A lot of ink, digital and otherwise, has been spilled over the incestuous child molestation scandal surrounding TV's Duggar family, the darlings of the conservative Christian "quiverfull" movement. The chatter around the scandal can be confusing, so let's start by laying out the facts:
What Did Josh Duggar Do?
Late in 2006, the police of Springdale, Arkansas were informed about a series of incidents classified as "sex offense - forcible fondling", a felony, attributed to Josh Duggar. Specifically, Josh Duggar, 14 at the time of the earliest incident, was accused of touching the breasts and genitals of several young girls, often while they slept.
The first of those incidents allegedly took place in 2002, but was not reported. Several other, similar incidents occurred over the next year. It would later be revealed that two of Josh's victims were his younger sisters.
How Was Josh Duggar Punished?
Jim Bob Duggar, Josh's father and patriarch of the family highlighted in TLC's 19 Kids and Counting, told police in 2006 that Josh had been disciplined at home and had been sent to a "Christian program" to receive counseling. That turned out to be a lie; Josh was simply sent to live with a family friend and received no official counseling.
Prior to contacting the police in 2006, Jim Bob Duggar informed other elders in his local Independent Baptist movement about the incident. By the time police learned of the alleged crimes, they could not pursue the cases because the statute of limitations on felony sexual offenses in Arkansas is three years. If it was Jim Bob's plan to see to it that his son never faced any consequences for incestuous rape, it seems to have worked.
Jim Bob has been a semi-prominent figure in Arkansas state politics for more than a decade. Ironically, in his 2002 Senate run (the same year in which Josh had molested his sisters) Jim Bob declared that incest should be classified as a capital crime, punishable by death.
A Duggar Family Cover-Up
The story within these facts is a disturbing one with many layers, not the least of which is the religious underpinning of how Josh's crimes were handled. The Duggar family openly ascribes to a religious philosophy known as Christian Patriarchy, essentially a belief that God has deemed men inherently superior to women and that women are bound by God's law to be utterly subservient to men, especially their husbands and fathers. The family also subscribes to the quiverfull movement, that more or less views wives as baby factories, hence the 19 children born to Jim Bob.
This overt ascription of greater importance to men was evident in statements released by various members of the Duggar family to the press - none of which contained any mention of concern for Josh's sisters or his other victims.
It's important to remember that Josh Duggar committed his crimes between the ages of 14 and 15. At such a young age, it's almost certain that his actions were a reflection of the values imparted to him by his elders. Given a religious philosophy that places men over women and tacitly assigns women as the sexual property of men, it's hard not to see where Josh's non-consensual approach to sex comes from. Sexual exploration is a fact of life for many teenagers, but repeated incidents of molestation fall far outside of acceptable curiosity.
The Duggar children are home-schooled; their curriculum actually directly addresses the issue of molestation, and the lesson is shockingly horrible. It heavily implies that blame is to be placed on the victim for tempting the offender, and that the hardship of being molested can be good for character building.
As disturbing as Josh's crimes were, what is perhaps most disturbing is the "handling" of the molestation by his family, his church leaders, and local authorities. Jim Bob Duggar was made aware of a serious pattern of criminal behavior in his son, eventually removed him temporarily from the home where he committed his crimes, and then only told police after he knew the statute of limitations for the boy's crimes had expired. Jim Bob Duggar lied to the police and almost certainly conspired with church elders in the matter.
Part of what makes this story newsworthy is that the Duggars have been very vocal about taking away civil rights from gay and transgendered people, all from a supposed position of moral authority. Jim Bob's wife, Michelle, even recorded a robo call to urge Arkansas citizens to vote down a measure that was designed to protect citizens against discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations based on gender identity and sexual orientation. In the recording, Michelle explains that gay and transgendered people should be second class citizens under the law so we as a society can keep children safe from the evils of sexual predators. Clearly she needs to focus on getting her own house in order before even dreaming of burdening the public with her wild musings.
What About the Victims?
Disgustingly, many (like presidential-hopeful Mike Huckabee) have rushed to Josh's defense. What's more, the current discussion from the family seems to center around Josh and not on how the victims are coping with having survived rape. Keeping that in mind, we'd like to briefly note that we are thinking of and praying for the victims of these and all other incidents of sexual violation. We wish, for all of them, peace and security. If, by chance, you are a victim of sexual assault and for whatever reason feel unsafe reaching out for help, know first that you did nothing wrong, and that you deserve no blame. There is a loving and supportive community in the world ready and willing to take you into our arms and protect you.
At its best, faith and spirituality can bring people together and teach them compassion. In the case of the Duggar family and their local Independent Baptist ideology, religion is being used to promote an environment of sexual violence and undermine the authorities intended to keep all people safe, regardless of their personal beliefs or gender.
What Now?
After the scandal was revealed by InTouch magazine, Josh resigned from his post as an Executive Director at the Family Research Council, a notable anti-gay lobbying firm in Washington D.C.. TLC has pulled the Duggar Family's show from its lineup, but has yet to announce whether or not the series will be cancelled. The question that remains is: Should TLC cancel the program? Do media companies have an ethical imperative to not promote the beliefs and prosperity of those who do harm to others, or are they free from moral responsibility?
Sound off in the comments section below.
168 comments
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W J CHAPUT
Born again nasty.
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Kizzy
TLC should certainly cancel the show since there was a cover up! Josh Duggar should also face the law for his crimes. At 14, he should be held responsible.
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Tyler
I think he needs therapy, not prison time.
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Janet DeMar
Once again these people hide behind the bible how could the father who preaches to his other children promote such devious acts hide his son live with the lies and as for his wife I always knew they were a special kind of cult .It makes me sick that the victims were not given justice . They need to get that show off the air and Jim Bob should be jailed with his son no matter how long ago these crimes were done. And should pay back TLC the ill gotten money these people are sick and think they are above the law. God will judge if the courts don't.
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D. Miller
Right on I couldn't have said it better myself
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bros
Lord forgive us for we know not what we Do lord forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors lead us not into temptation but deliver us from Evil, Lord turn us away from evil help us strive with sincerity In you !
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faithofpeace
It is a sorry state I feel so deeply for the victims of this situation, I also feel that the entire "Reality" TV programming makes celebrity out of ordinary people. If he was not on TV no one would be aware of them at all. Reality TV has become the watch the accident drive by, you continue to look at the scene over and over again. It is a tragedy.
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Ky
Amen
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faithofpeace
TLC needs to cancel this show, the victims are in need of healing. If this family was not on the TV no one would know anything about them at all. Reality TV has created a culture of putting ordinary people on the TV to vent their emotional an mental state for the wold to witness. Does anyone remember the PBS show "An American Family" It was the first experiment following ordinary people around with a camera. Needless to say it did not end well.
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Evangelist Val Taylor
Amen
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Galen M. Ross
The Duggar's have placed themselves in a position of judgment when it comes to "family values" and, in doing so have put themselves into a position were they can be judged by their own actions, I reference the Bible here, Judge not lest ye be judged, Jim Bob and Josh have shown their character by their actions and, their judgment by their words, they do not match, both should be excommunicated until they make things right, with the victims with the law and, with God.
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Barry Rosen
Hogwash!
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Steve Bubbenmoyer
This seems to be a huge problem for the conservative right and fundamentalist Christians. They hide behind their egregious sins while throwing the Bible at everyone else just to hide the truth.
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Dr Griffith
That is the truest statement that has been posted. Hastert has now been caught, Gingrich was caught, the list goes on, not user what Conservative values are or mean.
It seems the humanist is the closest thing there is these days to a true Christian.
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Most Reverend
Thanks for the laugh!!! No a humanist is nothing Like a true Christian. A true Christian puts nothing before God and Christ our Savior. A humanist would never do that.
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friend
the new name for the southern line of states is the porn belt ,because of the highest rate of pornography usage
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Deanna
And that is a very true statement - i have been walked all over by these self proclaimed christians and they do it in the name of God! They tell us what's wrong and right but they do what they want! Enuff - if this is christian behavior - i want NO part of it!!
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jan miller
agreed
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Most Reverend
The judgement you are referring to is nothing like the actual judgement you reference. The judgement in the Bible is not someones opinion or what you think of what someone said or did. Judgement in the Bible is a sentencing usually involving death or a physical punishment like lashing. What the Duggars and their self created religion, is they do not life by God's Laws and The Bible. They just make it up as they go along.
