Joshua Bennett
The Duggar family first entered the public eye in 2004 with their TV special 14 Children and Pregnant Again, showcasing their ultra-conservative lifestyle. The family's religious beliefs have been a topic of interest, with many wondering if they are Mormon or Catholic. The Duggars identify as Independent Fundamentalist Baptists and follow the Institute of Basic Life Principles (IBLP), a non-denominational Christian organization. The IBLP, founded by Bill Gothard, promotes a strict set of rules and principles for its followers, and the Duggars have been associated with the group since the early 2000s.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Religion | The Duggars are Independent Fundamentalist Baptists |
| Religious Organization | Institute of Basic Life Principles (IBLP) |
| Founder of IBLP | Bill Gothard |
| Year of founding | 1961 |
| Type of Organization | Non-denominational |
| Type of Belief System | Cult-like Christian Organization |
| IBLP's Focus | Affirming God's Word and its principles |
| IBLP's Rules | Men are the head of the household, women must remain submissive, dressing modestly, courting under strict supervision, and abstaining from drinking alcohol and consuming drugs |
| IBLP's Teaching | Wisdom booklets based on the Sermon on the Mount |
| IBLP's Teaching | Seven principles: design, authority, responsibility, ownership, suffering, freedom, and success |
| IBLP's Teaching | Children should always obey their parents |
| IBLP's Teaching | Umbrellas of protection: Christ, husbands, wives, children |
| IBLP's Teaching | Children have no authority over themselves or others |
| IBLP's Teaching | Building your character |
| IBLP's Teaching | Moral way of life |
| IBLP's Teaching | Support conservative Christians |
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What You'll Learn
The Duggars are Independent Fundamentalist Baptists
The IBLP is not a church or denomination, but rather an "educational" program and lifestyle guide. It promotes a moral way of life and provides support to conservative Christians who feel unsettled by social changes such as civil rights movements, the celebration of free love, and drug culture. The Duggars have attended and promoted IBLP events on and off-camera, and have spoken at its semiannual Family Conferences in Big Sandy, Texas.
The IBLP follows a curriculum developed by Gothard called the Advanced Training Institute (ATI). This curriculum teaches children through "wisdom booklets" based on the Sermon on the Mount instead of science. For example, these booklets claim that pubic lice are transmitted through "immorality." As children get older, they may be sent to one of Gothard's centers around the country, where they are allegedly forced to perform manual labor for up to 18 hours a day.
The Duggar children were homeschooled by Michelle Duggar and the oldest women in the family using the ATI curriculum. The Duggars also follow the Quiverfull ideology, which promotes having many children. This belief system is derived from a quote in the Old Testament: "Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them." Members of the IBLP do not believe in birth control and believe that only God can determine family size.
The Duggars have been criticized for their support of the IBLP, especially after its leader, Bill Gothard, was forced out amid allegations of abusing young women. In addition, the Duggars' eldest son, Josh, has been accused of molesting underage girls, including his sisters, and possessing child pornography. Despite these controversies, the Duggars have maintained their faith in God, separate from any one religious leader.
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The Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP)
The IBLP teaches that men, particularly the patriarch of a family, are superior, and women are expected to be submissive to the male head of the house. Women are discouraged from seeking higher education, as their role is in the home, and their husbands are chosen by their fathers. The IBLP also promotes a model of ""umbrellas of protection", where Christ has the most authority, followed by husbands, then wives, and finally children, who have no authority over themselves or others and are expected to obey their parents and Christ.
The IBLP's programs include seminars for ministry, community outreach, troubled youth mentoring, and an international ministry. The organisation has been accused of being a cult, with former adherents describing it as having a charismatic leader, authoritarian control, isolation of members, severe punishments, and a demand for absolute loyalty. The IBLP has also faced multiple scandals, including sexual misconduct allegations, and a lawsuit alleging a sex-abuse cover-up involving minors.
The IBLP has been promoted by the Duggar family, who have spoken at its semiannual Family Conferences in Big Sandy, Texas. The Duggars have also featured in the TLC series "19 Kids and Counting", which brought a new wave of interest in the IBLP and its teachings. However, the show was cancelled due to scandals involving the Duggars' eldest son, Josh, who was accused of molesting underage girls and possessing child pornography. The Duggars have since distanced themselves from the IBLP, with Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar stating that while some of the principles have helped them deepen their faith, they do not agree with everything taught by the organisation.
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IBLP is a cult-like Christian organization
The Duggars are Independent Fundamentalist Baptists. However, they also follow a conservative Christian organization known as the Institute of Basic Life Principles (IBLP). The Duggar family grew up under the IBLP belief system, which teaches that children should always obey their parents.
The IBLP is a cult-like Christian organization. It was founded by Bill Gothard in 1961 to promote a moral way of life. The organization was meant to support conservative Christians during a time of social and cultural upheaval. While Gothard was not a minister or religious leader, he taught his followers that living a life worthy of God's love was best achieved by building their characters around seven principles: design, authority, responsibility, ownership, suffering, freedom, and success. According to ex-members, authority was the most important and focused-on principle.
The IBLP's programs appealed to conservative Christians who had grown up during the cultural upheaval of the 1960s and 1970s and mistrusted secular authorities. The organization teaches that God is the largest "umbrella of authority", followed by the father, then his wife, and finally their children. Women are discouraged from seeking higher education as their role is in the home, and their husbands are chosen by their fathers. The consumption of media such as television, movies, most music, and the internet is limited due to concerns about immoral content.
