Anna, Josh, & the Ever Multiplying M Kids, Part 11: His Cheating Heart

[VelociRapture]

Hold up. We have no clue what they may or may not have done for Michelle's niece (I believe her name is Rachel.) They did not just swoop in and steal her child either - she voluntarily asked them to take guardianship because of her mother's failing health and because Rachel felt she was not capable of taking care of Tyler herself. 

I get that they're shitty people, but I don't think jumping to conclusions in regards to Tyler is fair at all.

[Four is Enough]

I can believe that they would lobby for Anna's kids because "jesus, family, stick together, kids need two parents" not that they've ever done any actual parenting!

 

[JenniferJuniper]

I can't imagine Pa Keller explaining anything about sexual molestation to Anna.  Or Ma for that matter.  Not a thing.

I suspect she knew he did something wrong as a teen and was punished for it, but I seriously doubt she knew any specifics.  She was probably far more shocked than we were when the news hit.

But she knows now.  And she knows a heck of a lot more about the real world and about that lazy pig she calls a husband.  When he cheats again - and he will, assuming he hasn't already - she won't get any sympathy from me.  

[marmalade]

It's said season 4 forever, but I just checked the guide, and what is airing tonight is S4Ep1. I guess the 3 part special was counted? 

[albanuadh_1]

What is with the downvotes?

[Buzzard]

10 minutes ago, albanuadh_1 said:

What is with the downvotes?

I'd guess 2 hours of Duggars deserves a downvote!

[Trynn]

Add me In to the "Anna didn't get all the details"'group. I think she did get some details--probably the "mild inappropriate touching" thing we heard about on Megyn Kelly. I doubt she knew that one of his victims was 5.

Add to that the fact that her dad runs a prison ministry and probably sees forgiven child molestors as ok, and she probably thought it wasn't that bad/no big deal.

I think it was a combination of the 2 factors.

[OoooohSideHugMe]

3 hours ago, Trynn said:

Add me In to the "Anna didn't get all the details"'group. I think she did get some details--probably the "mild inappropriate touching" thing we heard about on Megyn Kelly. I doubt she knew that one of his victims was 5.

Add to that the fact that her dad runs a prison ministry and probably sees forgiven child molestors as ok, and she probably thought it wasn't that bad/no big deal.

I think it was a combination of the 2 factors.

i doubt it would have made a difference if she knew all of the details-we all know her marriage was a business arrangement between Jim Boob and Pa Keller-as if she got any say. My heart goes out to her-she doesn't deserve what she got at all even if she is a fundie.

Also-anyone betting on what the next M kid shall be named? i've been trawling through M names and biblical names and i suppose there is always Moses which means "saved from the water" which could work with the metaphor of Josh "escaping" the boiling waters of scorn cast upon him by the media. Micah, Martin, Max and Malcolm are my real guesses though part of me undeniably gets a kick out of "Methuselah Duggar"...though that might be one for the Seewalds hat of crazy baby names.

[SilverBeach]

23 hours ago, anjulibai said:

I think he would. I don't think he'd think twice about it, either. 

Nah, gotta go with @Bad Wolf on this one. What would be be the advantage for him? Just more mouths to feed.

[Jana814]

11 minutes ago, OoooohSideHugMe said:

i doubt it would have made a difference if she knew all of the details-we all know her marriage was a business arrangement between Jim Boob and Pa Keller-as if she got any say. My heart goes out to her-she doesn't deserve what she got at all even if she is a fundie.

Exactly it was a business deal. Mike Keller probably thought the Duggars could give Anna a live he could never give her. 

[HideousGreenShirt]

Last night I had a dream that I was visiting Anna and I was trying to convince her to get a job. She was playing the piano so I suggested she teach but she wasn't interested so I took her to do some office temping and then to work with me doing nails. She seemed to enjoy most of it. I think at one point the M kids turned into dogs and we left them at daycare. Maybe I should stay off this forum before bed...

[TatiFish9]

I don't fault any married couple for taking "death do us part" literally. Sometimes it is unwise, but those are the vows foolishy taken. I say foolishly because we can not possibly know what we are signing up to for the long run. We can only hope we made the best decision. Life disappoints and people fail to live up to our expectations sometimes in the worse way.

