Jinger Duggar Vuolo Says Growing Up Was ‘Harmful’ Under Parents ‘Cult-Like’ Religious Beliefs

Jinger Duggar Vuolo is not holding backmost erstwhile it comes to reflecting connected increasing up successful a fundamentalist Christian home, which she has drastically separated herself from implicit the years. The former Counting On star, 29, admitted she believes that her strict upbringing nether her parents Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar was “harmful” successful an interrogation with PEOPLE published connected Wednesday, Jan. 18. “Fear was a immense portion of my childhood. I thought I had to deterioration lone skirts and dresses to delight God,” she further explained. “Music with drums, places I went oregon the incorrect friendships could each bring harm.”

She was truthful frightened of straining her narration with God that she recalled being “terrified” erstwhile she and her respective siblings went to play a household crippled called broomball. “I thought I could beryllium killed successful a car mishap connected the way, due to the fact that I didn’t cognize if God wanted maine to enactment location and work my Bible instead,” she added.  She made the revelations portion promoting her caller memoir called Becoming Free Indeed, which details her idiosyncratic travel of uncovering herself, balancing her faith, and breaking down the walls and worries she had owed to her spiritual upbringing.

“That’s the quality of this journey,” she continued. “The teaching I grew up nether was harmful, it was damaging, and determination are lasting effects. But I cognize different radical are struggling and radical who are inactive stuck. I privation to stock my story, and possibly it volition assistance adjacent conscionable 1 idiosyncratic to beryllium freed.”

Jinger and her household starred connected TLC’s 19 Kids & Counting between 2008 and 2015, bringing their strict teachings to the spotlight. She and her 18 different siblings were taught nether the Institute successful Basic Life Principles, an enactment established by curate Bill Gothard, who near the religion successful 2014 aft helium was accused of much than 2 twelve counts of intersexual assault. Ironically, the amusement was canceled after Josh Duggar‘s molestation scandal surfaced successful aboriginal 2015.

Bill’steachings revolve astir a antheral being the unquestioned halfway of the household with him and God being a guiding airy for women, who are expected to serve their husbands erstwhile married. They are besides discouraged from dancing, wearing pants, and partaking successful modern dating (they were barred from front-facing hugs and kissing earlier marriage).

While Jinger is inactive a Christian, she has wholly abandoned Bill’s teachings. “His teachings were truthful harmful, and I’m seeing much of the effects of that successful the lives of my friends and radical who grew up successful that assemblage with me,” she noted. “There are a batch of cult-like tendencies.”

Jinger present lives successful California, states distant from her household successful Arkansas, with her hubby of six years, Jeremy Vuolo. The brace stock 2 daughters, Felicity, 4, and Evangeline, 2. It’s harmless to accidental they volition beryllium raised successful a faith-driven, but acold little blimpish household than their parent was.

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