Josh & Anna Smuggar: A Series of Unfortunate Events

[Vermicious Knid]

Anyone who has to proclaim themselves Christian just raises a huge red flag for me. That usually means these kind of people, who are truly dangerous and evil. I've know that for years, but then I've never had the association of Christian = Good.

 

And this is why every woman also needs to read A Handmaid's Tale.That's what the fundamentalists would like to do, what they are trying to do right now.

[becca3891]

So I read " I Fired God" this weekend and now I completely totally 100% understand why NONE of these women leave. It was a total eye opener into the cult. Everyone on this board should read it. These people are dangerous and crazy and I don't think Boob is the biggest threat to Anna or any of the J slaves- the cult network is huge and insane.  I have been following the Duggars for years and thought I had a good handle on the cray but nope. The book is amazing. Go read it.

 

I think Anna will need a complete mental breakdown to even consider leaving. I think she will though one day, maybe when Josh gets into trouble again,  with the support from her escaped siblings. Prissy has no chance,

"I Fired God" was a must-read for sure. (Unlike some of you, I ordered the paper copy from Amazon because I am addicted to the feel/smell of books!) But yes, it does help us understand the layers of reasons keeping Anna where she is.

[crazycatlady58]

AND legislate us sinners into their version of Christian sharia law. You know - for Jesus.

Use your voting rights carefully.

Not all Christians want to take away anyones rights. I am a Christian and belive in same sex marriage, that a women can do anything she wants and get the pay she deserves. While I may not agree with abortion I do not want repeal or change the laws that are on the books now. Please do not tar every Christian with the same brush.

[Fuzzysox]

The new Josh (a double) is still healing from his Smuggarplasty.

When Marco Rubio steps down he can just be Josh's double.

[Barb23]

"I Fired God" was a must-read for sure. (Unlike some of you, I ordered the paper copy from Amazon because I am addicted to the feel/smell of books!) But yes, it does help us understand the layers of reasons keeping Anna where she is.

I just ordered my paper copy of "I Fired God" from a used book site for same reason & cost. Yay, I got their last copy. Also ordered "Confessions of a Teenage Jesus Jerk" recommended on the Small Talk thread. I was surprised to see the Duggars & 19 kids & C were mentioned in the synopsis of "I Fired God". Too bad we can't get a copy of "I Fired God" for Anna & the rest of the J'slaves. They could read it secretly by flashlight under the covers in the girl's dorm since there's no Jilly Muffin around to snitch them out.

On a side note, I love ordering &receiving books, as well as reading them. I've said it before, but it's too bad the Duggar kids will never experience these types of feelings. With 19 kids, there has to be a subdued reader or two among them.

[bigskygirl]

Please take the book reading discussion to another place. Leave the discussion on Josh and Anna. Thank you.

[becca3891]

I must have missed something -- both my comment and the person's below me directly referenced Anna and Josh's situation in the context of the book discussion. You'll have to help me understand how these rules work as I'm not understanding how we were at all off topic.

Edited March 6, 2016 by becca3891

[frenchtoast]

Because we read all the posts in the topic and not just the last two posts. The posts were about book recommendations and orders, not much about Josh and Anna.

 

If we really want to get nitpicky--were the books mentioned on the show? Did Anna read the book on the show? Did the Duggars mention the books in the media, social or otherwise? The book discussion is barely tangentially related to Anna. When the conversation becomes essentially a book club discussion we turn the discussion back to the actual subject of the topic, Josh and Anna. Book discussions are more than welcome in the Small Talk Prayer Closet.

[Arwen Evenstar]

I was wondering the same thing....where is Smuggar hiding ou?

Is he back?

Is Goody Smuggar incubating their 5th blessing?

Inquiring minds want to know.

Maybe since the Duggars have actually been quieter than usual, maybe they gave learned the value of not posting every annoying and boring thing they do.

I hope we won't be running out of snark.i have to admit I'm way more into the humor of this forum than anything the Duggars say or do,

[GeeGolly]

Maybe, just maybe, the radio silence is because JB has learned that the 'lesser than' secular audience is not so 'lesser than' after all.

 

 

Sorry, I was having a moment. Please disregard my crazy talk. ;)

[Marigold]

I think josh is locked up tightly while the season of J&JCO is running. I swear Josh is hidden far, far into the depths of the Duggar compound.

