The Duggar Family and the Quiverfull Movement: Why They Are Anything but Harmless

[bravenak]

I couldn't copy any of the article, don't know why, but this is very interesting reading in the aftermath of the Josh Duggar revelations. Apparently people have been noticing something off about the family for years. I know that I always thought they were strange, to put it mildly.





http://www.tonpetitlook.com/en/2014/05/01/duggar-family-and-quiverfull-movement-why-they-are-anything-harmless

[KittyWampus]

1. Marking for later. I am equally disturbed they were given a show on cable.

[bravenak]

3. I found it creepy too.

[valerief]

42. Hey, freakin' Sean Hannity has a show on cable. There's a shitload of harmful shit on cable. nt

[FSogol]

2. K&R. n/t

[PeaceNikki]

4. Here's another great read from a woman who escaped. Terrifying.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/nolongerquivering/2014/09/vyckie-garrison-how-playing-good-christian-wife-almost-killed-me/

[bravenak]

5. I read her blog from time to time.

What hell they put that woman through. The only one in this whole Duggar story who did something right was Oprah. Fucking shame that Oprah had to be the one.

[dixiegrrrrl]

8. What did Oprah do, pls?

I have not been following the Dugger thing, no tv.

[bravenak]

13. Called the cops I think. "Hotlined' them after they were to appear on her show based in a tip.

[Jamastiene]

43. She turned them into a hotline for molested children.

One of her staff got an email telling about how he had molested several girls, then Oprah canceled and would not let them on her show and she turned them in. She really does seem to be the only one who did the right thing in this situation.

[dixiegrrrrl]

58. Good on her!!!!

I am still puzzling over why a couple who is over populating the planet is worthy of such TV fame.
But then again, I have not figured out the Kardigans or what ever their name is....just real glad we are saving so much a month
without tv.

[Jamastiene]

62. Me too.

I don't think they deserve to be famous for overpopulating the planet. Nor do I think the Kardashians (I don't even know if I spelled their name right) should be famous for....well, I guess they are famous just because or something, because I have no clue why they are famous.

I really hate the way TLC went from being a decent channel back in the early days to nothing but women giving birth to babies for years, with no warning for those of us who were trying to eat lunch, then culminating in nothing but crap like the Duggars, which is birth to the nth degree without so much as taking a breather in between babies, literally shooting them out every 9 months. Plus, the Duggars don't even raise their own kids. They get their female kids to do all the house work and baby changing, including all night long, and put the boys in charge of the whole thing, to tell the girls what to do. There is something wrong with that entire family.

[dixiegrrrrl]

70. That whole child rearing thing is pure Quiverfull mandates.

The reasoning is they are teaching the girls how to raise kids, and teaching the boys how to run a family and their wives.

The Quiverfull thing is non-denominational...any religious family can align with the teaching.

[Hekate]

64. It's the modern day equivalent of a circus freak-show, I think. nt

[PeaceNikki]

17. No kidding. I grew up in an evangelical church and knew some of these families.

It's crazy to think back on those days and about how twisted it all is.

[bravenak]

25. I knew kids like this when I went to church.

And my uncle is a preacher and is just like this family or whatever you call it. He 'gave' my cousin to her husband to marry. She is still screwed up and believes her husband 'owns' her. I'm working on her right now, probably why I'm so pissed, but she has 3 daughters and I don't want them 'given' to somebody or have them indoctrinated anymore than they are. Seventh day adventists but they think that the regular Adventists are sinners and stuff so they made their own church that follows biblical laws more closely. I hated spending the night at their house. Hated it.

[PeaceNikki]

29. Ugh, I'm so sorry. Good luck with your cousin and her kids.

My uncle passed away the end of last year. That side of my family is still entrenched in it. I went to a church in the synod I was raised for visitation.

I walked into the church to attend the visitation and was on the fence about whether I would stay for the service. There was a receiving line that extended to the narthex. My eyes wandered onto the bulletin board full of announcements and chick tracts type materials. One jumped out at me. It was titled "Liberalism: Its Cause and Cure : The Poisoning of American Christianity and the Antidote".

