Life in the Duggar Family
Let’s return to the Duggar family, the God-fearing, Velveeta-loving fundies of Arkansas.
I’m continuing our exploration of the Duggar family web site for three reasons:
1. It’s funny.
2. It’s scary.
3. Too often, I just take a fundie email I receive and make fun of that. Those are written by fundies with an agenda. The Duggar web site is a glimpse into how a fundie family lives (albeit extreme even by fundie standards).
We last left off looking at their page called How do you make a household of 17 people run smoothly? We got through one whole paragraph last time. Let’s look at the rest of the article today.
Our daily routine begins with personal hygiene (get dressed, brush teeth, comb hair, etc…). Each older child has a younger buddy or two that they help. We eat breakfast & read Proverbs at 8:00a.m., then we ‘quick clean’ the house (older child & their buddy work together to clean their jurisdictions).
Every day the same thing! Reading Proverbs every day at breakfast sounds stifling. They should at least give the kids a break every now and then and let them read something else—like Chick Tracts!
Throughout the day we try to pickup as we go along, but naturally things tend toward disorder.
This is a perfect example of the second law of thermodynamics (increasing entropy). I’m a little surprised that the Duggars didn’t take this opportunity to attack evolution. Fundies frequently cite the second law as “proof” that evolution is impossible. They argue that evolution (increasing order) violates this law.
What their straw-grasping little brains fail to comprehend is that the second law is referring to the increase in entropy in a closed system. The fundies view the Earth as a closed system. What they overlook is that energy is entering the Earth in the form of sunlight. If you look at the Sun and Earth together as the closed system, then entropy is increasing big time. (For more about this topic, here’s one of many articles at the TalkOrigins archive.)
At 9:00a.m., the older children help their buddies with their studies in phonics, math, violin & piano (J-O-Y- Jesus first, Others second, & Yourself last!). Then the older children start their music & individual studies—math, English, spelling & typing.
Oh J-O-Y! Actually, the acronym they should use is L-O-R-D. (Looney Oppressive Religious Delusion)
We break for lunch at 12:00pm. Jill (age 13) prepares lunch & we all help cleanup.
Poor Jill! She has to make lunch for this horde all by herself? At least they don’t also stick her with the dishes.
At 1:30p.m. the little ones go down for naps (4 & under). Momma & older children are around the table at 2:00p.m. for Wisdom Booklet group studies—science, history, law, medicine.
From what I’ve been able to gather, Wisdom Booklets are booklets for fundie homeschooling. I’d love to see what passes for science in there. History probably cites the Bible for much of its content. Law is probably the thinnest pamphlet; fundies only need ten laws. Or maybe medicine is the thinnest pamphlet, consisting of only two words: “Pray hard!”
We work on one subject until we complete the study. We also review & memorize scripture, hymns & operational definitions of character qualities.
Sounds like they’ve got their own little madrasah going.
The children especially enjoy this because they make up motions to help with memorization.
One motion they might make is hands to their throats. “Help! I can’t breathe! Living here is suffocating me!”
At 4:00p.m., we break from group study to complete individual studies, otherwise this is free time.
Just don’t do anything that Jesus wouldn’t do.
We have dinner at 5:00p.m. Jana (Age 14) prepares dinner & everyone helps cleanup.
Now it’s Jana’s turn to be groomed into the perfect fundie wife. Quick! She’s running out of time! Fourteen is an old maid by Arkansas standards!
(Apologies to my Arkansas readers. Fourteen is only an old maid by Arkansas fundie standards, but that doesn’t read as well when you’re making a joke.)
We do another ‘quick clean’ of the house after dinner & then have free time.
The older boys go out to the barn for a circle jerk…
Some may still be finishing up music, seeing we have to take turns with one piano to 11 students!
I think you mean “…seeing as we have…”. I’m surprised that people who read a book that is mostly filler (“…begat… …begat… …begat… …begat… …begat… …begat…) would feel the need to chop words out of their sentences.
8:00p.m.is snack time.
Grape Kool-Aid anyone?
Then we get ready for bed (baths, brush teeth, pick out clothes for next day).
What’s to pick out? They all dress alike! Maybe they get to choose whether tomorrow they will dress like an Amish or a Mennonite.
9:00p.m. is Bible time with Daddy. This is probably our favorite time of day.
I know it would be my favorite!
Daddy reads the Bible & we discuss the passage together. We talk about the day & bring out points of how to apply what we have learned. We enjoy making up skits & acting out examples of right responses & wrong responses.
Gosh! That sure sounds like fun! It sure beats watching Desperate Housewives!
Often our little ones will fall asleep as Daddy begins Bible time…
Ahh! The Kool-Aid is beginning to work!
We have a master schedule of each family member’s responsibilities displayed on our dining room wall.
Their micromanagement of their children’s lives and thoughts knows no bounds.
For each month, we also have individual daily checklists which cover schoolwork, chores, music lessons, & personal hygiene.
Jimmy’s enema is scheduled for Wednesday at 3:00. Jill’s tampon change will occur on Thursday at 5:30…
These were designed by Daddy so we could see at a glance how each child is doing. These checklists enable us to keep our children accountable & also reward them accordingly.
And punish them accordingly, I’m sure.
We have goals, but then we have reality!
No, you’re fundies. You’re about as far removed from reality as possible.
We are learning to practice flexibility—Not setting our affections on ideas or plans which could be changed by God or others!
So what happens? God rings you up and asks you to block out three hours this afternoon?
Sometimes we have ‘Daddy Days’ when Daddy overrides the schedule and takes the children out for family time, a field trip or a service project.
I’m sure the field trips are to places like the local creationist museum.
We try to make each day fun. Everyday is an exciting adventure!
No. Your days sound like repetitive, stifling bores.
It’s a good thing I don’t believe in Hell. I’d be worried that my punishment for this snarky blog would be reincarnation into this family.
Update (August 8, 2007):
Most of you reading this are coming from various places around the web where the link to this article has been posted. I appreciate the additional traffic, and I respect the fact that many of you hold very different opinions than I do.
Many people have commented that they like the Duggars and/or don’t think I have any right to criticize them. Whether you like them is entirely your choice. I do have the right to criticize them, because they have gone public with their lifestyle.
I have written a more recent article that explains why families like this are a problem. I invite you to read it: The Duggars—Parasites of Science.
(BTW, they don’t pay any property tax on that giant house of theirs. They had it declared a church. You’re subsidizing their lifestyle.)
Update (August 8, 2008):
It has now been a year since I last updated this article, and a year-and-a-half since it was originally written. I have now closed off the comments for this article. I think most of what anybody can say about the Duggars has already been said (many times over) in the 326 comments below.
Many of you have arrived here by following a link from another site. This is not an anti-Duggar web site. The several Duggar articles here are just a tiny fraction of the 400+ articles that I’ve written about the issues of science, science education, and church/state separation. You are welcome to explore the rest of the site. And don’t forget to stop off at the home page to read the fresh stuff.
March 19th, 2007 at 4:56 pm
“It’s a good thing I don’t believe in Hell. I’d be worried that my punishment for this snarky blog would be reincarnation into this family.”
I read your blog and laughed so much, I’d be sent to Hell too. Look for me, I’m the one changing your tampon.
March 23rd, 2007 at 12:25 am
With my luck I’d reincarnate as the tampon
June 7th, 2007 at 4:11 pm
They’re expecting a 17th child next month. Oh, joy!
June 11th, 2007 at 6:57 pm
Come on… seriously they are debt free… etc. etc.. sure they don’t get to run crazy bad ass kids lifestyles . I think they are awesome !
June 21st, 2007 at 2:15 pm
Have these people seen a black person? I wonder why the boys never cook…
June 27th, 2007 at 2:21 pm
Just what kind of animal is that attached to Michelle’s head? Someone please line up the mom and girls and pass me a scissors!
July 14th, 2007 at 7:17 am
That was hilarious - you’ve got to agree, however, that mommy has the best mullet EVER…
My overall thought on the Duggars is that they scare me. A lot.
July 23rd, 2007 at 3:41 am
This is the most hilarious stuff I’ve read in a long time…I’m at work and have been laughing out loud!!!Thanks you guys for making my night shift so much more fun…the Duggars…creepy, creepy, creepy!
July 24th, 2007 at 7:42 pm
You need to find something bettter to do. You raise your kids your way; they raise their kids their way–let it go.
July 31st, 2007 at 5:43 pm
Michelle does wear some crazy colored lipstick at times.
I wonder how god sends them the message that it’s time to have sex. After all, he’s deciding when and how many children they have.
They really do scare me, though. Haven’t any of these kids broken an arm or gotten really sick? Do they have health insurance? Oh wait, god wouldn’t let anything bad happen to THEIR kids…..
August 2nd, 2007 at 8:30 am
So glad to see someone telling the REAL TRUTH about this family of robots.
