Former 19 Kids and Counting cast member Jinger Duggar Vuolo has recently been making media appearances to promote her new book pictured above, Becoming Free Indeed: My Story of Disentangling Faith from Fear. This is also the first time the public is really hearing directly from a member of a family famous because of their reality TV Show who basically grew up in another world. Even better is she is telling the world about her life during the show’s run and what the media referred to as “certain groups” her parents are still largely affiliated with.
One of those “certain groups” is the Independent Fundamentalist Baptists or IFB for short. Like the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints (FLDS), they are an offshoot of the Baptist Church with a more Fundamentalist set of beliefs. One of those core beliefs is to abstain from using Birth Control of any kind (I’ll revisit this topic in a separate post). This is how the Duggars ended up having 19 kids over the course of 30 years. Their last child, Josie was born in 2009 three months premature at 25 Weeks. Their youngest turned 12 years old this past December. Their youngest was born almost 20 years after their first child, Josh.
Speaking of Josh Duggar. News of him molesting not just four of his sisters but his babysitter when he was a teenager was what ended the TLC reality show almost immediately after news broke in 2015. TLC tried to launch a new show focusing on a few a of the adult children but the controversy around Josh Duggar’s past–and the fact that it had been kept a secret for almost 10 years–led to the new show being pulled after just a few episodes. During the show’s run, the IFB and the other “certain group” the Duggars were known to be affiliated with held the Duggar Family up like billboards and their greatest marking tool: “You can enjoy success too if adopt our ways!”
The other group The Duggars were known to be affiliated with is known as the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP). It was founded in 1961 as a religious organization by now disgraced sex predator and cult leader Bill Gothard. Yes, it IS a cult and is a sex cult at that. It checks all the boxes of Christianized sex cult: Males have all the power, Females are subservient to Males, there is no such thing as marrital rape or child molestation and so on. This in addition to a lot of the stuff common in Christian Fundamentalist groups or movements such as home school your 8+ kids, don’t go to college, women aren’t allowed to work without permission, only listen to government officials who share your values, Females are not allowed to wear pants and so on.
A lot of these Christian Fundamentalist movements and Christianized Cults really started to explode in number in the 1950s. Last year, the Unification Church–also known as the Moonies or the Moon Cult–was one of the first prominent Christian Cults in America. They now have a presence across the world in various countries. The Unification Church was back in the news last year because of the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The suspect killed Abe because the suspect’s parents were giving lots of money to the Moonies and he believed Abe was connected to them. That wasn’t entirely true: Abe’s mother was affiliated with the Moonies but not Abe himself.
Abe’s assassination was what brought larger awareness about Religious Cults to the public’s attention in Japan and their government is starting to pass laws to protect the public from being scammed out of their life savings. Although Japan is mostly agnostic or athiest as a society, most of their older population does practice Shinto and Buddhism culturally. The Moonies would exploit this by approaching mostly elderly Japanese at their home and pressure them with spiritual blackmail. Basically, they would tell them their deceased loved one is languishing in hell “But not to worry, we can get them out. All you have to do is give us some money because no price is too high for you loved one’s eternal salvation! The more money you give, the better place in heaven they can get!” Yes, really and sadly it’s believed there are millions of victims in Japan. Mostly elderly people.
Getting back to the larger discussion on Christianized cults. Most established denominations do tell their members about Jim Jones and the incident in Waco, Texas that involved the Branch Davidians. You ever wonder why they don’t talk about the Fundamentalist Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), Independent Fundamentalist Baptists (IFB), Opus Dei, the New Apostalic Reformation and other offshoots of established denominations? Well, back in the 1970s when people like Dr. Steven Hassan–a former member of the Moonies himself–started working with the families of cult members to get their relatives out and deprogram them, Christianized cults and Christian Fundamentalist movements basically started putting pressure on legit churches. They said to the churches “If you don’t help us now, they’re going to come for you next!”
This is why churches mostly tell their congregations about Jim Jones, the Branch Davidians and non-Christian cults. They don’t talk about the fact the main Church of Latter-Day Saints, also known simply as the Mormon Church IS a cult. Any former member would tell you that. Former Massachusetts governor and current Utah Senator Mitt Romney gets a pass because he does not adhere to a lot of the Mormon Church’s more fundamentalist teachings. The FLDS broke off from the main church because the main church stopped allowing the practice of Polygamy in the 1960s. They wanted to continue it culturally and also to keep families created through Polygamy together. In almost all cases, these Polygamist families were made up of one man and two or more women.