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adam k.
first off to the statement from galen they made it right with god and its not for you to say otherwise for you are not god nor them. remember you do not in anyway know there heart. most if not all have said they have asked for gods forgiveness what more did you want for them to wait and see god and then ask.. second the law has been set right its not the duggers who made the 3yr law yo don't like it change the law. yes they went and said something after the law was up so even if they wanted to him walking into the police station and saying everything it would not work the law says he cant be charged, third the victims you nor i know who his victims are and what he has done to make amends (its my belief that you never can). now with all that being said the duggars need to be kept on the air tell at least the youngest ones are old enough to stand up and fight maybe tape them and give them a 15min spot if for no other reason then to make sure it don't happen again. its a stupid show and that is a fact it only shows you 30 min of life of a week or even months so people still follow like its true life now all this and all the other pages tuned to josh duggar have gave him a pedestal to shout from bad or good its still a pedestal instead of the thousand pages on this why not 1000 pages on the bad things that are happening to our military by our president or even on rape not this but actual rape thats not about tv that need to be address i think its sick how much one pedophile that cant even be charged gets and email like this from the church is equally sick i was happy they stayed out of it till now and they should have stayed out of if a lot longer but heck i don't watch the show i don't listen to the bs and i don't know why people have to keep it going your doing nothing for the victims and nothing but giving a pedestal
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Marilyn
Are you kidding me? Let me get this correct, you and the Duggars, as well as many other "Christians ", think it's okay to do ANYTHING, lawfully or unlawfully, as LONG as they ask forgiveness from God? So, if this is the theory, than ANYONE should be able to do ANYTHING to anyone and anything, as long as they confess their sins and ask forgiveness! So, let's say I commit a heinous crime....that cost many, so much mentally, physically and monetarily, and now I can just confess it and ask forgiveness, and ALL IS RIGHT WITH THE WORLD! If this is the route you "Christians" feel we should go, than we should release ALL prisoners that have "found the Lord" in jail, because "they are forgiven". All I can say is, if any of you get upset because anyone commits a crime of any kind, then rethink you theory that they should NEVER be punished, because they asked for forgiveness every time they committed these crimes. And WHO ARE YOU TO SAY OTHERWISE? Get REAL people. Any forced sexual act is a felony! Beit inside the "Christian" family or against strangers, it's just plain WRONG and the person committing these crimes deserves to be punished to the fullest extent of the law!
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Purple Crow
The Vatican canon law policy known as Crimen Sollicitationis protects child abuse, which is binding on all Catholic clergy, and which compels them to engage in the same criminal conspiracy by protecting and aiding child rapsists within the Catholic church and concealing these criminals from police and legal authorities. I find it fascinating to wrap my mind around imagining those early meetings where these 'laws' were first put into place by the Church and what their intent really was and perhaps still is in many cases such as the kind Kevin Annett and the ITCCS (org) has exposed in great detail. This 'phenomena' appears throughout human history in all positions of power, not just religious. What needs to be seriously studied is perhaps not religion or power or 'law making' (which doesn't seem to change anything in the end anyway, people will STILL do it (whatever 'it' is)) but human nature itself, at the core, perhaps even genetically. Whether viewed as a 'flaw' or 'natural' it appears to be a permanent vice for human beings, by the millions, a massive portion of the population in all kinds of positions of 'authority' (Judges, Police, Religious leaders, Teachers, Protectors of all kinds, Advocates, Caretakers, Bankers, Parents, Government agents, Cults, Etc) If it turns out these acts are genetic, then the issue would be with the 'creator' of our very DNA, unless one has another belief as to how DNA manifested of course, in which case one might call these acts 'evolved'. Either way it would appear to be a permanent aspect ('problem') with human beings world wide and worthy of serious scientific study rather than verbally and physically charged emotional wars (with ourselves).
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Most Reverend
It's called evil. Any Christian knows you answer to man's law first and God is final. Man might never forgive you and pardon your sins, God may. Have you confessed all, have you repented, have you asked for forgiveness and shown worthy of it? Is Christ your Lord and Savior and have you turned your life over to God? If you answer yes to all of these then God very well could forgive and grant Eternal Life.
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Dr Griffith
Marilyn, that is such an intelligent statement, perhaps that is why they do not understand it. Brainwashing can occur in any group, it has of late, happened to most of those who call themselves Christian.
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jeffkalb1
Actually, real Christians are forgiven only after penance. Any "Christian" who says otherwise doesn't understand what real Christianity is. So until Duggar does true penance, he is not forgiven. No matter what Baptists say. They need to do some self reflection and perhaps the females need to revolt or be rescued.
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Dr Griffith
First, please write in complete sentences so it is easy to read and understand. Second, please try harder to write in a grammatically correct way so your thoughts are coherent and make sense. Third, leave politics out of it, the comment about our President and the troops is wrong. You need to read a variety of viewpoints to fully decide and issue, not one, Fox (Faux) News.
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Jim F
seriously, use punctuation......
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Linda
He is a sexual predator, no matter his age. The family covered this up. They should bear some reaponsibility as well. They cashed big checks for years after it happened. Sickning. Being from a big Christian family does not make you immune to the justice ayatem or forgiven.
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Alicia
TLC needs to cancel this show. It's not just about Josh and what HE did; it's about the parents and what THEY did. They covered this up and lied about Josh's punishment. They should not continue to be rewarded by being allowed to continue this show. The show is SUPPOSED to be about family values. That has just been shot out of the water.
As for doing a show on Josh's counseling.....why should they make money off of something like this?
With 19 kids, it's impossible to keep up with what everyone is doing all the time. That's how this happened. Why glorify it?
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John Cox
They must be taken off any show now and in the future.........jail time for Josh and probation for the mother and father............most of all.........stop with the "news" about them".
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Minister Jack OConnor
I wholeheartedly agree with Alicia. I'm a 66 years old heterosexual male. I was molested by my Stepfather and his brother, both now deceased.These nasty deeds continued between the ages of 12-14. Back in the dark ages of the 1960's, children were taught to respect their elders, which included their authority as well. In other words; "children should be seen and not heard" was included in that dictum. My mother-God rest her soul-was overwhelmed with her own emotional problems which are to numerous to mention in this comment. She naively, and I would like to believe, unknowingly dragged me and my two sisters into an evil marriage partnership with a pedophile (my stepfather) as the authority figure. it came to light that over the same time period, he had molested my two sisters, as well as his own natural daughter. In short conclusion; This experience emotionally scared me for the rest of my life. And I know that the younger of my two sisters has had to deal with her own emotional demons created by the experience for most of her life. She had two failed marriages, I had five. We were both severely stunted emotionally throughout our lives because of the acts committed upon us by pedophiles. I contend-that as long as religious authority figures continue to be given totalitarian Carte Blanche...this issue will continue to rear it's evil head.
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Laurel A Butler (@hempmaven)
How brave of you to share your story. Hopefully you can find some peace in y0ou remaining years. The Duggars are a scourge on the Christian community, in my opinion. And tonight, after their Fox news interview, I am certain many people will come to their defense, ignoring the fact they have had a few weeks to rehearse their answers to any question asked. These girls need help. Sincerely hope every person ever affected by this kind of abuse receives the help they need.....
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Deanna
Amen!
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Bill
100% agree my friend
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J
They want forgiveness They can't forgive Bruce Jenner for being Caitlyn) we are all love! This is so one-sided! J
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ar
I agree when you have that many kids how can you possibly keep an eye on all of them. Especially when they are supposed to be asleep. unless they lock up all of the girls in a separate quarters. Then, maybe this would not have happened. But Really? Come on!
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Bob
First I do not condone the actions of this "child" (he was a child at the time). I don't believe that we as Christians have the right to judge him. His parents, his church, his victims and his God can only do that. How is it that a juvenile record, even for hardened criminals are sealed but not his. I think perhaps it's because his family are Christians. God help these vindictive people.
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elizabethangel3365
Since the scum bag was never charged as a juvinille or an adult there are no reciords to be sealed, and being a christian has norhing to do wirh him being a pervert, but he learned that he is above the law when they did nothing but send him on vacation I hope he never has daughters
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Bob Anderson
Are you serious? A 15-year-old is not a "child". More importantly, you state "we as Christians have no right to judge him"...yet he and his family make it a habit to criticize and condemn others. This "christians as victims" claim is nothing of the sort. It is, instead, a reversal of centuries of christian abuse and condemnation being exposed and declared no longer acceptable.
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Laurel A Butler (@hempmaven)
Someone requested the judge destroy the record but, a copy was obtained by the press before that could happen. I agree, we should not judge them. They should start by stop judging everyone else who doesn't live by their standards. Wonder if dad still believes incest should be a punishable by death? Just curious..........
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Rev Slick Willy O'Stoole
Although Josh Duggar may have fondled young girls, including his sisters, this article condemns Josh with as much self-righteous indignation as the Duggars themselves display.
A 14 year old growing up in a rigidly blindered family environment as insightful and open-minded as Attila the Hun will undoubtedly experiment--the repressive regime almost always guarantees an equal and opposite reaction.
If Josh refrained from fondling his sisters from that point on, and ceased all inappropriate sexual behavior, then I would assume he has dealt with his demons, and does not warrant the hypocritical judgments of inadequately informed contemporary stone-throwers.
His sisters, and especially, his parents, would and could (and most likely won't) benefit from counselling, but that entails being open to adjusting the concrete parameters of zealotry--extremely difficult for any person who goosesteps to an ideology of forced denial.