I suppose when the kids grow up, they’ll all build homes near their parents and raise droves of robots too [or is that rabbits?].
Scary is right. And those clothes! Do these girls never went jeans or shorts? Do any of them ever have “impure thoughts”?
Well, they are an amusing bunch anyway. Thanks for the laugh!
August 3rd, 2007 at 1:44 am
It’s a good thing they are debt free but as someone wrote, they are kind of creepy. They all look as they’re stuck in the 80’s…. the clothes, the hair styles. Sooner or later the kids will go out in society to work and they probably will be riduculed for how they look. It doesn’t cost much more to buy second hand clothes that are new than second hand clothes from the 80’s! Also, the hairstyles…. guess the parents cut their kids’ hair… maybe they should look in a magazine.
August 3rd, 2007 at 9:05 am
Oh gosh, this was a good post! It’s a morbid fascination with this family. But I agree totally on hair and clothes- good grief. How about a little originality and independence (to go with the responsibility and education)? And why don’t they ever talk about the “religion” they follow other than just “God”? I’m curious what kind of religion supports their beliefs. Oofty. What a deal.
August 3rd, 2007 at 12:56 pm
The reason they don’t talk about “religion” MAY BE because they don’t follow “religion”, they follow God.
August 3rd, 2007 at 11:11 pm
I think the Duggar family is blessed by God, and I am praying for all those who read and believe the lies on this website that they will turn their hearts toward Jesus and quit believing the selfish humanist views that people fill their empty minds with when they are empty of any real beliefs or values. Life is precious, and people choose to live it in different ways. The Duggars choose to teach responsibility, teamwork, and relationship skills to their children, as well as a sound background in (like it or not) the TRUTH of God’s Word. May your hearts turn toward the love of Christ, and if not, may God have mercy on your souls.
August 4th, 2007 at 5:58 am
Even though 17 kids is way too many, I have to give these parents credit for raising them in a healthy and loving environment. What worries me is the kids’ ignorance of what is out there in “real life”. Another thing that bothers me is the Fundamentalist view that females must always wear a dress. This was accepted 100 years ago, but I find it foolish in today’s world. Those poor girls. Never have worn a pair of jeans because “God said so”??????
August 4th, 2007 at 1:13 pm
I don’t have a uterus, but ouch. Just ouch. The consumption and waste of these people must be obscene, not to mention the fact they are contributing to the over population of the world. Then again you will never see a Mexican family, and their thirty kids. So why not publicize these people.
I feel sorry for the children the most, since they are being groomed into the perfect little house wives. Instead of having children, these people should be adopting.
August 7th, 2007 at 12:06 am
I have a cousin who is having his 10th child in as many years with his wife of course…..
its not my way, but I say, if you can do it, and do it well, which my cousin and his wife and the Duggars do, then go for it…
they make up for all the idiotic people that hate children such as this so-called “writer”…..
let me think……happy children, happy household, and living a sensible and frugal lifestyle….yep, definately trouble makers, those Duggars….
August 7th, 2007 at 12:25 pm
I happen to watch this family every time I get a chance. I think that the Duggars are awsome. You know people want to sit and critisize them for having 17 kids at least they are taking care of them with no assistance from welfare. People want to complain they should complain about the people who keep having kids and living on welfare. Those kids are very well rounded, educated and happy. The kids have friends and they go out and do things with other families why is that any different than what people with small families do? I by no means think these kids are deprived of anything, they have a mother and father who love them dearly a nice home enviroment to grow up in and thats more than I can say for alot kids.
August 7th, 2007 at 4:57 pm
No tampons for Jill! Didn’t you know, they might ‘rob’ her of her virginity!!! I have a feeling the Duggar girls use the old style pads complete with belt.
August 8th, 2007 at 12:28 am
I think they are odd to have sooooooooooo many kids!!!!!!!!!!!!! I do think that they are doing a wonderful job of raising them, however. Not many of us could do this, even if we had all the money we would need to survive so nicely. They do seem to have the answers on raising so many children. I have seen other shows, for instance the one where they have twins, then multiples. Her husband is oriental. Her kids seem whiney and spoiled. They are not as well-behaved as the Dugger kids. Most kids nowdays are spoiled and selfish with unruly behavior. They have done a good job, their kids are not spoiled and they don’t act out of control. We could all take a lesson from their discipline and guidence.
I did notice that they bought a lot of expensive quick foods; like cans of name-brand chunky soups, and name-brand raisin bread. I would have thought they would do more cooking from scratch to save money, but their shelves are lined with already prepared canned foods.
August 8th, 2007 at 1:26 pm
It’s their life & their business. The Duggar Family seems to be a wonderful, Christian family, they can handle it. What amazes me is that they are debt free, now they know how to manage their money. Not everyone could do what they do & not everyone would want to. God bless the Duggar Family.
August 8th, 2007 at 1:34 pm
I was born & raised in Arkansas (and wouldn’t live anywhere else & yes, I have lived in other states) Anyway, I don’t appreciate the little negative comment about Arkansas’s fundie standards….It wasn’t really that funny! What makes you think that you know some much about it? Do you live in Arkansas?
August 8th, 2007 at 3:40 pm
I come from a family of 11 where I am the next to the youngest. We had our rough times, yes, but I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. I like the Duggar family and think it is great that the have been blessed by God with so many children. It is the times of struggling that we are made stronger by the power of God.
If you want to be angry with someone for over populating the world, be angry with the devil for his part in the demise of the family unit and then tell parents to teach their children good moral values and to know where their kids are at all times. In other words raise your kids in the admiration of the Lord, teaching them right from wrong.
Just becuse this family is doing a good thing and living by God’s standards and not the world’s standards, is no reason to go off on them at any level. Some of your commits could be considered sexist and perverted.
August 8th, 2007 at 3:40 pm
Thanks to everyone who supports our family and my hair-do. God told me to wear hair wings on the sides of my head so that it amplifies the messages I recieve from God to my ears.
God is good… can’t wait to have number 1,936,483!!!
Oh, and with number 17 here, it’s hard to have intimate time with Jim Bob. So from now on, he will use THE FORCE to impregnate me.
August 8th, 2007 at 3:42 pm
Go Michelle! You are a wonderul person! Tell your family Hello from me!.
August 8th, 2007 at 4:19 pm
So tell me again , what it is that scares you about this family? HMM is it the fact they believe in God? About 95 % of families are danegrous that way. Or maybe because they have had a lot of sex. You seem bothered bya husband and wife that still want each other. Pretty dangerous to have acouple like that runninga round. Or is it the moral standards they are forcing the kids to learn. OOh the thought of a generation of adults going out there spreading morals and fidelity and family relationships, is truly frightening. What would the world come to if everybody decided to be debt free? EEEK ! It would be less scary if this were a dysfunctional , single parent home with at least one drug addict running around the neighborhood. God save us from families that love each other! And horror of horrors love you!
August 8th, 2007 at 4:32 pm
Hi,
This is Michelle’s uterus. Just want to let eveyone know I’m doing OK. I’m trying to get myself in shape before Jim Bob shoves his thingy in my friend, Vagina, again. He’s such a sex hound. Vagina and I actually find him quite hideous.
Please say prayers for Vagina and myself that we survive. Your support is apprecaited.
August 8th, 2007 at 5:19 pm
For those who think the Duggar lifestyle is so admirable because they are debt free.
Let’s look at why.
They are pimping their children out to be ogled as a kind of vaudeville freak show to the major networks and reporters. You think they are doing that for free?
You think those kids don’t know they look different from the rest of the world? Think again.
Been there, done that. They are damn well aware of how they look and I’m guessing they feel every part the freak their parents are selling them as.
I thank my heaven that my parents at least had the gumption to keep our lives private while forcing us through Gothardism. It was horrific enough to have to leave the house looking like an extra in Little House on the Prairie. I just can’t fathom being broadcast around the globe looking like that.
You are applauding their lifestyle as Godly? As Michelle as being able to handle things? Laughable. These folks have sold their souls to Gothard and the ATIA/Quiverful crowd.
As for Michelle handling, not so much. She just passes off her children to be raised by a sibling.
So go on with your bad selves, applauding this family. There are those of us who have walked a mile in the Duggar kids shoes who wait for the day that they too will be free from Gothard’s control.
August 8th, 2007 at 5:35 pm
“As for Michelle handling, not so much. She just passes off her children to be raised by a sibling. ”
Couldn’t agree with you more on the above quote!!!! And I think I’d have some $$ too if I sold my kids’ souls to TLC too!!
August 8th, 2007 at 5:36 pm
Blog owner, if you dont mind, I would like to offer a website for those who are exiting the lifestyle of the Duggars-Gothard/ATIA/IBLP to go to to decompress.
http://xatiguy.blogspot.com/
This isnt my blog but I recommend it for people who want to see deeper inside the Duggars lifestyle.
There is so much more than what you see on TV and although Xers site is satire, there is much truth/reality to be found there.