Sigh.

Yeah, it was advertising a book written by a Lutheran pastor. It discusses the evil poisoning of "liberalism, evolution, the charismatic heresy and feminism" on American society. I didn't get a chance to discover what he thinks is "the cure".

I offered hugs and condolences to my family and did not stay for the service. I don't want to be part of that world any more. Not even for short stints. They think we are the enemy, poison that needs an antidote.

sigh.

[bravenak]

31. Thank you, this is a rough time.

But the kids are safe with my sister, thankfully. No more damage can be done.

[ScreamingMeemie]

6. This is the truth filth in society.

Ugh.

[bravenak]

7. Yep. Sickening.

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. To me the whole story, including the local PD covering this up

as well, speaks to a sickness in the country. It comes down to money and how much influence you can buy.

[bravenak]

11. Yep. And that females are worthless.

Well, except for 'fondling' and 'breeding'.

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. Well that goes without saying

[Solly Mack]

10. K&R

If you can rape and abuse children under the guise of freedom of religion then a new definition is needed. If you can abuse women by brainwashing them into believing their only worth is how many children they can produce, then where is the choice? Choice demands knowledge and information to be actual choice. It requires the freedom to think outside the dictates of others. Choice isn't choice when you are conditioned from birth to believe a certain way. When you are isolated from birth and prevented from exploring other ways to think and live, what choice do you have really?

[bravenak]

14. Those women were given no tools to deal with this. It's evil.

[Solly Mack]

16. It's abuse. It's oppression.

Doesn't matter if they are conditioned to accept it. They are still victims.

[KamaAina]

15. I've got your four paragraphs right here

At first, I started watching the show because I was curious. This family’s life was just SO different from my own reality; I was fascinated. It was like watching a train wreck. They made me super uncomfortable, but I couldn’t help myself! And sure, they were "special", but I thought that they were just a harmless family with old-fashioned values. However, the more I learned about the way they live and about their religion, the Quiverfull movement, the more I realized that, under their angelic smiley faces, there was a lot of sexism, racism and hate.

A bit more on the Quiverfull movement:
This movement encourages its adept to have as many children a God sees fit to give them, by giving up all forms of birth control, including natural family planning. The name “Quiverfull” comes from the Old Testament Bible verses in Psalm 127:3–5:

As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man;
so are children of the youth.
Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them

So basically, these people see their children as metaphorical arrows in the war against the non-righteous. Hence the need to pop out as many babies as possible.

[bravenak]

18. Thank you so much!

[Stryst]

39. Isn't the whole point of the quiverfull movement

to force breed up an army of white evangelicals? You know, to fight off the race wares, or the Muslims, or the gay/atheist/Jew alliance or something like that?

[KamaAina]

71. Pretty much.

[m-lekktor]

19. they believe abortion is worse than slavery or the holocaust.

jesus fkn christ! good read! thanks for posting. I vaguely knew what they were about but never bothered to read anything much about them. They were big Santorum for president supporters according to this which is NO SURPRISE!

[bravenak]

23. Fucking crazy shit, right?!?

[ScreamingMeemie]

46. It really makes me rethink that whole "Jana is leaving 19 Kids..." stuff from a few

months ago. I hope she escapes.

[bravenak]

55. Maybe this kinda stuff is why she wanted to leave.

This is the perfect opportunity for the girls and women to escape that clan. I hope they are already in hotels and gone away from Duggarville.

[samsingh]

20. thanks for posting

[DonCoquixote]

21. whetehr iot is quiverfull

Or Isis enslaving women, the goal is the same, to make sure women are breeders so that the higher classes can have tons of soldiers and slaves to exploit. It is in inherent nasty facet of the God of Abraham, regardless of his guises.

[bravenak]

22. I agree. It's authoritarian creepy.

[leftieNanner]

32. Soldiers, slaves, and

Republican voters! They want to push this country into a theocracy.

[Jefferson23]

24. How do we know what the victims said, if they were even interviewed and by whom, the

wacko cop??? The very young victims seem to have had no voice other than the complicit parents, this
story makes me ill. They also have a son who they did not provide treatment for, that is a recipe
for all kinds of issues. His wife constructed a message to say, hey, I knew his background
and I am good with it..he is a gentleman...God forgives. The exploitation is off the charts.