It is intriguing how rapt viewers are in fairly obvious charlatans, and how quickly and viciously the viewers become villains themselves.
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Jim F
Best comment of the day, thank you.
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Sad but True
Excellent and valid points! God forgives but mankind does not. Definitely believe that the girls (and parents) would greatly benefit from some counseling. We don't have the right to crucify Josh or the parents. At 14-15 Josh knew right from wrong. It was hidden (perhaps partly due to his age though mostly for the family's benefit) and covered up. Things like this only thrive in the dark. I know many families that have dealt with such things. Sadly, most don't get help. I can only pray for the entire family that they will see the error of their ways and do better. Those poor girls. How embarrassing to their new families (spouses etc.). My prayers to the entire family.
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Rev. Dee Ramos
Bravo Rev. Slick Willy O'Stoole!!! I agree with Jim F. "Best comment of the day, Thank You."
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CJ
He should definitely do a lot of praying and ask for forgiveness. Demons had ahold of him and he needs to own up to that. God will forgive if it is truly in Josh Duggar's heart. He has a lot of soul searching to do.
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rob113
There is no exuse for these people. they are hypocrites of the worst stripe. I believe in forgiveness. but thes people will have to answer to what ever God they believe for what they've done
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Judy
Not only does TLC need to cancel the show, we all need to be concerned that there is such a large market for so-called reality shows; what does that say about us as a country that "trash and sleaze" attract such a large audience? TLC and its parent company, Discovery Communications in Silver Spring, MD, need to be held accountable and removed from the airwaves! And, what about all the females (and, males) who are the victims of people like Josh Duggar, etc.?
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Anthony Bovino
In a world of equality the women in this group assume a position of subservience. How middle ages is that?! They also resent themselves as the ultimate of morality. They say incest is a capital offense. It just doesn't apply to their son. In reality these fine folks are liars and low lifes. I'm sure there are many religious conservatives who are not what they portend.
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Cheryl
Why can't everyone leave the family alone. Any father, well any that was married to mother and actually lived with the family, would do whatever they could to help their son without going to the police. What he did was wrong but he was 14 , we all know what happens when boys reach a certain age. Jim Bob got him out of the home, that alone to a young boy would be an eye opener .
To me what is sad is that all of you are so full of hate, determined to destroy this family publicly when it is not for us to judge this young man. He know and has admitted what he did was wrong, how many of you have done the same thing?
Who are you to be throwing stones !
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Bob Anderson
"Who are you to be throwing stones"? I'll tell you who: I am the victim of their abusive anti-gay bigotry, their holier-than-thou, sanctimonius posturing. He abused children, for God's sake! Innocent little girls! Your claim that critics of these people are "full of hate". The more definitive word would be "indignation"!
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Tyler
"We all know what happens when boys reach a certain age"? Yikes. I'll just let that sit a little bit.
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Cheryl
The same thing happens to girl when they reach a certain age. Remember "playing doctors" maybe you don't. I wasn't suggesting for a second that it is normal for boys to do what he did, poor impulse control, self image or any number of reasons. I worked in mental health for 13 years, the problem with this is that had the family not been on TV showing strong morals no one would care. Why? Because it is his past and people just look for things to attack someone for. I understand feeling bad for the girls involved, but consider what this might be doing to his children . This is bad for all involved, even those of us who have nothing better to do than sit behide our computers and discuss something that is not of our concern. As Joel would say, " Don't spend your time talking about people, pray for them instead. With that being said, I'm out,
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Minister Tracy
I do not know what actually transpired. I don't think anyone ever will. This is a horrible event in the lives of these young girls. I am glad that .... regardless of their religious teachings..... the parents took this seriously, believed the accusations,removed him from the home, (sent him to counselling) not sure) At a very minimum the girls will at least feel as if they have been heard. Many of us who have had these same experiences, are called liars, are told we misunderstood, and are pushed into a corner and forgotten about. The difficulty here for the families of incest, is that no matter what, they are still part of your family. Finding a way to forgive and make changes so that it doesn't happen again is what is most important. As in all cases of sexual abuse, there are varying degrees... No one here knows exactly what happened. I for one think that it is the victim who should be the one who can let the public know if they so choose. Its bad enough to have had it happen. To have dealt with it in the family and the church. Yet having the whole world looking in and speaking their mind about which they know NOTHING! I for one would feel totally violated again! This time by the media, clergy, so called talk shows, and all the prying eyes of the public. Well intended as some maybe, The victims are being victimized again. My heart goes out to the girls and to josh, This is something that will be with them for their entire life.
Forgiveness is a wonderful thing, it frees you from a lifetime of anger. Forgetting would be foolish!
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Michael Jones
First of all, the Bible says all have sinned and came short of the glory of God. These Juvenile records, which under State and Federal Law, should never have been released. Not only has it put him on public display for actions as a child, but also the victims. How many people will now not come forward after being assaulted with a complaint for fear of it going public??? The person or persons who knowingly released these records should be held accountable. We all have things in our back ground we wish never happened. I serve a God who is loving and forgives us of our sins. He buries them in the deepest part of the ocean never to be brought up again. My prayers for the young people effected by this release and not wanting to judge, as that is God's job, I hope and pray that Josh did get the help he needed and truly turned his life around.
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Rolando and Bre Ochoa
TCL BROUGHT the Duggar into our home, now they should bring them back for real. Let's see the family coping with the fall out. Victims getting much needed support, Josh in therapy to make sure he does Not offend his daughters. I think the parents need to be held accountable for child endangerment. There is real television that can show other victims how to heal, teach how to get rid of shame based identity, and how to earn trust. Josh should not be living with his own children if he has not received the help he needs. It is sad that if he had broken into the neighborhood garage he would be in jail but, for leaving emotional scars on a child "oops too late" Arkansas laws make me sick. When do our children really get to be protected. Why doesn't Josh ' s incident children deserve protection? Why isn't he man enough to love them putting them first, move out and get help. He already did this more than once.
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Rebecca
TLC didn't bring anyone into any homes. People choose to watch. People choose not to watch. If the Duggars were never on TV, perhaps no one would ever find out and "no one would care." Or perhaps one of the victims would step outside of the family and tell an authority figure. I chose not to watch the show (is anything on TV worth watching?). There's not a lot of wisdom to be found on sensational(ist) television shows.
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krm398
As teens become sexually active then they do face incredible temptation to do wrong. The Family and Church they go to should know that and help teens face those Demons. If they fail to do that, then the fault is not on the children but their parents and their Church.Only the elders of the community can advise children in these times, to not do so is to let temptation run wild, and they are to blame when things like this happens. I believe an investigation is in order, to see why the Father did nothing, and to see who in the Church knew and did nothing. God may forgive sinners, but he also judges them when we stand before him. These people might be very surprised when that day comes.
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Lorenzy Smith Jr.
He allowed Satan to take on a role in his mind as well as taking advantage of our little ones that will lead our future He allowed Satan to take on a role in his mind as well as taking advantage of our little ones that will lead our Contreau into worship and praise, All we can do now is pray for them"
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Rev. Dr. William Steven Bernfeld
Some people will do ANYTHING for money and notoriety. But this is more than the Lord' s forgiveness. Irreparable harm as been done to those young, innocent victims. The Lord may forgive transgressions against him, but only the victims can forgive transgressions against them. And shame on those adults who made decisions effecting those victims in hopes of not damaging those adults' income and fame. The Lord's laws are for the Lord, but Man's laws are for Man and those who have done a wrong to the victims, or covered up the transgressions should be held accountable to the fullest extent of the Man's law. These are despicable, unholy people and I will not spend one more second of my valuable remaining years thinking about them, listening to their lies or praying for their redemption.
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J
They call Josh a child molester... yet... he WAS a child himself. Everybody makes mistakes when they are growing up... it's a part of learning. Although what he did is wrong, he learned from his mistakes. He was brave to fess up to his parents, changed who he was, and does not do it anymore. The parents did hide this part of their lives from everyone. Frankly, I agree with them. There are things that have happened to me and my family, and mistakes I have made that I wouldn't want people to know. I have learned from and grown into being a better person because of everything bad in my life and every mistake I've made. What's in the past is just that... in the past. I've learned to stop looking in the rear view mirror and look forward into the future. As for the show, I think it's about time that they put reality into reality TV... finally let other people who have gone through similar situations know that they are not alone and things can happen to anybody!
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Mind Your Own Business
We all make mistakes growing up. Josh was a child, he should not be judged or punished as an adult. I have not heard from any apparent "victim' and therfore it's a family matter and should have stayed that way. Nothing good EVER comes from gossip. My opinion means NOTHING, and neither does anyone else's. GET A LIFE PEOPLE! YOU ARE ALL PATHETIC including me for wasting my time to write this Peace
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Charlotte
Sexaul abuse is about power and control, not sexuality.