He probably gets food pushed through a crack in the door. He is allowed a toilet break and one of the siblings watch him. He has a Bible, a notebook, pen and highlighter. He sleeps on the floor on a blanket. Jim Bob probably tried to handcuff him to a pole but josh found that sexually exciting so Jim Bob ditched that idea.

[Mrs. P.]

I wonder if JimBob and Michelle realize that there is something seriously wrong with Josh. As a young teenager her touches his sisters inappropriately. As an adult he spends money on encounters with hookers and joins an adultery website. That is so fucked up. Do they not see it?

[Marigold]

I wonder if JimBob and Michelle realize that there is something seriously wrong with Josh. As a young teenager her touches his sisters inappropriately. As an adult he spends money on encounters with hookers and joins an adultery website. That is so fucked up. Do they not see it?

I think they see it now.

They know something is wrong with Josh but they don't understand psychiatric issues. They say it is a spiritual problem but deep down, they know something isn't right.

[Aja]

Whoops, totally missed that we're not meant to be talking about the book here. I'm moving it to the Duggars and their ways thread.

Edited March 7, 2016 by Aja

[GeeGolly]

I think josh is locked up tightly while the season of J&JCO is running. I swear Josh is hidden far, far into the depths of the Duggar compound.

He probably gets food pushed through a crack in the door. He is allowed a toilet break and one of the siblings watch him. He has a Bible, a notebook, pen and highlighter. He sleeps on the floor on a blanket. Jim Bob probably tried to handcuff him to a pole but josh found that sexually exciting so Jim Bob ditched that idea.

Sounds like you're describing their prayer closet. Maybe they made Josh his own in one of the sheds.

[NewDigs]

Who's in the treehouse?

[flyingdi]

You know I think they should just recast Josh. Bring in another actor for the part.

[Joe Jitsu913]

I wonder if JimBob and Michelle realize that there is something seriously wrong with Josh. As a young teenager her touches his sisters inappropriately. As an adult he spends money on encounters with hookers and joins an adultery website. That is so fucked up. Do they not see it?

I think they're in major denial. Jim Bob and Michelle would have to admit on some level that their parenting failed miserably. Jim Bob already suffers from inadequacy and I don't think his delicate ego could handle another blow. They have their blinders on and are pretending this is just a spiritual issue rather than psychological. Nothing a little prayer can't fix, right? Josh will be cured from his problems and if he's not, he better pray harder.

They are putting a square peg into a round hole with Josh. Trying to mold him into the image of a faithful husband and father but it keeps failing and Jim Bob would never admit that Josh is morally corrupt. ALL of the Duggar offspring better get married ASAP, have babies ASAP and like it! Josh was married off to Anna because obviously marriage, sex and babies will cure his problems. Except it won't and Jim Bob will continue to push this lifestyle down Josh's throat until Josh either leaves Gothard altogether or continues his philandering ways in secret. Forever loathesome of his parents, Anna and the M'kids.

Edited March 7, 2016 by Joe Jitsu913

[JoanArc]

Who's in the treehouse?

 

I'll have you know it's an arboreal prayer closet/molester quarantine zone.

 

 

I think they're in major denial. Jim Bob and Michelle would have to admit on some level that their parenting failed miserably.

 

Yes, and I don't think this has EVER happened.

[Marigold]

I don't think that Jim Bob and Michelle think their parenting failed. They think they were excellent parents. JOSH made bad choices...Satan built a fortress in his heart.

I bet they both know deep down that Josh isn't normal but won't admit that openly. Fundamentalists tend to think mental health problems trace back to Satan but Jim Bob & Michelle do get out more than the average lunatic Fundamentalist so they might have some clue about psychiatric issues.

But they don't for one second, think it was anything they did or didn't do.

[Talky Tina]

Do you all think Josh isn't "normal" because of something inside of him or because of the weird, warped way he was raised? Or a bad combination of both?

I personally don't think any of these kids are normal.

Edited March 8, 2016 by Talky Tina

[Fuzzysox]

Ok I have a question, what kind of work do the RU people do? I'm wondering if they got sent to help close down a Hobby Lobby in a Chicago suburb? The store closed but on my coupon board people mentioned that the store was going to be all packed up and the merchandise would go to the other remaining stores in the area.

I can see them being used as free labor.

Edited March 8, 2016 by Fuzzysox

[Arwen Evenstar]

Do you all think Josh isn't "normal" because of something inside of him or because of the weird, warped way he was raised? Or a bad combination of both?

I personally don't think any of these kids are normal.

