On March 18th, 2026, Counting On fans and followers were shocked when Joseph Duggar was arrested. He followed in his brother, Josh Duggar’s, footsteps, as he was charged with molestation of a minor. Now, it has come out that the religion his family followed may have been a breeding ground for such behavior. Keep reading for more details on what this means exactly.
Did Joseph Duggar’s Religion Approve Of Bad Behavior?
It was one thing when Joshua Duggar was arrested and charged with possessing images of child pornography. He was sentenced to over a decade behind bars, leaving a wife and seven kids behind. Additionally, he had allegedly molested his sisters and a babysitter when he was in his teens, and that has continued to haunt him, resurfacing with his brother, Joseph Duggar. Joseph is married to Kendra Duggar, and their courtship was featured on Counting On. They also have four children, and he has been working in real estate.
However, in 2020, while vacationing in Bay County, Florida, Joseph Duggar became extremely inappropriate with a nine-year-old girl. He has since been charged with child molestation, leaving Duggar followers wondering what went wrong with the family. They follow the teachings of the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP), which can be deemed controversial. Now, a former member is speaking up and is sharing their experience with the religious group, and it seems they bred the boys to use and abuse the girls.
Lara Smith was just 17 when she was abused by an IBLP staff member, and noted that the church made men superior:
“We were taught our bodies don’t belong to us. They belong to God. And so in that realm, anything that happens, God wants it to happen.”
The girls had to be extremely careful and essentially walk on eggshells. They knew that they could “trigger” the boys and men, which could be scary. However, one night, Lara learned all about this. She was asleep at a “training center,” but a male staffer, 21, came into her room as he had a master key. It must be noted that this happened more than once:
“I was asleep, and suddenly he’s in my bed making out with me. We didn’t have s–, but we did everything else. I didn’t have the capacity to say, ‘Hey, I don’t like it.’”
Was There Any Punishment?
Of course, one would wonder if this man faced ramifications for what he did to Lara. However, as she mentioned, the men never got punished, and this behavior was almost encouraged. Assault and molestation were something that appeared to be taught, not shamed and frowned upon. Bill Gothard, IBLP founder, wanted to know all of the juicy details as to what happened. In 2014, he was accused of sexual harassment, stepped down from the church, but remained with the Duggars.
Joseph Duggar allegedly admitted to what happened to the victim’s father. Followers feel that there is more to the story and much more abuse within the family. Yet, all fingers are now pointing to the church and the enabling within.
Do you believe that the church played a part in teaching the boys bad behavior? Moreover, what do you think is next for Joseph Duggar? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Amanda has been a professional freelance writer for over a decade, holding both a BA and an MA. Her passions include animals, iced coffee, gnomes, summer, music, and ‘Vanderpump Rules’.
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