Jessa Seewald: Thankful For Josh Duggar — Taught To Forgive Those Who Never ‘Took Responsibility For Their Actions’

Last time Josh Duggar’s sister, Jessa Seewald, penned a list of things she appreciates, we learned that she realizes her family was very willing to take advantage of freebies, even if it forced local establishments to change their policies. This time, there’s a new revelation: she’s thankful to her parents for placing Josh in her life, and for teaching her to extend forgiveness, even when her transgressor took no responsibility for his actions. She also wasn’t permitted to tattle, she says — instead, the Duggar children were expected to work it out amongst themselves.

Josh Duggar made headlines last spring when it was revealed that he had confessed to molesting younger girls, including his own siblings. In the aftermath, the Duggar family quickly expressed to the public that Josh’s victims had forgiven him, and for many fans, this was sufficient reason that they should extend forgiveness as well.

Some debate arose, though, about whether the victims truly had an option in that forgiveness, or whether their belief system required them to go through the motions of forgiving, without any closure. Blogs about faith, such as Kathryn Elizabeth’s here and Libby Anne’s piece at Love, Joy, Feminism, both of which warn that in ATI, the belief system Jim Bob Duggar says he has followed since Josh was small, forgiveness isn’t an option. It’s a requirement Libby Anne says is used to “…force victims in this subculture to shut up, sit down, and ‘make peace’ with the people who have wronged them.”

In Jessa’s letter to Michelle Duggar, she reveals a bit of an answer about this. As she lists what she has learned from her parents, Seewald mentions,

“…choosing to forgive those who hurt you before (and regardless of if) they ever apologized or took responsibility for their actions”

Whether or not it directly applies to the situation with Josh (though, according to Hollywood Gossip, an inside source did say he refuses to issue an apology because he blames his transgressions on external forces, such as pornography) this makes it clear that the Duggar children were indeed taught to forgive regardless of effort on the part of the transgressor. (In the clip below, Jana and Joy Duggar ponder forgiveness of Josh years later, as new transgressions — Josh’s membership on an extramarital dating site — come to light.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyqmH_yju_E

That’s not all Jessa has to say that appears to apply to forgiving Josh Duggar, either.

“…warning us that harboring bitterness and resentment in our hearts towards others is like drinking poison and hoping for the other person to suffer.”

How normal is it to struggle with letting go of resentment when someone victimizes you and you’ve been taught that tattling is wrong? Yes, that’s on the list of Michelle Duggar’s life lessons too.

“…for not allowing tattling, but encouraging us to communicate calmly with siblings and work things out amongst ourselves whenever it was possible.”

Jessa goes on to praise Michelle Duggar for teaching her to bless her enemies. She’s also appreciative that Mrs. Duggar didn’t stop at four kids. Speaking of siblings, now that she’s outside the Duggar home and raising kids of her own, how does she feel about that large family?

“Thank you so much…for siblings… All of them!”

“All of them” sounds a bit pointed — all of them as in even Josh Duggar?

Meanwhile, despite assertions that he won’t be included in the Duggar family’s reality show as it goes forward, viewers keep wondering about Josh. With pregnancy rumors swirling around the family, could a pregnancy for Anna Duggar pull the disgraced son back into the spotlight?

Her inclusion in Counting On episodes has left viewers to wonder if watching the show still amounts to assuring Josh a paycheck, and whether she’s keeping him close to the lights and action.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuVBu8WsEFE

If the eldest son is a regular visitor to the home, with the latest reports from In Touch that Michelle and Jim Bob have brought a 20th child home to raise, could Josh Duggar’s nearness to the family, with his background, affect plans to adopt?

[Featured Image by TLC/YouTube]