Good luck, my friends. Life is much richer on the outside than within the confines of paint by numbers lifestyle of Gothardism.
August 8th, 2007 at 5:38 pm
The person who came up with this website is a complete idiot!! I would love to see their point of view (and believe me I’ve tried!!!), but I can’t get my head THAT far up my ass!!! Try getting a life instead of ridiculing the way others live theirs!!!!
August 8th, 2007 at 5:43 pm
Looks like we got a war going on here. The losing side is doing the yelling because they’re too selfish to have 17 kids of their own to combat the fundies. Guess what, the only way to win over this fundie family is to lie, flame & stomp them with your drag queen heels.
This blog reads like a list of hate crimes (oh - oops - I forgot, the fundies are the ones who commit hate crimes)
August 8th, 2007 at 6:24 pm
Since they’ve sold their kids for money, they’re just as greedy as every one elese.
Nice that they don’t pay property taxes too. I don’t get why this backwards family gets any publicity. But then again it’s about the $$ for these people.
August 8th, 2007 at 7:14 pm
I admire you for letting God have his way with your family. I am 5th daughter of (11) eleven children , we had great love and togetherness amoung all , (7) girls and (4) boys, God forbid anyone who speaks against us or you,Psalms says children is an heritage from the lord, and blessed is the man who has his quiver full of them, that means his household.
August 8th, 2007 at 7:58 pm
Actually, DJ, the only war being waged here is by the Quiverfullers who reproduce in large quantities because they are ‘building an army for God.”
Not about loving having lots of children around. It’s about building that army to take over the world and rid of all those pesky sinners/heathens/non-Gothardite/Quiverful/xstian/liberal etc etc folks.
August 9th, 2007 at 4:21 pm
No, I think it was DJ who started the site cause he has nothing bettter to do, it seems that gripe about a family who is living for God and doing a good job of it. Of cousre they aren’t perfect . . . they haven’t claimed to be.
If you people that are so outraged that she has had so many kids would read the Bible and find Salvation for yourself you just might begin to understand how people who truely love God can be happy with what he has given us.
August 10th, 2007 at 1:04 am
I wonder how they support all these children? How can they be debt free? Income tax time must be a blast with all those dependet children. I want to know what there bills are, how much do they pay for food a week? And those vacations who paid for those? Who is going to pay for the kids college tutions? They really look like a fake false family where no one is an indivaul. No one has a part time job? No outside activites away from mom and dad and each other. Wow, I think someone needs to step in and find out the truth not just what they want you to see..
August 10th, 2007 at 1:10 pm
I, too, am oddly fascinated in a repulsed way whenever a Duggar family special airs. I love their website, especially their delicious recipes…yummy! There are 27 recipes in all and the total number of fresh fruit and vegetables required to make them all consists of 4 onions ( one of which can be replaced by a T. of onion powder ), some garlic cloves, a head of lettuce, pickle cucumbers and some apples and 2 lemons for a drink they make.
I wonder if GOD will protect them from hypertension and diabetes.
Whenever I think of Michelle getting pregnant again an image of a Smart Car entering the Lincoln Tunnel comes to mind.
August 16th, 2007 at 9:28 pm
i guess god tells themwhen to have sex because jim bob’s weiner is pointing to heaven.
my mom became a mormon- which is basically fundie with more household help- and i wasn’t sure what to wear to her baptism, so i just took a cue from michelle and wore a denim jumper. no one guessed i was a pagan heathen.
the higher the bangs, the closer to god. plus maybe no one will focus on your crazy eyes.
i doubt the girls are even allowed to wear kotex and sanitary belts, as they may be considered too secular. they probably just use rags from their worn recycled clothes, or maybe the whole family makes homemade pads as an “arts-N-crafts” project for their homeschool program. i would hate to use a plaid sanitary pad.
i wonder if michelle had even had a period since she got married, as she stays pregnant or breastfeeding all the time. maybe god will smite jim bob’s jimmy with a lightning bolt and render it infertile.
August 20th, 2007 at 12:15 am
I actually love the long hair on the girls in this family. But the long hair aside, why is this family even newsworthy? Just because they have a lot of kids? So do a lot of other families. The main thing wrong with this family is that these kids are not enrolled in regulated school, and are not gatting a complete or an adequate education. The authorities should become involved at this point, and force these ignoramus parents to enroll their kids in a regulated school, as is required by law.
They need to get high school diplomas, so they can get decent jobs in the future. These children are probably many, many years behind their grade levels, as what probably happens to a lot of these kids that have “playschool” with their parents every day.
August 29th, 2007 at 5:45 pm
Sandeana said -
“The main thing wrong with this family is that these kids are not enrolled in regulated school, and are not gatting a complete or an adequate education. The authorities should become involved at this point, and force these ignoramus parents to enroll their kids in a regulated school, as is required by law.
They need to get high school diplomas, so they can get decent jobs in the future. These children are probably many, many years behind their grade levels, as what probably happens to a lot of these kids that have “playschool” with their parents every day.”
Looks like someone doesn’t know the law… homeschooling is legal in all 50 states of the Union… albeit with different regulations and requirements in each state.
And the last time I checked, a high school “diploma” does little to guarantee a “decent job in the future.” I’m sure the Duggars are “gatting a complete or an adequate education.”
Although we do not use ATI to educate our children, I am quite proud to count myself among other “ignoramus parents” having “play school” with their children every day… children who, statistically, are years ahead of their traditionally-educated counterparts.
Ignorance is never a valid argument… especially when coupled with arrogance.
August 30th, 2007 at 7:01 am
As gut-bustingly hilarious as this was, let’s not forget the tragic situation these kids are in. Sure, they’re clean-cut, obedient, well-scrubbed, and able to recite any Bible verse on command. However, real life is not like that at all. If any of these 17 kids ever escape the Christian bubble their parents have maniacally built up around them, they will have a very rough go of it. But what really sets me off about these parents is the cruel repression of each child’s curiosity. These kids are no more “Christian children” than they are “Republican children”. They are the unfortunate children of wildly zealous Christian parents. They will never go out and look at the night sky and marvel at the universe as it is. They will never know the thrill of learning how ancient, wondrous and complex life on this planet is. Worst of all, they will never have the opportunity to think for themselves, and decide if this Jesus thing is worth believing in or not. If there really was something to Christianity, why insulate you kids from the rest of the world? Won’t God’s word get through to them no matter what? These people have to be some of the most insecure Christians in the world.
September 9th, 2007 at 1:47 pm
What a bunch of ignorant idiots commenting here. The author is even worse.
September 9th, 2007 at 2:50 pm
Thank you for your non-idiotic comment.
September 9th, 2007 at 5:29 pm
The older children seem pretty defensive when the softball questions hit a nerve. And when asked about individuality, the younger ones report that they have varied food preferences!! I think it’s a disservice to these children to keep them shielded from the world, where you need to appreciate real differences in real people.
September 11th, 2007 at 10:50 am
With their 20 acres, perhaps the Duggars now will buy a plow and teach the children to grow some fresh vegetables, build a chicken coop and have free-range chicken/eggs, fence some pasture for milk cows, raise some rabbits for meat… The possibilities are endless. Horses/ponies to provide fun and fertilizer would be nice.
Oh, and when the kids are old enough to fly the coop (ever?) they can build a house near mommy and daddy and raise 18 more Duggar rats.
Do the math: if all the kids emulate the parents… 324 grandchildren will overrun the place.
I hope to live long enough to see how the kids turn out. Betcha lots of ‘em have one or two kids. Period.
I also want to see how they define 18 more houses as churches.
September 17th, 2007 at 5:54 am
Hey, why all the hostility here? These people are enjoying the freedoms that all Americans are born with: to pursue life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They have a right to procreate–or not–and they have the right to worship as they choose.
They’re rearing respectful, polite children who seem to have good values, although I’m sure more than one of them will “stray” from their parents’ vision of Christianity. They seem bright and well-spoken, practical and unspoiled. As a mother of five, I’d love to be able to say that about my children, hard as I try to impart these values to them.
The only things I see “wrong” or “creepy” here are that they had their home declared to be a church, thus evading property taxes (wish I could do that, but I’m not rigid in my Christianity). Also, I wonder where old Jim-Bob’s concern for his wife’s health and body are; surely she must be suffering bodily harm and a shortened life span for having carried so many infants to term. Otherwise, these are people who are self-reliant, not on welfare; nor are the older kids in jail/pregnant/using drugs. I’m sure they do think for themselves and have individuality, as all humans do, but it’s a bit hampered by their upbringing. What’s so unusual about that? I can say that’s true for everyone I know, including myself, until they leave the nest and start living in a world that’s not so insular.