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Mark S.
The Christian Patriarchy sounds like a cult with their beliefs about women being less than men. We are all equal. And sex offenders are criminals just like bank robbers and murderers. Josh and his father should not be rewarded for their actions but shamed for the rest of their lives. Joshes victims should be helped and counceled for as long as they need and their church (cult) should have to pay the bill for allowing it to happen and even promoting their beliefs that it is ok that men can do whatever they want to women.
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Brenda
lets take religion out of this- what he did and admitted to is a felony, a crime.... its punishable by time in Prison and in most states registration as a sex offender forever. HE is a criminal. His victims(yes, victims) need help, therapy and some support. They need to know that this is not their fault nor responsibility to help him get better. In my years of working with sex offenders in the MN system. I have not yet seen God fix a sex offender. They just get trickier in covering up or hiding their crimes. As for the people who covered this crime up, they should be tried and found guilty as accessories to this crime- please keep these people and their bull shit off TLC and get the victims of this crime help. Its a life long road to health and peace for them
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Bobby Mac
How many of you out there have not "played doctor" or explored when you were a child? The article says he first did it in 2002. He was a 10 year old child ! I think this has been blown way out of proportion. If he'd been an adult then heck yes bury him under the jail. He was a kid, he confessed, he's asked for forgiveness so lets get on with it. Everyone is getting so much pleasure from seeing this family suffer. It's terrible. No, I do not watch the TV show. I'm not a fan. Not interested in watching the lady using her uterus as a clown car...
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Ray Hathaway
Sign up the hypocrite, sinner for a stint in the Jimmy Swaggart Pseudo-Remorse Camp.
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Renee walls
If you are going to go on national tv and proclaim the word and spirit then you better abide by it. They lied to their followers and to the tv viewing public. SHAME!
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Dominick J Vettraino
Maybe I missed it but they never specified their age difference however the touching was non consensual. This case has the appearance of predatory behavior and possibly an indication that he himself was abused. To vilify, place religious values on this, please I thought we were past that. This is classic text book co-dependent behavior which comes as a result of a dis-functional family for any number of reasons. John Bradshaw has done inspiring work in this field. My view is do not pay attention to that reality B___ S___ it is everything but real. To see the world as it really is one must have no objection to what one is seeing. The deal breaker is that one must stomach stuff that the majority of mankind does not want to even think about let alone look at. To do that and not blow lunch requires a great deal of energy and sometimes one still blows lunch, spazzes out, or melts down, I have done all three. The bottom line is the kid needs help and society needs to do its do diligence by protecting its members from this child until he is safe or in a safe situation, that should be our concern. At the same time and just as important is the fact that the entire family is a victim of the child's behavior and of many things that have not yet come to light concentrate on helping that is our purpose. From what I have read it appears that the entire family suffers from religiosity.
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Bill Rogers
Why don't we stop worrying about a person who is already part of the "justice system" and concentrate on being better people ourselves? "Move on folks, there's nothing to see here."
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Brandi
He will reap what he sow. He molested his sisters and other young ladies and his family did nothing about it. In fact they did everything in their power to hide it.
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Shelly
Transgender without the -ed at the end. It isn't a verb. It doesnt happen to you. Heterosexuals haven't been "straightened." They are straight. It's an adjective. Just so you know. Otherwise, beautifully written!
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shelby thrasher (@srt973)
We forget these were the actions of a child. They are not excuseable but they are the actions of a child nonetheless. Should they have gone to the Authorities, absolutely. But it's hard to cry about after so much has happened during which so much time has passed.
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Missloveletlive
I am sad for the girls, so sad. I cannot fathom the pain of not only the sexual abuse but the dismissal of consequence because you are a female. I wonder if those girls yearn for someone to see that they are worth fighting for and then fighting for them. I wonder if they yearn to be told you are important and vital to our universe, not just for babies, but for your creativity, mind and soul. Josh Duggar is repugnant, and not of his own making, but of his parents crafting. He has learned the detrimental lesson of all: you are a white christian male and you can get away with anything. Why wouldn't he think that, he has it reinforced by his father, mother, wife, family, friends and his church. By TLC continuing to pay this family continues to reinforce that lesson. Not just to Josh, but to all males thusly perpetuating our rape culture. This expands farther than just the Duggars. This is a public service announcement about how we as a society value men over women. ( Look how quickly TLC cancelled Honey BooBoo)
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Dr Benson Evans
As a survivor of sexual abuse I can confirm that it changes one's life. The fact that the parents hid this and did not take appropriate action is despicable. I don't believe they should be rewarded with the continuation of their television program which, I'm sure, brings them a hefty income. I find it difficult to forgive them and therefore will leave it in God's hands.
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PattyMac
I really must beg to differ on your thoughts that it was the "Patriarchy" ideals supposedly imparted on Josh by his elders that played a part in the groping incidents. Growing up, and even once as an adult, I've had the unfortunate and terrifying experience of being awoken by what my friends and I called "creepers" - usually the older brother or friend of an older brother creeping into the bedroom when the sister had a sleep-over with friends and after they had fallen asleep crawling up next to one of us and trying to sneak his hand under the blankets. As an adult, a "friend" of my husband, who was actually asleep next to me in our bed, crept into our bedroom in the middle of the night and tried it on me! Needless to say, I was no longer a terrified little girl and I let him have it and haven't seen or spoken to the pervert in 20 years! Anyway, I digress, the point is I'm aware of several creeping incidents that have happened over the years and absolutely none of the "creepers" were raised with the "Patriarchy" way of thinking imposed on them. I am a Christian but not a fundamentalist Christian life the Duggar's but trying to blame this young "creeper's" actions on his religious upbringing is ludicrous and prejudicial!
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Christi
I agree with stpeterldspunk! There is a tv show called "INTERVENTION" which works with those addicted to drugs, but this is an obvious addiction this man had. Maybe in 2002, the laws would let this go, but I live in Virginia and there is no statue of limitations on this matter.
Simply said....this man is a monster and I am sure he will have to answer to OUR FATHER in time. It is not my place to judge the actions of another, however, if this man was within my reach, I would see to it the.at he did get arrested and have to stand trial in a court of law.
My concern is for the children that he raped. Are they doing ok? Have they been afforded the chance to attend counseling also? I can only imagine the guilt and embarrassment they must feel.
With this being said, the truth is, all I can do is pray for the children's safety and prey that they will be permitted to live normal lives as they grow. I also ask that ALL OF US do the same, I will pray for this entire family!
I do have one question.....Has he refrained from molestation or rape of any other girl/woman? A fact in this type of activity.....once you do it, you will continue. Like I started this letter with...He has an addiction and needs help.
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Brother Tim
the best punishment for Josh, would be to let the victim's decide his punishment. They are the ones who could best decide his fate. By their actions would show how bad or good they are as Christians.
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Chief Anderson
What's the matter with you so called compassionate people. He was only 14, just barely pubescent. Had he been 34, it would have been different.
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Jean Malone
As for as the Church is concerned , forgiveness is the answer . He broke the law , by the letter and the spirit . He will pay for it . His victims will have to work out their own . I hope there are Christ believing people to help them ( the Church ) . He will face punishment here . The hard part is remembering we are all guilty and fall short of the glory of God . That's why JESUS came to free us all if we are willing to accept his forgiveness . Love is the true answer the kind JESUS displayed. Y his death on the cross . Accused and not guilty so those of us guilty can not be accused . Amen
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Rebecca
He might have been abused himself. He needs help dear oh Lord. My prayer for you is that you get the help you need.
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Jacqi Hill
All religions are man-made and are flawed:( when children get molested, that should be punishable by law. Rape and incest are not holy. Perpetrators should be given a lobotomy and chemical castration to keep it from happening to another innocent child again.
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Miranda Allison Young
I feel very strongly that Josh should have been punished at the time of the crimes. TLC should dump the show permanently both becauseof this scandal and the family's anti-LGBT orientation. Also, the state needs ti change their laws.
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PJ
HYPOCRITES and A**Holes!!!
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DLC
I agree with Alicia Szot, the show needs to be cancelled and the girls in his family need to be talked to see if any of disturbing stuff happened to them. He needs to pay for what he did like any other person that committed this act.
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Barbara
I too believe the show should be pulled from the network. I know Josh has prayed for forgiveness and I know God has forgiven him but the people who watch the show will never forgive or forget. This family has been so judgemental towards so many different things such gay marriage. Their son is basically a pedophile and they have not only covered it up but have not gotten him any help.
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Lesley Nyberg
First of all it was now Rape, but Fondling which is very different in outcome to the victims. While in puberty I am sure you did inappropriate actions somehow so why would you be so callous in your post. Shame on you for stating lies in your article. I though you were people of God. I now have to decide if I want to be affiliated with your site because of your lies in journalism.
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Leigh Anne P
I am saddened by the fact that a woman's (and young female child's) well-being counts SO little to this family, their church and their state. Sadly, when insecure men are driven by ego and fear, this is often the case and life is hard for all involved.
