Essentially, the Duggar family became famous for two things – being very fertile and being very religious.
The two conditions are inextricably linked, of course,
Only people who believe they’ll go to eternal hell if they use condoms would subject themselves to the temporary hell of raising 19 children.
Just kidding, Duggars!
Anyway, it seems that Jill, the family’s second-oldest daughter, is proving to be an unexpected rebel in more ways than one.
Not only has she yet to sire an entire baseball team’s worth of children (complete with full pitching staff and designated hitters), but fans think she might be turning her back on her faith.
In a recent Instagram post, Jill revealed that she’s currently reading a book with the rather ambitious title of The Story of Reality.
“Wow! I’m not even finished with this book yet and it’s so good! Just read chapters 13-15 today," Jill wrote.
"If you’ve ever wondered #whydoesgodallowsuffering or you’ve stopped believing in God then you’ve gotta read this book!”
Not surprisingly, fans were taken aback.
“I could never give up on God, our father,” one user wrote, apparently under the impression that Jill was questioning her faith.
“He is the reason we are all here, on the earth he made. You just need to remember to believe in him.”
At one point a user who identified herself as an atheist congratulated Jill on opening herself up to new ideas.
New ideas is one way of putting it. Needless to say, the situation threw some of Jill’s more pious followers for a loop.
One user argued: "This is a Christian book and how everything in the world ties in with God."
"People are making ignorant assumptions and haven’t even bothered to learn what this book is about."
Indeed, according to a description on the book’s Amazon page, The Story of Reality makes an argument for "Christianity as a true story of how the world began."
The author, Gregory Koukl, describes the book thusly:
"If you are already a Christian, do you know and understand the biblical story?
"And for those still seeking answers to the questions of life, this is an invitation to hear a story that explains the world in a way nothing else will."
"This story can change your life forever."
"The Story of Reality is not just the Christian Story – it is your Story whether you believe it or not," reads a "review" posted on the book’s website.
Hardly the religion-bashing screed some of Jill’s followers have made it out to be.
In other words, relax, folks – it appears that Jill has no intention of deviating from the belief system she was raised with.
But that’s not stopping the debate from raging on the 26-year-old’s Instagram page as we speak.
For some of her fans, the most interesting part of Jill’s latest post has nothing to do with her beliefs, and everything to do with to do the most compelling word in the book’s title:
Reality.
When Derick Dillard attacked Jazz Jennings on Twitter, he launched his tirade by accusing the teen of starring in "a reality show that promotes an unreality."
Derick was fired by TLC for his harassment, and some former fans couldn’t resist the opportunity to remind Jill of her family’s latest scandal:
"The Reality is that your homophobic husband got fired from the show! Perfect outcome!" wrote one Instagram user.
Yeah, apparently that’s one of the many downsides of unprompted harassment of vulnerable teens on social media.
It leaves you vulnerable to some seriously savage roastings at unexpected moments from fans who didn’t appreciate it.
Those fans may have the last laugh, too.
Counting On 2018 Preview: What Can We Expect From the Duggars This Year?
VIEW GALLERYEarlier this week, promotional materials for the new season of Counting On were released, and Jill was nowhere to be seen in the preview clips.
So unless you count asking fans for donations to fund their ministries, the Dillards are currently without a source of income.
No wonder Jill’s coincidentally started reading books for people whose faith has been put to the test! Are we right people?
As always, you can follow the link to watch Counting On online for more of the Duggars’ take on reality … or lack thereof.
Derick Dillard Labels Transgender Movement as Form of Child Abuse
VIEW GALLERYncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTEoaalpKmsvLCwxqiqrKGgY7CwuY5rZ2pwX2V%2FcLbIpaNmnKWctKK%2BjKqsnquknryvtc2gZKGdomKzorXToWSipl2cvKV7