Duggargate -- an observation

[PeaceNikki]

I've been thinking about this point quite a bit and stumbled upon this post on the internet:

One point that struck me about Huckabee's statement on the Duggar molestation scandal was its lack of interest in the girls who were victimized. Huckabee offers plenty of painfully-nuanced words on Josh Duggar's exact moral status and that of his actions, and even attacks the media for turning this rock over, but has very little to say about the victims. The same is true of the Duggar family's official statements on the scandal, notably Josh's remark that "I understood that if I continued down this wrong road that I would end up ruining my life" -- ruining his life, not the lives of those he molested. See also this collection of pro-Duggar comments by fans -- it's all about Josh, how he must have been tempted, the merits of his actions since, whether God has forgiven him, etc. Not a word about the victims. It reminds me of the attitudes of Catholic Church officials shielding molesting priests.

I think this reflects an important difference between secular and religious morality. From a secular viewpoint, it's only the existence of a victim that makes something wrong at all -- an action is wrong only if, and only because, it harms someone else. Religious "morality" is based on taboo systems. An action is wrong because it violates a taboo -- whether it harms anyone or not is irrelevant. The important issue is not the effect on the victim (or even whether there is one), but rather the moral trajectory of the perpetrator -- did he repent, does God forgive him, etc.

Hence I generally refer to religious "morality" by the term "taboo system". It's not real morality at all.

http://infidel753.blogspot.com/2015/05/duggargate-observation.html?m=1

People here keep thinking this scandal will be the "end" for that little fuckhead. Nope, it won't. Hell thrive and the religious will protect, defend and support him as they have proven time and time again they will do with those who sexually abuse children.

Abstinence makes the church grow fondlers.

[mountain grammy]

1. K&R for the forgotten victims..

[RussBLib]

2. Abstinence makes the church grow fondlers.

that's a good one.

I haven't heard anything about the victims - the young female victims - that Josh molested. Very similar to the RCC. Protect the perpetrators, screw the victims.

Religion has EVERYTHING to do with this.

[onager]

3. No, it won't be the end for him.

Josh has temporarily lost his cushy job as the public face of the Family Research Council.

Soon as this scandal blows over, he'll get another plum job with some other right-wing religious org. They probably won't put him out front as an Official Media Propagandist, like the FRC did. But he will be stirring the same shit, albeit from a slightly different pot.

cf Newt Gingrich. First he blew up the '98 elections for the GOP with his bombastic incompetence. Then, after tormenting Clinton for months over his behavior, Newtie dumped Wife #2 and took on #3 without a moment's pause. Incredible hypocisy. But his "punishment" was a well-paid sinecure at a right-wing think tank.

Ha! Just remembered that the Gingriches put their bridal registry up on the Web. To show they were hep with all this new-fangled Internet stuff.

I wanted to send them a gift, too. But Neiman-Marcus was temporarily out of the Kitchen Knife Set, Lorena Bobbitt Commemorative Edition.

[deucemagnet]

4. Well of course it won't be the end for him.

Just like Jimmy Swaggart, he can give a tearful confession, blame it all on the devil, claim that he's been forgiven by God and ready to turn over a new leaf, and Bob's your uncle. No restitution to the victims necessary.

[Curmudgeoness]

5. And a very good observation.

I especially like the concept of a "taboo system" opposed to a "moral system". There appears to be no morality in these people. If you doubt me, just remember how many times you are asked how you keep from killing someone.

[Warpy]

6. Patriarchal religion simply doesn't view those girls as human beings

They're biological units for the production of yearly babies and most of those babies need to be male for them to have any status, at all.

They don't express concern for those poor abused and then betrayed little girls because they don't think those little girls deserve any concern. After all, their only function will be to provide unlimited sex for a patriarch on a power trip and babies every year.

My fervent hope for that family is what happened to a family of 10 cousins. The fertility rate dropped to near zero because they'd had such a thin time of growing up in a huge family where no one had much time to bring them up.

[olddots]

7. you should copyright your comment

best thing I've heard in years about religion and abuse .

[RussBLib]

8. too late, I think

seen on Facebook somewhere

[PeaceNikki]

9. I didn't coin it but have remembered it often.

[Heather MC]

10. They support him because most of them ARE HIM!! Children Being Molested by Bible Thumpers

Is very very very common place. They are no overly judging him because they all know they have done this shit before and or had it done to them and sheeple have been trained to "forgive and forget" and most importantly not blame god.

But step into any church throw a rock and you will undoubtedly hit someone who was molested by someone else in their church.

[nil desperandum]

11. Victims

I wonder about that aspect as well, how do you tell your daughters that you are going to minimize the impact on your son's life so as not to ruin his life and everyone has to cover it up for a few years so sonny boy can avoid jail time.

What message does that send their daughters?

That their molestation is a lesser issue than their brother's freedom and their brother's future?

What kind of people are these?

[trotsky]

12. A most excellent post, and I think...

something that non-believers are more in tune with than believers. Since we don't have a god in the equation, we tend not to forget about the actual victims of a crime like this.