Jessa Duggar’s enthusiasm for adoption might make some longtime 19 Kids and Counting fans wonder if she’s going against her family’s religious beliefs by talking about raising kids that didn’t come from her own uterus. It also looks like Jessa has ditched her family’s dress code now that she’s a married woman — a video below actually shows her wearing pants.
During an interview with PEOPLE , Jessa Duggar and husband Ben Seewald revealed that they are extremely interested in adopting a child, and they don’t just look at it as an option to fall back on if they find out that they can’t have biological children.
“If God blesses us with biological kids of our own, it’s not going to quench our desire to adopt,” Jessa said.
Jessa’s strong desire to adopt will raise the eyebrows of those who know about the teachings of Bill Gothard, the founder of the extremely conservative Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP) religious organization. The Duggars are followers of IBLP, and it’s responsible for inspiring many of the restrictive rules that members of the family must follow (e.g., entering into closely-monitored courtships instead of dating). According to Starcasm , Gothard has also dissuaded his followers from adopting . A Recovering Grace writer explained how Bill Gothard came to the conclusion that biological children are always best.
“Gothard proof-texts the idea that we are connected to the sins of our ancestors by referring to an obscure text in Hebrews… When we adopt a child from another ‘spiritual ancestry,’ what are we bringing home? Will our child have the predisposition of a fireman or a Frankenstein, a hero or a monster?”
In short, he believes that the sins of the parents are passed on to their biological children, and these children are basically hopeless cases.
So is Jessa Duggar rebelling against her parents’ teachings by proudly proclaiming that she wants to adopt? While many 19 Kids and Counting fans would love for this to be the case, there’s a chance that something else is going on. As the Inquisitr previously reported, Michelle Duggar has said that she’s actually open to adoption .
Perhaps Michelle and Jessa Duggar have decided that they don’t have to follow all of Bill Gothard’s teachings. The Duggars’ fashion sense has certainly evolved over the years, so maybe their beliefs have, too. Speaking of which, it’s no secret that Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar have always encouraged their daughters to dress in modest, below-the-knee skirts. Needless to say, some 19 Kids and Counting fans will be shocked when they see Jessa Duggar wearing pants in the video below.
http://instagram.com/p/zLVf8UgJor/?modal=true
It’s possible that the Duggars decided that Gothard isn’t the best leader to follow after he resigned from his IBLP position. According to Radar Online , numerous young women reported that they had been sexually harassed by Gothard early last year.
Do you believe Jessa Duggar and Ben Seewald will actually adopt a child someday, and do you think that it’s possible that the Duggars’ beliefs have slightly evolved over the years?
[Image credit: Ben Seewald/ Instagram ]