Posted on 05/22/2015 8:53:13 AM PDT by pastorbillrandles
Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets: She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying, How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.(Proverbs 1:20-23)
I believe that one of the ways Wisdom from God cries out in the streets, is through notable current events. Through the media culture we are instantly and constantly apprised of current events and developments ; be it in sports, politics, entertainment, or news, there is often a message beneath the event, for Him who has ears to hear.
The Duggar family have become a popular cultural phenomenon through the reality television shown “19 Kids and Counting”. Hundreds of Thousands of Americans have followed the openly Christian, homeschooling family through their daily routine of feeding, shopping, chores, building a large house for the family, family prayer, countless births, courtships,proposals and even marriages.
There has been something fascinating to many, about this insight into a middle American culture of large families, Christian values, chores, sharing and respect that many Americans and even others, thought was long gone.The Duggars have been a larger than life witness to an entire subculture that is very much alive and even thriving in much of America.
But there is a new twist to the story.
Evidently the oldest of the 19 children, Joshua, "had to confess recently to molesting some of his sisters and a family friend, 12 years ago, when he was 14 -15 years old. He has expressed his regret and stepped down from his position on the Family Research Council.
What can we hear Wisdom saying from this unfortunate episode?
1) That the True Witness of Christ is not a “perfect family” but Redemption. The subculture that the Duggars spring from is straight out of developments within evangelical Christianity in the 1970s and 1980s.Born again Christians rejected the “anti-child” , ZPG,(zero population growth) ethos of their time. There was also a tremendous evangelical reaction to the liberal indoctrination and usurpation of the public schools, resulting in the Christian school and Homeschool movement.
Out of this sprang a vast new emphasis on family, discipline, the Biblical role of the Husband and Wife, biblical work ethic, the rejection of the dating culture in favor of courting, and the attempt to protect the children from worldliness in the toxic culture.
I confess, in the interest of full disclosure, that this is very much something I whole heartedly agree with, and see as positive.
However it can lead to an unfortunate emphasis on the external . The temptation is to think that doing ‘family’ just right, and being a perfect example of a Christian family, each kid in submission and everything in order, is the ideal christian witness.
The problem is original sin.Even if we deliver our children out of the abominable public schools, and get them to read the classical literature, and teach them to work hard…children are still sinners.
There will be sin, and there is a Christian way to deal with it. The witness is Redemption, not external perfection.
The Duggars did deal with their sinning son, he was exposed, he confessed his sin, and a policeman was even called in, (who gave him a stern lecture and a warning), and years later when his future wife and her parents were introduced to the family, Josh told them openly of his sin and that he had been helped by God to overcome it.
“Twelve years ago, as a young teenager, I acted inexcusably for which I am extremely sorry and deeply regret,” Duggar said in a statement posted on Facebook on Thursday. “I hurt others, including my family and close friends. I confessed this to my parents who took several steps to help me address the situation.
“We spoke with the authorities where I confessed my wrongdoing, and my parents arranged for me and those affected by my actions to receive counseling. I understood that if I continued down this wrong road that I would end up ruining my life.”
What more can you do? Should Duggar be considered a danger? Should he be made a Pariah? But for those of us who have forgotten what the true witness if Christ is, this will be a severe trial.
2) Who says you are supposed to put your family on Television? I think Wisdom might be warning us of the dangers of setting ourselves up as an example. I realize that “we are the light of the world” and the “Salt of the earth” but I doubt that meant we should present our entire family on television for years on end.
I cringe when I see the Duggars and the Duck Dynasty clan, because I know that even the finest families are composed of sinners, and I also know that those who would viscerally hate all that these traditional families stand for, the sexually deviant, and the Feminists, would absolutely love to uncover “dirt” on either one of them to discredit the idyllic scenes of family prayer and faith and the public statements against the cultural transgressions.
As a Pastor and Blogger I do live a somewhat public life, however on a very severely limited scale. I wouldn’t want my little ones or my grandchildren to have to live their tender, developing years on television for all to see. If I am attacked that is one thing, but to expose my wife and children to attack, is unthinkable.
3) The reaction to this incident reveals all we need to know about the Duggars friends and critics.
There are some Christians and moralists who are already savaging Josh Duggar. They believe that he has damaged the gospel, by serving on the Family Research Council,knowing of his previous sin, or by being on Television at all.