The IBLP has been described as cult-like by former adherents and external observers. Don Veinot, president of Midwest Christian Outreach, characterizes the organization as cult-like due to its charismatic leader, authoritarian control, isolation of members, severe punishments, and demand for absolute loyalty. The group pushes an authoritarian, patriarchal theology conceived and developed by Gothard. In addition, the IBLP has been involved in several scandals, including a major sex scandal in the 1980s and allegations of abuse by Gothard, further contributing to its perception as a cult-like organization.
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Bill Gothard founded IBLP in 1961
The Duggar family are Independent Fundamentalist Baptists. They also follow a conservative Christian organization known as the Institute of Basic Life Principles (IBLP). The Duggars have attended and promoted IBLP events on and off-camera. Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, regular speakers at its biannual Family Conferences in Big Sandy, Texas, have said that the teachings of the IBLP's founder, Bill Gothard, ""changed our lives".
Bill Gothard founded the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP) in 1961. The organization was originally called Campus Teams and was dedicated to helping "teenagers and their parents make wise choices" by sharing Christian scripture teachings with inner-city Chicago gangs, local youth groups, high school religious clubs, and "families in crisis". Gothard, who had just completed his degrees in Biblical studies and Christian education at Wheaton College, ran the organization from his home in La Grange, Illinois.
In 1974, the organization changed its name to the Institute in Basic Youth Conflicts (IBYC) to reflect the title of Gothard's seminar. In 1984, Gothard founded the Advanced Training Institute (ATI), a homeschooling program with a curriculum based on the Sermon on the Mount. ATI was created in response to frequent inquiries about a school curriculum that centered around religion. ATI's program included 54 "Wisdom Booklets", teaching subjects such as geography, science, and math, alongside IBLP's strict rules, which mandated church attendance and included guidance on employment, attire, and physical appearance. In 1989, the organization adopted its current name, IBLP, to reflect its expansion beyond seminars.
Gothard's teachings found a foothold in the fundamental Christian community, and his seminars were regularly attended by more than 10,000 people. IBLP's programs appealed to conservative Christians who had grown up during the cultural upheaval of the 1960s and 1970s and were wary of secular authorities influencing their families. Gothard's primary teaching, the ""Basic Seminar", focuses on what he refers to as seven "Basic Life Principles", which he claims are universal and must be followed to avoid consequences. These principles include design, authority, responsibility, ownership, suffering, freedom, and success.
In 2014, Gothard stepped down from IBLP after multiple allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment from former female employees and volunteers. An investigation by the board of directors found that Gothard had "acted in an inappropriate manner" and was "not permitted to serve in any counseling, leadership, or Board role within the IBLP ministry". Despite the accusations, the Duggars maintained their support of the IBLP, stating that their "faith in God is not based on following a fallible human man".
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IBLP's rules and teachings
The Duggars are Independent Fundamentalist Baptists. They are also followers of the Institute of Basic Life Principles (IBLP), a conservative Christian organization founded by Bill Gothard in 1961. The Duggars have attended and promoted IBLP events, and have spoken at its semiannual Family Conferences in Big Sandy, Texas. They have credited Gothard's teachings with "changing their lives".
IBLP's teachings include the following:
- The belief that governmental authority is "God-given".
- The idea that all marriages must be arranged by the fathers of the respective families.
- The teaching that couples must maintain total sexual chastity before marriage and that intercourse is forbidden during a woman's menstrual cycle or for seven days after, on a Saturday night, for forty days after the birth of a son, or for eighty days after the birth of a daughter.
- The belief that STIs are punishments for sexual immorality and that birth control is a "curse".
- The encouragement of home births over hospital births, with the claim that women are more likely to die in hospital.
- The teaching that children born via c-section are medically fragile for the rest of their lives.
- The idea of umbrellas of authority, with God at the top, followed by the husband/father, then the wife, and finally their children.
- The belief that wives must be subservient to their husbands and obey them at all times.
- The teaching that children must obey their parents unquestioningly.
- The encouragement of corporal punishment, with the claim that beatings should not stop until children learn to accept them silently.
- The belief that women and children will be punished by Satan if they fail to obey their headships.
- The teaching that wives should not seek financial independence or resist their husband's physical affection.
- The view that music with a "beat" is satanic, although classical music and hymns are permitted.
- The belief that unborn children can understand Scripture in utero and that satanic forces, including Cabbage Patch dolls, will frighten them.
- The requirement that all children must be homeschooled and taught using the IBLP curriculum, which includes "'wisdom booklets'" based on the Sermon on the Mount.
- The teaching that all forms of debt should be avoided, including college debt and mortgages.
- The belief that children should always obey their parents.
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Frequently asked questions
The Duggars are Independent Fundamentalist Baptists. They also follow a conservative Christian organization known as the Institute of Basic Life Principles (IBLP).
IBLP is a non-denominational religious organization closely tied to Christianity. It was founded by Bill Gothard in 1961 to promote a moral way of life and support conservative Christians in a time of civil rights movements, free love, and drug culture.
The Duggars have been described as ultra-conservative Christians. They practice modest dressing, supervised courtship, and abstinence from drugs and alcohol. They also homeschooled their children using a curriculum based on the Sermon on the Mount instead of science.