Until then, they are lucky to be well provided for, to be loved, and to have a strong family unit. I hope it serves them well. Everybody else should just leave these people alone. You’re criticizing them because of haircuts? They’re probably saving money (Yikes!) by cutting the kids’ hair themselves…part of their plan to stay on a budget. Even the U.S. Government can’t stay on a budget, so how about keeping the nastiness level down when considering how the Duggars live? It’s not my kind of lifestyle, but they have a right to live it if it’s their kind. Remember, this is America, not China.
These kids will be fine. The fact that the Learning Channel has paid them some kind of royalty for the rights to their story is also very American. They haven’t sold their kids’ souls; they’ve probably just received enough of a fee for their story so that they can send their kids to college without going into debt. Why are you people so full of hate?
I’m a generic, informal Christian who has plenty of faults, but I live in the heart of Mormon country, not 50 miles from the “crazy Mormons” (fundie LDS pederasts who believe in marrying multiple 14-year-old cousins and sisters). The Mormons and my family get along fine…live and let live. The real outrage you writers should be showing is toward Warren Jeffs and the child-molesting, marriage-arranging polygamists who DO live off the government thanks to their multiple illegal wives who can claim food stamps and unemployment, and who are armed to the teeth living in high-walled compounds in Colorado City and St. George, Utah. These are the ones breaking the law and raising children in a Hell on Earth under the guise of religion. Where’s the FBI or the Utah and Arizona State Police when you need them?
Leave the Duggars alone. Exercise your American right to change the channel or, better yet, turn off the TV.
September 17th, 2007 at 9:58 am
Heidi:
There’s no hate here. We’re just exercising our right to express our opinions about something going on in the world. The Duggars have made themselves public figures by going on the Discovery Health Channel, so they have to expect that people will have a reaction to what we see.
The Duggars also are consuming a massive amount of natural resources and contributing to the overpopulation problem of the planet. A little personal responsibility and restraint would have been welcome here. It’s not all about Jim Bob and his selfish urge to cover the planet with his spawn.
You make a good point about Warren Jeffs. His people are the radical version of the Duggars.
September 21st, 2007 at 9:01 pm
I do not agree with most of you.
I come from a large family and I have 15 children. As the Duggar’s, we run a tight ship. I do not think we look odd. We girls love our long hair and the way our family dresses.
We get compliments from people all the time. People tell us how polite and well mannered our children are. They are not selfish, or ill mannered. We look to the Lord for a way of life.
We do not feel that we have missed any thing GOOD this world has to offer and we do not think that we have to try every thing that the world has too offer( liike babies before marriage, drugs, whorish clothes, bad manners, or living off wellfare. In my point of view….we are not missing a thing.
We also home school….. because if you want your children to fly like Eagles… you do not put them into a pen of turkeys each day.
A Big YES… for the Duggars and other large families. It is good to look to the lord and his ways.
September 22nd, 2007 at 5:23 pm
It sad you have nothing better to do than to poke fun at something you obviously have no comprehension of. I wonder if there is not a need to “belittle” the Duggars in order to somehow make yourself feel better about your life. One thing is for sure they are a blessed family and are living a life that is pure and clean. Most of the people who have left negative comments don’t have a clue what they are talking about…the boys do help cook, probably the book of Proverbs is read one chapter each day…it’s a wonderful concept. There just happens to be 31 chapters in Proverbs, one for each day of the month and every now and again you get 2 for one. If you had ever taken the time to read it, you might understand the importance it plays in the life of a Christian family, also something else you do not understand. Therefore I am praying for you and all your blogger friends that you might see the “LIGHT” before it is to late. After all if you are right and all of us Chrisitans are wrong, we have nothing to lose. But since we are right, you my friend my face an eternity in Hell. I pray not. Until then why don’t you blog something you understand.
September 22nd, 2007 at 6:14 pm
Tammy:
You are correct. How anybody could be so religiously constipated to live a life like that is completely beyond my comprehension. It’s sad that those kids have to grow up in that environment and be brainwashed like that.
Nope. My life is fine. How’s yours? You’re feeling threatened by this article, which means it cuts too close to home. What’s wrong with your apparently wonderful life that an article like this scares you? Why is your faith so shaky that this article can upset you?
I don’t know how you defined “blessed” or “pure and clean”. It’s a stifling, controlling, nightmare environment. Cursed maybe, but not blessed.
Not according to these articles. If you have additional information, please share it. What is the source of your knowledge?
“Probably” nothing! It is! Check out this article.
Actually, it’s a horrible concept, as that article I just referenced indicates.
I did read it. See above.
Pray all you want. You’re praying to a false deity. (They’re all false!)
Why do you Christians always fall back on Pascal’s Wager, like it’s some sort of magical trump card? It’s bad logic at best. It has been debunked up, down, left, right, and sideways.
I probably understand your religion far better than you do.
September 22nd, 2007 at 6:38 pm
For Nancy
I am sorry. Sorry that you have to add to the population crisis in this world and, if you had them naturally, sorry that you chose to do this to your body.
If you’ve had 15 kids, you’re no girl. You are a WOMAN. Odds are, out of 16 of you, someone would prefer to wear something other than the latest from the House of Laura Ingalls. And if you dress like the Dugger “girls” ..um yeah, you look odd.
Of course they are polite. If you run a Duggaresque household, they know no better than to act like little robots. That could be the preservatives too if you subscribe to the organic-free lifestyle the Duggers do.
He didn’t have 15 homeschooled little robots. He wasn’t even married, and wasn’t he an only child?
Typical fundie. Everything secular must be the absolute worst. Proud non-believer here. Never had a kid out of wedlock, dress fairly conservatively ( but do cut/color my hair and stopped wearing jumpers when I was 8 and feathering my bangs in the 80’s ), am quite polite and have never been on welfare. Never been on drugs either. Wait–what the hell is wrong with me? I have traveled to 15 countries, lived in two, lived in 8 parts of the US, gone to college, have a career, interests and hobbies. I don’t hide in my house or behind some religious crutch. I think I’ve missed less.
Send my kids to wonderful charter school since I work and can’t homeschool them. Silly me, I think a little influence outside of the family, interaction with other children and adults and some diversity is a GOOD thing.
Yes! Continue to rape the earth of its precious resources, raise little fundies and multiply. Oh, and I adopted my kids so they would not have to grow up in an orphanage. Seemed kinda right to do that.
September 22nd, 2007 at 8:30 pm
I'’m happily waiting to see if one of the Duggar prisoners—these kids are hostages—waiting for one to snap and slaughter the whole family.
September 23rd, 2007 at 4:24 am
Some people are on here defending the Duggars, and I have to ask…what’s wrong with you? You’re saying that the Duggars are well-adjusted, well-mannered, well-rounded kids. And I ask how they can be well-rounded when Jim Bob and Michelle are the only people they ever see? How can you experience life if you haven’t got any REAL contact with the outside world? They’re not having a family; they’re BREEDING. There’s a huge difference; having a family requires doing things NOT together, having separate lives and being interested in each others lives and supporting each other. Not moving from activity to activity with a group of your brothers and sisters. What about friends?!? The only friends they could have are each other! I can imagine someone who knew the family going “Which one are you again??” Seriously….they’re making clones of themselves; upstanding, bible-thumping conservatives to overrun the world.
Yay, that’s just what we need.
Why didn’t they adopt? I mean, I want a large-ish family, maybe six kids. I want to adopt at least three. The world is overpopulated; lets NOT contribute! I’m one of three; two adopted, and we’re not LESS of siblings than these poor kids.
And another thing; the J-names. Could there BE a worse idea? I mean damn, why don’t we just call all the girls Michelle and all the boys Jim Bob? Then you could at least remember their names! You know ever kid was standing around that hospital bed when baby 17, Jennifer Danielle, was born going “Oh, fuck, I have to learn another name….we’ll have to incorporate her name into the rhyme we use to remember who the hell everyone is!”
The Duggars are not people to be praised for being the dicatators of their household.
September 25th, 2007 at 9:11 am
These two people are irresponsible in every sense of the word. People carry on about how THEY are doing fine raising these kids when the bottom line is it’s THE KIDS who are raising the kids. They are forced to play parent, teacher, cook, and maid. So NO, the parents are NOT fully capable of raising this herd of children. They have forced their children to raise THEIR offspring.
I read a comment elsewhere which I find myself agreeing with. They are addicted to babies!! They’re like the crazy cat lady down the street (we all have one living nearby right?) Awwwwww babies are so cute!! But hey they grow up!! No problem we’ll just create another one and another one and another……. The crazy cat lady is much the same. She gets one kitten and Awwwwwww it was so cute then it grew up! OK, get another kittten, then another and another. The difference being the cats aren’t forced to play parent, teacher, and maid to all the litter mates.
Don’t even get me started on the way they look or the way they pimp out their kids to the media. Also there’s a tidbit floating around that they “blanket train”. The person making the statement seems to actually know the Duggars far more than what the media represents—
They also practice blanket training. Know what that is? It means placing a baby on a blanket and then hitting all around the edge of the blanket with a wooden spoon or a stick as a threat to the baby not to get off the blanket. If the baby tries to crawl off, and it does, baby gets a couple whacks (usually on the back of the legs).