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Joe Marturano 3rd
Not one of us is without sin, Not a one. it is our Lord who will judge, Not a bunch of sinners. The Bible tells us to forgive. We are not worthy to judge. Period
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Parthena Black
I agree. I have been reflecting upon this over the past year and have tried to stop judging people. I didn't know how difficult that is and how much I do that until I tried to stop it. With all due respect, you are also very likely judging them but keeping it to yourself, as we all probably should. I think that it's inherent in all human beings, but a very worthy thing to be aware of.
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Leon
As usual hypocrisy rules the day. Kill others who do this but when it is your son allowances must made. Using religion as an excuse for terrible behavior gives these weirdos good feelings about their unlawful behavior. The kid is a pedophile and should be treated while incarcerated( though treatment has been shown to be ineffective). Who did Josh emulate?
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Diggity
So wait. I'm confused. I'm sure that every night the duggar sisters went to bed they prayed for protection, which wasn't gifted to them. But now the offender, josh, just has to pray to the same entity for forgiveness? The same entity that denied his sisters protection!? Oh that dang free will. Making people who harm others is not intelligent design. It's irresponsible design.
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Reverend Reynolds
I'm happy this article addressed the victims of his crime! Throughout the exposure of Josh's actions it seems most of the apologizing has been to himself and his own embarrassment and embarrassment of his family. Being truly sorry is feeling for the young victims and the massive trauma they endured, it will affect their lives and outlook forever; unfortunately, like his earlier actions as a teen, leading up to this exposure Josh seems quite narcissistic. These victims did nothing wrong and will need all the prayers and more to help in their recovery and restoring their faith in humanity.
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Beau (Robert) Texter
The vertue of this family now bears a scarlet letter. no matter what was done in the end they will answer to a higher power. I do not condone such behavior. Nor will I tolerate it.
OK Shoot me for this but 'judge not lest ye be judged'. 'Right is right and wrong is wrong.'
The wrong thing is for the moral right to defend him and the family. It only weakens their cause to include people they deam healed when their image is so tarnished. Only time can tell if this is so. since it is just coming out after 13 years of cover ups, the clock starts now. Give him the 13 years to prove to everyone and his god, that he has truly repented and is healed. I have know a few people with this problem and have counseled them on it and usually with in 5 years, the thought start up and it feels like it is happen all over again. Depending on the action they take at this point is the real moral outcome. I send them or they go to counseling by people more qualified than my self. Choosing to go through it is another matter.
In a nutshell who am I to judge him or his family for their actions. I have never known a family that doesn't have something that they would like to keep private. we all have skeletons in our closets. Now with this in mind how do I stand.
Let him go to counseling and pay for his crimes, the parents who knew and covered it up need to suffer the consequences also, what else could they be covering up. as for the rest of the family if they knew and said nothing then it falls back to mom and pop. were they told say nothing. then their silence was of innocence, there is many a child who have grown up this way. Especially those born before 1970's. Trying to defend one's action under the cover of god is only hypocrisy at its greatest.
There is way to much of this in our churches and it leaders today. when this stops the true nature of religion will come forth and heal us all. the 2 commandments given to us 'Love your neighbor as yourself' and 'no other gods before my father'.
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thesteamingteabag
none of us are without sin not even one. he was a child himself, haven't we all done things we wish we hadn't when we were young and naive ? the girls should have some counselling. Gods law is to forgive.
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kg
When I first heard about this in some ways it did not surprise me. I hate it when people hide behind religion when they commit these kinds of crimes. When I was a little girl the same thing happen to me. I'm 56 now and I just recently told my mother about it. I feel for these girls, you live with self loathing, shame and yes hate. Especially as you get older and realize what happen and how it has effected your life without even knowing it. What Josh did was rape and no other words can cover it up. Rape is not always forced by beating someone half to death and yes he should pay for what he did. I wonder if he ever felt guilty for the way he spoke of gay and transgendered people, calling them evil and sexual predators? As far as Jim Bob Duggar should also be prosecuted for covering up this discussing crime all these years. Yes, the Duggars should start cleaning up their own house before condemning other people. The Duggars should remember that people that live in glass houses should not throw stones!
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Mary
There are so many troubling and appalling layers to this situation...it is difficult NOT to spew vitriol at such outrageous hypocrisy. Especially from people who have repeatedly judged others and held themselves up as some sort of moral exemplars.
Showing compassion does NOT mean that the person is not held accountable if they have committed a crime. Josh Duggar ADMITTED to his parents that he repeatedly sexually assaulted 5 girls. The youngest was under the age of 5 at the time. Instead of teaching Josh Duggar that there are real world consequences to breaking the law and violating his sisters, they hushed it up. The "State Trooper" they took him to for a "stern talking to" is currently in prison for pleading guilty to child pornography. I am sure he got a thrill from hearing all the sordid details of what Duggar did to these girls.
When Jim Bob Duggar ran for the Arkansas Senate in 2002, one part of his platform was that people who committed incest and rape should receive the death penalty. At the time, his son was committing incestuous sexual assault against his sisters. I guess the law only would apply to those OUTSIDE of his family...he made sure to wait until the statute of limitations expired so that his son got a pass.
On top of all of it, the Duggar girls had to live with the sexual predator who violated them. They got to witness that their parents protected him at their expense. Were they emotionally blackmailed into "forgiving" him because it's the "christian" thing to do? Were they somehow blamed or expected to take responsibility for his behavior? These are all common things that happen in such codependent environments. Add the layers of religiosity to it and it's a big mire of quicksand. Now, these girls/young women are victimized again by all the media attention being given to this situation. They did not ask to be pimped out on a television show of their parents making...they just have to live with the consequences of their brother's actions and their parents' decisions.
Ultimately, we need to do away with all of these ridiculous shows that television marketing would have us believe are "reality". They are not real. They are scripted to draw in viewers.
I do hope that all involved are receiving real and helpful therapeutic support. I hope that Josh Duggar's family life is investigated by authorities to be sure that his children are safe. And, I do hope that Mr. Duggar receives help so that he will never abuse another person again.
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Jimmy Perry
In Bibical times they would have taken these people outside the gates of the city and stoned them to death.
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richard
All are heartfelt comments and cross a huge spectrum. I think about the woman at the well, Paul be blinded and becoming the founder of the gentile portion of the church. I am one who believes Judas was forgiven and we use him as a scapegoat for our own betrayal. My guess is that Josh has been through a type of hell himself with remorse and a guilt that will be with him the rest of his life. We can be consciously forgiven but we never forget the sin. That is what he will face from now on. There is so much truth here about puberty and being raised in a conservative Christian environment. There is no excuse for any of us in a matter like this no, matter what our faith or lack thereof. My heart, and not condemnation go out to all of them in the family and the young girls affected. For those whose comments are indignation, wrath and anger I would only say, peace to you. My wife was abused by her father as a child, and yet she has forgiven him long ago and actually felt sorry for him. She was the first to find him after he committed suicide. (she was 13) Her mother never protected her though she knew what was going on. For those who like to make everything political, I would say what a shame and how narrow. No better than the folks you are talking about. Peace be with you also. I am far more worried about adults who molest children of either sex, especially their own parents and immediate family like uncles, aunts and grandparents. If you are looking to condemn sin, or grammatical correctness in comments, you are probably missing the point which is this. Just ask yourself what Christ would do in this situation. My guess would be to forgive and heal. Sounds to me that we should all consider that of any faith.
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Minister Tracy
Amen
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Minister Tracy
I watched a new piece of "news" on the actual offense itself and saw a clip on one of the victims speaking out. I am wondering if others have seen the clips and if it at all changed , softened their thoughts or strengthen your thought?
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Reverend Mike
To have 19 children and counting is a sign of serious mental illness. The line between faith and radicalism is thin. Mr and Ms Duggar are, to say the very least, Eco-unfriendly; adding to and encouraging the over populating of an already overpopulated world. But if that's how they want to live then fine. This is a free country. BUT, the fundamental flaw in that "baby factory" mentality is if you keep on creating people then eventually you are going to create a monster. Statistically it may be fair to assume the 1 out of every 20 people are sick in the head in some shape or form. Well, they played the odds and their 1 in 20 was an incest molester.
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Liz
Statue of Limitation has protected Josh for his actions. He should have continuing therapy and family therapy for the Duggars. The family therapy should not be given by Jim Bob and Michelle. As for the show, in my opinion I'd like to see a spin off with the older siblings and which ever sibling becomes in courtship. Having Jim Bob and Michelle not sharing their relationship of marriage or how they raised their children. I would like to see how Derrick and Jill do as parents and the birth of Ben and Jessa's baby.
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china mayhew
this whole issue has me beyond words. what i will say is michelle guggers robo-call aserted, it did not explain. explaining comes with the implication that what your saying is based in a certain degree of fact as apposed to a self serving cherry picking of leviticus.