Too many loose ends, way too many.

[bravenak]

26. It's really scary to think how long this has gone unnoticed.

Everything about this is wrong. I do not even know what to think. House of Horrors. Creepy and Stepford wifesish.

[avebury]

44. The family needs to be thoroughly investigated.

It is clear that the parents covered up their sons behavior instead of being concerned about the welfare of the girls (and non-family girls). It has to make you wonder what else has been going on that they have hid. The parents just don't strike me as being that concerned about the welfare of their children as much as looking to pop out the next kid.

[Jefferson23]

45. One problem now is the time that has gone by is extensive and we have no idea how they felt

back then and who helped them process this mess. Evidently their church elders were involved,
possibly, or just the parents, I don't know. Looking at the parents priorities it does not appear
they acted in their best interests...I hope the victims will have advocates now, as late as it is.

[avebury]

51. I am not just talking about Josh molesting the young girls.

I think that there is reasonable concerned about what else might be going on behind close doors in that household. Where there is smoke, there is fire.

[Jefferson23]

52. When any parent does not protect all of their children, then yes..one is left to be very suspicious.

[Dont call me Shirley]

27. The family patriarch has a look very familiar...

It is the look of a lecher looking in the eyes of the child he has molested, in a public situation where he is unable to behave inappropriately at the moment but longing to do so.

I have seen that look too many times. I hate that look. It makes me nauseous.

This entire Duggar family has a psychosexual sickness.

[bravenak]

30. I agree.

They need to be investigated just like the fdls. People who worry about gay people having sex consentually are usually sexual creeps and deviants. I never even stress about it myself, that how I know.

[Ilsa]

33. I keep wondering how Josh developed this prediction for

Incest and rape. Father? Uncle? Training?

[Dont call me Shirley]

35. Like father, like son.

[Ilsa]

59. Here's what Solly Mack said in another thread...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=6713898

[smokey nj]

50. That's what I've been thinking.

[Ilsa]

60. Here's what Solly Mack said in another thread...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=6713898

[LongTomH]

28. There are many articles linking the Duggars to the Quiverful, Dominionist, and patriarchy movements

From Patheos: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/nolongerquivering/2009/11/christian-dominionism-part-1-the-ties-that-bind-extremist-politics-to-christian-patriarchy/

In recent years, most popular culture discussions of the Christian Quiverfull movement center on the charming Duggar family of TLC reality fame. The Duggars—parents of eighteen children with another on the way—are seen by many as a wholesome—if quirky—example of a healthy family with astoundingly polite and well-behaved children. It is nearly impossible to have a discussion with a well-meaning Quiverfull-illiterate without hearing that familiar refrain: “They just seem like such nice people!”

.............//snip

The overwhelming majority of Quiverfull families—who comprise a miniscule percentage of the American population—are followers of an extremist brand of right-wing politics called Christian Dominionism. Motivated by such writers as RJ Rushdoony and Francis Schaeffer, they want to establish a militant Christian theocracy in the United States. Not only that, but they have imperialistic designs on the rest of the world.

In this era of Christian Right ascendancy, there are at least three names that those of us who remain committed to transparent democratic processes should know: RJ Rushdoony (intellectual father of Christian Dominionism), Bill Gothard (Quiverfull’s figurehead for stealth political organizing), and Erik Prince (CEO of Xe—formerly Blackwater—and the first Christian Dominionist to amass a private army capable of successfully overthrowing a government). The rest of the posts in this series will show what each of these men is about and shed light on this often dismissed—but increasingly powerful—fringe minority. It appears as though TLC will continue to romanticize the Quiverfull lifestyle for the foreseeable future, and it’s up to those of us who know better to shed a brighter light on its politics.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/nolongerquivering/2009/11/christian-dominionism-part-2-r-j-rushdoony-and-the-ties-that-bind-extremist-politics-to-christian-patriarchy/

Born in 1916 to Armenian immigrants in the United States, Rousas John Rushdoony was a Calvinist theologian whose fundamentalist teachings would provide the intellectual foundations for Christian Dominionism—or Christian Reconstructionism—in North America. In his writings, Rushdoony laid the groundwork for the establishment of a Christian theocracy not unlike Calvin’s Geneva in the contemporary United States. Rushdoony’s multi-volume opus, The Institutes of Biblical Law, has provided much of the movement’s political framework.

