The second Duggar scandal should feature The Duggar Syndrome -- fame and repression resulting in publicly admonished hypocrisy. We know the symptoms of the syndrome, but what are the causes?

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Let's call it the Duggar Syndrome: a combination of fame and repression that leads to hypocrisy and scandal in an all-too-Christian family. We've seen it before in various falls from grace (e.g. Ted Haggard), but the icon of Christian family values - the Duggars, have raised the bar, so to speak.

"I have been the biggest hypocrite ever. While espousing faith and family values, I have secretly over the last several years been viewing pornography on the internet and this became a secret addiction and I became unfaithful to my wife."

The Fall From Public Grace

The famous (now infamous) family, where girls must wear concealing skirts, boys must act the proper young gentleman, and absolutely no one gives or receives a kiss before marriage is suffering. Why? Was it because Josh, who was believed to have seen the light and repented of his "sinful" teenage acts was revealed to have had three hook-up site accounts and cheated on his wife Anna? Yes, they are suffering from these scandals, but haven't members of the family (namely the children) been suffering a long time - suffering from the kind of repression that Josh tried to unleash himself from?

The family's fall from PUBLIC grace (through today's MSM and social media) has focused mostly on the symptoms of the syndrome, but not the causes.

The Symptoms

The cycle of this particular syndrome seems to be:

Repression, Public Exposure, Keeping Up Appearances (and Standards), Rebellion, Scandal, Repentance.

Rinse and repeat - at least for Josh Duggar. Cover-ups, secrecy, lies, hypocrisy, guilt - all are symptomatic of the syndrome. We saw how the Duggar family covered up Josh's first forays into "immorality". Josh himself admitted to leading a "double life" thereafter. Re-bottled repression resulted in an explosion of porn and deception.

Following the cancellation of The 19 Kids and Counting TV show, the Duggar family has other Christians in quite the uproar ever since it was revealed that Josh Duggar cheated on his wife, Anna Duggar, using the Ashley Madison cheating service. But some claims it is possible Josh was using the service to meet up with a porn star going by the name of Danica Dillon.

TMZ:

Josh Duggar turned the life of a Hollywood DJ upside down by apparently jacking his pic for his OKCupid profile.
Matthew McCarthy tells us he was shocked see his pic on the dating site, and way more shocked to know Duggar was posing as him to score chicks. ...
Matthew says he's already lost a DJ gig because the club felt he was part of the sex scandal. He feels this is somehow defamation of character, and he's considering his legal options.

According to Gawker, what Duggar was looking for in his profiles:

"Conventional Sex," Experimenting with Sex Toys," One-Night Stands," "Open to Experimentation," "Gentleness," "Good With Your Hands," Sensual Massage," "Extended Foreplay/Teasing," "Bubble Bath for 2," "Likes to Give Oral Sex," "Likes to Receive Oral Sex," "Someone I Can Teach," "Someone Who Can Teach Me," "Kissing," "Cuddling & Hugging," "Sharing Fantasies," "Sex Talk."

The Causes

Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar have a lot to answer for: deflecting the blame for Josh's behavior is no longer an option. Josh's newly revealed infidelity (and identity) has brought focus upon them as parents. Of course, they were "absolutely stunned!":

Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar are 'absolutely stunned' by the revelation that their son Josh is a porn addict who cheated on his wife and subscribed to Ashley Madison, a family source told People.

The couple, once a credible face for religious and Republican values, thought they had raised their 19 children to be pure, loyal and trustworthy, the source said.

For almost thirty years, Michele Duggar has been popping out the Duggar's own convent/monastery, ultimately turning the staggering number into a reality TV show that paid the bills. "Absolutely stunned" shows only that Josh's "purity" was either wishful thinking or a lie on their part.

After all, "Purity" has its price.

