I'm surprised you bring up the issue of religious freedom. Who here is trying to force the Duggars to worship differently? How would we even begin to go about that?
We have our religious freedom, but we also have freedom of speech, which means we're free to criticize and opine if we see fit.
“You cannot tell me those Duggars are in any way mainstream Protestant”
Well that is certain.
Main stream Protestants are more and more OK with contraception, abortion, homosexuality, homosexual marriage, divorce and remarriage, and a whole slew of activities that less than 100 years ago where considered serious sins by every Protestant denomination. Now if you go to a Protestant Church that doesn’t have an active gay minister who is overseen by a lesbian bishop, you are the weirdo.
Of course if you are a main stream Protestant and actually attend a church more than twice a year or even worse once a month you are considered an extreme religious nut case by a majority of other members of your church. Probably by the pastor as well.
Having large families, holding worship services in your home, praying at home as a family and keeping a close knit family was standard operating for most people, particularly Americans, as little as fifty years ago.
As for being in a cult. Possibly, but is that so terrible?
Based on the present situation in mainstream churches, even so much with the problems in the Catholic Church and the new not so Catholic Pope, I would say they are doing allot better than many ‘religious’ members of the mainstream churches who schedule their daughters’ abortion as to not interfere with the big gay wedding for Uncle Tom, who used to be called Aunt Tammy before she ‘found’ herself.