..................//snip

Rushdoony today remains a popular figure among fundamentalist Quiverfull families. He was an early proponent of the view that Christian families should homeschool their children in order to shelter them from secular schools in the United States. Among other works, his Philosophy of the Christian Curriculum was heard as a rallying cry for parents who shared Rushdoony’s disdain for the evils of secular humanism. For Rushdoony, the Christian homeschool was seen—almost literally—as a military training ground for the children who would become the foot soldiers in this war to replace the secular government of the United States with a fundamentalist one. In defense of these goals, Rushdoony famously wrote that “Christianity and democracy are inevitably enemies.”

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/nolongerquivering/2009/11/christian-dominionism-part-3-bill-gothard-and-the-ties-that-bind-extremist-politics-to-christian-patriarchy/
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/nolongerquivering/2009/11/christian-dominionism-part-4-erik-prince-and-the-ties-that-bind-extremist-politics-to-christian-patriarchy/
Erik Prince? Remember him? He's the Blackwater / Xe guy:

One thing that has not been widely reported, however, is Xe’s Dominionist allegiance, up to and including the fact that its former CEO—and now chairman—Erik Prince, is the biological heir apparent to the U.S. Dominionist community.

Scaryyyyy!!!!!!!

Oh, while you're at it; read the Wikipedia pages on the Quiverfull and Dominionist movements.

[bravenak]

34. Whoa!!!!!!!!!!

is right!!!!!

[Dont call me Shirley]

66. Here is an article linking the princes to dominionism.

This is one very toxic deadly belief system

http://unsettledchristianity.com/murder-in-the-name-of-christ-21st-century-edition-prince-erik-prince/#more-10969

[LibDemAlways]

36. As soon as a child was weaned, the mother,

Michelle, would pass the baby off to one of her older daughters to raise. She had some sort of mental breakdown after the first few kids and couldn't handle more, but her religion dictated that she keep popping them out. She's 48. Her second to last pregnancy resulted in a baby being born at 25 weeks. That one survived thanks to skilled doctors. Her most recent pregnancy ended in a miscarriage. She's delusional and still trying for more.

(Andrea Yates, the woman who drowned her kids, belonged to a similar fundie group.)

The two recently married Duggar daughters got pregnant right away -one within a month of the wedding. When the time came to deliver, she was at home with an unlicensed midwife and refused competent medical help until there were signs that the baby was in distress. She finally had an emergency c-section after 70 hours. The other currently pregnant newlywed is married to an unemployed teenager - well, not really, he just turned 20. They were treated to a honeymoon in Europe courtesy of TLC. When asked what countries she visited, she replied Paris and Rome. Her homeschooling was obviously deficient.

The girls are taught that their only value is as wives and mothers. They cover up, wearing longish skirts and layers of blouses lest some guy get a peek at a kneecap and go wild with desire. If they are walking along with their brothers and are about to pass a scantily clad woman, say one in a tank top, they say "Nike" which is a signal for the guys to look down at their shoes so as not to be "defrauded."

Girls "court" only guys approved by their father, and they aren't allowed to be alone with their significant other until marriage -meaning a chaperone is with them at all times. Once engaged they may hold hands, but no kissing until the I dos are said.

None of the girls have seen the inside of a college classroom, though one of the older boys is attending an unaccredited Christian school. College of any kind is out for the girls. A couple of the girls have taken a few midwife courses, but none is making a living at it. Their life's course is charted for them at birth. They get passed from father to husband and become breeders.

And for years this family has been rewarded with a tv show. I'll be glad to see it end. I hope the girls who were victmized get some therapy and that at some point they find the strength to break free. They live a hellish existence.

