"Boys are curious"??

Well you have NINE OTHERS! Are you watching them closely to monitor their "curiosity"?

The thing that gets me about Josh Duggar is he equated homosexuality with pedophilia many times when he worked for the AFA.

Maybe Joshie is holding onto *another* secret...

Just a little non-consensual folding. What's the big deal?

THANK GOD he wasn't molesting little boys, because that would make him gay.

i accept that we all can make mistakes, and Josh certainly did, and he hurt others badly. We don't know if his behavior has continued. But the one thing that amazes me is that he would hold a position like he did for the Family Research Council. The fact that he did reflects poorly on both the Council and Josh. Josh knew his history. He had no business accepting the job!

Admission, apologies, and asking for forgiveness may be good for Josh's soul, but it doesn't undo the harm to his victims. They, too, may forgive, as forgiveness is something we do for ourselves so that anger and resentment to eat away at our minds and souls. But that doesn't mean their lives haven't been irreparably damaged. Come on, people! These girls weren't curious; they were forcibly fondled, whether taken advantage of while sleeping, or awake when they thought the big brother they trusted

If any good comes of this at all it'll be to drive home the fact that christians are no more moral, trustworthy, or honest than anyone else as much as they like to insist that they are.

Considering the numerous Family Values champs that have been caught in sex scandals, clergymen found to be molesting kids, and anti-gay pundits who end up being revealed as self-loathing closet cases, I'm actually surprised anyone takes christians seriously anymore.

Um, if any good comes from this it will be that whistleblowers and any adult that suspects abuse will report it to authorities sooner. If they had in this case, the prosecutor would have had a shot at putting Josh away through the juvenile system and the girls could have gotten real counseling. Little kids don't have politics and this happens everywhere. They all need to be protected.

Of course. But my point had more to do with how people automatically just assume christians are more trustworthy. Do you think fans of the Duggars would ever have suspected something like this had been going on? Even now, people are defending them because "He confessed his sins to Jesus and Jesus forgave him and therefore so do we!" So that's supposed to mean kids, including his own, are safe around him now because Jesus?

And how many republican candidates right now are trying to get an edge over their competition by trying to "out-christian" their opponents? Even as the dirt is being dredged up on many of them currently.

The sooner people realize christians are no more trustworthy than anyone else the less things like this can happen.

Agree. Christians are no more or less trustworthy than anyone else on this, so they need to get off their high horse. This can happen anywhere, so adults need to watch for and report it. I'm a christian and know about forgiveness. I also know Jesus asked us to feed the poor, cloth the naked, and ... visit those in prison (Matt 25). Christianity is not a get out of jail free card. For those that think their church is a substitute for the law, refer to "render unto Caesar what is Caesar's", which, in this case, can be read as, "Your soul belongs to God, but your a@# belongs in jail."

Thanks for reminding me that there are at least some christians who get the whole "christ" part.

What this is all boiling down to is really the ultimate in church vs. state. Granted, part of the " state" thing is really "media".... but effectually, "media" or TLC is functioning as " state". The IFB, ATI, Quiverfull folks are stating that since the Duggars went through their specific churches' "rite of restoration" if I can coin a phrase in a a catholic-esque manner, that the rest of us, who do not subscribe to their specific faith brand, should accept that and shut up. Other Christian-based churches have different rites of restoration, which would include submitting themselves to the government authorities for due process. Now, Arkansas being Arkansas, the statue of limitations protects Josh, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, along with their church leaders, at this point. (Its not unheard of for government entities to change statue of limitations in extreme cases, but I dont expect that from a state like Arkansas) So, our only line of any kind of a "due process" is you would is to see TLC cancel them. So if TLC DOESNT cancel them, for a lot of us, it would seem we are one step closer to a Fundamentalist Christian Oligarchy in this country, which would hurt moderate to liberal Protestants of all denominations, Catholics, Jews, Agnostics, Muslims, Pagans and Athiests... the rest of us basically.. by forcing us to abide by their laws. What an amazing amount of power for a crappy cable network!

We used to get TLC on cable, but they've changed their call letters to AHC, Or the American Heroes Channel. They play back to back episodes about the search for the lost ark, or examining clues about Moses. It is almost completely Xtian broadcasting.

Yes, folks! The fundies took over a channel that was about learning something, and turned it into teaching that the world is only 6000 years old.