Once baby is “trained”, then Mom can leave it there while she talks with others.
Oh, Mrs. Duggar has also put her kids down for a nap in their carseats, so she wouldn’t have to have visits with her friends shortened by the children’s naps. An older daughter is then in charge of watching the children in their family bus while Mom contentedly chats with friends—
Gee how loving!
Anyway I find these people repulsive and abusive in the fact they are forcng their kids to live like robots, learn nothing about being individuals (everyone is J Duggar but mom), and I’m guessing as each one grows older they are secretly yearning to run as fast as they can to get some peace and quiet!!
September 25th, 2007 at 8:09 pm
Tammy,
You said, “Most of the people who have left negative comments don’t have a clue what they are talking about”. I really hope you are reading this.
As it turns out, I do know what I am talking about, and by quite a bit more than you are willing to admit. So let’s get straight to it, shall we?
I have no doubt that you believe that acceptance of Jesus is not just the only way to attain eternal life but also the surest path to living a moral life. I am certain that you think we are all sinners, and that none of us has any choice in the matter. Furthermore, it is this sin we are born with that Jesus died to atone for, on behalf of all of us. Am I right so far? I’m sure I am.
This sin was, according to the Bible, a result of Eve’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden. We’ve been on a downhill slide ever since, haven’t we, Tammy? Now, getting back to Jesus, the “son of God”. As I understand it, Jesus is God, and God is Jesus, but one’s the father and one’s the son, correct? Perhaps this logical fallacy satisfies you, but my standards are somewhat higher.
So, the dilemma God faces is this: his creation has gotten out of hand. Time to take us behind his divine woodshed. He floods the earth, killing all the dinosaurs that Noah didn’t take onto the ark (and suspiciously depositing them into the fossil record way before any primates). But, man being man, we still suck. Plagues, genocides, and other mass killings just aren’t getting it done for God. This sin thing is really putting his panties in a wad. Then inspiration strikes: God will go to earth to live as a mortal, and show us how to behave. Then, God will arrange to have himself/Jesus killed brutally, to pay off a sin debt, owed to himself, on behalf of everyone, but only those who accept Jesus/God get to hang out for all eternity in heaven and worship God/Jesus. Everyone else, sadly, will be forced to burn forever in hell, because God loves you!
Now, Tammy, if God really existed, and he really did love us and wanted all of us to be in heaven with him, couldn’t he have come up with a better sales pitch than this? Nigerian money transfer schemes make more sense than this. Why not simply exert a teensy-weensy fraction of that omnipotence of his and show us all he’s real? If our eternal well-being was so important to him, isn’t it worth it? Is that really asking for too much?
I consider myself an educated person, and because I took the time and trouble to dispassionately consider the claims Christianity insists I accept unquestioningly, I have found them to be lacking all credibility. I have no axe to grind, just a passion for reason. Given sufficient evidence I would gladly regard Christianity as a valid description of how the universe works. Deep down I suspect that you know your beliefs can’t withstand even a cursory examination, but being unable to admit that, you flail about with incoherent arguments about seeing the “LIGHT” or disparaging those of us with the wit to see this sham for what it is.
Bertrand Russell was once asked what he would say to God if, perchance, he was asked by the deity why he didn’t believe in him. “Not enough evidence, God. Not enough evidence”, was his reply. As Ron Britton has already pointed out to you, Pascal’s Wager is an exceedingly poor argument for God’s existence. But I’ll play your game. If, upon my death, I find myself confronted by the creator of the universe about my atheistic life, I think that such a being would have a higher regard for intellectual honesty than for the existential bet-hedging you closed your comment with.
Live your life however you choose. I presume you are an adult, and such choices are rightly yours to make. Children, however, are incapable of contemplating the philosophical and theological arguments surrounding the subject of religion. Their natural curiosity about the world is taken advantage of by ignorant dopes like the Duggars, who think filling their kids’ heads with biblical bunk is the best way to raise them. Sure, they’re unfailingly polite and impeccably groomed, but their minds are not their own. They become slaves to the religion of their parents, and will undoubtedly impose this nonsense on their own offspring in due time. So please so not assume that I do not understand Christianity. I understand it all too well, which is why I reject it.
September 25th, 2007 at 8:19 pm
I, too, am astonished at the fact that these two individuals can raise a family of 17!!! However, I have never heard them raise a voice or threaten their children in any manner, and they are the most well-behaved children I have ever seen. I will never have this many children, but everyone must admit that raising 17 children debt free is an incredible fate. I do admire the Duggars and wish them well.
As for all of you who say “The Duggars also are consuming a massive amount of natural resources and contributing to the overpopulation problem of the planet. A little personal responsibility and restraint would have been welcome here. It’s not all about Jim Bob and his selfish urge to cover the planet with his spawn, ” what kind of car do you drive? Do you recycle? Do you have energy efficient light bulbs in your home, ARE YOU PERFECT????!!!! Honestly, every person has his/her issues, however, I would much rather have the Duggars, who live debt free NOT ON PUBLIC ASSISTANCE on our planet than the many individuals on welfare AND who do not recycle or care for our environment… COME ON PEOPLE, the Duggars are good people who are simply trying to raise a family!!! AND GET THIS:::: I am JEWISH… not Christian, and I STILL believe in the Duggar Family Values… GO FIGURE!!!! Great people, yes, they are. So they do TV shows to pay the bills… at least they are not contributing to our incredible welfare crap!!! GO DUGGARS!!! THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR STORY WITH THE WORLD!!!
September 27th, 2007 at 8:12 pm
Adele G.,
I thought I had said all I needed to say on this thread, and then you came along with your Caps Lock-laden missive, forcing me to stay up later than I should. Thanks a lot.
You hold the Duggars in high regard, particularly because they aren’t on welfare. While I’ll agree with you that they were cunning enough to land a TV show to pay the bills and thus not require sinful public assistance, I have to wonder about the contempt you evidently have for those who are less fortunate than yourself. I do not wish to defend those who do abuse the system. Again, you and I share some common ground. However, the stereotype in your head is incorrect. I’ve known people in that situation, and they were most definitely not enjoying it, only trying very hard to work their way out of it. I suppose you feel that those unlucky enough to find themselves wondering how they’ll feed their kids the next day are an intolerable burden on upstanding, wealthier citizens like yourself.
I think you are also missing the larger point being made here by myself and others. The number of kids these people are having is ridiculous, but what is truly troubling is the religious dictatorship these poor children must endure. I take issue with your view that these children are not threatened. Sorry, if a parent tells a child that if they don’t believe in God and organize the entirety of their life around that belief they will burn forever in hell, that’s a threat. Worse, I think its a form of child abuse. You don’t have to physically injure a child to be abusive. Emotional and psychological abuse is in many ways much worse. To stifle the curiosity of children when their minds are inquisitive, to extinguish that intellectual fire that burns brightly at a young age is nothing if not vile, reprehensible behavior by these parents. I absolutely love how my kids constantly ask me why something is the way it is, or how something works, especially when I don’t know the answer, so we’ll all learn together. A parent ought to be able to teach their kids how to think for themselves, to examine information and evidence, and make informed decisions on their own. The Duggars, in contrast, seem intent to not only cover the planet with their spawn but also create as many religious robots as they can.
There’s much more to being a good parent than simply raising clean-cut, well-mannered kids who grow up wealthy enough to stay off welfare. I would humbly submit to you that, given the many problems in the world, it is far more important that our children become freethinkers able to see things as they really are, and not be burdened with dopey, mind-numbing theological nonsense. People today are more religious than ever, and look at how frakked up things are. If your concern for the environment is genuine, like mine, perhaps our children need to be smarter than us, since the future belongs to them.
October 1st, 2007 at 4:30 am
To AP: The boys never cook because God requires the women to be busy at home, and the men to work for a living.
October 11th, 2007 at 3:18 pm
Good glory - do you have nothing better to do with your time than pick on this family? Its not their problem that you find their lives stifling. I’m thinking why am I even wasting my time on this. What it comes down to is that you understand nothing of the Spirit of God and until you do, you will never see the immense blessing that comes with living in the Spirit.
I will say I will be having as many children as the Lord allows, raising them in the Spirit and admonition of the Lord. And they will be raised “fundie” thank you very much…
October 11th, 2007 at 3:38 pm
Great googlie mooglie,
Actually, it is their fault that their lives are stifling. They lead stifling lives. I am not sure why you are wasting your time either, but if you’re like Michelle D., you have a lot of free time. If you aren’t with your husband ( in the biblical sense ) or in the delivery room poppin’ out another mouth to feed ( I’ll name this one Jester! ) , then one of your kids is making dinner ( mmmmm open up some Hamburger Helper, Jemima!) , another is watching your latest spawn ( stay on the blanket, Jehosephat ) , homeschool is done for the day and daddy’s not home yet to read Proverbs.