Talky T,

No way for any of us to know for sure, but it seems like a bit of both. That said, even given the bat shit crazy upbringing of Fundies, they don't all turn out like Joshie.

And I think your assessment that none of them could be normal after such an upbringing is spot on.

The only way to know is if Josh was given a court ordered psychiatric evaluation ...but the records would likely be sealed by the motorcycle lawyer who sent Danica packing.

It's the eternal debate of nature vs nurture

Edited March 8, 2016 by Arwen Evenstar

[Marigold]

I agree.

I think it's a mix of nature and nurture.

[Talky Tina]

Thank you for your responses. I'm new here and everybody is so nice. It's rare to find that on the internet.

Nobody knows where Josh is? I hate that I feel a tiny bit sorry for him but I just can't help myself. What he did to his sisters and the other girl was unforgivable in my opinion but I can't help but wonder if it would have still happened if he'd been raised in a more "normal" way.

I just can't imagine being a teenager and having those normal, hormonal teenage feelings and urges and being made to tell your parents about your dirty thoughts and being told how wrong and bad those feelings are. Then being told that if you have those normal sexual urges, it's bad and evil if you, uh...relieve yourself by your own hand so to speak.

The normal things that other boys his age were feeling and experiencing were off limits and evil in his family.

I don't think I'm expressing myself very well here. It's hard to explain what I mean and why I kind of feel bad for Josh. I don't fully feel bad for him but a tiny part of me just can't help it.

[becca3891]

Do you all think Josh isn't "normal" because of something inside of him or because of the weird, warped way he was raised? Or a bad combination of both?

I personally don't think any of these kids are normal.

 

Thank you for your responses. I'm new here and everybody is so nice. It's rare to find that on the internet.

Nobody knows where Josh is? I hate that I feel a tiny bit sorry for him but I just can't help myself. What he did to his sisters and the other girl was unforgivable in my opinion but I can't help but wonder if it would have still happened if he'd been raised in a more "normal" way.

I just can't imagine being a teenager and having those normal, hormonal teenage feelings and urges and being made to tell your parents about your dirty thoughts and being told how wrong and bad those feelings are. Then being told that if you have those normal sexual urges, it's bad and evil if you, uh...relieve yourself by your own hand so to speak.

The normal things that other boys his age were feeling and experiencing were off limits and evil in his family.

I don't think I'm expressing myself very well here. It's hard to explain what I mean and why I kind of feel bad for Josh. I don't fully feel bad for him but a tiny part of me just can't help it.

It's probably impossible to know because of course, very sadly, plenty of people molest their family members who didn't grow up in a Duggar-like environment. BUT, I absolutely think their purity-obsessed ideals can backfire. To be told that masturbation and even thinking about sex is a sin is just dangerous and going to backfire. Not that this means molestation can ever be excused -- but I think it has probably emotionally damaged all of them.

[Churchhoney]

Thank you for your responses. I'm new here and everybody is so nice. It's rare to find that on the internet.

Nobody knows where Josh is? I hate that I feel a tiny bit sorry for him but I just can't help myself. What he did to his sisters and the other girl was unforgivable in my opinion but I can't help but wonder if it would have still happened if he'd been raised in a more "normal" way.

I just can't imagine being a teenager and having those normal, hormonal teenage feelings and urges and being made to tell your parents about your dirty thoughts and being told how wrong and bad those feelings are. Then being told that if you have those normal sexual urges, it's bad and evil if you, uh...relieve yourself by your own hand so to speak.

The normal things that other boys his age were feeling and experiencing were off limits and evil in his family.

I don't think I'm expressing myself very well here. It's hard to explain what I mean and why I kind of feel bad for Josh. I don't fully feel bad for him but a tiny part of me just can't help it.

 

I don't think you're at all alone in this thinking.

 

I have two distinct and pretty opposite feelings about Josh, too. I've pretty much loathed him from the first time I saw him because of the smugness and arrogance I thought he radiated (and those early specials, which I just looked at recently, were after the molestation, so he seemed clearly unregenerate despite everything). But at the same time, I feel very bad for any kid who's raised by his nutso, psycho-controlling and -narcissistic parents and in the Gothard cult, because any kid is going to have horrible warping influences from that and be deprived of any chance to fully develop his or her own potential.

 

 

I think Josh may be by nature a pretty jerky person, but he was also dealt a rotten hand as a kid. For me, there's not much alternative to both disliking him intensely and feeling very sorry for him at the same time.

