Why Do the Duggars Have a Show on TLC?
The Duggar Family Drives Me Crazy, and yet I Can't Seem to Stop Watching
Honestly, it's not the fact that the Duggars have 17 kids and are about to have number 18 that makes me watch their show. I don't even enjoy the show that much. If I want to watch a family with a bunch of kids, I would rather watch "Jon and Kate Plus 8." They are a Christian family, too. But they are way more easy to identify with than the Duggars. Jon and Kate have real arguments and are far from perfect - and they readily admit it. The Duggars are so completely full of syrupy words and are so sickeningly sweet all the time, it's hard to believe they are real.
I also get annoyed with the whole "Quiver Full" ideology. The Duggars believe that every child is a gift from God and they won't do anything to prevent Him from giving them more children. Extreme "quiverfull" families even go so far as to wean their children early so that breastfeeding won't keep them from getting pregnant again. I have a problem with people who think that my "quiver" isn't "full" because I only have three kids. Or people who think that I don't have enough faith in God to let Him determine the size of my family - apparently I should not be using birth control because if God doesn't want me to have more kids, He'll keep it from happening. I might even be sinning because I'm not allowing God to give me more "gifts."
Of course, I don't know if the Duggar family would think that about me. They seem to accept their cousin Amy even though she obviously doesn't fit in with the family. Yet, that's another thing that bothers me about the Duggars - they act as though they accept everyone no matter what their beliefs. Yet if they believe that rock music is bad and they only listen to hymns, isn't that saying that it's wrong to listen to rock music? I wonder what the Duggar family would think of churches who actually use Christian rock songs for their Sunday morning worship. Do they believe that those people are not actually worshiping God? If they don't believe that, then why can't they listen to other types of music?
And do you have to wait until your wedding day to have your first kiss to save yourself for marriage? It's one thing to preach abstinence, but can you imagine telling teens that it's best to wait to kiss until marriage? When they showed Joshua Dugger and his new fiance holding hands, it was obvious to me that since that was all they were allowing themselves to do, it was way more than just holding hands. If it's possible to make out with your hands, that's what they were doing. I would be willing to bet that the thoughts Joshua was having weren't completely chaste. I'm not saying that's wrong, I'm just saying that if the Duggars won't kiss until they are married, it doesn't mean they are perfect.
Our job as Christians isn't to be better than everyone else. It's not even to try to be perfect because that's a goal we will never attain. Our goal is to show the world the love that God has shown us. And to live like Jesus did. If the Duggars are on TLC to make money from their show, then fine. But if they think that this show is a good platform to preach to the world, I wish they would just cancel the show. I know I could stop watching if it bothers me so much. I probably will. I just hope people realize when they watch it that you can be a Christian and normal at the same time. Maybe that's why TLC put it back to back with "Jon and Kate Plus 8" - to show how different two Christian families can be.
Published by Kathy Carr
I've been happily married for eight years. I'm the mother of a sweet boy and twin daughters. View profile
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19 Comments
Post a CommentOK, my girlfriend is in love with this show because of all of the children. To me , the Duggar's are a really messed up family that give christianity a bad name. The Duggar's (dad and mom) are truly stupid to have so many children. By having 19, and counting, they lack giving attention to there children individually. The parents do not even take care of the younger children themselves, but inturn put the burden on the older children. For this matter the older children are not allowed to enjoy their childhood. It is one of those shows where you just say, " I cant believe there are such stupid people in the world." TLC might support the family, but if there are any families like this, it comes at the tax payers expense.
"Our job as Christians isn't to be better than everyone else. It's not even to try to be perfect because that's a goal we will never attain." Hmmm... maybe I've been reading a different Bible, but I do remember reading Jesus said something like "...strive to be perfect, as the Father is perfect...."
It is definitely not about "being better than everyone else." The challenge is really being the best version OF YOURSELF that you can achieve. "The competition" is with yourself. Perfection is to be looked and worked for, for even though "we will not actually achieve it" it's in that exercise (working towards it) that we keep pushing ourselves to be a little better today than we were yesterday.
