‘I Could Trust The Bible’: Jill Duggar Dillard on ‘Disentangling’ Faith
By Movieguide® Contributor
19 KIDS AND COUNTING’s Jill Duggar Dillard is sharing how she rebuilt and recentered her faith in God’s truth following her struggle with rethinking her parents’ faith.
“I knew that I could trust the Bible, and I knew that Jesus was my Lord and Savior,” Dillard said of that time. “And from there, just it was a matter of really disentangling my faith.”
The Duggar family belongs to the Institute for Basic Life Principles, which encourages large families, homeschooling and very strict rules about modesty. As she got older, Dillard started questioning some of the IBLP’s teachings about things like dancing or what clothes to wear.
“I didn’t just want to, like, throw my faith away,” she explained. “I really wanted to sort things out. And I knew there was truth to some of what I had been taught as a child, but the viewpoint, the perspective, was different.”
Her relationship with her family is now strained due to this new perspective on faith.
“We just had to draw some pretty strict boundaries and just put things in a healthier place,” she said of their relationship today. “There just hasn’t been a whole lot of change. And again, we don’t expect people to change. So while I love my parents and I respect them and honor them, I just have to prioritize our family unit and do what’s best and healthy for Derek and I and our kids.”
Dillard explores this period of rebuilding her faith and her shifting family relationships in her new memoir, “Counting the Cost.”
“I felt called to write this book and just to be a voice for the voiceless, to also give hope to other people who have either found their voice or are on that journey to finding your voice and just be their champion and their advocate,” she said.
In an Instagram post announcing “Counting the Cost,” Dillard wrote, “The book is meant to reflect a story that has been difficult, yet hopeful…Thanks to time, tears, truth, and therapy, God has begun to heal our wounds into scars. Though we would have never chosen this path, and it has cost us dearly, we want to use our voice to show others that there is hope beyond the pain.”
She also shared her hopes for her own children, whom she keeps off of social media and out of the public eye.
“I really hope that they will love Jesus and be confident, independent people who will just serve others, love others and just do amazing things,” Dillard said. “And I know that they will.”
Movieguide® previously reported on Dillard’s sister, Jinger Duggar Vuolo’s decision to rethink some of the things she was taught about faith:
19 KIDS AND COUNTING star Jinger Duggar Vuolo shared her story of recognizing and breaking free from the false biblical teachings she grew up under.
“My parents always told us about Jesus and that salvation is a free gift of God,” she said on TAKEAWAYS WITH KIRK CAMERON. “It’s a beautiful thing to have that foundation for life, and sadly, we had this other teaching coming in from the side that was kind of confusing.”
Vuolo started questioning these fear-based methods after meeting future-husband Jeremy Vuolo. As the couple’s relationship became more serious, they started listening to tapes of her church’s teachings, and Jeremy would often stop the tape to ask her, “Does it line up [with the Bible]? Is this Bible teaching?”
“It was really freeing for me because I started to see more of the character and nature of God,” she said. “The Lord used Jeremy in that. I just saw his commitment and love for Jesus, but it wasn’t based on all these rules and standards.”
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Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