Edited March 8, 2016 by Churchhoney

[bigskygirl]

Josh is not the first kid to have bad parents and a crappy childhood. Millions of people can say the same thing, but they did not molest their sisters and others, or they did not cheat on their spouses while running around saying certain groups are child molesters or causing all the evilness in the world. Josh profited off his parent's famewhoreness. JB and Michelle failed their children big time, but I do not put all the blame for Josh on them. In my opinion, Josh would have turn out the same way with a normal childhood and decent parents.

[kokapetl]

The molestations likely wouldn't have happened if Josh had friends and peers as a child and wasn't spending 24/7 at home, and the CPS investigation of the molestations led to the marriage, the marriage was partly to disguise Josh living separately. Plus if Josh went to a normal school, he probably wouldn't have been so arrogant, I think Josh's arrogance comes from being the "smartest" homeschool student, but he wasn't really smart, he was just the oldest.

[Readalot]

Josh is not the first kid to have bad parents and a crappy childhood. Millions of people can say the same thing, but they did not molest their sisters and others, or they did not cheat on their spouses while running around saying certain groups are child molesters or causing all the evilness in the world. Josh profited off his parent's famewhoreness. JB and Michelle failed their children big time, but I do not put all the blame for Josh on them. In my opinion, Josh would have turn out the same way with a normal childhood and decent parents.

yup, that's about the size of it. Thank you for acknowledging we are a (mostly) civilized society.

[bigskygirl]

There have been molesters who had friends, decent parents and childhood. I think Josh would have been arrogant no matter what. Yes, his childhood was crappy, but it was no excuse for what he has done. Maybe if Michelle and JB got him proper help, he may have had a chance, but he needs not to blame his parents and evilness for his actions in order to get the help he probably needs.

[Lemur]

There have been molesters who had friends, decent parents and childhood. I think Josh would have been arrogant no matter what. Yes, his childhood was crappy, but it was no excuse for what he has done. Maybe if Michelle and JB got him proper help, he may have had a chance, but he needs not to blame his parents and evilness for his actions in order to get the help he probably needs.

 

Excellent point.  Yes, he kind of had the deck stacked against him, but he still chose to give into to an impulse repeatedly.  Yes, his parents covered it up and didn't get him help, but he didn't seem to act independently of that them to get himself the help he needs either.  (Sure, he could get not one but two Ashley Madison accounts behind his parents' backs, but not a therapist?)

[Marigold]

Even NOW. He didn't choose to get a real therapist or psychiatrist for himself. He is 28 years old and capable of finding therapy for himself.

[Mollie]

Even NOW. He didn't choose to get a real therapist or psychiatrist for himself. He is 28 years old and capable of finding therapy for himself.

Why in the world would he want to do that?  He loves porn and adultery.  A real therapist might try to cure him and then he would be miserable!  What he wants help with is indulging in his sex life and not getting caught.

[barbedwire]

Even NOW. He didn't choose to get a real therapist or psychiatrist for himself. He is 28 years old and capable of finding therapy for himself.

Good point!

 

When does he grow up and make his own decisions?  My guess is that he still needs mommy and daddy's money, now that he blew his on hookers, so he obeys.

[barbedwire]

It would be so so refreshing to hear him say that they are done having kids.  It is my gut feeling that is part of his problem that he really doesn't want more and panics at the thought of funding/raising more and feels that is a sin to say so.  Or if he stood up for Anna and said "No more kids.  I don't want my wife to one day have a laundry room breakdown like mom." Or even better "There is no way Mack is going to spend her childhood being a mother's helper because we have too many kids to handle."

 

One can dream.

[MargeGunderson]

It would be so so refreshing to hear him say that they are done having kids.  It is my gut feeling that is part of his problem that he really doesn't want more and panics at the thought of funding/raising more and feels that is a sin to say so.  Or if he stood up for Anna and said "No more kids.  I don't want my wife to one day have a laundry room breakdown like mom." Or even better "There is no way Mack is going to spend her childhood being a mother's helper because we have too many kids to handle."

 

One can dream.

 

That would require him having more empathy for others than I will give him credit for. I agree that he doesn't want any more kids but it comes from a selfish place - how more kids affects him - not any possible negative effect on others. Josh is too narcissistic to care about how others feel.

Edited March 8, 2016 by MargeGunderson

[Kellyee]

 

Or if he stood up for Anna and said "No more kids.