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redrosemadder
I have read SO much about this case; it's a tragedy. From the cover ups, to the lack of therapy for the victims, to the mentality that allowed this to go on so long when the parents KNEW. They are still making excuses for their molester son. He will never be charged because the statute of limitations is up. It is awful.
The whole quiverfull movement needs to be unmasked as a dangerous cult.
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REV BIGSBY
THIS IS NOT OK AND DIDNT NEED IGNORED. A CRIME WAS COMMITED AND ALL THE SORRY IN THE WORLD WONT CHANGE WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE MIND OF THE VICTIMS. I'M A SEXUAL ASSAULT SURVIVOR MYSELF AND THIS IS AN ISSUE I FEEL VERY STRONGLY ABOUT. THE DUGGARS NEED SOME SERIOUS THERAPY ! ESPECIALLY WHEN ITS BEEN SWEPT UNDER THE RUG AND NEVER ACTUALLY DEALT WITH ! AND WHAT'S TO SAY FOR SURE IT HASNT KEPT HAPPIENING WITH OTHER MEMBERS WHO DONT COME FORWARD FROM THE SAME FAMILY ?! I WAS SILENCED WHEN IT OCCURED IN MY FAMILY SITUATION BY A RELATIVE. I'M FOR THE RIGHTS OF THE VICTIMS, AND DONT CARE ABOUT THE RIGHTS OF THE ABUSER. THEY GAVE UP THAT RIGHT WHEN THEY COMMITED THIS HEINOUS CRIME !! MY 1ST MOLESTER WAS 15 TOO, DOESNT CHANGE ANYTHING !
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Roman
You are absolutely right! Something needs to be done. I think DCF needs to be called in. I think someone needs to be arrested. I think a few people need to be fired. This situation was handled so poorly. I am sorry for what happened to you Rev. Bigsby. I will never know what kind of pain you went through. But it sounds like to me that the situation made you stronger. You did not surrender like most in your situation do. You used the pain you went through and turned it into energy to help others. I am a minister with the church myself. Glad to call someone like you a Brother in spirit. God Bless You!!
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Heather
They need to cancel the show already. Josh is a sexual predator. His sisters & his other victims have been through enough & by keeping this show on is basically raping & molesting them all over again. This low life has small daughters so they might just be his next victims if he's not already hurting them. His parents are so backwards & hypocritical. They have a problem with a gay film crew member but it's totally ok for their son to forcibly assault their daughters & other little girls because, in their religious beliefs females are only here to serve men & crap out a bunch of kids. All females deserve to be assaulted if they arouse a guy no matter the circumstances. So his 4 or 5 year old sisters deserved it because their sick freak, pedophile brother was aroused by them. These people are pure garbage & they most likely have a lot more mangled skeletons in their closet then people realize. They protect their precious pedophile son from the law, but they do nothing for his victims, not even their own daughters. Josh admitted to 5 victims but he's probably had more. He might've assaulted his younger brothers & other small boys too. But won't admit to that because he doesn't wanna be shunned by his fellow religious rapist friends & be called gay, because gay & transsexual people are this family's biggest problem. They're making money off of what Josh did to those little girls with their holier then thou noses up in the air & their self righteous heads held high like they're above the law & better than the rest of the world. Those backwards hicks are no better than street criminals. They're son's a child rapist, but it's totally cool because they're religious. Hey! Maybe they can pray the sexual deviance away 'cause that works every time.
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trieah flamedancer
Being a survivor victim of child molestation and child abuse myself, I can personally attest to the various types of impact that, that those kinds of crime can have on the mental state of mind on a child. And let me tell you, it's not an easy road to have to go down when you are still but a small child. My heart goes out to every child out there who has been forced into having to grow up way too soon.
God, please hear my prayer to offer mercy to ALL your children down here, no matter what chronological age we may be right now, to find enough strength to preserver through all our hardships, trials and tribulations. Please, give strength to all of us who have been victimized so that we may be able to overcome all the negative impacts such things have on our lives. And please, send the power of regret to all of us who have committed these crimes. Not so we may be eternally punished with no hope of ever being forgiven. But so we may personally know the full extent of the consequences of all our offenses, and then choose to change who we have become by being so offensive, both to you and to ALL of our brothers and sisters all over the world. Give us the strength and desire to always strive to do and be better, but not to dwell so long on our own darkness that we can not achieve our goal of becoming better.
Let us ALL strive to truly understand the full meaning of UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, by learning to forgive all the atrocities committed against us, including the atrocities we inflict upon ourselves. And help us to do our best to live and let live by truly living with unconditional love inside our hearts.
I do not speak these words as if I am looking down upon all those who do not share my views. I speak these words as one who is in the same boat as everyone else. I am no better then the rest of my brothers and sisters. I have my own flaws, setbacks and downfalls just as everyone else.
So please, God, be patient with us all, by giving us the time and space that it's going to take each of us to reach a high enough level of enlightenment, so that we can ALL come back home to you. Please, God, I beg you to love ALL of us enough unconditionally to not leave even a single one of us behind in the dark. And I hope you know my heart well enough to know that I personally will forgive you, should it be that time does indeed run out before ALL of us can make it back home to you. I love you unconditionally.
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china mayhew
my brother was 14, i was 7. he waited till my parents weren't home. he knew what he was doing was wrong. the bottom line is josh dugger was a multiple offender, whose actions were purposely swept under the rug to avoid scandal. he was raised in an environment where women are essentially property. no he doesn't need jail, what he needed was proper counseling as did his victims because yes it scars you. what he got was an orchestrated attempt to prevent the darker side of the quiverfull movement from coming to light and an assurance that he'd remain suitably indoctrinated. the "program" he attended is not certified, is a continuing subject of investigation by child protective services, and it's founder has been accused of harassing and assaulting 34 women. they had a state trooper give josh a stern talking to. that ex trooper is in prison for possession of kiddy porn. then there's destruction of police records and the indignation of the parents that something that didn't get shredded has been made public. the only thing that can be said, is it's not just josh, but his parents, his church elders and the questionable people who made sure this didn't come to light. then the whole bloody lot stand up as bastions of morality. it's hypocrisy at it's finest from people who claim to be embodiment of the one and only truth, but actually haven't a clue what jesus would do.
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Anita
I am shocked at the misinformation in this story! Shame on you for posting these exaggerations or lies! No one has said rape except you. He touched his sisters and a babysitter but he did not rape anyone. There are so many stories going around it is scary but you are making the situation worse by putting false information out. The number of inaccuracies in this story is truly astounding. I saw the police report and I watched the interview with Jim Bob and Michele last night even though it pained me to watch anything on Fox News. I won't list everything you have wrong because it is nearly every point you state. Shame on you! I'm not a fan of the Duggars but they certainly don't deserve to have ULC making what is already a bad thing even worse!
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Heather
Anita you make it sound like what Josh did is perfectly OK. He molested his sisters & the babysitter. Nobody knows exactly what he did, but with all the covering up his parents have done, it's probably far worse. I wouldn't be shocked if he did rape his sisters and/or the babysitter. Even if he didn't actually rape those little girls, what he did is inexcusable & beyond sick. Don't try to down play what he did & make it seem like Josh & his parents are the poor, beaten down, wonderful human beings, that have been brutally attacked by the media, when they're a million miles away from being the victims. They chose to display their whole lives on national TV. They did this to themselves & now they'll have to suffer for it. He violated his sisters & a babysitter & now it's out & those little girls are suffering even more so now. Haven't those little girls been through enough already?? What if your son did that to your daughters, would it be ok with you then?? Would you tell your daughters to their face that what happened wasn't a big deal & that they should just ignore it & get over it?? Boys will be boys right Anita??
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Anita
I did NOT say anything of the sort! I said I was shocked at the lies and exaggerations in this blog post. The girls are victims and they should not have to face the public about what happened to them. The police or court that gave a sealed record to a tabloid is going to be sued and should be! Josh can't be tried because of the statue of limitations. He needs a complete psychological evaluation so they can determine if he is a threat to his own children or if he acting n a manner that was deemed acceptable by his parents who can't seem to keep their hands off each other! There has been NO reports or stories of rape by anyone except this blogger and it makes me mad. It is hard to know what is true and what isn't when people can make things up and post lies with no repercussions.
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Heather
Hm. Well Anita, Josh is still a creep & his parents are no better. What he did was inexcusable. I sure as hell would not trust that guy around any small children. These people are off the charts ridiculous. They remind of me of my family. Only my mom's family made the duggars look like saints. My grandfather on my mom's side was a fundy minister who in the kkk, a rapist, & also a murderer. My stepdad was also a minister & a child rapist. I know that from experience. My parents divorced when I was a kid but always loved eachother, but my dad was a career marine. My mom thought she could trust her minister boyfriend but my siblings & I knew better. She finally found the courage to beat the s*** out of him with a bat & he went to prison. My stepdad was brutally murdered in that Texas prison a month after he went in. He deserved everything he got. I can't tell you what happened, but it was far worse than you can ever imagine. My parents got back together & remarried. We were never happier. My 3 siblings, my mom, & I survived two sick freaks from the fundamentalist church.
