Duggars Used Homeschool Program Devised By Accused Sex Abuser, The Duggars’ dangerous cult of purity, Now what for the Duggars?

Duggars Used Homeschool Program Devised By Accused Sex Abuser   May 22, 2015

The Duggars followed a homeschooling program by the Advanced Training Institute, headed by accused sex abuser Bill Gothard.

    Gothard last year denied accusations that he had sexually harassed or assaulted 34(!) women, claiming “I have never kissed a girl nor have I touched a girl immorally or with sexual intent.” He was 79 years old at the time.

    Although Gothard was forced to resign as the head of the Advanced Training Institute due to the accusations, the Duggars apparently still follow the organization’s teaching plans, which include lessons on how to deal with sexual abuse in the home....

“Lessons From Moral Failures in a Family,” which describes a hypothetical scenario in which parents discover that “an older brother was guilty of sexually abusing younger ones in his family.” When the older brother had “repented,” he’s asked a series of questions—including “What teaching could have been given to each child to resist evil?” and “What factors in the home contributed to immodesty and temptation?”

....…the lessons are frighteningly light on personal responsibility, and heavy on blame for the victim—condemning younger sisters for dressing “immodestly,” and parents for exposing the boy to temptation by having him change his sisters’ diapers....
http://radio.foxnews.com/2015/05/22/duggars-used-homeschool-program-devised-by-accused-sex-abuser/ 

The Duggars’ dangerous cult of purity
By Alexandra Petri May 22, 2015

....The Duggars built their brand on a slavish dedication to ideals of modesty and purity, keeping their children away from Unwholesome Influences, even to the point of shouting “Nike!” when the family was out for a walk in the presence of a woman who was immodestly attired, in order to get them to stare at their shoes. Women must be “modest” and “godly” and pure to attract a godly man. This is where their value lies. Chaperones! Courtship! Side-hugs only! Even hand-holding is off the table.

The revelation of Josh Duggar’s molestation allegations is about more than hypocrisy. This is no occasion for glee. This is a reminder of how badly the cult of purity lets victims down.

“Once you open the door to being alone and enter into a physical relationship before marriage (kissing, touching, physical intimacy), you are allowing your partner to unwrap a precious, special gift that God intended you to hold on to until your wedding day, and you’re also creating a lot of guilt and distrust, and you won’t be able to fully enjoy the pleasure of the sin because of all the guilt it brings.”
–the eldest four Duggar daughters in “Growing Up Duggar: It’s All About Relationships”

....Patheos blogger Libby Anne writes, “Handling child molestation as ‘sin’ rather than addressing the psychology behind it is a serious problem. In their statements to People, the Duggars spoke of Josh’s past wrongdoing as ‘past teenage mistakes’ and spoke of growing closer to God through it. But it appears that Josh never had legitimate counseling or treatment to work through his problem. Some sexual things are normal for a teen to do — say, masturbating — but other sexual things are not typical behavior — say, molesting children — and those things need to be addressed professionally rather than simply as ‘sin’ issues. Failing to do so places other children at risk.”

....The behavior alleged was a crime, not a sin. The account of what happened and how it was handled — failing to report the incidents promptly to authorities? No consequences besides a stern talk from a cop and a few months of remodeling a house with a family friend? The whole thing shoved under the rug? – is painful to read.

Now the Duggars are off the air. But we need to start pushing back against these ideas, too. There is a line between normal and harmful forms of exploration. You are more than your purity....
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/compost/wp/2015/05/22/the-duggars-dangerous-cult-of-purity 


Now what for the Duggars?
Maria Puente, USA TODAY May 22, 2015

Will they or won't they?

It's an open question as to whether the TLC network will keep the damaged Duggar family's show, 19 Kids and Counting, on the air now that eldest son Josh has admitted he was accused of molesting underage girls as a teenager. And, his pious parents, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, admitted they knew about it and worked to ensure he was never charged.

TLC is not talking about its long-term plans. But the network confirmed Friday it has pulled reruns of the show from its schedule and is considering what to do about it going forward. The show is not currently in production....

But the cable network has been through this sort of scandal before involving one of their wacky reality shows: Remember Here Comes Honey Boo Boo?

Mama June Shannon sure does. She's Honey Boo Boo's over-the-top mom, and her family's "redneck reality" show on TLC was canceled in October in the wake of reports by TMZ and others that Shannon was dating a man once convicted of child molestation....

On Friday, she was fuming to TMZ that she wants to sue TLC about unfair treatment, since — so far — the Duggars still have a show, even though, she believes, the parents covered up Josh Duggar's confession to groping five girls 12 years ago in Springdale, Ark....

Hurriedly, he resigned from his job at the conservative Family Research Council in Washington,D.C., where he was a lobbyist fighting against gay rights and same-sex marriage. The FRC posted a statement saying his effectiveness as an advocate had been undermined.

His parents, who have become conservative icons and reality stars as their children and grandchildren have multiplied, apologized, too, without getting into details....
http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2015/05/22/-happens--duggars-reality-show-now/27773707/