Have a fundie day
!
October 13th, 2007 at 8:50 am
John 8:7, says, “…He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” And in Matthew 7:3, it says, ” And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?”
Here is a couple of Bible verses for those of you who seem against those of us who chose to live in Christ and not be conformed to this world. Being a Christian does not mean we are perfect, it does mean that we have made a choice to live according to the perfect will of God. It is His will that is perfect, not humans.
God will meet us where we are (which is in our sin what ever it is); we are not expected to stay there (in our sin).
I would rather live my life as though God is real (and he is), then die and find out he is not; than to live my life as though he was not real and die to find out He is real! Because, if you would chose the later you have no more chances to change your life!
Blessings to those who hear and believe with child like faith . . .
October 13th, 2007 at 4:19 pm
See you type all of that and what I see is ” bla bla bla bla bla bla bla ” as you regurgitate that which you’ve heard on Sunday when the preacher man spews his crap from the pulpit. What does any of that mean?
Speaking of stones, I’ll leave you with one of my faves from Ole King James…
“Happy shall he be who taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.”
Psalms 137:9
October 15th, 2007 at 6:49 pm
These people are just plain creepy. Raising 17 Stepford children who don’t have an original thought.
I want the real truth about them. And believe me it is hard to find. Where does the money come from to feed this brood and take vacations and why isn’t Dad at work ever! Whats the deal. I read somewhere that Mom and Dad are shills for some shyster selling a Get Rich Quick Scheme but that can’t possibly be enough. I think about my grocery bill for 2, yikes.
And I agree with the poster talking about the fresh food blah blah blah. Tater tots, can creamed soup and evaporated milk. Good god just have them each swallow a stick of butter.
Never heard of Quiverfull until I started looking for info on this family but thank goodness it isn’t a raging movement or the earth would explode from over population. Duggar website claims the need for all these children is to atone for talking birth control and selfishly trying to control when they would have a baby. Who believes this drivel, please.
These are two smart cookies that had a few kids then said, Hey we can make some money off this and not have to work and the kids we already have will do all the work and we can just keep making babies, yahoo.
October 15th, 2007 at 8:14 pm
I’d watch if one of the middle girls became a freethinker/lesbian/goth type. Incredible hilarity would ensue.
I don’t see how their home is a church. These people should have to pay property taxes just like everyone else. On the other side of things their kids don’t use the services of the local schools, but they are still parasites.
November 8th, 2007 at 2:24 pm
Ok… so. I agree with many points made on this page. It isn’t right, in this already overpopulated, to have so many kids. Yes, the Duggars do quite a job keeping everyone under control, but religious brainwashing can only take you so far. Let’s see what happens when rebellion kicks in. (Oh please, let rebellion kick in.) I also agree that chic hairstyles are just as easy to create and maintain as those godawful mops, but don’t judge their clothes… they make them by hand! (poor kids) Those of you, however, who feel the need to bring religion into your arguments should get a clue. Religious though the Duggars may be, they are as shameless as any celebrities who choose to trot out their personal lives for the world to see. Telling opponents of their views to “turn towards Christ” or what-have-you is not a valid argument. Those of you from large families who want to defend the lifestyle, well good on you, but keep religion out of it. It is human nature to be different and to question differences, and when VERY different people make their lives public spectacles, it is perfectly reasonable for others to judge. I’m sorry if the very religious don’t believe in human nature, but then again, they also don’t believe in evolution. (guess all that scientific proof is a sham!) Finally, everyone out there who wants to be taken seriously, no matter what your opinion is, try spellcheck!
November 9th, 2007 at 3:31 pm
As the children sign up for one on one time with mommy, the husband is for sure checking the attention schedule to see when he can get himself another piece of Michele’s ass and create yet another child!!!!! Little tip for Jim Bob, try to control your burning passions and keep it in your pants.
What is he trying to do here anyway? Is he playing god in repopulating the Earth with “righteous” in his own “image”? Will we all wear ugly dresses, breed like rabbits, and have tacky hairdos from the 80’s as the Duggars are a hankerin for us to do? Duggars, stop having all these kids then raising them into little kidbots. Friendless, educationless, childhoodless kidbots!
November 10th, 2007 at 3:27 pm
I love the Dugger Family and have one thing to say to them, stay sweet and never forget where you came from because you’re blessed to have such a big family who cares about you so much!
November 11th, 2007 at 8:12 am
People, don’t even start bringing the Gosselins into this!Their kids are not spoiled, and three year olds are a whiney age group, theres six of them!It’s probably alot harder for them too since they can’t just pass them off to be raised by a sibling, unlike the Duggars case. Leave the Gosselins out of this!They are a wonderful family!
November 11th, 2007 at 2:32 pm
Well, I guess that whole J.O.Y. thing explains why they don’t care what they look like, AT ALL
December 18th, 2007 at 8:27 pm
I just to comment to all those that although you may have your own opinion about this amazing family and how they are raising their children; let me ask you
Could you raise your children like that where they are respectful to their parents and other siblings.
I wish I could say that my childhood was like their family but that would be a lie. I know that everyone has a right to their own opinion but maybe you should go through your own closets and clean out the skeletons before you make rude comments about a family with that many kids.
Maybe they really have a love for a big family and they got their wish from God and giving them all these children because he is the only one that knows whether they can take care of them or not.
I personally admire them very much and want to wish them all the luck in the world and GOD BLESS THE DUGGAR FAMILY!!!
December 19th, 2007 at 1:54 pm
Terri - I’m child-free, so no kids. My wife and I don’t want to be responsible for the demise of much of the life on this great planet because we greedily think we need to pass on our DNA. That’s why I’m snipped. So most of your argument is moot.
Second, massively brainwashing your kids during their most formative years is not the same as teaching them. Even though it’s on the opposite spectrum as neglect, it’s still child abuse, in my opinion, because it limits their future potential to your extremely narrow-minded worldview.
December 19th, 2007 at 11:06 pm
i think duggar family are AWESOME!!! i salute them for raising all their kids with full of respect with one another, and love.
December 19th, 2007 at 11:52 pm
You people don’t know how close I’ve come to turning off the comments for this post so many times now.
The only thing that the pro-Duggar people have been saying lately is “i think teh duggars are awsum!” If you can’t add any intelligent conversation to the discussion, then go spend your time doing something more useful than leaving brain-dead zombie-tron comments on blogs that are way above your intellectual capacity.
December 20th, 2007 at 12:52 pm
i’m trying hard to have full of respect for liza, and love.
January 8th, 2008 at 10:50 pm
These children will grow up to be the biggest bunch of fucked up people around.
“God” told me just today that I should write this.
January 9th, 2008 at 8:34 am
My wife just brought up an interesting point–
Their house is considered a church and pays no taxes-
When was the last time you saw a church with a pool table in it?
What a scam!
January 22nd, 2008 at 2:20 pm
I have watched the Duggar family specials and have to say that at first I saw them as a clean cut Amercian family (a little too Brady Bunch maybe). But….I had no idea their home was classifed as a church and therefore exempt from taxes. I pay taxes on everything I own…why shouldn’t they? Also, when they mentioned that each older child was responsible for a ‘buddy’, I knew Jim Bob and Michelle were a few cards short of a full deck? And what the heck are jurisdictions? Making a 13 or 15 year old girl cook for this army is cruel in my book.
Also, I love my jeans. God never told my parents that girls could not wear pants. Those poor Duggar girls will never know the comfort of a good pair of jeans (until they move out and marry someone from the real world - if that’s possible). Those poor Duggar boys better hope they don’t marry anyone from the real world!
I believe in ‘live and let live’. I don’t push my religion on anyone and I will not allow anyone to push theirs on me. I also believe in free will. I don’t think the Duggar children know what free will is. I can’t help but wonder what will happen when the birds leave the nest.
January 29th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
You certainly do have a right to criticize the Duggar Family, but your comments only expose your own ignorance and mean spiritedness. Why do you care about the lifestyle someone else chooses? If the only part of the Bible you have read is the “begats”, then you are truly ignorant on that topic. You say you do not believe in Hell. That is your right, but it does not change the truth that Hell does exist. Someday you may pray, even beg to be reincarnated as a member of the Duggar Family.
January 29th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
Anne:
As I said earlier, they have chosen to go public with their lifestyle. That gives me the right to publicly give my opinion on that lifestyle.
You made an interesting assertion:
OK. Since you’ve stated that as a fact, please provide documentary evidence to support this claim.
January 29th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
Ron:
Of course, I cannot provide documentary evidence that Hell exists, as I’ve never been there, and science cannot prove or disprove its existence. But on the “chance” that Hell does indeed exist, I plan on doing all I can to try to avoid such a place. If it does not exist, I will have lost nothing. But if it does exist and you happen to go there, you will have lost everything.
