Sunnybobs

Genuine query - why would the Bates not want anything to do with the Duggars? I'm assuming they (at least the parents) probably knew what Josh did from old. I understand they might need to be separated due to tv contracts but personally there could still be friendships between them couldn't there?

Well Jill & Derrick are dipping their toes into Instagram again to post 2 month old pictures of Izzy (looking v cute)

Obviously the girls can feel however they feel, they're adults who have chosen to share their narrative on national television. What's really scary however is the possible damage their message could do to other young viewers AND predators "It was only thorough the clothes - so don't feel bad, no big deal. You didn't even remember it so no biggie, just get over it" "Forgive and forget, move on," "not as bad as actual rape" "it happens in lots of families" I cannot think of more disturbing and dangerous messages to allow to be normalised. They must create their own narrative and survival but this interview more than anything else has driven home the point that they cannot be on television sharing this message - it's frightenibgly dangerous language that allows abusers to minimise their abuse again and again and again. I feel sorrow for the sisters but if this is how the family is going to try and push the story away then it must not be allowed.

I think also their adherence to a very patriarchal social set up allows for this abuse to be more widespread and hidden than mainstream society. (And I think its already far more widespread in "normal" society than most of us want to believe) If they are all aware it goes on and all aware it's routinely hushed up and the woman is told it's her at fault then yes they probably do know more families where this is not "the worst thing".

I really hope Derrick is pulled away from ATI etc from this scandal and not drawn further into that world. I can honestly see it going either way at the moment but genuinely hope for Jill & Israel's mental health and happiness that they see a way out to a more mainstream baptist church and life.

I too think this is really odd mainly because didn't Jill (pre scandal) say that she hoped her baby would have the characteristics of her siblings aged 12 and up - and then she specified 12 because that's when your character is considered formed and below that excuses "little kid" untrained behaviours? In which case Josh would have been considered by his own sub culture to be nearly adult at 14 surely?

Oops just quoted without comment but what I meant to say was I thibk this is a really interesting point because I think Ben Seewalds dad was pointing towards this as a possible option in his piece about the scandal. If he was and it was possible I wonder if this might be an option for any of the victims (dependent on public responses to the Friday interview perhaps?)

I don't know that the Kellers knew obviously but depending on their type of prison ministry surely they would be more likely to belive in the power of redemption through Jesus etc. Josh as a younger man confessing to young Anna and sharing his story of being saved and his redemption might easily have been a powerful sway to Anna. Also having heard how JB & Michelle are minimising the abuse in their interview it's probably pretty safe to think that they minimised it similarly to Anna in the hope of enabling the marriage quickly.

I think if I was conservative Christian in America I'd be genuinely offended if someone assumed that because some other conservative Christians acted in a terrible way many years ago I'd automatically be supporting them?! Surely there are religious, republican Christian commentators who have come out against the Duggars as well and want the issue of sexual abuse dealt with fairly?

I think he took the job because he was bored out of his head not selling cars in Arkansas - look back at his earliest Instagram feeds, it's all fast food pics, weather pics & some half hearted attempts to be political. That man was utterly bored with life. I don't actually think he's unintelligent though thanks to his parents is woefully uneducated- the job at a FRC must have appeared like manna from heaven to him. Also who really thinks they're going to get pulled up on stuff they did when they were 14, have probably assumed had been hidden and of course "in his head" was a forgiven and redeemed mistake. He must have seen that job and move as his escape route and goodness knows what he & Anna think now.

So actually JB can't be really in control then? TLC will surely have lawyers pre approving all the questions & preparing their respinses in Duggarese lingo. I wonder what JB & M think or are they aware of the extent of the publics feeling or do they still shield themselves from media? (Actually I'm not in USA & only read on here so not even sure how much reporting is happening in America?)

Do you think the Duggars want the interview or do TLC want the interview? I'm assuming that could change the direction of the questions.

I'm not sure any of us can say who seems what personality at all anymore, before this scandal Josh & Anna were my favourites, yes there was a slight smugness there and I despised his politics but as a couple I was rooting for them to pull away from the cult. Now I've realised how much I don't know about the truth of the Duggars. JD's weird obsession with trashing cars & non comfortable way with people still seems weird to me and I can't just reinterpret him to be the good guy just because Josh has gone down in flames. More and more I just feel like they're all incredibly damaged people.

What staggers me is the total shut down of their social media & responses by all of them. I understand Jim Bob keeping himself & the minor children silent but the dillards, Seewalds etc. how much control does he have over them all - it's scary. And I don't mean to just respond to this crisis but just total radio silence - no pregnacy updates, baby pictures etc. Is that the way to go to get the story to drop or not I just dont know but they really have circled the wagons and inlaws with then haven't they?!

You know you've been reading too many Duggar boards when you honestly read this as defrauding meat