Jim Bob and Michelle

Last updated on: June 6, 2023 at 10:57 am by Karl J. Forehand

Jim Bob and Michelle 2023-06-06T10:57:11-06:00 Karl J. Forehand

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

There are lots of things that bothered me about the documentary, Shiny Happy People. For example, there was the blanket training that was described where they place a toddler on a blanket and put something they want just out of reach and then hit them with flexible rulers or glue sticks when they try to leave to break their will and promote obedience over all else.

There were many more things to notice like:
– mysogyny
– extended “encouragement” (spanking)
– denial of feeling, not supposed to cry
– grooming for abuse
– taking advantage of child labor
– predatory nature of leaders
– childlike nature of leaders lying, parroting, preying (always against children and women)

The one thing that really stood out to me was a subtle thing. There were several clips and explanations from Jim Bob and Michelle’s origin story. Since Jim Bob is rather clumsy in public and when not scripted, most of the quotes are from Michelle. She admitted that she wasn’t raised in the same lifestyle that she is living now.

She was, essentially, a normal teenager, a cheerleader and someone that dated boys. However, the framing by the couple is that she was totally ignorant and Jim Bob saved her and moved her into this life that she now lives. This includes all the things above like abusing children, child labor, helping cover up abuse, etc.

But just like all the other issues with IBLP and other high control groups, the man always comes out to be the savior and most important. This is true even when they promote cult like activity. In Jim Bob’s mind, he thinks “Aren’t you glad I saved from your terrible life.”

It is evident from interviews that she is still trying to gain his favor. Just like how Christianity starts off with a view that we are miserable human beings. Leaders of cults first convince you that you are worthless without them and their solution. Then, it is increasingly difficult to measure up and be accepted, so they’ve got you where they want you.

I’m sure she went willingly because she was convinced as she had no other choice. Thousands and thousands of people are drawn in to these types of groups because we want to belong and we want to be a part of something that’s better.

Even though Michelle was living a perfectly normal life before Jim Bob, he convinced her that she was just ignorant, and now she could be a part of something better. That something better included having more children than she could raise and a endangering her health, but also abusing those children and promoting it to others.

The only way all of this could work is on the backs of the children who wwre coerced to raise children while they were still children and do most of the work of training centers, and accept that their primary duty was just to obey and then start producing children.

Like many Christians, Michelle was convinced by these childish men that the only way she could love her children was to abuse them and control them. She bought the lie that the only redeeming quality a woman has is to bear children and keep her husband happy.

Like many childish men, Bill Gothard and Jim Bob Duggar convince women and children to do their bidding. There are some initial reports after the documentary aired, that some are trying to throw Michelle under the bus now since she carried out most of the punishments, forced the kids to sign contracts, etc. But don’t forget, she was groomed first before being convinced to help groom their children.

The fallout to all of this is horrendous. We have listened to many stories on the Desert Sanctuary that made us cry. Some of you may think I’m too hard on organized religion, but organized religion is what allows this type of behavior and sanctions it sometimes as holy.

I won’t be happy until all of it is exposed and we start moving in the opposite direction. People often write off pastors that have deconstructed, but let me assure you, there are thousands of us out here that once we realize things like this, we can and will speak up. We don’t care if you don’t like us for exposing the injustice of cult behavior. We will keep blowing the whistle. The gig is up.

Be where you are,
Be who you are,

Karl Forehand

Progressive Christian

Abuse

Church

deconstruction

Previous Post

May 31, 2023

Changing our Mind

Next Post

June 7, 2023 The Toxicity of a King

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Abuse Addiction Advent adventure Alpha Male Animals Answers Attachment Attitude authenticity Authenticty Authentiicity Awareness being Bible Black Community BLM body awarenss book Books Bravery Bullying Bypassing Certainty Certianty Chamge change children Christianity Christmas Church Comfort community Compaasion Compassion Complementarian Complementarianism Conditioning Consciousness Contemplation Control Conversation Converstations Covid-19 Creation Darkness Death Debate deconstruction demons depression desert Devil Disciples discussion Divine dreams Easter Eclipse Empathy Essence evolution evolve faith fatherhood Fear fiction Flood Focus Focusing Focussing Future Genesis Goals God Gratitude grief growth Guns Hate healing Health Heart Hell Holiday Hypnosis ignorance Improvement infallible Inner Child Integrity Intuition Jesus Jezebel Journey King LGBTQ+ Love MAGA Marriage meditation Men Mercy Message metaphysical Mindfulness Misogyny Mourning Music Mystic mystical Narcissism Nationalism Nature New Year Novel Nutrition Organization other Pain Pandemic parenting Pastors Patriarchy Patriotism Personal Growth Plan Poet poets Police politics Power practice praise Prayer presence pro-life Problem Solving Progress prolife Prophet prophets Purity Culture Purpose Queer Questions Racism Rape Rapture reconstruction Recovery Religion Resolutions Restoration Resurrection Retribution Reviews Root Cause Sanctuary Satan SBC Scripture Seeking Self-Care Self-esteem Seminary Sex Shadow shame social justice social media solitude Spirits Spirituality stillness Story Survivor Thanksgiving Theologians Theology Tradition Trauma travel Trump Uncategorized Unchurching Universe Violence Vision Voice Volunteer Vulnerability War Women Word worship Writing

Select a Month September 2026 August 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What is the first book of the Bible?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Genesis Matthew Psalms Exodus

Books by This Author Books by The Desert Sanctuary

See All Titles »