January 29th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
Anne:
So now you’re changing your story. You started off by claiming that Hell’s existence was a fact. I’m glad that you’ve tempered your stridency. The theists’ smug attitude that they know everything sours a lot of people on religion. If you’re trying to convert people, you won’t do it that way.
It is also not up to science to prove or disprove Hell. Science has no opinion on the subject, because science only concerns itself with understanding the natural world. Furthermore, the person making the claim is the one who has to support it. Opinions are fine, though. If you like Hell and want it to exist, you can pretend that it does. Just don’t claim that its existence has been proven, which is what you did in your original posting.
I find it amusing how many of you religious folk cling desperately to Pascal’s Wager, as if it is some Revealed Truth. It’s actually a fairly sophomoric syllogism that was long ago crushed by other philosophers. There are many good sites on the web that take it apart. Here are just a few of the common arguments:
1. There is no good reason to believe PW’s premise:
2. According to the Bible, more is required for salvation than mere belief in God.
3. It assumes belief has no cost.
4. It assumes that the correct god is worshipped.
There are others, but some of them start to get complicated and deep. You’re welcome to Google to subject for more information.
January 30th, 2008 at 6:17 am
Regarding PW. Ron, you touched on it with the “more is required” but I wanted to expand that with something that even fundies can understand (I hope)…
1. Let the Christian God exist for the purpose of this example
2. Let an unbeliever act like a believer for the purpose of Pascal’s Wager
3. Let the unbeliever stand before judgement
4. Would God spare the unbeliever from damnation simply because he acted as a believer despite in his heart not believing what he preached? According to the bible (and fundies), no.
January 30th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
I have only seen one show on this family, and as I watched, it made me more and more angry about every aspect of their lives. Where does the money come from? Real estate agents? BULL SHIT! Medical insurance? Food? Wardrobe (which looks like they are from a cult)? My husband is an agent and we struggle with two children! Gimme a break! Has this woman (or her husband) ever heard of BIRTH CONTROL? Over population? DAMN, keep your legs closed for once. You are a human being, not a damn rabbit! FREE THE ROBOT CHILDREN!! Hardy har har
February 2nd, 2008 at 7:00 pm
Hello,
The only thing consistent about emotions is that they come and go. Emotions or feelings do affect our opinions of our perceptions of others. As I’ve read some of the responses to the negative comments made above (in my opinion), I was dismayed to learn that those who claim to be “freedome thinkers” are angry at a family who touts Christian beliefs and has a roomful of children, Although I may not completely understand the Duggar Family’s faith and thinking concepts, I do respect them for raising their children with a belief in God and a desire for order. It appears that the children are loved, happy, well fed and are being trained to develop thoughts independent of others. As far as I can tell, they are not murderers, drug users, schemers or liars. It’s amazing to me that this family has be villified for practicing a lifestyle that some perceive to be too dictated, antiquated or old fashioned.
As a clinical social worker who counsels troubled teens (from devestating background with little to no parental influence), I find the Duggar family parental style very hands-on and just plain refreshing, actually.
My question to the writer is, why spend so much time trying to destroy this innocent family? I wonder if you have been wounded or experienced a deep hurt from a person who used Christianity as an attempt to overly control you? How else would such negative, acrid remarks so freely pour forth? It’s natural not to agree with everything (aka insight or good judgment), but your harsh, cynical comments bespeak of a hurtful, devastating past. May you find solace, forgiveness and inner comfort soon.
Thank you for your time.
February 2nd, 2008 at 7:33 pm
Leslie:
The family is creepy, oppressive, and controlling. That’s not a normal or healthy environment to grow up in.
I’ve spent very little time “trying to destroy this family”. I spent a few hours writing a couple of articles almost a year ago, and I haven’t come back to them since. Stop trying to overanalyze things. Your psychoanalysis is way off the mark.
February 3rd, 2008 at 5:11 pm
“It’s amazing to me that this family has be villified for practicing a lifestyle that some perceive to be too dictated, antiquated or old fashioned.”
1. As my wife’s grandmother said, “humans weren’t meant to have litters.”
2. There are far, far too many humans on this planet. The negative effects can be seen easily. If they were just an oppressive, creepy, controlling fundie family of four (mom, dad, son, daughter), I wouldn’t care nearly as much. It is absolutely selfish and irresponsible to have that many children, even if they are well cared for. (Which, honestly, I do not think they are, being as dogmatically oppressed as they are.)
February 4th, 2008 at 7:00 am
“It appears that the children are loved, happy, well fed and are being trained to develop thoughts independent of others.”
Love is hard to define, so I will skip that. Yes, they do appear to be happy now. I am sure this is mostly due to the fact that their lives are so isolated and controlled that they do not understand what is available for them elsewhere. They have little or no exposure to the “outside” world since they are homeschooled and socialize only with other members of their family. Is it “normal” for a child to have no friends from outside their immediate family? Well fed. Excuse me while I laugh my ass off. They eat processed foods, very little to no fresh fruits or vegetables and have a soda fountain at their disposal. Go on to their website and check out their recipes. Tater tot casserole….mmmmm delicious and nutritious!
Lastly, “being trained to develop thoughts independent of others”…. Which Duggar family are you talking about? These people drill fundamentalist Christian beliefs which saturate all of their education into their hair-laden heads 24/7. I have yet to see the special where Jim Bob sits down with the brood and starts out the conversation with ” So, what do y’all think about gay marriage?” His belief system is all the children are exposed to, so how does this encourage independent thinking? I’d really like you to answer that one.
I don’t expect to see a response though, Leslie. As pointed out above, so many fans of the Duggars love to slam those of us who feel these children are being abused and then leave, never to return.
February 7th, 2008 at 3:52 am
Barbara and Ron,
It appears my opinions have been taken as forms of criticism - it is not my desire to slam anyone who holds different beliefs than mine. Whether we hold similar or opposing views, it’s human nature to become defensive when someone has a different opinion. I’ve done it and so have you. You are unknown to me as is the Duggar family. And, Ron, you’re right - I don’t know your thoughts or heart. I apologize for over-analyzing you. However, haven’t we also done a similar thing to the Duggar family? Could it be that we are off the mark concerning them as well? We have made an opinion(s) of them w/o talking and getting to know them.
My knowledge of them is composed of 2 TLC channel episodes and a search of their website, which intrigues me as it sounds almost foreign in today’s society. What I do know is that I admire some of their parenting skills, homeschooling efforts, money mgmt. styles, etc. Even their independent thoughts (yes - my pereception) garnered via independent homeschooling assignments, world news’ research and daily studies of God’s Word. There’s a verse in II Timothy that talks about studying to show oneself approved by God by rightly dividing His Truth (His Word). What I believe He is saying is to do the research - dig, dig, dig. He is big enough to love us despite our differences, hey, He created us! He didn’t make us to be robots - He gave us a wonderful ability to make complex, insightful decisions of our own - independent of others.
With that said, I am aware that the Duggar children are living a sheltered life compared to today’s youth culture. Yes, like any child, they will succomb on some level to rebellion - it’s a part of human nature. Yet, I would much rather associate with a family that offers their children love, positive attention and discipline, than to be raised in an environment with limited to no guidance - to me, that is living in a true vacuum. Structure is not bad (and, no, I was not raised in a Christian home). My lengthy explanation is a feeble attempt to communicate that some Duggar family fans are respectful of other viewpoints.
February 7th, 2008 at 6:38 am
Leslie - I must interject here with this. You seem to see structure and discipline. But I see brainwashing and oppression of critical thought.
February 7th, 2008 at 7:42 am
I agree that the children in this family are oppressed but nobody has really addressed the issue of Michelle Duggar.
I am not totally sure that this lifestyle is her choice. Of course, there is no way to be sure because, at this point, she thinks that this lifestyle is her choice. I have seen Jim Bob’s family mentioned in a few interviews and articles but nothing about her family or upbringing (other then the strange need to continually mention that she was a cheerleader). I have to wonder if she has been purposely isolated from her relatives and support system as part of her brainwashing to the Goddard and Quiverful mindset. She seems to be as much a victim as the kids. Remember, Andrea Yates was another Quiverful mom and was, obviously, terribly unhappy and unstable. When does excessive pressure from religious groups for women to bear huge numbers of children become a feminst/human rights issue?
February 7th, 2008 at 7:49 am
That’s a great point. I know I read somewhere that her doctor had warned her after her 10th child that it was becoming more and more medically unsafe for her to become pregnant. She is also in her early 40’s ( I believe ) and the older the mother, the higher risk the pregnancy becomes both for herself and for the child. I do expect that within the year, she’ll announce another pregnancy.
February 7th, 2008 at 9:29 am
Pbgh Jen - Good point. Additionally, it must be noted how much emphasis there is on how wonderful the things “daddy” does for the family are, but never a mention of the hard work she does. Of course, I suppose in a family like this you expect the “traditional” male-dominant roles to formulate (breadwinner versus homemaker), but in addition, it’s as if daddy does no wrong. A pseudo-jesus figure, if you will. But that’s just based on the website reading. Hard to tell how far this goes. It wouldn’t surprise me, however, to find out she’s not as happy as she lets on.
