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Jinger Duggar Reveals What She Believes Is ‘Wrong’ With ‘Purity Culture’
Jinger Vuolo (née Duggar) admitted she thinks that there is something “wrong” when it comes to “purity culture.”
The topic of purity culture was discussed during the Wednesday, August 14, episode of “The Jinger & Jeremy Podcast” when Jeremy Vuolo said that society hasn’t taught people to acknowledge that “you are more than your physical appearance.”
“Our culture doesn’t tell you that. That’s not how we treat each other out in the world so often,” Jeremy, 36, said. “So much is predicated upon the external beauty.”
Jinger, 30, added that people also make judgements about others based on “what you have and what status you’re in.”
“There’s a love and an attraction that’s predicated on something deeper than the physical. And I think that’s something that purity culture was after. They wanted that,” Jeremy continued. “They wanted to show young people that and what a great message.”
Jinger agreed that it was a nice intention, though she said “the way they went about it was wrong.” The Counting On alum continued, “Because it was with all these rules which basically lost the heart of what they were going for, so a lot of kids who grew up in that, they saw just a list of rules of things that we can and can’t do.”
Jim Bob Duggar and Michelle Duggar raised their 19 kids – including Jinger – to follow several conservative rules, including waiting until marriage to kiss. The young family members famously had to court their potential partners, which included going on chaperoned dates and only being able to give side hugs.
“A side hug is a good medium between super closeness and too distant,” Jim Bob, 59, explained about the rule during a 2014 episode of 19 Kids & Counting. “You don’t want to be too strict but you don’t want them to be too liberal either, just letting them do whatever. I encouraged them to set their own standards as they’re getting to know each other.”
Jinger’s stance on purity culture likely won’t surprise fans, as she previously spoke out against the religious organization — the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP) – that her parents raised her to follow. The controversial organization was founded by Bill Gothard in 1961 and teaches its followers to not participate in activities such as dancing and dating, while women are also expected to be submissive to their husbands.
In January 2023, the mother of two told People that “fear was a huge part of [her] childhood.” Jinger continued, “I thought I had to wear only skirts and dresses to please God. Music with drums, places I went or the wrong friendships could all bring harm.”
Jinger then explained that she was “terrified” to go against God by participating in certain activities. “I thought I could be killed in a car accident on the way because I didn’t know if God wanted me to stay home and read my Bible instead,” she shared.
“[Bill’s] teachings, in a nutshell, are based on fear and superstition and leave you in a place where you feel like, ‘I don’t know what God expects of me,’” Jinger said. “The fear kept me crippled with anxiety. I was terrified of the outside world.”
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