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It’s been one full week since Josh Duggar was convicted of possessing and receiving child pornography.
And as expected, the verdict is causing his family to absolutely unravel at the seams.
Several Duggars have come forward to celebrate Josh’s conviction and praise the jury for doing the right thing.
And of course, some of these folks have seized the opportunity to criticize Jim Bob for making so many bad decisions in raising his eldest son and turning blind eye to Josh’s abuse.
Not surprisingly, the most outspoken of these critics has Jill Duggar’s husband, Derick Dillard.
Jill has been estranged from most of her family since 2019, and it seems that Derick’s distaste for Josh and Jim Bob goes back even further than that.
In fact, based on Derick’s recent comments, we think it’s safe to say that he’s been awaiting his father-in-law’s downfall since not long after he met the guy.
“It’s sad that this isn’t an isolated incident. I used to have much respect for Jim Bob, as my father-in-law, and I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt for years,” Dillard wrote o Facebook this week.
“Unfortunately it’s only become clearer to us over time just how deep this man’s manipulation and deceit will go for his own gain, at the expense of others,” Derick continued.
“He has lied to my wife and I numerous times.”
From there, Derick referenced Jim Bob’s failed campaign for a seat in the Arkansas State Senate, which shockingly took place concurrently with Josh’s trial.
“Contrary to his campaign, he does not believe in freedom, but his manipulation has resulted in what is akin to human trafficking,” Dillard wrote.
“When he says he cannot be bought, the truth is that he has a history of being a sellout to anything that he can personally profit from, and he will justify it however he wants to continue his personal agenda,” he continued.
“Again, if he has lied and continues to lie to his best friends and his own family, will he LIE to YOU?!”
Needless to say, Derick really didn’t hold back.
For the most part, fans applauded his candor, but it seems that at least one member of the extended Duggar clan took issue with his remarks.
When Jessa Duggar and Ben Seewald issued a statement on Josh’s conviction, it seemed that they shared Jill and Derick’s opinion that justice had been served.
But in a surprising twist, Ben took to Facebook this week with a rant about the importance of politeness and respect for one’s elders that seemed to be directed at Derick:
“Rudeness is not the antidote to an extreme ‘political correctness,'” Seewald wrote.
“In fact, it’s sinful to be rude. The Scriptures call Christians to ‘honor all men’ (1 Peter 2:17), and ‘Show perfect courtesy to all people, (Titus 3:2),” he continued, peppering his tirade with Bible quotes.
“We can be marked by kindness and courtesy, and still be bold and courageous in confronting evil, even to the point of giving a “sharp rebuke (Titus 1:13).”
From there, Ben seemed to encourage Derick to be more loving toward Jim Bob … seriously.
“What’s the key? How can we be show honor and courtesy and yet, when needed, be stern and sharp?” Seewald asked.
“They key is love (notice the reason for the sharp rebuke of Titus 1:14 “that they may be sound in the faith,” he continued.
“Love will cause you to be humble, to seek the best interest of the other person, and to endure suffering for the good of others and the glory of God.
“Rudeness, on the other hand, is weakness. It is a fleshly and fallen response, venting ungodly passion with a prideful and self-righteous disdain for the other person,” Ben added.
“It’s an expression of disgust for the sinner (forgetting that you too are sinful) that cares nothing for their ultimate restoration and recovery from their fault.”
He concluded by accusing Dillard of the same desire for clout and lack of concern for others that Derick had previously accused Jim Bob of.
“It is simply the impulse of those who have not sufficiently learned self-control and patience and love from the Holy Spirit. Rudeness doesn’t take into consideration the glory of God,” Ben wrote.
“It’s too busy seeking ‘likes’ and ‘retweets.’ It’s too busy seeking the glory that comes from man to consider what the will of the Lord is for us in response to sin and error.”
Obviously, Ben never mentioned Derick by name, but his intentions in posting that lengthy tirade are pretty obvious.
Ben and Jessa have remained at least somewhat loyal to Jim Bob and Michelle– they’re still invited to family functions; they’ve never publicly denounced Jessa’s parents — so perhaps this is Ben’s way of keeping the criticism focused on Josh.
Seewald might feel that if there’s anything that can rescue this family, it’s focusing on their common enemy.
And he might be right.
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