If this had been a liberal or Democrat we would never hear the end of it. There would be NO EXCUSES allowed. But it's the conservative nazi party of NO (repugs) it's OK

There's curious, and there's criminal.... He should have been arrested and jailed, Because his parents covered his butt, they should be charged as criminals too. Being a christian does not pardon his violation of these young women. Neither does being a reality TV freak on some trashy crap TV show....I hope they are permanently cancelled. Would be a little less garbage on the tube....

OMG with all the religious justifications and bible quotes. Keep it simple people. Not a single one of you knows what happened when he was a 15 year old BOY. We do not know the situation, right, wrong or indifferent. I am certainly not the same person I was at that age and would not make the same choices I did then. Stop thumping your bibles in righteous indignation, stop the hypocrisy and the gossiping and mind your own selves. Stop being THAT PERSON....you know the ones I mean. You go to church on Sundays faithfully, pray with all your might, walk out of service and condemn your neighbors, their clothing, lifestyle, sexuality, etc. That does not emulate good Christian values. NO ONE is without sin, so don't judge others. Are you God? NO. Don't ACT holier than your neighbor. You aren't. TLC should NOT cancel the show but rather allow people to choose whether or not to watch. Wouldn't it be better to see how the family addresses this crisis through use of faith? That would be compelling TV. JMHO.

Knowing what you do about Josh Duggar....Since you would not judge him. Would you have him spend the night with your children/grandchildren with no supervision?

Blaze Kool Aide for Everybody!!!!

I simply cannot believe what I just read! Wow, you have a very warped HO, and that, Susan Surdow, is JMHO.

you sound just like a nazi fascist party of NO (repug) follower Their show must be cancelled we can not condone this family's actions at all. They canceled the Boo show because of sexual problems and this is NO DEIFFERENT

I've read quite a few comments from many different sites and this is the one that left me speechless. The comment was made on Mike Huckabee's Facebook page.
Christie Harper
The bible clearly states that homosexuality is a sin!

The bible clearly also states that in Genesis, God created Adamand Eve! They were the only two humans on the planet, so the ONLY way to further the human race is through incest! Again in Genesis, God wiped out humanity except for Noah's family, so the ONLY way to further the human race is through incest

That is really, really disturbing.

This is a long response, but I hope you find it worth reading!

Most of what has been written about this story makes the fundamental mistake of focusing on Josh, not his victims. Our focus, compassion, prayers, and more ought to focus first and foremost on these girls, now young women. Although they were young, they knew right from wrong and reported Josh's actions to their parents. (This is one place I say Kudos to the parents; at least one or more daughters felt safe enough to tell their parents what was going on AND the parents believed their daughters - this doesn't happen in a great many cases, and the Duggar parents did something correct in this respect.) If Josh's victims (raised in the same family) knew right from wrong, he should have, too. And if he acted by compulsion, God help us, as we may be dealing with a lifelong sex deviant who may have already hurt and may continue to hurt countless young girls. All he may have learned is how to better hide his offending behavior.

In discussions about this situation, let's remember that sexual abuse (from rape to molestation) has at its core the misuse of power over victims. Although some small piece of Josh's sexual curiosity may have played a role, that curiously doesn't explain repeat offenses with multiple victims. Josh was using power to hurt his victims, and the patriarchal family and religion in which he was raised likely compounded the problem. There is a clear distinction between learning to respect a young woman and and using such behavior as a means to control a young woman. Josh seems to have grasped on to the latter.

I believe the strict religious and family patriarchal structure in the Duggar family prevented the victims from having the opportunity to work through how they felt about what happened at the time it happened and how it has continued to impact their lives. If the incidents had been reported to the police and Child Protective Services promptly, appropriate outside resources would hopefully have been brought in to give the girls a supportive, less judgmental environment to explore how Josh's actions hurt them. They would have the opportunity to discuss what happened and to share with and support one another. Because, the conduct was dealt with so quickly - and yet delayed at the same time - the girls received little attention or the care they needed. (I'm speculating here, but that speculation is based on the 2006 police report and other information presented about the case.) Instead, the focus was on Josh (and undoubtedly, his behavior had to be dealt with)!

But let's pause for a moment and think about how easy it would have been for the girls to think they did something wrong. This often happens when something goes wrong in a child's environment. The child feels she or he has done something wrong and whatever the child did caused bad things to happen. The child can, at the same time, feel as though he or she doesn't matter. (It's hard to believe the reporting of Josh's behavior would not have resulted in upheaval, as Josh was removed from the family for a few months.) Children blame themselves in these situations, and regardless of Josh's behavior, I'm guessing that at least some of the girls felt responsible and that they did something wrong, regardless of what they were told. After all, under church dogma, they may have perceived themselves to be "soiled" by what occurred and partly responsible for it. Therapeutic report from outside the church was needed to help each girl. Additional family counseling also seems warranted, with the girls having the say as to how comfortable they were in having Josh present in all of the family counseling.

