Friday, May 22, 2015

The Duggars: What's In a Name?

I had hoped to refrain from writing about the Duggars latest headlines, but I have seen so many posts lately that I feel I must at least share thoughts. 

Before I say anything else, know that I would never condone behaviors that the media has us believing has occurred. 



Now here is what I've had on my mind this week regarding the Name above all names:


We do not KNOW what Josh Duggar did.   Josh has not described in detail what he did, or to whom he did it.  And we were not there.

But...Jehovah Shammah (the Lord is there)... He was there.


A police report is shown online.  Does that make it real?  Does it make it factual?  Does it make it true?  We do not know.

But Jehova El Emeth (The Lord God of Truth)....  He knows. 


Were any of us there?  To see what happened...to see the victims come forward...to see how the family dealt with it?  We do not know any of that with certainty.

But El Roi (the God Who sees).... He saw.


Are we keeping this story at the forefront of our minds and Facebook pages because we care about the hearts of Josh Duggar, his wife, children, his sisters and family?   I've known enough rape victims in my life to know that the one thing they don't want to do is live through it AGAIN.  Yet we want to bring all of this up--which they seem to have all moved past in a healthy way--so they can all relive it.

IF there is any truth to the media's accounts, are we hoping for healing or just punishment?  If healing has come after 12 years of time, are we praising God or are we still wanting earthly consequences? 

El Kana (Jealous God).... He wants Josh's heart, the sisters' hearts, and our hearts.


Are we of such little faith that we cannot believe that God can perform a miracle in the life of a young man going down the wrong path and redeem him?  Are we of such little faith that we cannot believe that He can restore the victims in every way and restore relationships within their family?  Are we of such little faith that we no longer believe that one who repents with a pure heart can be completely transformed by a powerful God?  With man it is impossible...but WITH GOD...ALL things are possible!

El Shaddai (God Almighty) says nothing is impossible for Him!

Jehovah-Rapha (the God who Heals) can bring healing to victims.

Jehovah-M'Kaddesh (the Lord who sanctifies and makes holy) can bring forth change in a humble, repentant heart. 







Are you surprised by a story like this?  Did you expect that the Duggars would live sinless lives?  Only ONE Man has done this--Jesus.  The rest of us have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. 

Would others be surprised if your sins were laid out on a media screen? 

El Elyon (the Most High) reigns!  He is not surprised by this!


Do we believe God is love?  Do we believe He saves?  Can we put all of the past in His hands?  And when I say all...I mean all...Josh's past, my past, your past. 

And all of our past that hasn't happened yet. 

Yahweh (unchanging God) is the same yesterday, today, and forever.


I am still not condoning the behavior which the media has reported.  I just do not know if it is all true.  The police report has discrepancies (and I read all 33 pages of it), and the report I saw had a watermark for a gossip column (InTouch).  That makes me suspect of the legitimacy of what has been reported by the media.  Specifically, that it was marked as a felony, but no further action was taken by the police or those in authority.  If it included felony acts, I believe there would have been further penalty for the offender.


But no matter what we do or is done to us, there is still One on Whom we can count.  One in Whom we place our trust for daily bread and for justice in all matters.

Adonai (Lord).... 

He is the Lord our God, and He will sort it all out in the end. 

Let's leave it to Him, for He is able. 

And there...right there...is peace...

For we know that Jehovah-Shalom (the Lord our Peace) was there all along.


23 comments:

  1. Very well stated. Thank you for voicing my thoughts. Prayers

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  2. Very well written.

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  3. Beautifully said!!

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  4. This is an amazing way to look at this situation and many others that enter our lives everyday. Praying for all involved.

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  5. Very well said. The world wants the world's justice, while believers need to be lifting all involved in prayer for healing, peace, restoration and His love to call all who need Him to Him

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  6. We said he is the only judge that truely counts in the end

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  7. It greatly saddens me that so many Christian women are attacking the Duggars, just as unbelievers are. Paul commands that we support and comfort believers who have repented and changed their lives around. Not one verse tells us to judge and condemn Joshua as many women are doing. We forgive freely and love deeply as Christ has done for us. We must pray for the Duggars. They serve a mighty God and they will be okay but I am very saddened for Joshua because all of this should not have come out since he was a minor and it seems all has been forgiven by his family and victims.

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    1. They deserved to be attacked for their HYPOCRISY!

      They deserved to be attacked for not turning to the authorities until ONE YEAR LATER!

      They deserved to be attacked for not getting their son and his VICTIMS any counseling - not the craptastic "religious" HARMFUL "counseling" they believe in.

      THEY DESERVED TO BE ATTACKED FOR NOT MENTIONING COMPASSION FOR HIS VICTIMS!

      oh, and I am a God loving Christian who attends church and teaches Sunday School and tolerance of other religions - but not cults.