[heaven05]

38. wow, sad

the human potential being wasted. One of these women could find a cure for cancer, end racism, sexism, homophobia. Could become POTUS and do all these things. Religion is not good. Faith in something is good. But not at the expense of hating others who are not believers such as them.

[bravenak]

40. I hope they get some help too.

It has got to be a strange time for them right now.

[heaven05]

37. very, very interesting

I was devout and all that stuff at one time until I saw how racists used religion to be 'better' than black christians who are fooled into acting just like the racists by being bigoted against people who loved each other but were not up to the 'standards' of the church. This cult is despicable and evil. How christianity has been used as a control tool, of women today, slaves at one time, is amazing. I'm glad I found the truth and got out of a very racist church. It really is a long story, but yours is very interesting and helpful in understanding this Quiverfull movement and this family of note, the duggers. thanks.

[bravenak]

41. Yeah, i see it as a control thing too.

I'm glad this came out so that people stop being fooled or pulled into that lifestyle.

[longship]

48. R&K for an informative post.

I couldn't copy/paste either. But I am using an iPad, which has problems with those things.

[bravenak]

49. I'm on my ipad too.

I hate using my pc, so i try to make do.

[catrose]

53. This story just keeps triggering me

Back to a time of lying awake long into the night with this nagging fear that it wasn't safe to close the eyes.

Back to when boys at school, friends' brothers, and others just reached out and touched whenever and whatever they wanted. And girls were trained to be ashamed of it.

Back to getting fired after rape when not able to concentrate on the job.

I so much admire the women today who stand up and call attention to rape, abuse, catcalls, and all the other assaults. I wish I could talk about it. At least I think I do.

[bravenak]

54. I'm having those same type of feelings.

I'm so glad this came out. I wonder if those ladies will ever be able to heal.

[catrose]

61. I'm so sorry

I'd expect it will take a long, long time. Half century?

I read a study once that said child abuse victims heal more quickly if they see justice done, like themselves being believed and protected, perpetrators being dealt with. But I don't know where they even found enough instances like that to perform a study.

[bravenak]

63. I think there are so many cases, that finding enough was as easy as putting out an ad.

I think the effects last an entire lifetime.

[catrose]

65. I meant cases where the victims were believed, protected, etc.

I know there's plenty of cases where they weren't, if they even bothered to say anything. And the boys grew up, admired and successful, and had families of their own, where the story continued.

[bravenak]

68. Ahhh, i get it.

Yeah, that's a toughie.

[Dont call me Shirley]

67. catrose...

I know your pain.

[catrose]

69. I'm always sorry to hear that!

No matter how comforting it is to me to be understood. Thanks much.

[countryjake]

56. The Independent Fundamental Baptists, the elders of the Duggar's church...

are who they turned to for "counseling" when they learned that their oldest kid was a rapist. This cover-up involves much more than just the Duggar family or even TLC.

I'm sure hoping those "quivering" fundamentalists are soon exposed for the dangers they represent to civil society.

Every minority in this country should be aware that these religious fanatics are pushing for a theocracy...oppression of anyone who does not conform to their twisted morals.

Thanks for sharing that link, bravenak. We certainly need to stay informed about such people.

[bravenak]

57. I'm betting that this case is just the tip of the iceberg.

These people really want to run the world. Make it like The Handmaids Tale worldwide. I'm not having it.

[JI7]

72. this video clip of Jana Duggar

the story was about her younger sister taking something from her and her forgiving her. but look at those tears and emotion. that isn't the type of emotion one gets over such a common thing that happens between siblings. especially when both were very young.

knowing what we now know, i think it's clear the story she gave was a cover story for something much worse. she said something about there being people who may hurt us. but a younger sister who is about 5 that takes something from you isn't hurting you . it's a kid being a kid. now we know what she was really thinking of when she said this.

and it could also explain why she seemed to have little interest in finding someone and getting out of the home. she wanted to protect her siblings.

https://instagram.com/p/2JNnd0g4k4/

[bravenak]

73. It looks like something much worse than just a sibling spat.

Somebody did take something from her. And they made it her responsibility to forgive. Sad.