 

I have a nagging suspicion that Anna wants 10+ kids. When she got pregnant with baby 4, she seemed super excited. Josh, not so much. I think Anna totally buys into the lifestyle, and I think Josh desperately wants out but can't ever say it because he's trapped. Happy people don't act out like he has. Although I doubt that little truth will come up in fundie "therapy".

[louannems]

From the very beginning of her marriage to Josh, Anna did seem extremely keen on getting pregnant and having lots of babies. She was in direct competition with Michelle. I agree, Anna is totally into the Fundamental lifestyle and she did everything by the Gothard-Approved book, and she must be absolutely devastated right now. She has probably never even considered needing an education and developing good job skills and providing for her family. Her Josh would always provide, no matter how many kids they created, no matter his lack of education and skills.

[Churchhoney]

Are Josh's interactions with his children necessarily terrible because he's a cheating husband (and did whatever he did with his sisters). I don't think so.

 

I remember back before the various sex revelations came out. I didn't participate in this board then but I did read here and other boards sometimes. And here and elsewhere lots of people noted that when Josh's interactions with his kids were shown, he seemed to be a pretty decent father. He seemed to enjoy being with the kids, treated them like individuals, didn't seem to be a sexist pig when it came to talking about and interacting with MacWhateverZie, and so on.

 

It's not at all unheard of for people to be lousy, selfish partners but pretty good parents, in my experience. I've never really watched the show enough to have much data about how he interacted with the kids, but I got the strong feeling that most people thought he didn't do a bad job of it. That he was capable of engaging with them and looking as if he enjoyed it, for example. Some of us -- lots of us (all of us?) -- can be very selfish in some situations and toward some people and not particularly selfish at all in other situations and toward other people. Maybe Josh is like that.

 

It's also not unheard of to be very fond of your two or three or four kids and nearly go into coronary arrest at the thought of having six or eight or 10 kids. That might even be a fairly normal and average reaction.

 

I think there are things we can pretty clearly judge Josh on and other things where it's not very obvious. And I doubt that Josh is any less complicated than the rest of us -- probably more so, given the crazy house and crazy worldview that he grew up in. Whether he's truly selfish when it comes to his kids or whether they were mainly collateral damage of his Ashley Madison stuff being found out is one of those non-obvious, kind of complicated things, I would bet, just from what I noticed people saying over the years.

[Micks Picks]

Josh was an interested and interactive dad.  From the very beginning, he stated if God only sent them 2 or 3 kids, that would be fine.  It was fairly obvious that he meant preferable.  Anna was always the baby one, yearning for babies when she had just had one, or two, or three.  That was always the first thing out of mouth.  Josh's big error was having more kids despite Anna's silliness.  He was good with the ones he had.

[GeeGolly]

I don't necessarily believe the molestations and and his "cheating" are related. And I still don't fully buy into the theory that Josh is addicted to sex or porn. I actually think it's a cop out. Its easier for him to say the devil made me do it or I have a problem, than to maybe admit to himself that he's an arrogant jerk. 

 

I believe that Josh would benefit from counseling for many reasons, but first and foremost to help him get a handle on who he is. Beyond that Anna would benefit from Individual Therapy and they both would benefit from Couples Counseling. There are many well qualified Christian based counselors out there. And any counselor worth their license would honor their beliefs over the course of therapy and use it to their benefit.

 

One of the things that make life harder for the Duggar children (in addition to the many) is that they are thrust into adulthood at warp speed without the emotional means to handle it.

[bigskygirl]

The sad fact is their is a second generation of Duggars paying the price because of their parents. First Josh and now his kids.

[Absolom]

 

I don't necessarily believe the molestations and and his "cheating" are related. And I still don't fully buy into the theory that Josh is addicted to sex or porn. I actually think it's a cop out. Its easier for him to say the devil made me do it or I have a problem, than to maybe admit to himself that he's an arrogant jerk.

To me it's all one thing.  Josh is overly self-indulgent.  It makes him a jerk and the molestations and cheating are part of it.  He takes what he wants and does what he wants.  He may have NPD, but that would take a licensed professional to address.  But with his food issue, sleeping in, napping while Anna was in labor, lousy work ethic, and so many of his problems all come back to self-indulgence to me.  I think to a great extent both of parents provided excellent examples of self-indulgence to him.  They had some work ethic and other traits especially early on, but Josh doesn't seem to have seen those or they weren't emphasized to him. He's still the puffed up kid tagging along with the puffed up state legislator or the uneducated guy with the hubris to start his own church.