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Anita
Heather, I agree that Josh is a creep but his parents didn't molest anyone. They took their dear sweet time to report what happened but a year after the first incident when they found out he had touched another sister they took him to the police and made him confess so a report was written. Is it their fault that the officer who took their statement and wrote the report was charged with kiddy porn and sent to prison for 65 years? No, it isn't. They reported it then waited and waited but heard nothing so they thought it was done. It is a shame that 10 years later there are young women who are exposed to the world as victims of their brothers molestation. I saw the police report. There is no way to hide the fact that it says how many victims were living at the Duggar's address which means that they were sisters of Josh. That report should never have been released and I hope the person who gave it to the tabloid goes to prison herself. I am sorry for the horrors you lived through. Shame on your mother for not protecting you from such a person. It's a shame when parents don't do more to see what is going on their own house because the children are the ones who suffer the most usually. Your story is nothing compared to what Josh did to his victims. There should never be inappropriate touching, especially of children, but Josh did not rape his sisters as the original blog post here says. I am just so tired of people/media exaggerating things to make them sound more dramatic than what really happened. What happened to honest reporting or being held to the truth when writing a story for the public? I didn't expect lies from a ULC blogger but I guess it just upholds my belief that there is no such thing as god just people who use it as a shield for their bad behavior.
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Roman
Hello Anita and Heather. You guys both make very valid points. Here is the deal. Josh could possibly (Even though Highly unlikely) face charges now. When the fact of not reporting the daughters by the parents Michelle and Jim Bob , it opens the possibility for a new case. And when that happens, they will have to review the old case with Josh. So yes, it can be done. As for should it? In the least, Jim Bob and Michelle need to be investigated and their gravy train (The Human Pez Despensor Show) cancelled. I know that kind of sounds mean, but sometimes you get frustrated when people like this hate on others for being gay (they would hate me if they found out I was gay, with my husband of 3 year and I was a minister) and yet reason a way to think that child rape is ok! Things need to be done. People need to stand up and show people like this, and politicians like this, that this kind of hate and behavior will not be tolerated!!! And pray hard for change. God has many ways to work. He knows what he is doing!!!!
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Anita
Roman, Here's the deal, The parents DID report that Josh has molested/touched their daughters. Jim Bob reported it to a police officer one year after it happened. That officer is now sitting in prison for child porn for 60+ years so his cases went unseen for several years while he was going through the legal system. When the report about Josh was found (after a call to the Oprah show by the victim who wasn't a sister) the statute of limitations had already run out. They can NOT file charges for molestation against Josh for crimes that happened so long ago. I agree that the show needs to be cancelled immediately. I signed the petition calling on the network to cancel the show last year when they made such hateful statements about gays. No one has reasoned that child rape is ok. There was no rape involved here! Josh touched girls on top of their clothes many times. One time is too many and it is inexcusable, but people who are saying he raped his sisters need to stop it! He molested them and the legal system failed to get justice for his victims. It is a shame and there needs to testing done to ensure that Josh's children are not at risk. That is about all that can be done to him. Jim Bob did report to the police so what crime did he commit? I can't believe I am sounding like a defender of these people but this is the legal system in the USA and it didn't work. One last thing Roman, If your god knows what he is doing and has many way to work how do you explain the priests abusing thousands of children in the catholic churches?
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Linda Bell
I believe that he should be or should have been prosicuted jail time and all just because your father is or was in gov. You should not have special treatment my son was convicted over a lie and has been punished now 3 out of 4yrs so when I hear of people getting away with it I get pissed
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Dan
He was a child himself when these things occurred. He was not an adult. Shame on you all!
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Dan
Furthermore, it was not rape. So many uninformed opinions!
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Anita
Bravo! A voice of reason among the stone throwers!
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Rev. Donna
This is very unfortunate. I continue to pray for the highest & best for all concerned. To violate the body of another human being is attempting to steal their soul & most serious. Only God, the victims & perpetrator, know the true details. I it is my hope for the highest outcome for all, & only a higher power can bring that about. The best we can all do for all concerned is to hold them in Divine light.
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Juaniella Martinez (@JuaniellaMa)
What he did was wrong and illegal. He should be held accountable for his actions and face the consequences. Which is jail! How his family dealt with it was criminal! These folks are not the wholesome folks they pretend to be. I feel sorry for those girls. They need help and need to know what happened to them is never their fault. No god would condone what Josh did.
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Lynn Ehrhart
That family is a cult and part of a cult. No part of their actions surprises me. Their version of religion is odd at best and certainly disturbing. The logic and sheer dopiness they exhibit is stunning. The world does not need to be populated. It is already overrun with humans.
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Hank
No other criminals are denied food and shelter. Homosexuals have to eat and have a place to sleep. I have rented dwelling places to homosexuals, both male and female (I have never been personally acquainted with anyone who I knew to be guilty of incest). If they harass neighbors, that is a matter for the police authority. As long as they pay the rent, don't tear up the property and don't give trouble to their neighbors, I have no reason to evict them.
Just like they went on TV airing their family reality show they should do a reality show on him going through therapy and making amends to the people he hurt
Amen
No it's not a private matter, but just another way of trying to cover up one's inappropriate deeds. Our world has had these kinds of people for thousands of years, he is not the first, nor will he be the last. It's not fair to his victims to sweep it under the rug, but only allows these sick individuals to continue to do what they do, because no one has called them out. I am a Catholic, who has had to learn that while growing up many priests were doing the same thing, but were never punished, because the Catholic Church felt it was a private matter of which should be kept a secret. Teenagers explore, that is true, it is a part of our human nature, but perverts are cultivated, and his family like so many of these cult churches who have been allowed to abuse women for too long, is just a prime example of how men in our society have been allowed to victimize women with justification, in the name of God.
Agreed! Any type of abuse should never be overlooked, swept under the rug, or held as a secret. Subservient? No one should ever feel inferior to another, ever! Nor brainwashed into thinking it's ok.Serving one another is different than being made a servent unto one. In this life instance, they performed a gross manipulation of the law by covering up hanious crimes to get past the statute of limitations. Assuredly, they and all counterparts will be held accountable in the Lord's jugdement.
I recall a comment from an extremely important man, "Let he who is free from sin cast the first stone". How simple it is to be judgmental on an issue like this. Is there a solution? Yes, there is but it is not my place to impose my beliefs on this young man. How easy is it to call for his prosecution? Certainly his father is more culpable than he is. Parenting is where the responsibility for this issue falls.
I agree 100% Greg. This type of thing won't bode well for Clinton. Ohhhh that's right, he is immune in reality. Sexual pressure at childhood age or pressure as an adult, is wrong. I still suffer from that being done to me as a child, but who do I blame? The kids parents? Please.... Everyone is just one moment away from doing something in the whole scheme of things that could be judged harshly. More accurately, what most hide could be but they are not in the spotlight now are.....you? It would be interesting to know how many in this answer/comment forum did things sexually that could be judged as others are judging this guy who was 14? The speck in their eye while you have a log in yours? Be careful.....
Greg you were obviously never a victim of molestation so you don't know the damage it does . It isn't like stealing somebodies candy !!!! It does serious permanent damage and ruins the victims life !!!
Susan, you are so correct. The victims in this Duggar mess have been now revictimized by the media. Josh knew right from wrong. But being male in this belief system, priority was given to how this would affect HIS life, not the girls' lives. This resulted in cover-up and lies and delays in reporting (which backfired because the reporting was made after he was 18). My concern is for the victims who are brainwashed in this patriarchal belief system and do not even know their own worth. They have great shame which follows molestation. But it is really Josh's shame, not theirs. Tragic.
Everyone makes mistakes and besides he was young! This is a private matter and is none of our business!!
How does one learn from one's mistakes if one is not held accountable?
Seriously? That is not even close to being a "right" thing to do. He should do jail time - he is a criminal and should not be above the law.
Here's a perfect example of faith being the death of reason. He should go to jail. End of
I'm not sure jail time is the answer....maybe it is. Just not sure. However, these people should never profit from this heinous act by airing it on television and receiving funds for doing so. That is ridiculous!
I agree that he is not above the law and there should be consequences. I don't know if jail is the answer, either - but the prognosis for sexual offenders is worse than that of an alcoholic or addict, so whether he is going to or has re-offended needs to be investigated. Sadly, he isn't the only one who made the decision to cover it up and I find it sickening that these people have already profited by misrepresenting themselves and lying when they could have helped people by not so blatantly covering it up.
It seems to me that I have read somewhere about following the laws of man. Well? He should stand trial in a court of law like any other person. If it is meant that he go to prison he will...