Michelle Duggar homeschooled the children during those years using ATI (Advanced Training Institute) materials and lessons. Described by some as a "Creepy Fundamentalist Homeschool Cult", ATI was founded by Bill Gothard (a close friend of the Duggars):

ATI is a "Biblically based" homeschooling program that lets Christian families integrate their kids' daily, hours-long moral learnings with just a dash of secularism. Its various pillars include doing exactly what's expected "instantly and cheerfully," not asking questions, strict adherence to patriarchal standards, and, of course, shielding yourselves from any influence or human that might lead you off the beaten (sometimes literally!) path.

ATI stresses purity through absolute CONTROL: the kind of stifling control that Josh Duggar experienced most of his life. As far as the topic of sex is concerned, ATI stresses not only purity, but lets the blame of sexual abuse lie with the victim.

Ultimately, Gothard himself never got to any stage of purity: he resigned from the institute last year in the wake of accusations from 34 women that he sexually harassed or assaulted them, though he maintains he is innocent.

Was ATI homeschooling a kind of child abuse? The Duggars certainly exploited their offspring using the method - the Duggar children seemed "perfect" to the eyes of the world - a world they were shielded from to "protect" their purity.

The Fallout

The scandal has caused emotional and financial chaos:

A Duggar family insider spoke to People, saying; 'We're all hunkered down over here. It's just a mess, it's a whole mess. We don't even know what the truth is anymore. It's insane.'

In a desperate attempt to regain a TLC slot, TWO possible programs were proposed: one concerning Christian counseling for sex abuse victims (by the Duggars, of course) and the other a spin-off featuring the girls Jill and Jessa Duggar. It seems quite impossible for TLC to consider having anything to do with the Duggars at this point.

The previously "debt free" Duggars are reportedly facing possible foreclosure on their 7000 square foot home. Although their worth is an estimated $3.5 million, (they were being paid up to $40,000 per episode), their motion to dismiss their foreclosure lawsuit against a mortgage company was approved and a foreclosure is possible.

The Fools Of Forgiveness

Mike Huckabee is not the only person who looks foolish for supporting Josh Duggar during the first scandal: social media has opined that Anna Duggar should get a divorce due to the humiliation, but ...

Wife Anna Duggar is now taking part of the blame for Duggar's sins because she is, of course, a dutiful wife who now berates herself for not being "available" for his needs and submissive enough.
Her mother-in-law, Michelle Duggar, advises married women to have sex with their husband whenever he wants.
"Be available," the 49-year-old said in an interview last year. "Anyone can fix him lunch, but only one person can meet that physical need of love that he has. You always need to be available when he calls."

Mark Woods of Christian Today argues that Josh Duggar should still be forgiven for his indiscretions:

By all means line up to give Josh Duggar a kicking, if it makes you feel good. But the thing about Christianity is that it preaches forgiveness and restoration to people you wouldn't have in your house. It says to people who've done far worse than adultery, "You're welcome. Repent and receive Christ's forgiveness." It says at communion, "This is a table for sinners."

That may be true, but do Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar deserve forgiveness for what they've done to their children over the past thirty years?

Just a thought.

Authors Website: http://sacredcowsmakethebesthamburgers.blogspot.com

Authors Bio:
Rev. Dan Vojir is has been writing/blogging on religion and politics for the better part of ten years. A former radio talk show host (Strictly Books €" Talk America Radio Network) and book publisher, Dan has connected with some of the most interesting people of our time: Steve Allen, William F. Buckley, Alan Ginsburg, Armisted Maupin, Anne Rice, Grace Slick, Bishop John Shelby Spong, Patricia Nell Warren, and Betty White.

He is also an ordained minister in the ULC and has studied extensively on the subject of the Bible and homosexuality. Additional articles can be read on his blog, The Devil and Dan Vojir.

Future goals and activities: a new ministry focusing on reaching personal spiritual levels without the outside influence of proselytism or evangelism called The Church of the Inner Preacher. This ministry will be included in a new website The Devil and Dan Vojir.

Vojir's main goal: to root out hypocrisy in religion and politics. "If only one person is saved from being killed or bashed by inane bigotry, then I'll have accomplished what I was put on earth to do: To Live and Help Live."
http://sacredcowsmakethebesthamburgers.blogspot.com