Edited March 9, 2016 by Absolom

[Vaysh]

Absolom, that is an excellent point. Self-indulgence and a sense of entitlement seem to be core traits in Josh.

[kokapetl]

I don't necessarily believe the molestations and and his "cheating" are related. And I still don't fully buy into the theory that Josh is addicted to sex or porn. I actually think it's a cop out. Its easier for him to say the devil made me do it or I have a problem, than to maybe admit to himself that he's an arrogant jerk.

I believe that Josh would benefit from counseling for many reasons, but first and foremost to help him get a handle on who he is. Beyond that Anna would benefit from Individual Therapy and they both would benefit from Couples Counseling. There are many well qualified Christian based counselors out there. And any counselor worth their license would honor their beliefs over the course of therapy and use it to their benefit.

One of the things that make life harder for the Duggar children (in addition to the many) is that they are thrust into adulthood at warp speed without the emotional means to handle it.

I don't think they're related either. The circumstances were completely different, the molestations happened at a time when circumstances were quite dire and restricted, the cheating or attempted cheating happened during the best period of his life, when Josh had the most freedom he ever had and will ever have.

[Joe Jitsu913]

I have a nagging suspicion that Anna wants 10+ kids. When she got pregnant with baby 4, she seemed super excited. Josh, not so much. I think Anna totally buys into the lifestyle, and I think Josh desperately wants out but can't ever say it because he's trapped. Happy people don't act out like he has. Although I doubt that little truth will come up in fundie "therapy".

Josh's reaction to M4 was priceless. He looked like he stepped in dog shit. Body language doesn't lie...he was NOT happy about M4.

[GeeGolly]

Josh's reaction to M4 was priceless. He looked like he stepped in dog shit. Body language doesn't lie...he was NOT happy about M4.

It is crazy that he continues to have kids when he doesn't want them. When couples don't agree on having children it is best to regret not having a child, because it is unfair to a child to regret having him/her. IMHO.

[Churchhoney]

I don't necessarily believe the molestations and and his "cheating" are related. And I still don't fully buy into the theory that Josh is addicted to sex or porn. I actually think it's a cop out. Its easier for him to say the devil made me do it or I have a problem, than to maybe admit to himself that he's an arrogant jerk. 

 

I believe that Josh would benefit from counseling for many reasons, but first and foremost to help him get a handle on who he is. Beyond that Anna would benefit from Individual Therapy and they both would benefit from Couples Counseling. There are many well qualified Christian based counselors out there. And any counselor worth their license would honor their beliefs over the course of therapy and use it to their benefit.

 

One of the things that make life harder for the Duggar children (in addition to the many) is that they are thrust into adulthood at warp speed without the emotional means to handle it.

 

 

I think one big problem with any of the Duggars doing counseling is that they're totally indoctrinated to say that, if they do something good, it's not them it's Jesus doing it, and, if they do something bad, it's the devil throwing temptation at them to ruin them. What the heck do you do in therapy with people whose kneejerk reaction is always to decline agency and ascribe everything in their lives to the action of outside forces, I wonder?

[becca3891]

I have a nagging suspicion that Anna wants 10+ kids. When she got pregnant with baby 4, she seemed super excited. Josh, not so much. I think Anna totally buys into the lifestyle, and I think Josh desperately wants out but can't ever say it because he's trapped. Happy people don't act out like he has. Although I doubt that little truth will come up in fundie "therapy".

Oh, she totally does. This is the woman who said she had "baby fever" while already holding a very young one. It's an obsession. And not one that I at all blame Josh for not sharing. Anna was one of the younger ones of 8 or 9, I think, which is a lot, but she was never a J slave. Neither was Josh, not in the way the older girls were and are, but nonetheless, everything is a production when you have 19 kids. Josh had correctly realized how much work it is to take care of three preschoolers.

 

From the very beginning of her marriage to Josh, Anna did seem extremely keen on getting pregnant and having lots of babies. She was in direct competition with Michelle. I agree, Anna is totally into the Fundamental lifestyle and she did everything by the Gothard-Approved book, and she must be absolutely devastated right now. She has probably never even considered needing an education and developing good job skills and providing for her family. Her Josh would always provide, no matter how many kids they created, no matter his lack of education and skills.

Luckily for Anna, she could get by without education and job skills if she ended her marriage, because she's become famous enough that she could support herself through speaking engagements and ghost written books. Most women in her situation would not have those options.