As a "normal" or "mainstream" Christian you may find it difficult to agree to the Quiverfull movement, but maybe Natural Family Planning would appear to be a "happy medium" for families that strive to keep God in their daily lives as well as in their bedroom. (ccli.org) :)
The writer said, //"Our goal is to show the world the love that God has shown us. And to live like Jesus did."//
But right before that she bashes them for being too sweet and only listening to hymns and for their son being sexually pure, as the BIBLE commands (1 Thes 4:3 "abstain from sexual immorality"). The Duggars are doing a pretty good job following Jesus' example. Funny how the author is so offended that the Duggars DO NOT judge and critize people for not living as the Duggars convictions ( This proves people will complain about anything!),instead they stay happily commited to their own preferences to live closer to Biblical standards than typical American standards of entertainment, dress, and behavior. It's really obvious how truely "Christian" of a family Jon & Kate plus 8 are huh? Hummm 8 kids and fighting parents, disrespectful children, affairs & finally divorce OR 18 kids with one on the way, happy loving husband and wife relationship and happy respectful kids with NO
So you lump evolution in with homosexuality and teen sex? hm, may be we haven't evolved as far as we thought.
To the commenter below, these kids are only presented one idea in their black and white world. Why not present them with two ideas and let them decide or believe both of them? By the way I was raised in church bu talso thought for myself. The Duggars follow the teachings of a right wing evangelical named Bill Gothard. Just google him..He tells them to be debt free and not rely on government, not use birth control, practice courting,etc. True Christians do not follow man. My post was misread obviously. Notice the word and in between.
To the person who thinks it's "culturally illiterate" to believe the world is only 6,000 years old: Why is it that in this world we have to be accepting of evolution, homosexuality, teenage sex and more, but you can't accept that some people have a faith in something you obviously don't understand? I am so tired of the double standard. If Christians don't accept everything, they are horrible, but in you saying what you do, you aren't accepting us. Also, Jon and Kate was a show I used to watch, because I have multiples and thought it was interesting. Not anymore. I really got tired of seeing Kate treat her husband like a two year old. Yes, it's so awful that Michelle and Jim Bob are actually NICE to each other. God forbid! It's not a normal family unless they are mean and horrible to each other all of the time. And do the Duggars have to be horrible all the time just so you don't say that they are trying to be better than everyone else? I'm sorry, but I am not going to base h
On a couple of occasions, we've spoken out against the way shows like NBC's "Today" have presented the popular Duggar family in a way that mostly overlooks the religious root behind their decision to have 18 children. After all, since it's the family's subscription to the so-called "quiverfull" movement that leads them to eschew birth control and ratchet up their procreation, we think it's imperative for any program that runs their story to fairly detail the faith-based impetus.
The reason why we care is because we have long known that their family dynamic, one that is usually presented as fun little kicker story about the trials and tribulations of mega-parenthood, is borne out of an intrinsically anti-gay seed. Now two mainstream outlets have filed their own reports the Quiverfull movement's overall goals, and why LGBT people (among others) are right to have some concerns. One report comes from NPR:
EXCERPT: Still, Quiverfull is a small group, probably 10,000 fast-growing fam
Well, I guess if all the children are well cared for and doing fine...that's all good. Even better that they have the financial means to support such a large family and aren't in debt, etc. Having babies is takes a toll on a woman's body. My only concern would be Michelle's health. But, if she's willing to put her body on the line that many times...then so be it.
I am sorry but this show is very wierd i dont get it, why jon and kate i like but times wonder. I think its sad that this show is makeing them look like a bunch of idots.
Thye seem culturally illiterate and believe the world is only 6000 yrs old. This may be slap in the face to all the infertile couples in the world. We live in america and everyone is free to do as they please. You're just a smuch woman without children. There is way too much emphasis on having children even in the 21st century. I agree Jon and Kate is more realistic from what I have read.