By now if you’re a woman you’re likely thinking “Why are Males dominating and controlling Females such a central part of these Christian Fundamentalist movements?” That’s because like I explained earlier, they’re cults masquerading as Christian movements. There is no Biblical support or basis for a lot of these more hardline beliefs and teachings they invent mostly to control and scam their own followers–often their own family members included. That’s what it’s all about at the end of the day with all these Christianized Cults and Christian Fundamentalists alive: Controlling people.
Even worse is when cult leaders victim blame, gaslight and spiritually blackmail those who try to speak up. It’s like the old saying: Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
These cult leaders or sect leaders get so full of themselves, they tell their followers they’re never wrong and they are incapable of being wrong about anything. Much was made about the Catholic Church’s child sex abuse scandals of the mid-2000s and rightfully so. It affected so many people around the world, the Vatican quickly realized they had no choice but to admit they failed countless victims and protected their abusers for decades. It was what ultimately led to the late Pope Benedict stepping down as a reminder. His health was in decline but if not for the church sex abuse scandals, he probably would have stayed in power for at least a few more years.
It’s become a bit more clear in the recent years that we seeing the rise of Christian Fundamentalism at the Local, State and now Federal levels in the U.S. I mean as a national policy. Christian Fundamentalists who led annual demonstrations for 49 years to steps of the U.S. Supreme Court to protest Roe v. Wade made a change this year: This year, they went to the steps of the U.S. Capitol to call on (Republican) lawmakers to pass a nationwide abortion ban.
Overturning Roe v. Wade was a 49-year plan that involved appointing Supreme Court Justices whose main purpose for being nominated was to overturn it. It’s not a secret Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who holds what some would consider Far Right political views was groomed to be a Supreme Court Justice for over 20 years. Now that the Christian Fundamentalists dominate the Supreme Court, they are now turning their attention to Congress. Many historians and Bible Scholars have rightfully noted former President Trump did more to weaken the wall between Church and State than any other president in U.S. History. As it happens, Bible Prophecy points to the United States being the Second Beast Power described in Revealation. It is a powerful and wealthy nation without a king or an official church. At some point in time, the U.S. Government will do what Rome did and formally adopt a form of Christianity to “unite the country under God”.
I know how things look right now but I still maintain the position and opinion the time for that to happen is not anytime soon. You don’t need to be familiar with Ellen G. White’s writings on this matter to see and know there IS going to come a time in the future when Church and State in the United States becomes one. The Bible makes this clear and unless you’re choosing not to pay attention, right now we are seeing charismatic evangelical movements and ideologies have completely taken over the Republican Party. Seven of the nine Supreme Court Justices are Catholic and we know for sure four of them–Justice Clarence Thomas and all three Justices appointed by former President Trump–were seated primarily to further the agendas of the various Christian Nationalist Movements vying for power, some of them I talked about last year.
Like I said on my Political Blog last year after it became official, Roe v. Wade being overturned was just the first major domino to fall. They are also looking to overturn Obergafell v. Hodges (Gay Marriage legalized nationwide), Loving v. Virginia (Legalized Biracial relationships), the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and others. I’ve even heard whispers they want to overturn Brown v. The Board of Education. That was the landmark case that forced Public Schools in the U.S. to desegregate and integrate racially. By now most of you are probably thinking “This isn’t your political blog. Why are you talking about these things here?”. I am because these things are all connected and relevant.
Some of you may also be thinking “I don’t see a problem with Christian movements taking over the country. We let the Liberals have too much power for too long and look at what they’ve done to our society. They want to call us ‘intolerant’ and ‘hateful’ for refusing to compromise on this issue and refusing to let them do these other things. Give me one good reason why we shouldn’t just get rid of them all and refuse to let them have any power ever again at the first opportunity”. The answer’s simple: A divided house cannot stand. America is (still) a Democracy believe it or not. Everyone now understands the American Democracy is much more fragile than previously believed but it still is one. All the buerocracy that we’ve all learned to hate is probably why America survived 1/6/2021.
Has the Democratic Party caused a lot of problems in recent decades? Yes, absolutely. Even so, the Republican Party is the clear and present danger to the American Democracy. I get those who say “follow prophecy news” and are probably thinking by now “Let them take over and turn America into the Second Beast Power. Prophecy must be fulfilled. Maybe then, people will believe. Who would want to deny that?” The answer to that is also simple and is one I have said before: The conditions are not yet in place.
The conditions are not in place for the First Beast Power–the Vatican–to become the global superpower it one day will become either. In fact, it’s looking more and more likely Pope Francis will be stepping down soon due to his declining health just like his late precessor did. Whoever the next Pope is, they likely won’t continue Pope Francis’ agenda of building bridges all over the place. After his declaration members of the LGBTQ+ Community should not be crimally persecuted–he did stop short of saying Homesexual Relationships are ok–Pope Francis is now widely considered the most Liberal Pope in the history of the Roman Catholic Church. Whoever the next Pope is will likely be much more conservative than him regardless of where he’s from.
