Ever since fans watched the oldest Duggars as awkward teens on 19 Kids and Counting, viewers have been obsessed with wanting the kids grow up and "break free" from their strict family. As you probably know, the Duggars follow a strict ministry that makes them abide by a long list of archaic rules. Now that the older Duggar kids have moved out of the house and started their own lives, many fans are hoping that the siblings finally get to do all the things they were never allowed to do, like wear pants or listen to secular music. And yes, many of the oldest Duggar daughters now wear pants and even listen to Christian rap, but they're far from "rebels." Although fans obsessively want the Duggar kids to "break away" from their strict religion, judging by their recent actions, that's clearly not what they want to do. Below, a few examples of why the oldest Duggars have no interest in changing.
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Fans Are Obsessed With the Duggars Rebelling, but That’s Clearly Not Happening
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Instagram, TLC
Jinger Duggar wears pants…but she's still married to Jeremy Vuolo.
Out of all the older Duggar kids, most viewers think Jinger is the most "rebellious." After all, she was the first of her sisters to move out of Arkansas in exchange for Laredo, TX. She also started wearing pants first, and she waited a whole year before getting pregnant (which is like a century in Duggar time). Fans were ecstatic and thought these were all signs that Jinger was finally "free."
However, and this is something fans seem to forget, Jinger is married to pastor Jeremy Vuolo. And although he seems charming and attractive enough, in his sermons he teaches that abortion leads to suicide, Hispanic culture promotes "impurity," and transgender kids are a sign of bad parenting. Sure, Jinger can choose to disagree with him, but we doubt it. Out of all the adult Duggar kids, Jinger is the only one without her own Twitter account, which exemplifies her devotion to her husband and her willingness to stand behind him and agree with everything he says. Sorry, guys. But hey, at least she gets to wear pants!
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Jill Duggar got a nose piercing…but she's still a member of Cross Church.
Jill Duggar shocked fans when she pierced her nose and started wearing pants. She even showed off her knees on Instagram, which is outright scandalous amongst the Duggarverse. Although fans said they were happy to see Jill growing up and branching away from her strict upbringing, she's still far from bonafide rebel status.
For one, she and her husband, Derick Dillard, are both members of Cross Church. The church isn't infamous or anything, however, it did get a bit of backlash earlier this year when they promoted a "same-sex attraction" seminar. The event was hosted by executive director of Live Hope Ministries Ricky Chelette, who's outspoken about "praying the gay away."
And let's not forget all the horrible things Derick has said in the past, particularly his offensive remarks about transgender reality star Jazz Jennings. It's nice that Jill can wear pants and pierce her nose, but she's definitely no Amy Duggar.
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TLC, Instagram
Jessa Duggar listens to Christian rap…but she still thinks anxiety can be prayed away.
Although the Duggars aren't allowed to listen to any secular music, both Jessa and her husband, Ben Seewald, are huge fans of Christian rapper Flame. On the show, the couple even visited the rapper at his studio. Pretty rebellious for a Duggar. What would Jim Bob think of Jessa listening to nontraditional music?
Despite her shift in musical tastes, Jessa is far from being completely free of her family's clutches. Just last month, she retweeted a bizarre article about God and anxiety that angered fans. "I would love to pray away my anxiety disorder, but unfortunately it doesn't work like that," a fan wrote on Instagram. "Anxiety is not a choice."
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TLC, Instagram
Jana Duggar bought a tattoo shop…but she still lives at home and takes care of all her siblings.
Unlike her sisters, Jana has never been seen as "rebellious." As the oldest daughter at 28, she's still unmarried and doesn't have any children of her own yet. However, in 2016 when she bought a tattoo parlor, many fans thought it was a sign of independence. Was Jana going to start her own business? Was she going to rent out the property for a profit?
In the end, we don't know what happened with that tattoo parlor. Considering that Jim Bob is a realtor who often buys properties under his kids' names, he probably bought it for her as an investment property. Jana is still far from independent. She lives with her parents and still shares her childhood bedroom with her four little sisters.
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TLC, Instagram
Joy-Anna Duggar does "risky" PDA with her husband…but she still allegedly supports the "pearl method."
Joy-Anna used to be the tomboy of the house before her parents forced her to grow up and conform. After tying the knot with Austin Forsyth, she showed some "shocking" PDA with her husband that many viewers found very un-Duggarlike. Is it possible that Joy-Anna is branching out like her sisters?
Unfortunately, no. Austin's parents run a Christian camp that came under controversy recently for inviting Michael and Debi Pearl, authors of To Train Up a Child-Child Training for the 21st Century. The book has been under fire from critics who say the book teaches child abuse. "I was raised on the teachings of this book and it has devastated me," an Amazon reviewer wrote. "If you want a healthy, happy child and not just a damaged robot, avoid this book."
Considering how close the Forsyths are to the Pearls and how Joy-Anna works alongside her husband at the camp, many are fearful that she's a follower of the Pearls' training techniques. We don't know for certain, so we hope we're wrong about this one.