But would anyone want their sins from the age of 14 to be held against them twelve years later? Is there not Redemption? Didn’t Jesus die for his sins?
The sexual deviants are rejoicing! So too are the rest of the Anti-Christians. They are so happy that ,, that “Holier than thou”, “perfect little family” have been shamed and their nakedness has been exposed! They love to see the dirty laundry of a pro-life, pro-family, pro-American Christian family. The Washingtom Post online article featured a video clip featuring Josh Duggar calling for Marriage as being between one man and one woman, as if his previous transgressions nullifies everything he has said.
What is their answer?Is it that there is no use protesting sin, we should just succumb to every evil proclivity? I would rather live among people like the Duggars, who though imperfectly, tried to stem the tide of evil in their own families, than among those who just “normalize” perversion as though it is inevitable anyway.
Then there are those of us who are grieved. Grieved for the Duggar family and the exposure of their shame. Grieved to be reminded that even in the most sanitized, and seemingly protected environment, Sin still destroys and rears its ugly head. We are grieved for the young woman whom Josh touched inappropriately 12 years ago, and the willingness of sinners to re-open any wounds that have been healed.
If those who rejoiced over the Duggars shame ever thought about it, they would realize that the same God who allowed for the exposure of Josh’s sin, will one day call each of them to account for their sins. Jesus told us, “There is nothing hidden that shall not be revealed, and nothing whispered in the ear that shall not be shouted from the roof tops”.
4) This little episode is a heavy warning about the power and danger of sin, and the fact that neither homeschooling, courting, manners, morals and ethics, are any substitute for the need of full Redemption through the blood of Jesus. All of us are sinners, we all need grace and cannot afford to throw stones at anyone. Being reconciled to God through the death and resurrection of Jesus is the only antidote to sin.
Please pray for the Duggars and their family. Pray also for the outspoken deviants and moral anarchists who rejoice in their shame. Pray for the Moralists who are now tempted to hate this family, for their failure in the past, and for having the audacity to present their family as some kind of testimony.
The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord; and thy saints shall bless thee. They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power; To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom. Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations. The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down. The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.(Psalm 145:8-15)
Neither did the Duggars say they were happy that their son is recovered "From wrecking other lives".
Perhaps unfortunate event is an unfortunate choice of wording, but you have to admit, everything about this is , well, an "Unfortunate event", among other things. I told someone else, I said more about it than that. Why don't you try to discuss this rationale without imputing to me that I think its OK tha t" the Molester is OK" so all is fine. I never said that, and no I don't have issues. I hate sin and evil, and especially this evil. But I believe that Jesus died for Josh Duggar and his parents and the sins he committed 12 years ago. Jesus also died for his sisters and the poor neighbor girl, whoever she was. You don't have to insult me to make a point!
He may not be doomed, in spite of the fact that his parents made sure he faced no real punishment under the law.
The victims of his repeated violent acts against small children were not so lucky. The parents allowed him to return over and over to sexually exploit their other children over and over.
But at least he’s gonna be okay. Right? At least the parents and the money they made selling their children is intact.
I have to be honest, Black Agnes, I don’t think I would, in view of the facts you have presented. But then again I wouldn’t trust most people to babysit my little ones. So what are you saying, should we hate Him? Stone Him? press for criminal conviction? I still stand by my call for prayer fr this troubled family, and my advice that reality shows aren’t a good thing to subject any family to. Let Him who is without sin cast the first stone.
“Let Him who is without sin cast the first stone.”
Do you think the prison system should be abolished and all within set free then?
Do you condone the actions of all child molesters or just Josh Duggar?
If it is the former, why do you wish for all child molesters to the released from prison?
And, reading his statement, I don’t think he’s contrite one bit. Not one word about the effects of his actions on his sisters. Just concern about ruining his own life.
Pathologies usually occur together. I suspect pedo tendencies are only part of the problem with Josh.
See 25
I NEVER condoned any of Josh Duggars actions nor do I wish for any child molester to be released from prison! Why don’t you try to have a reasonable discussion without totally insulting me, for reminding everybody of the possibility of Redemption.
The article states that all the kids involved received counseling.
