23. Jill (Duggar) Dillard
The most newsworthy event in recent years relating to the expansive Duggar clan has arguably been the trial and conviction of Josh Duggar for possessing child sex abuse materials (CSAM). Part of the controversy surrounding Josh’s crimes are his Christian upbringing and how it might have contributed to his behavior and the enabling of it. Members of his family, however, still profess the Christian faith while condemning his actions.
After Josh Duggar was found guilty of receiving and possessing CSAM, Josh’s sister, Jill Dillard, and her husband Dereck, posted a statement quoting several Bible passages and saying, “We have been lied to so much that we wanted to hear the evidence for ourselves in court. After seeing all the evidence as it was presented, we believe that the jury reached a just verdict today, consistent with the truth beyond a reasonable doubt.”
The Dillards observed that “we are all equal at the foot of the cross, and, likewise, we are all equal under the law,” citing Luke 12:1-3 where Jesus warns of the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and says that everything secret will be made known. The couple also quoted Proverbs 17:15, which says, “Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent—the LORD detests them both.”