My heart aches first and foremost for these girls who did nothing wrong, but have already begun serving a life sentence based on the damage done by this abuse. That statement may seem like an overstatement to some, but our most recent research and understanding of how sexual molestation affects child and adolescent victims, female and male, shows how devastating the effects can be. Even with immediate counseling, the victim's life changes forever - but we can hope to minimize the harm.

If you're curious about the basis for my statements, I refer you to what may be the most comprehensive, careful, respected study in recent times on the effect trauma has on children and adolescents. ("Trauma" covers a wide variety of situations from combat stress to automobile accidents to being lost in a shopping mall as a three-year old to a wide variety of child molestation.). This study, referred to as the ACE study (Adverse Childhood Experiences), shows how childhood and adolescent trauma harm individuals emotionally, psychologically, physically, and more. Traumatic events in childhood can not only scar individulals emotionally, but also be the catalyst for mild to severe physical disease, including, but definitely not limited to, chronic pain, severe headaches, heart disease, lung disease, cancer, inflammatory conditions, and so much more.

For those who doubt that trauma can be identified physiologically in the body, take a look at the studies showing how trauma can change a person's brain. MRIs show some areas enlarge, some shrink, and some show an inability for parts of the brain to carry on activity as brain cells normally do. What happened in the Duggar family isn't simply a matter of Josh's curiosity that can be shoved under the rug. He changed several lives forever. And yes, he changed his own life forever, too, so my prayers extend to him as well. Yet, his behavior must be scrutinized going forward no matter what, especially when he is around young children, including his own.

Josh may have been curious - wanting to learn about the opposite sex, at least to start. It doesn't matter what his motive was; the result is these young women were harmed. Let's keep our focus on them, and it's easy to see that all the excuses for Josh's behavior are not what matters here. Although his life changed forever, he had a choice, even if he lacked the ability to know where things might lead. His victims had no choice.

To explain the situation, I offer an aside: I was the victim of sexual harassment once, which I promptly reported, although my employer dragged its feet in addressing the issue. Along the way, the woman handling the issue told me that the offender was just kidding around and didn't mean to hurt me. But I was seriously hurt and had trouble going to work and being able to concentrate on my work. At one point, situation told me the situation wasn't about me, but the offender. While this was true in that the offender was responsible and needed to be disciplined, the comment sliced through me. I had been seriously hurt and harmed. I explained how I felt and the woman told me that the offender didn't intend to hurt me. My response then is my response now: it doesn't matter if a person aims a gun at me intending to kill me or if the bullet goes wide and accidentally hit me. Either way I'm dead. Josh may not have intended to hurt his sisters, but he did. And for that, he should have been held accountable under the law as soon as the Duggar parents knew what happened.

Sadly, because the statute of limitations has run under Arkansas law as it existed at the time, Josh will not face criminal penalties. I hope this comment resonates with many of you: namely, our support must go to the victims first, even if we feel badly for others. And, we need to deal with these matters promptly!!! Don't just sweep them under the rug! At age 14, Josh likely would have received inpatient or outpatient treatment, work service, some form of restitution etc. And, it would have gone a long way towRd victim healing to see him held accountable!

Well said. Wish I could put this comment side by side with the article so people can read something sensible next to it that is unbiased and focused on the important issues in this case.

Well said. The sisters are still deep into the cult though. Until they can escape it, it is unlikely that they will allow the healing care they should have gotten a dozen years ago.

I am the mother of 3 boys, men now. They too were "curious". I have a grandson who also was "curious". My grandson went out and got himself a girlfriend. My sons, curious as they were, knew not to maul sleeping girls. Josh had loose hands and loose morals. I worry for his daughter and the one to come. Who will protect them? His adoring wife? How will she do that when she can't leave him as she has no education and no trade thus no way of earning a living on her own. A fellow might be curious but he doesn't go out and molest his sister. That crosses the line of what is normal and what is not.

"“We are all good for nothing low life sinners that’s all we will ever be saved by the grace of god!”"

And that there is Christianity in a nutshell, folks. You're no damn good. You suck. Only god can save you.

This is what I hated about Presbyterian hymns. They're all of the "O gawd I am a lowly worm sheltering under your wing" or some crap.

They can think they're crawling pieces of shit if they want to, but that got me outta there. I am not a sinner nor a worm. I have an endoskeleton.

