Stand By Your Man
Clearly Anna Duggar has been brainwashed
“A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” Luke 6:45
Yesterday, Josh Duggar, 33 was found guilty after a grueling 2 week trial where both family friends and federal prosecutors presented the jury with the harrowing details of Duggars sick obsession.
After a 6 hour deliberation, the jury unanimously delivered the verdict convicting Duggar of one count each, of receiving and possessing child pornography. He now faces up to 20 years in prison and $250,000 in fines.
A Department of Justice Analyst testified that Josh was in possession of the “most offensive” video he’d ever seen.
Duggar remained emotionless at the trial, even as family friend Bobye Holt recalled the abuse Duggar had inflicted on his family and friends. Holt testified about a family meeting she was invited to in the Duggar household in 2003, where Josh confessed to molesting 4 of his younger sisters and a babysitter.
Josh Duggar was 15 and dating Bobye Holt’s daughter at the time.
Wife, Anna, and father, Jim Bob, were present throughout the trial as well as various siblings and their spouses. Josh’s mother Michelle never made an appearance at the trial.
However, Michelle hinted at her belief that Josh was being unfairly accused by promoting the book “We Will Not Be Silenced: Responding Courageously To Our Culture’s Assault On Christianity.” Because his faith is why people are condemning Josh Duggar of course.
The Duggars are Independent Fundamental Baptists, one of the largest and most devout denominations. IFB has very strict rules regarding their followers and former members describe it more like a cult than a church.
Children raised in the IFB faith are taught even as infants that they must be submissive to God and their parents. Physical punishment is not only allowed it’s encouraged.
Christian minister Michael Pearl writes in his book, “To Train Up a Child”, popular with the IFB faith;
“If you have to sit on him to spank him then do not hesitate. And hold him there until he is surrendered. Prove that you are bigger, tougher, more patiently enduring and are unmoved by his wailing. Defeat him totally. Accept no conditions for surrender. No compromise. You are to rule over him as a benevolent sovereign. Your word is final.”
From the very beginning, children are taught they must never question their parents or the church for any reason. The very stringent rules are in place so they don’t stray from their faith at any time. If you don’t accept Christ as your Saviour, you suffer consciously being roasted alive in hell for all of eternity.
Yikes.
Anna (Keller) Duggar was also raised in the IFB church and some say her home life was even more stringent that the Duggars. One of 8 children, Anna was homeschooled and graduated high school at 16.
While 3 of her siblings left the church and are estranged from the family, Anna held fast to her beliefs into adulthood. She met Josh at her sister's wedding in 2006, but was forbidden to talk about him. Feelings were reserved for a weekly 15 minute talk with her sister Suzette.
Sources close to Anna say she was aware of the molestation scandal involving Josh, but the situation was downplayed. His own family swept the abuse under the rug and even his sisters took his side, claiming they forgave him because he was just “being a boy.”
Because of Annas strict upbringing she was very sheltered regarding relationships and abuse. I imagine her parents thought much like the Duggar parents in that if they prayed hard enough, god would absolve even the sin of molesting your sisters.
It’s so hard for me to imagine that this is the kind of guy any parents would dream of for their daughter. But nevertheless, Annas parents gave their permission and Josh and Anna married in 2008.
In the IFB faith wife is seen as one of the most coveted roles for a woman, second only to the title of mother. Obviously with the influence of her mother and josh's mother, Anna had their first child in 2009.
As Josh and Anna expanded their family, people began raising questions about Josh’s personal life. The previous molestation of his sisters was leaked to the media in 2015 through a police report that was taken by the State of Arkansas.However, since the statute of limitations had expired no charges were filed.
But Josh’s questionable choices didn’t end there.
Also in 2015, Josh’s personal information and profile were leaked from a popular website. Information was hacked from Ashley Madison, a site used primarily by married men. The site promised a discreet way for people to meet online friends, but really it was just a high tech way for men to cheat on their wives.
Shortly after Anna was quoted as saying the only answer she could find was to cling to her faith amid all this. That God would tell her how to respond and what to do.
Strangely enough, adultery is one of the only justifications the IFB church gives for divorce. You would think any sane person would have recognized this was the second red flag with Josh and done what’s best for their kids and herself and left.
But I highly suspect Anna had been so brainwashed by years of fanatical religious teachings by that point, she never even pondered divorce. Women in the IFB church are taught to be submissive and obey their husband despite anything else.
If it’s all you’ve ever known, how can you know better?
Independent Fundamental Baptists don’t teach right from wrong, they teach they are right. The pastor is directly ordained by God and therefore can do no wrong. IFB members aren’t given the freedom to make their own choices, only taught that God has already outlined their lives.
Fanatical religions like this run parallel to cults for a reason. There is no individualism, everything is the same. Abuse, toxic masculinity, child molestion and even pornography are hidden behind faith.
Why do religions like this still exist? I honestly, don’t know.
Even despite all the allegations against Josh Duggar, his wife Anna has continued to stand by his side. She gave birth to their 7th child in November, just weeks before his trial started.
She remains committed to supporting him not matter what. Maybe she honestly didn’t know about the pornography, maybe she did. Maybe she, like his sisters, will forgive him because he was just being a guy and that’s what guys do.
Maybe she has been so enmeshed in the toxic IFB world for so long that she can’t even see her way out.
If Josh does get the maximum sentence of 20 years, it will be interesting to see how his family and his wife spin the narrative around him. We’ve already seen how his mother tried to paint him as a victim because of his beliefs, will the other do the same.
My hope is that he does get the max sentence, although even 20 years isn’t enough for what he’s done. But when he gets to the other side and he’s staring down his fate for eternity, he remembers tha God doesn’t like ugly.