It’s no coincidence that societies with equal rights and opportunities for women have lower birthrates than those where the woman is suppressed. The quiverfull types are an extreme example of where and how that still exists even in the United States. And that’s just sad.
February 7th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
A point to everyone who has stated not existing in god is a pointless life. It’s not. Plenty of atheists have brought meaning to their lives.
February 16th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
Isn’t the way the Duggars choose to live really based on their oppinion? In reality, none of them would change their lifestyle just because some blogger online didn’t approve of it. We can only accept and/or respect it. Plus, I know no one commenting on here would change the way they live either.
February 16th, 2008 at 8:59 pm
Bubbliscious13,
It is true that the Duggar adults will most likely not change their lifestyle due to what is written in the pages of this blog. (It would probably take something much more life altering to do it.)
However, at one time, I called myself a Christian and the information on this blog, plus other websites it has pointed to, has helped me to decide to change my beliefs, and in effect, my lifestyle.
I was brought up to believe in Christianity, to go to church, to tithe and all those other things that go with organized religion. It didn’t occur to me to believe otherwise. I don’t know why not. I come from a scientific background but, for some reason, I didn’t use any of my critical thinking skills on that particular subject. One believed in god. One didn’t want to be something as awful as an atheist — horrors of horrors. That was just the way it was. Period.
Until relatively recently that is. Reading this blog gave me pause. It has helped me take a step back and really look at, and evaluate what, I believed in.
The results? Science wins; religion loses. Atheists aren’t evil. In fact, I have a close atheist friend who has stronger morals and is more trustworthy than most of the Christians I know! I wouldn’t trade him for anyone.
So what I am saying is that blogs like this CAN have an effect. It did for me. It may have for others.
The children in the Duggar family know of no other lifestyle and thus cannot really make an informed decision to change theirs as I did. Many of the people who comment here are informed and thus can make, or already have made, those kinds of decisions.
Perhaps, when the kids are older, have moved out, have managed to start thinking for themselves, are not under pressure from their fundie family and friends (which will certainly help the ‘thinking for themselves’ part), then they will be able to make an informed decision as to the lifestyle they choose to follow and the beliefs they choose to keep.
February 17th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
Out of that many kids, at least ONE is bound to be a black sheep. It will be interesting to see which one it is and what exactly happens…
February 17th, 2008 at 9:22 pm
Parrotlover and Bunkie,
Yes, our views are different re. the Duggars - you see oppression whereas I see structure. Depending on one’s upbringing, personality, character traits, values, morals, etc. we are bound to have opposing (and even similar) views.
To enhance Jean Piaget’s cognitive development stages, Lawrence Kohlberg, invented the the 6 stages, or 3 levels of moral reasoning development: pre-conventional (young children), conventional (older children/young teenagers) and post-conventional (older teens/young adults). Attaining this post-conventional stage (some do not make it), allows teens and young adults to cognitively and morally learn and understand that the world they perceive doesn’t evolve just around them - they are able to comprehend that life encompasses more than having their needs met.
This is a sign of thinking outside the box - learning to bypass one’s own needs in an effort to reach out to others in need. Just because the Duggar family raises their brood in an environment with strictness and order doesn’t mean that the children will grow up to be stunted or damaged individuals - on the contrary.
Whether one is raised in a fundie family is not the heart of the matter. It’s if one is raised in a loving, disciplined home (need both - can’t have one w/o other) where there is respect, affection and kindness shown to all family members. Independent thinking will come as the children grow and learn (with their parents’ help) beyond themselves. Normal physical and cognitive maturation will occur in a child who has been imparted with a strong foundation - again, hard to imprint on a child’s brain if structure is not present - children need guidance and direction, otherwise, their limited maturity will prevent them from meeting the needs of others. Children are indeed gifts that need to be nurtured and cultivated - not left to grow like weeds in an unattended field.
Leslie
February 18th, 2008 at 7:35 am
Children are gifts? Gifts from what/whom? It’s pretty easy to make a baby (as can be seen by our overpopulated world). Not a great gift, if you ask me. Maybe instead of constantly making more, acting like it’s not the result of the sinful act of sex, the duggars and other quiverfuls should adopt some of the thousands of kids who need homes? Well, I’ll be honest, I’m torn on that. Not sure if it’s worse being smothered by a fundie family where you will never be allowed to understand or know the true wonders of the universe, or living in a foster home where you may be scarred from the lack of love you get from parents/guadians. But the point is, they don’t even try. Such great wonderful upstanding people they are. Helping out their fellow hum– oh wait.. that’s right. They don’t do that. It’s all about their babies and having more of them.
February 18th, 2008 at 9:37 am
The family is creepy, oppressive, and controlling.
You have absolutely NO RIGHT to make such a statement without even having met the famliy. This is their choice, and I totally agree with them. And about hell? On earth you can talk all you want but when you get to hell you sure will believe in it!
February 18th, 2008 at 11:54 am
Caroline:
We have absolutely every right to describe what we see. They parade around on national television acting like they’re so special. They proudly and selfishly overconsume resources from a finite world. They rigidly regulate every moment of their children’s lives. They are brainwashed stooges of a warped interpretation of an outdated superstition.
Your comment about hell is depressing. Depressing, because it shows that this country is full of people whose view of reality is so warped that they will gladly despoil this Earth for their own fictional benefit in a delusional afterlife.
February 18th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
I couldn’t have said it better. The “you just wait and see” argument is childish. “Just want until my big brother gets home! He’ll beat you up!”
I try to live my life in a way to minimize my resource footprint on this planet, while also contributing something worthwhile artistically and intellectually. I try to help out my fellow humans and other inhabitants on this planet financially when I can, or by doing “good” acts when I see opportunities to be charitable. In addition, I favor a form of government that maximizes liberty and provides welfare (OMG I used the welfare word) to those less fortunate than I was/am.
If I’m going to hell because I think the Duggars are selfish parasites on the anus of humanity, then I never had a chance to begin with, because apparently being a good person and a good shepherd of the planet isn’t enough to outweigh critical political commentary on a family who has made their life public who represent a lifestyle that, if left unchecked, unchallenged, and elevated to a form of the ideal family as TLC keeps trying to do will, ultimately, destroy the planet for humanity and most other living organisms on this planet.
February 18th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
The references to “Little House on the Prairie” above reminds me of this family that attended my mom’s church back in the late 70’s/early 80’s. The father was an absolute authority figure, the mom literally “bound” her breasts to avoid sexually attracting any men, and the kids wore handmade clothes - the girl wore long dresses and bonnets exactly like Laura Ingalls - I kid you not. These people were so extreme that eventually the church kicked them out. Years later I found out that the boy had run away from home and was never heard from again, and the girl got pregnant at fifteen, left home, and developed a drug problem which ended with her losing custody of her child. So much for the meme that an isolationist fundie upbringing safegaurds against kids rebelling.
Meanwhile, from a personal perspective, I outgrew my need for a sky-daddy, got a degree and a career, married an atheist who is an engineer, and raised two atheist kids (one who served in the Navy and was decorated and later got a degree in geophysics; my daughter is going to an art college in England). Yes - that’s right! Godless heathens all, and not a murderer, con artist, or immoral pervert among us! Not to mention that we bike to work, recycle, grow vegetables, and worked off our mortgage and other debts without cadging any tax loopholes via religion.
Parading religion and so-called family values around on TV is no proof that a family is moral in any sense of the word. These people, at least in their TV personas, exemplify the worst of American conspicuous consumption. They drive around in huge gas-guzzling vehicles, consume enormous amounts of overprocessed fast foods, never evince any interest in health, exercise, social issues, the environment or anything other than their closed little bubble world. The food and tax money and resources squandered by this brood in one day could help dozens of poor children who weren’t born with these advantages, yet you never see them doing any charitable work on their TV show. And, from experience, I can say that if they are doing anything remotely “charitable”, it’s through their church and you can bet there are all kinds of “we’ll feed you if you believe” strings attached. I see nothing redeeming about them or their lifestyle.
February 19th, 2008 at 12:05 am
Just wondering — what is the factual basis of your comment, “(BTW, they don’t pay any property tax on that giant house of theirs. They had it declared a church. You’re subsidizing their lifestyle.)?”
February 19th, 2008 at 12:29 am
Fred:
It was in one or more articles about them. At this late date, I don’t remember where I read it.
February 19th, 2008 at 10:08 am
After 17 kids can you imagine how loose and stretched out her va jay jay is? I am sure at this point, having sex with her would be like having sex with a 5 gallon bucket.
These types of people really are a wart on our society. Every single thing about them is just wrong.
February 19th, 2008 at 11:17 am
Anne:
Y