There are the "WE are all good for nothing low life sinners" christians, and the "YOU are all good for nothing low life sinners" christians. The Duggars fall into category #2 and therefore deserve every bit of criticism they are now getting.

Amidst the reading of the disgusting views in this article and commenting on the good comments, this made me laugh. :)

I'm appalled that these numbskulls are supporting this pedophile claiminng that their gawd has forgiven him. Did their gawd tell them that he was forgive when in all likelyhood he doesn't think he did anything wrong since he was just exercising his curiosity while demonizing the LGBT Community who didn't harm any children.
How do these people cope in real life?

Reminds me of the Catholic kid in middle school who rather gleefully told me that he could do anything he wanted to all week, because he could go to Confession and have all his sins erased for the next week. Etch-a-Sketch religion.

I'm Catholic and have never heard of that one, wish I had, just think how much I could have done and gotten away with. Then again we had the fear of God driven into our psyche and were terrified if we committed a sin not that we were angels.

Aren't you forgiven after you say your Hail Marys or whatever?

I would hope so but if I'm committing the same sins then am I being forgiven? That's the 64K question. I Should ask my Priest. One also has to be sincere in asking for forgiveness, I don't take it as a given but trust in the Lord that He forgives me knowing that I'm a weak, wretched human and not strong to always resist temptation. I don't assume anything.
Thanks for the excellent question, I now have to meditate on it and speak to others about it.

I think there are seven for which forgiveness isn't offered. Pretty much, though, the priest's recommendations like saying a rosary or Hail Mary is your path to redemption, or that's my perception on it. Not being a Catholic, I'm probably wrong.

You're correct. I ended up hating the rosary as we had to say all five decades, that's a lifetime for a young person. I now it pray it because I'm not bound by it so it's more pleasurable and I do find some comfort in praying it. Now the Priest recomend 3 decades plus there are other prayers connected to the Rosary ie the Divine Mercy Inspirarion, Mary who unties knots to list a few which makes it more interesting. It's recommeded that we say it once a day.
I need to start saying it due to my illness for the comfort it bring me after. Nice having a conversation without finger pointing and me being a better Christian that you and all that nonsense. That's the way it should be, not judegement.
God Bless.

Oh, I GUARANTEE you're a better Christian than me! :)

My parents were very wary of me associating with "idol-worshippers"; I guess in case their holiness rubbed off on me. It was years before they were permitted to build a Catholic church in our little Protestant town.

Once I talked a Catholic friend into going skinny-dipping with me (we were both about 11). Afterwards she was sure she was going to H-E-Double-Toothpicks, because we had committed "adultery". I knew what adults were, but I'd never heard this word before (and it sounded like something to be aspired to!). Hopefully, she eventually got absolution for the terrible sin she committed.

Easy. Girls and women aren't "people" to them. We're more like talking dogs or something.

Actually, real Christians are suppose to 'go and sin no more,' and those who continue in sexual sin are supposed to be socially shunned, barred from fellowship, and given over to Satan for destruction...

Yeah, in 'SupposedTo Land.' Which shares a border with Shouldistan.

I'm wondering what the relevance is in finding weirdos on the internet who defend Duggar. You can find people who defend Stalin, Hitler, Mao, Castro, FDR, and all sorts of dreadful people. Even more unusual, only one of the "defenders" could actually be construed as defending or excusing his actions; the others are all in the "you made a mistake but God forgives" camp. All of the others are roundly in the corner of "that was horrible". Hardly the stuff of the massive wave of hypocrisy that many are trying to make it out to be.

You have a point; however one of those people wants to be President.

Only one? ;)

I haven't seen the other Presidential wannabes jumping at the chance to comment on this situation; if they are smart (they aren't), they'll stay as far away as possible. Looking forward to watching them fumble-bumble along, though.

Oh, I misunderstood. I'm sure all the RW Klown Kar Republicans secretly think this way. They just avoid speaking out so people might vote for them.

A request: People seem to think that TLC pulling the episodes for now means cancellation. It doesn't. TLC could well decide to continue 19 Kids and Counting without JD. This is a petition asking TLC to cancel it: https://t.co/WgvgTvyXvO . It needs a lot more signatures if you want to help and share it. Also, if you are disgusted with TLC programming in general, you can write your cable company with an explanation of why you'd like them to stop carrying it. Thanks.

Signed. Thanks for the link.

I was curious as a boy, but the only sex I ever had was when I was 11 and a 13 year old girl gave me a treat!

More proof that fundie xtians are nothing more than hypocrites!