weren’t so tragic.
Jim Bob himself has enjoyed something of a star status among
the crazier segments of the religious rights and did, for instance, give an appropriately inane speech at the 2013 Values Voters Summit, where he – as people like him tend to do –
compared the US to Nazi Germany on the grounds that the majority of Americans fail to agree with his crazy,
bigoted insanity. Then there is this (oh, yes).
In a 2011 book Jim Bob and Michelle argued that women are “defrauding men” by dressing immodestly, since any abuse by men
should be blamed on the women leading men into temptation. They clearly don’t
know what “defrauding” means. Jim Bob is a realtor in his daily life.
Here is a discussion of the scientific musings of Jessa Duggar. Clearly the
homeschooling she received did not include a focus on logic, reasoning or use
of cognitive faculties, but what would you expect from parents like hers? Her
husband, Ben Seewald, doesn’t like evolution either (and has no more idea of what it is than you’d expect from a Kent
Hovind-acolyte).
Diagnosis: Repugnant monsters. These people are not only
stupid; they’re evil. All of them (though Jim Bob, Michelle and Bill Gothard
are primarily to blame – yes, even compared to Josh Duggar, since those three
should be held morally responsible for that one).
About the "defrauding" language. As is typical of cult leaders, Gothard is prone to redefine language according to his terms. He should have no credibility at all now given that he's facing some serious civil litigation over his propensity to sexually groom teenaged girls. His brother Steve got into trouble with IBLP and was fired for pressing young women into sexual relationships with him. There has been some information that Bill knew about Steve's sexcapades, and that he refused to do anything about his brother, and now we have a better idea as to why. Bill's other brother David has been prosecuted and convicted of securities fraud. It seems David uses church congregations to find people to sucker into his "can't lose" investment scams. David is currently facing civil litigation for securities fraud in Florida.
ReplyDeleteJosh lost his postion with the AFA after the sisiter groping revelations came out.
ReplyDeleteThe Kardashians of the fundamentalist fringe right.
ReplyDelete<< In a 2011 book Jim Bob and Michelle argued that women are “defrauding men” by dressing immodestly, since any abuse by men should be blamed on the women leading men into temptation. They clearly don’t know what “defrauding” means. >>
ReplyDeleteThey also are clearly not that familiar with their own "holy" book, or they might know that James 1:14 says exactly the opposite. But hey, this kind of ignorance of the Bible is rather common among people who wield it like a weapon and try to impose their own religion on others.