Apparently, those religious fanatic's have created their own version of the Bible to suite their own needs. As God created man so did he create woman and therefore, we are all equal in His eyes as to how we are treated. Man created the law that men are above women, not God. And as far as sexual preferences go, again God does not make mistakes, but has allowed nature to take it's course. Transgender's are those who were born in the wrong body, and unless you are in their shoes who are we to judge what they are. Homosexuals as well cannot control that which was inborn in their DNA. As all God's children it is not up to us to judge anything other than those crimes committed against the Ten Commandments. Anything other than that is a personal belief of which no man has the right to judge.
I could not have said it any better myself D. Miller. I am a gay man and was raised in the Pentecostal church. I dropped out of the church when I was 12 due to the fact that I was scared. You would hear the good word of God, then next week come in a hear a sermon that preached that I (A homosexual) was an abomination and that I should die for this. This book has caused the deaths of many around the world. Caused many to commit suicide because it has a lot of hate in it that people believe word for word. (The word-for-word Bible believing Christians like Kirk Cameroon scare me the most.) All because some guy's back during a barbaric time said that this is right and wrong and God told me this. No one batted an eye at this and let it be!! Like two tribes not being allowed to mix. (Black people can't marry white people laws back during the early years of this country) The Bible was the reason the laws were enacted. And the verse where you can own slaves for as long as they were from a neighboring country. (The reason slavery was ok in this country was that verse.) And now its homosexuals. I thought one of the reason for this country being founded by our fore fathers was religious persecution. Now the crazy religious are persecuting gays. Many of the things our fore fathers escaped from is now being done in this country. I think people need to stop, read the 10 Commandments and the "Sermon on the Mound" and be reminded of what God actually wanted. This hate against people is wrong on all levels. And I didn't want to make it a political issue, but until people vote out these two hateful parties that refuse to work and use their political position as a hateful pulpit, no change will be made.
Reality TV makes ordinary people "famous" If he was not in the public eye this incident would be under the radar an no one would know of this except his family. Does anyone remember an "American Family" it was on PBS back in the 60's it followed around a family of four - it was a social experiment that went very wrong when the children lost their mental capacity and the wife and husband divorced. I pray for the victims of this tragedy that they receive the love and help they need. This show needs to go TLC is responsible as well for this - Reality TV needs a new reality.
They' ve lost their lucrative TLC contract, Josh will be prosecuted as a child molester. God will handle the real punishment.
The show has not been cancelled. They haven't lost a contract. Josh can't be prosecuted because the statue of limitations was three years after it happened. Read the news and get the facts before you post such statements as this.
Statute not statue, sorry.
according to their brand of religion I heard Michelle say God had blessed Josh n the rest with wealth which was God's way of showing favor. Money is not God's reward. If the show is canceled maybe they will then understand if there is a God he wasn't pleased about Josh and his family's treatment of his victims
I do not think so. Have they not made a mockery of God's word? To do this would be more of a spectacle. Victims have suffered enough. They will mend their lives together. This family is really not about God's love. It's about rules and regulations written by man during a crude and barbaric time in human history. Did we see the reaction to the mother Michelle? She was HORRIFIED that someone who worked on their show behind the scenes was gay. (BIG shocker in Hollywood right?!?!) But she seemed to not have batted an eye when her son did these acts. I think it really is up to God to decide his fate. But the public is going to punish them enough. And I really think that DCF should be called in to investigate. They should see if Jim Bob and Michelle are fit parents. Because if they are willing to cover this up from the public, what else may they be hiding?
Since he can't be touched, his father can. He lied and falsified a statement to Law Enforcement. Depending on Statue of Limitations there. I have read nothing about rape in anything about what Josh did until this ULCM storehouse story, have read girls where molested as in touched inappropriately. Cancel the show, who cares, have never seen it. ULCM Storehouse, how about trying to stick to the facts instead of creating false ones.
Markkie the story had been he touched his sisters from the get go. That is why it's such a major news issue. I wouldn't make statements about ULCM unless you know the real facts. That being said he wad14 and yes did wrong but touching, in my opinion, isn't rape. Lewd conduct or assault maybe but not rape. His parents are the real issue here cause had my 14 year old son touched his sisters I'm not sure what I would have done really but at the very least he would have been in therapy at worst I would have had him arrested but that would be an extreme. Parents are suppose to protect a child and all children equally. However, I believe we are all equal. Men, women, straight, bi, TS/Tv, and gays, all ethnic groups, nationalities, colors, religions and the fact my ex-wife, children,and grandchildren support me even after coming out in my late 50s is, I believe, true testament on how I raised my family. EQUALITY and true right from wrong.
Without any therapy, or the appearance of remorse, I would only pray for his children's safety.
Prayer doesn't protect children from being molested, look at the catholic church. That place is a pedophiles Disneyland.
Punish him as they do by law, 10 to 20 years for convicted child molesters, he broke the law.
I'm not entirely sold on that course of action (even if it were viable, as this article states that the statute of limitations for sexual felonies in AL is a ridiculously low three years). We have to try and remember that this man was 14 years old when he started doing this. I do not believe he was able to make a very rational decision about this due to his upbringing and his young age. What he needs--and should have received--is some real therapy. Leaving him to fester in a cell by himself (and always in danger because others in prison don't take kindly to sex offenders) will not help anyone and will only leave him a more dangerous person when he eventually gets out. Thoughts?
I think you have a very valid point here, tylerringstad. We live in an unfortunate time where we've created a culture which encourages everything to be disposable~~including people. Sure...we can throw people in jail for such offenses because it's easy and forgettable. There are definitely cases where jail is warranted, but for a young teen who has been raised in a home which practices a radically fundamental faith, we need to take a step back and have compassion. I'm not saying that what he did should go without consequence, but jail is not the answer to life's sticky situations.
He was 14 at the time, so it was a juvenile offense, no matter how heinous it was. The statue of limitations ran out years ago so there is no taking him to trial. He touched inappropriately not raped so prison would be the last thing they would do to him if they could do anything. Have you read the police report or heard the interview with the parents? Get your facts before passing judgement like this!
if some one has past expeirence as a predator or (touching young girls while they sleep) chance are they will do it again. even more so if they were never punished properly in the first case. looks like chris hansen how to catch a predator should have josh duggared on his show not tlc. I will now stop watching this show knowing Josh is a predator i am discusted i wonder how many more secrets are out there!! hope he is on the sex offenders list and finally takes responsibilty for his UNGODLY actions.
I will not be watching the show again either. I feel let down and lied to! I don't think they will be able to save face on this one.
Well, I just learned this morning that the two sisters Jill and Jessa are two of his victims. There is no line he wont cross to fulfill his sexual needs and they are "HORRIFIED" too learn a gay man was near them during the filming of their show. I find that a very troubling scenario.
I would like to speak from an experience perspective , from running programs that addressed specifically , incest family issues and treatment approaches. Incest has to be treated as a family unit. Each member of the family has to be taught what is right and wrong when it comes to sex and intimacy. Often times all members of the family for many generation have had the experience and it is a norm. So the best approach is to save the family unit and the perpetrator have to leave the family unit until he or she earns the rights to be readmitted to the family. This will be decided by the victim therapist and the perpetrator therapist. The non offended caretaker must also enter therapy, and her role is to develop the courage to believe and protect her family! Healing is possible!
Let us not forget the Bible and pray for this sinner, The laws of our land will do the rest.
Amen Brother Frank.
From my research on this he has already made a mends to the people he hurt. He doesn't have to please anyone but God at the point. Its not social medias business what this young man and his family endured. We have all done things we weren't so proud of, once you repent and make things right with those you hurt that's it. Who are we to continually beat this young man over the head with his wrong doing. Only difference between this family and the average Joe like us is they're situations are magnified for the world to see. His parents did exactly what they should have done, they got him and all parties involved HELP, prayer and forgiveness. If we want God to forgive us and not throw all our mistakes in our face we must do the same for others.
I always knew eventually something awful would one flying out of the Duggar families closet. I'm sure they have their religious damage control team on it. That creepo needs to answer for this.
God ain't the answer to sexual molestation. When you aren't screaming to the sky for answers, Where do find the solution to stop the next victim from sex abuse?
First of all, AMEN ! Secondly, 3 years? ?? What's wrong with that! ! Third, my (OPINION) ,THOUGHTS, not only should he be held accountable, so should his father, lying to the authorities, I believe that's called "falsifying information " ! Which is also a crime. GOD help the victims! And that family! !
Forgiveness and no judging. He doesn't have to answer to us. Only God. God forgives if you ask.
Forgiveness requires penitence and true sorrow for your actions. Have we seen that?
You are right Keith. He will have to answer to God. But, something will need to be done. The reason is that if other supposed "Christians" allow their son to commit these acts, then covers it up, others will think it is ok. He and his parents need to be punished!!!! The victims and future child rapist need to know we as a people will not tolerate this kind of atrocity.