All that said. Like I also said in recent years, the divisions in the U.S. are clearly leading to Civil War. I look at what’s going on in Florida and Texas in particular politically and it’s just hard to deny conflict is coming soon. It’s just a matter of time though it’s looking more and more likely the powderkeg will go off around the time of the 2024 presidental election. Given what happened after the 2020 presidental election, that’s a pretty fair presumption. Former President Trump is dealing with an avalanche of legal problems right now and he has warned if he is indicted, it will tear the country apart. He’s right to say that. At least 40 Million Americans are so infatuated with the former president , they would not hesitate to kill or die for him at the drop of a hat. I’m sure you know someone who you believe feels that way about him. Trump’s eventual indictment will be just one of the “good excuses” used by the Far Right and Christian Fundamentalists to plunge America into conflict. The bigger reason will be about seizing power by any means.
This will likely be similar to the Chinese Revolution after World War II. In that case, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) seized absolute power politically. Remnants of the now former government and the rival party managed to flee the mainland to what’s now known as Taiwan or Chinese Taipei. Taiwan is internationally recognized as a sovereign nation but in China, it is considered a part of the country. Taiwan’s relationship with the Chinese government is different from what happened with Hong Kong. When the British Government, which originally controlled Hong Kong pulled out they brokered an agreement with both city officials and Beijing. Hong Kong would basically be an independent city-state from the Chinese government but at a certain point in the future, the city council could vote to fully become a part of China. That time came about 10 years back though it was obvious the Chinese government had a hand in it. Having regained control of Hong Kong after almost two centuries of it being in the hands of a foreign power, China has now turned its attention to retaking Taiwan by force if necessary.
History and current events from other places can and should be looked to if you want to understand what will be happening in the U.S. very shortly. The part about that should concern all Christians is as far as these Christian Fundamentalists and Christian Nationalist Movements are concerned, they’re justified in using violence and terrorism to “protect and promote their way of life”. Trump’s inevitable indictment will be one of many excuses used to justify armed conflict against the Federal government. If you don’t think that can happen in a very short amount of time, you’re not paying attention. The GOP is clearly looking to become the CCP of the U.S. They’re going to make first move because in their minds, “We had no choice. The Dems were going to mobilize the U.S. Military to occupy American cities and towns. They needed to be stopped and this was the only waay”. Just wait and see.
I mentioned Florida and Texas earlier. Right now, other U.S. states with GOP-majority control in the Legislative and Executive branches are in lockstep with Florida and Texas to gradually create a separate country within the U.S. I mentioned Roe v. Wade earlier. Did you know some states that outlawed Abortion after Roe v. Wade was overturned are now moving to enact travel bans for pregnant women? Yes, really. No doubt the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) will sue to block that in court but again, don’t avert your eyes from what’s going on.
Those who live in the Western U.S. and Canada may already know about this but Polygamy and Polyamorous relationships have been quietly seeing a resurgance in both practice and popularity. While Polygamy actually is a Federal crime in the U.S., Utah has long been known as the Polygamist Capital of America for a reason. While the overwhelming majority of longtime Polygamist families are FLDS or some other Fundamentalist offshoot of a Protestant denomination, there are obviously many non-religious Polygamous groups too. In recent decades, Utah and a few other states did for Polygamy and Polyamorous relationships what most states did for marijuana and created something of a grey area at the state level. They’ve basically downgraded it to a misdemeanor in Utah and certain other states in the region.
In the minds of these Polygamists, their lifestyle should be legalized since Gay Marriage was legalized at the Federal level about 10 years ago. A lot of people rightfully said at the time legalizing Gay Marriage at the Federal and State levels would have unpredictable consequences. Sadly, I do think it’s only a matter of time before Polyamorous Relationships and Polygamous Marriage becomes legalized. This despite the fact the overwhelming majority of people only want a relationship with one partner at a time max.
I shouldn’t need to say this but the overwhelming majority of those who will push for these things to be legalized are Heterosexual Men and many of them are professed Christians. They look at Polygamist relationships in the Middle East and parts of Africa where Harems are a cultural norm. They look at where it’s a cultural norm and want it here. It was about 15 years ago was when I first started hearing the term “Open relationship” in reference to Polyamourous Relationships. It basically means one or both members of the relationship are allowed to see other people. Before that, I simply knew it was “playing the field” or “fooling around”.