Absolutely not, If Josh Duggar has done something which ought to put him in prison,I am all for it, but I still believe that he can be redeemed. Why do you have to take this to an insulting extreme? I believe in prison and even the death penalty. I also believe that prison could possibly stop someone from going to the eternal prison, the lake of fire, which is for all sinners.
” because I never heard that his parents allowed him to return “over and Over again to preform violent acts against the children”
He continued to live in the home with them. Unless the parents had video cameras installed everywhere they have no way of knowing if he continued his actions. I’d like to know if he had a cell phone or access to other video equipment (I recall he did from some of the episodes). I wouldn’t be shocked to find out he’d peeped on them subsequent to this in spite of physical access being limited. I will note that they changed from letting the kids sleep where they ‘fell’, like puppies to installing ‘girls room and boys room’ beds.
We also don’t know if he had access to any other young females (or males) during this time.
Can you imagine being 12yr old Jana and having to sit at the dinner table every night with the brother who’d been diddling you?
Sorry, but diddling your sisters of ANY age is pathology. At 14 this wasn’t ‘repressed biology’ at work. He knew what incest was and proceeded to do that anyway.
As I have said previously, pedo/incest is probably only part of the picture of pathologies in this case. FRC made a HUGE mistake when they hired him. And his parents as well, knowing as they did his tendencies, not putting a bug in the FRC organizations ear about his obviously unsuitability for his role as ‘family values spokesperson’.
The parents issued a joint statement with him rejoicing that he avoided wrecking his life.
He was caught twice molesting multiple children in a period of less than a year.
He again returned and did it yet again, which we know because it was ongoing when he was doing it when Oprah’s staff was notified.
He was protected from facing any legal consequences, and his parents protected him from the law. They did nothing to protect his victims.
Yes, they returned him repeated to his victims, protected him, and he violated them again and again.
If a predator is in your midst and you provide that predator with helpless victims over and over, yes.
“On purpose” is exactly what describes what the parents did.
Don’t act surprised when the wolf in the chicken coop you invite in slaughters all of your chickens. You know what wolves inevitably do, yet you give them shelter with your flock.
Great - but I'm referring to Josh. He (apparently) received none.
I wasn’t trying to be insulting.
My forgiving a criminal or psycho has nothing to do with ‘trusting’ their human nature to never re-offend again.
I understand that psychos will be psychos. Honestly many of them can’t help it, their programming is SNAFU’d in the strictest sense of the word.
I can’t imagine that prison at 14 would ‘fix the problem’ unless it was forever. I’m not sure that’s a total fix to the issue as he’s not a stupid boy, not physically disabled and could be a contributing taxpayer. HOWEVER he should never EVER be trusted around young children again. I’m in favor of closed communities of these sorts of people where they can work, have jobs and ‘contribute’ without being a burden on the rest of us, but NEVER see a human child again either in real life or depicted in some way.
In the same way that it would be unfair to expect a recovered alcoholic to work as bartender. Forgiven by their maker, sure. But still human as long as they remain on this earth and still susceptible to temptations as we all are.
JMHO.
Forgiveness doesn’t mean no worldly consequences.
Our pastor has a jail ministry and he often says the same thing you do about total redemption. Him not sharing that a highly dangerous sex offender was attending our very small church, eventually led to a church split. Sex offenders are extremely good liars and manipulaters. Our pastor fell for his “false “ conversion completely and was disturbed that the rest of us didn’t think the guy was cured.
Also, molestation is simply not the same as other sins. There can’t be restitution like there would be for a thief. Our pastor put his firm belief in the redemptive power of Christ ahead of vulnerable children in his flock and it could have ended badly. His daughter in law was so concerned that she let a mom in the church know about the guy we were sitting next to every week. The guy reoffended as well as stalked a woman in town, landing him back in jail and opening our pastor’s eyes to the fact that he was fooled.
Christ does redeem the lost and He is powerful and able to heal all. But, we live in a fallen world and need to protect children from all harm, even if that seems to contradict our firm belief of restoration in Christ. Trust in the offender must be earned in a case like this.
No, you simply proposed that child molestation is an “ unfortunate episode.”
Yep. They surely protected their children from worldliness in the toxic culture by being on a “reality” show on TLC - the same channel that brought us Honey Boo Boo and Dance Moms and all sorts of other trash. Follow the money.
I agree. Does anyone really know what happened? Prayers for the family. God is in control and only He knows why this was revealed at this time
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