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    2. Hutchlover,
      We all deserve eternity in hell. Our Bibles tell us of the great redemption story where those who can keep the faith and believe that He paid it all in our place will not only not get what we deserve, but also get what we do NOT deserve (heaven)!

      And, the Word of God in no way tells us to attack hypocrites, or anyone for that matter. God says love. Love is patient, love is kind....it keeps no record of wrongs. You probably know the verse. Since I am not the victim, it really is not my business. And since the victims seem to be keeping no record of wrongs, I'd hope that the rest of us can do as they do. It is the Christian way.

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  8. Excellent article! Yes! These are many of the same points I've been making, as well. Thank you!

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  9. Praise be the lord El Kana. El Kana is all knowing.

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  10. What about the victims? Christian or not, wrong is wrong. He admitted he did wrong. We can forgive him. God already has. We also need to remember that the consequences of our sins can be severe in this world. I don't know how this leak came about, but Josh and the entire family will feel the sting of this. I do pray that the family will heal as well as the girls that were molested.

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  11. There was no prosecution because the statute of limitations (3 years in AK) had run out, and the investigation was to see if any felonies had been committed in the three year time span from the date of the investigation being opened. This is very standard procedure in police work when sexual of physical abuse of a child has been alleged. The only thing that saved him from criminal prosecution was that it was covered up for long enough for the statute of limitations to run out.

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  12. The police report is real. Is true. Is factual. If it isn't then the testimonies of the Duggars who were interviewed were falsified. Victims did come forward and were interviewed in that police report. It does describe what he did. A police report isn't media speculation. It is the testimonies of those interviewed, and because many of them were minors, parents were present. None of that is speculation or media attacks. As for Josh, he admitted the was wrong and they dealt with it. He says he repented, and God forgives a repentant heart. God has forgiven him, but there are still repercussions to his actions and his public perception - render unto Cesar. Losing his job and the television show are those consequences.

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  13. I think I understand where you are coming from.

    However, your wording hints so many times that what is alleged is not true. How can sexual abuse victims disclose abuse when we are so quick to dismiss them? You also say that we cannot know what happened. While none of us were in the room when abuse happened, police did investigate. I think there is sufficient evidence to say that it actually DID happen.


    Lastly, I feel that calling fondling a child's breasts and genitals without her consent (as if she even knew what that was) a "sin" ... You take out the necessary role of authorities in the matter.


    Here's what I wrote in response to your post:

    http://thelewisnote.blogspot.com/2015/05/its-not-sin-its-crime.html?m=1

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    1. Hi Rachl,
      My hints are just to suggest that we not first jump on the bandwagon that begins with a tabloid. Maybe it is all accurate, or maybe it is not. I'm just not one to put a tabloid post and someone's confession together immediately, because tabloids often join a quote with a headline incorrectly. Again, it may all be true.

      If it is all true...and I did go read your post... Not a single person has claimed that whatever he did was okay. No one has made an excuse, no one has said it was okay, no one has placed blame for it on anyone but the offender.

      No one is enabling him to continue doing what he did 12 years ago.

      The fact that we call it a sin should seem more harsh than calling it a crime. One day, it may be a crime to pray to the Lord. But it is not a sin. So for Christians, we believe crime leads to earthly punishment, while sin leads to eternal death. Which is worse? Surely, the latter!

      My one and only questions, which, so far, no one seems to want to answer are these:

      What is the goal in choosing punishment for an offender?
      And what is the goal in choosing help for the victim?

      Depending on the answers to those questions, when compared to the results of the choices of punishment and help that the Duggars chose, have the goals been reached?

      It's not about any of us. It's about Josh Duggar and his female victims. If they put this to rest 12 years ago, have healed from how their brother sinned (committed a crime) against them, and are keeping no record of wrongs against him...who are we to tell them that they have to do anything else?

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  14. This was not a one-time incident, this was several incidents over a period of time, to his pre-pubescent sisters well after he hit puberty. You do not "get over" pedophilia and/or molesting young children without intense therapy. We know Josh did not get that. We also know that Josh was not punished, that in fact his parents pulled strings to deliberately avoid punishment for him and deliberately acted as if this didn't happen. We know that Josh was allowed to not only live in the home as before with his same victims and subsequent little sisters, but that Jim Bob gave Josh authority over those girls. We also know that Gothard doctrine dictates that the girls be blamed and guilted into forgiving Josh and making pretend like this never happened, so there would be no use in any of them telling on Josh again.

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  15. Is it really that difficult to comprehend that one of the 'saintly' Duggars has committed a vile act? They are after-all human like anyone else. Josh was a teenager, raging hormonal teenage. Sex was forbidden, even in thoughts. But you know what? Nobody can control what anyone wishes to think. If none of these allegations are true then I don't think that Josh would have resigned his position as Executive Director of the FRC Action in Washington. If there was no basis to these reports which have clearly been verified then there would be a loud outcry from the Duggars. I don't hear anything yet.

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  16. You are wrong, plain and simple.

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Love hearing from you.