While most put a stop to it once they marry, some want to continue the practice after marriage. I watched an interview someone did with a pastor who recently married around that time. He told the interviewer–and I mean unapologetically–he basically told his wife once they moved in together “I’m going to see other people when I feel like it but you’re not allowed to think of seeing anyone else.” I’m paraphrasing but that’s basically what the pastor I’m not going to name said. That’s the attitude a lot of mostly affluent men have around adding a third person–usually a second woman–to the relationship: “I want what I want but for the sake of maintaining appearances, you’ll go along with it”.
Long before the LGBTQ+ community mobilized and fought for the legal right to marry, Polygamists have been fighting with State and Local governments for the legal right to have two or more partners. Many people rightfully said when Obergafell v. Hodges was decided in 2013, it could have unforeseen consequences. I have no proof yet but personally, I do think Polygamy being legalized could be one of them. While the origins of the U.S. ban on Polygamy are in part religious, in modern times there’s been a general understanding some people will find a way to abuse certain rights when given the opportunity. Polygamy may be legal in some countries but in reality, some use it is a license to engage in human trafficking and domestic abuse. The authorities can’t get involved because “those are his wives” and…yeah.
On a related note. Many Polygamist proponents like to look at the fact Abraham had a mistress and Jacob had multiple partners as justification for why they should be allowed to legally have two or more spouses. “It’s in the Bible so that makes it ok!”, they say. What they ignore is the fact both Abraham and Jacob were influenced by the cultures of their time. Were both men of God? That’s not debatable. Will both men and their partners be in heaven despite this? Of course. They get a pass on this because they were ignorant of the fact God intended marriage being between one man and one woman. God will wink at their ignorance on that.
As for King Solomon, everything was great…until he started taking multiple women as wives. What happened? They turned his heart from God and he started worshipping idols. He did eventually come to his senses before he died though the damage was already done. I have noticed in recent years a growing number of pastors have started talking about Solomon’s fall from grace as much as they talk about his father David’s repentance after His Greatest Sin. The reason is because Solomon was far from perfect and his fall is recorded in the Bible. My point on this is obviously, the Bible makes it clear the only union blessed by God is marriage between ONE man and ONE woman. Not two men or two women and certainly not one man or woman with two or more partners.
I’ll wrap this up with a return to the original topics of Christian Fundamentalism and Christianized Cults. It’s ironic that they have certain members of the GOP telling everyone their way of life is “under attack by the Radical Left” when they are the ones who have made it clear they will happily destroy this country if they don’t get their way. Basically, “If I’m not happy then no one else can be”. This is also why Civil War is an inevitability. The perception that they are projecting is they are in a Culture War with the Left (hint: This is not true). The truth doesn’t matter to them as long as they get what they want. The end justifies the means in short.
As much as many prominent athiest and anti-religious groups in the U.S. have been trying to turn the tide in their favor in recent decades, they are keenly aware that what they are up against is far too powerful and organized in comparison. This is why it’s probably best to say these groups that so so far only seen some success in suing schools and school districts in some states that violate the separation of Church and State are only delaying the inevitable. The lawsuits are filed against school officials and school staff who permit and in some cases engage in prothelesizing and weaving religious practices into what should be non-religious events. Not just coach-led prayers at school sports games but school officials wanting to open PTA meetings with a prayer and scripture meeting. Not private schools but public schools.
Could we start seeing pastors and similar kinds of faith leaders appointed as official advisors to elected officials in the U.S.? Some have actually been pushing for this in recent decades at the Local and State levels so far. Those pushing for it are of the mindset “America is a Christian country so why haven’t we been doing this already?” Most politicians actually do have a spiritual advisor but obviously they are not appointed government officials. Some want them to be government officials and this is where the issue is. That brings me to the big issue many aren’t giving enough thought: America is home to a lot of protestant denominations and movements from Adventism to Methodism. Fundamentalists use this fact to justify wanting to basically turn America into an Autocratic Theocracy.
You may not see it at your church yet–I say “yet” because you likely will soon–but in recent years, the more outspoken charismatic preachers have started applying pressure to more politically silent or politically neutral pastors. When Christian cable networks like TBN are literally telling their viewers “We are under attack by those who hate our values and beliefs”, that tells you everything you need to know about these efforts to unify Church and State in America. Right now the charismatic Evangelicals are in recruitment mode. They’re looking to recruit as many local pastors and churches as they can to take on “Wokeness”, the LGBTQ+ Community, Pro-Choice Movements and any Politicians who aren’t pushing their agenda. Their agenda, again is to turn America into an Autocratic Theocracy.
Will it happen eventually? Yes, the Bible is clear about that. Will it happen in the near future? Not entirely but what’s more likely is we’ll see Christian Buffer Zones sanctioned by local and state politicians start to pop up in some states. I look at states like Florida and Texas that are giving enormous power the Executive Branch in recent decades. It’s like the old saying: Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
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