Jinger Duggar Opened Up About "Cult-Like" Religious Rules As A Child (2023)

Counting On star Jinger Duggar Vuolo has spoken candidly about the "twisted" and "cult-like" religious rules she was forced to follow growing up - which she says made her so afraid of rock music that she believed it would be killed by god if she did that The wrong song played on the radio.

Jinger's parents, Jim Bob, 57, and Michelle Duggar, 56, arestaunch followers of the Institute in Basic Life Principles- a bizarre Christian group run by rejected pastor Bill Gothard, which has a strict set of regulations that control nearly every aspect of the members' lives.

Now, 29-year-old Jinger, who rose to fame after starring in the TLC series 19 and Counting and its spin-off Counting On with his parents and 18 siblings, has revealed the lasting trauma his incredibly strict upbringing had as he spoke. about the immense "fear and superstition" instilled in her from an early age.

"I would definitely say that [Bill's philosophy] was of a cultured nature," she said.fox newsrecently while discussing her upcoming memoir, Becoming Free Indeed: My Story of Disentangling Faith from Fear, due out January 31st.

"I can't say, 'Oh, it was a cult.' I'll leave that to the experts. But I will say that a lot of things make it difficult for kids or families to leave because the community is so close-knit.

"The teachings are based on rules - man-made rules."

The Duggar children were prohibited from physical contact with their significant other before marriage - meaning they didn't have to hug or hold hands - all children were homeschooled and women were always required to wear floor length dresses from pants - as well as showing part of the legs - were strictly prohibited.

Jim Bob and Michelle would also read their text messages, telling them what to watch on TV, what music to listen to and even offering their opinions on who their friends were.

But while the restrictions and rules governing his religious upbringing were based on biblical verses, Jinger says he believes Gothard would manipulate those verses to suit his own agenda.

"Bill took a Bible verse and made it say whatever he wanted, and he made his own rules and said, 'That's the Bible,'" Jinger explained.

“And so he wanted you to swear to God to uphold that principle. It was very immersive. He said, "Never break your vows before God." It was based on fear. [Bill] had a distorted view of the Bible.”

According to the former reality star, Bill made it very clear that the members of the IBLP were not allowed to listen to any kind of rock music, and he even told them that if they accidentally heard a song with a specific beat, they would die.

She revealed: "He said anything with that particular beat on a drum was harmful. It's dangerous.

“It told the story of a young man who had a car accident and died listening to music with drums.

“I remember one time we were on our way to one of the seminars and someone in the car turned on some drum music. I freaked out

"I just thought, 'Wow, that's it. We're going to have a car accident because someone turned this on. I was so scared. It just consumed my life.”

jinger said earlierPeoplemagazine thatShe was "crippled with fear".and "fear of the outside world" as a result of the strict "cult" rules she had to follow as a child.

“Fear was a big part of my childhood. I thought all I had to do was wear skirts and dresses to please God," she admitted.

"Music with drums, places I've been, or the wrong friendships can do you harm..." [Bill's] teachings, in short, are rooted in fear and superstition, leaving you in a place where you feel, "I don't. I know what God expects of me."

“Fear kept me paralyzed with fear. I was terrified of the outside world. His teachings were so damaging and I see more of the impact of that in the lives of my friends and people who grew up with me in this community. There are many cult trends.'

After marrying her husband, Jeremy Vuolo, 35, in 2016, Jinger officially split from the IBLP but remains a "strong Christian".

She told Fox that she began to question Bill's teaching after Jeremy "challenged her thinking" as they attended some of his seminars together.

She said her husband would point out that Bill's teachings weren't "exactly" from the Bible, and when Jinger found out that he had "twisted" Versus to "let her say what he wanted", she was "bewildered".

'I thought, 'How is this possible?' I always thought Bill was a Bible teacher. And that was an aha moment," she added.

"It helped me break free. I was no longer tied to this man. I would not follow a man - I would follow Jesus. I would follow the Word of God as I see it in Scripture.

“I was gripped by fear every day. And I am no more... Those burdens have been lifted. And I began to see the beauty of who Jesus is. He freed my heart.”

Jinger's admission comes months after his brother Josh Duggar was sentenced to 12 years in prison in 2019 for possession of child pornography, which led to the cancellation of his show.

Years before the child pornography allegations, an explosive police report surfaced online saying Josh, now 34, had admitted to molesting underage women, including four of his siblings - and that his own parents knew about it and didn't know about the reported abuse. .

"It's something that I still find very difficult to talk about," Jinger, who was later identified as one of his victims, told Fox in reference to Josh's guilty verdict.

"My heart breaks for the victims and their families. And at the same time, I am so grateful for the justice system.

“I am grateful that justice is being done. It's so painful.

She added that she has spoken privately with her family about her decision to leave the IBLP, as well as her inclusion in her upcoming book.

“Some [family members] responded better than others. But at the end of the day, I know they only want what's best for me," she concluded.