I just read a very interesting post from September 3 by Rachel Bertsche on Yahoo Parenting. It described how Jessa Duggar is now apparently turning her back on her brother Josh.
This is evident, according to the post, by the fact that Jessa recently tweeted a link to a scathing indictment of Josh written by her father-in-law, Michael Seewald.
In a September 4 Yahoo parenting post, written by Beth Greenfield, there’s a quote from a Beverly Hills-based psychotherapist, Fran Walfish, who says that she believes Jessa has taken this action because she’s finally fed up with Josh’s behaviour, and that “she probably has a lot of feelings of anger, hurt, betrayal and shock, and that these feelings have got to go somewhere.”
This presupposes that Jessa is, first of all, in touch with her feelings, and second, that she’s expressing her own personal point of view, albeit indirectly.
While I respect the professional opinion of Ms. Walfish, I have a very different take on Jessa’s recent tweet.
My take is that Jessa has always done, and continues to do, what’s expected of her. I believe that when the patriarchy in her family and religious community initially told her to come out in support of her brother, she (and her sister Jill) did so.
Now, when recent allegations are putting Josh in a far worse light, I believe that Jessa is again going along with the patriarchy (this time, the voice of her father-in-law) who has decided to speak out against Josh.
It’s telling that Jessa didn’t herself write a blog denouncing her brother’s actions but that she tweeted a link to a blog written by a patriarch in her family. This is in keeping with her faith, as it appears that the religious community the Duggars belong to doesn’t encourage women to express their own personal points of view.
Being thrust into the spotlight this past June forced Jessa and Jill Duggar to make a public statement, but I wonder if they said what they’d been advised to say by the patriarchy, rather than saying what they actually felt.
I wonder if they even knew how they felt, after growing up in an environment that was so controlling of their actions and even their thoughts.
In an article by Brandy Zadrozny, for The Daily Beast, she describes the Quiverfull evangelical Christian movement that the Duggars belong to.
Ms Zadrozny writes that the movement teaches that women should be completely submissive and subservient to men.
The article quotes Vyckie Garrison, a former Quiverfull adherent, whose website, “No Longer Quivering,” explores her experience with the movement.
Ms. Garrison says, “Women are created to be ‘helpmeets’ to the men in authority over them (husbands, fathers, older brothers)- they are to be submissive and yielding.”
Meanwhile, men in the movement are meant to be “leaders, teachers, initiators, protectors and providers.”
The article by Ms Zadrozny interestingly points out several allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour by men connected to this movement.
She mentions accusations against Bill Gothard, the founder of the Advanced Training Institute which teaches the homeschooling methods that continue to be used by the Duggars.
According to Ms Zadrozny, Mr. Gothard was accused of sexual harassment by more than 30 women, ultimately resulting in his resignation from his post. Criminal charges were never laid.
Ms Zadrozny also describes how, in November, 2013, Doug Phillips, the leader of the Duggars’ sect, was accused of sexual assault by a woman he claimed was his mistress. Phillips was excommunicated from the church he’d founded, and his civil case is still pending.
Also in this article, according to Kathryn Joyce, another former member, in her book, “Quiverfull, Inside the Christian Patriarchy Movement,” women are taught that men will be their rulers.
Ms. Joyce tells of how the wife of now-excommunicated pastor Doug Phillips asked a group of young women, “Can you call your husband ‘Lord’? If the answer is no, you shouldn’t get married.”
Michelle Duggar has stated on the record that she has a policy of always being available when Jim Bob expresses sexual desire, even when she’s exhausted and not in the mood. She credits this as “a lifesaver” for their marriage.
From all of the above, it seems clear to me that this is a movement in which men are Kings and women are their loyal servants. Women stay under the radar; they say what they’re expected to say and do what they’re expected to do by the men who are in charge.
Men in this movement have so much power that for some, including Josh Duggar and those mentioned above, sexual transgressions seem to be par for the course.
When Jessa Duggar tweeted a link to her father-in-law’s article denouncing her older brother, I can’t see it as an autonomous act that was driven by her own feelings of anger and indignation.
No, if she is being consistent with her faith – and there’s no evidence whatsoever to demonstrate otherwise- Jessa Duggar is continuing to do what she’s always done: allowing the patriarchy to guide her actions, whether or not they’re for her own good.
Sign up here for my free biweekly wellness newsletter that brings you fresh, thought-provoking content.
Subscribe to my YouTube Channel to watch my series Moving into Autumn with Good Self-Care, where you’ll learn simple tips for taking the best care of yourself and your loved ones this fall season.
Tune in to my Ruthless Compassion Podcast where I go in-depth about topics like mental health, trauma, and loneliness.