Still, I was shocked she was pregnant again so quickly. This is why I am so positive she knew. She knew he was living a double life. She probably was living it with him. That means the only thing she needed to forgive him for was the infidelity. This is common. Many people building lives together (especially with children) forgive at least one instance of infidelity. Considering the culture they were raised under and Anna's inexperience with relationships, she would rush to enable the mess out of it. She would want to recreate their perfect world again especially for her children.

[BobTheWalrus]

12 hours ago, Trynn said:

Add me In to the "Anna didn't get all the details"'group. I think she did get some details--probably the "mild inappropriate touching" thing we heard about on Megyn Kelly. I doubt she knew that one of his victims was 5.

Add to that the fact that her dad runs a prison ministry and probably sees forgiven child molestors as ok, and she probably thought it wasn't that bad/no big deal.

I think it was a combination of the 2 factors.

That's what I think. My guess is that they sat down with her and told her Josh had made some mistakes in his past, but that he had confessed and the Lord had forgiven him. I could also envisage them "encouraging" her that a wife and family would help Josh, so she could almost see marrying him as like a ministry. You know, "All men have urges and temptations, and they need a sweet, loving wife at home who will help them battle that. The thought of his tender wife and precious babies will keep him safe. You will be such a blessing to him, Anna; there aren't many women in the world who can love like Christ loves. If you submit to this God will really bless you."

And Anna, being (in my opinion) a genuinely sweet, humble person who wants nothing more than to be a wife and mom, thinks, wow, my marriage can be a ministry!  I can make a real difference to someone's life! And who am I to question my husband or what God has done in his life?

[Jana814]

I think Anna probably thought she could change Josh. Maybe her father said " he had his faults but I'm sure you can change him". 

[ViolaSebastian]

I also imagine that the fact that Josh was (outwardly, anyway) a catch may have made a difference. I know, gross, but still...Uber-Christian, famous, wealthy, a television show, fairly good-looking (barf, but as a young man he was.) Those last four would be hard for any nineteen-year old to turn down, let alone someone who has been sheltered all of her life and dependent on her parents for the judgment call. It would be all too easy to ignore a red flag--women with far more education, resources, experience and descernment do it all the time. 

[nickelodeon]

1 minute ago, ViolaSebastian said:

fairly good-looking (barf, but as a young man he was.) 

Thou shalt not bear false witness, the dude has always looked like The Boss Baby on platforms.

[Carm_88]

1 hour ago, Jana814 said:

I think Anna probably thought she could change Josh. Maybe her father said " he had his faults but I'm sure you can change him". 

I think Anna fully believed that Josh was already changed. Poor thing. 

[QuiverFullofBooks]

56 minutes ago, nickelodeon said:

Thou shalt not bear false witness, the dude has always looked like The Boss Baby on platforms.

I've seen him in person. He's more unphotogenic than bad-looking.

[allthegoodnamesrgone]

1 hour ago, Jana814 said:

I think Anna probably thought she could change Josh. Maybe her father said " he had his faults but I'm sure you can change him". 

No, a womanz can't change a man, she can only changer herself to his liking. I'm sure she was told he sinned he prayed Jesus  Gothard Jesus who the fuck ever they are praying to, forgave him and now you are his.  Go fill your quiver with this creeper because we can't afford to feed you anymore. 

[Daisy0322]

Does anyone know what Anna's home life situation was pre-josh? I know they were fundy but what about economic situation, any food insecurities, etc?

[Georgiana]

14 minutes ago, Daisy0322 said:

Does anyone know what Anna's home life situation was pre-josh? I know they were fundy but what about economic situation, any food insecurities, etc?

Anna lived with Ma and Pa Keller in FL with her large but not Duggar-large family.  I believe there are 8 Keller kids?  Anna is number 5, I believe.  

Their house was small, but by all accounts the Kellers are actually a very outdoorsy family.  The parents have a very large lot which contained a pool and a tennis court (among other things, I believe), and with the FL weather, it stands to reason that the kids were more often out than in the house, so the space constraints of the home were likely less of a big deal than people might assume.  My aunt, uncle, and cousins have much the same set up.  It's not great for entertaining, but it's not an issue if you really only sleep and eat in the house.  

The Kellers have never been rich, but there is no reason to suspect food insecurity with them.  The kids always appeared well fed and clothed, so while money was tight, it was also sufficient.  I don't think the Kellers would pull a Rodrigues and eat their fill while the kids went hungry either.  There was also pretty sizable spacing between kids, so while the family was big, there was never as much of a need for sister-momming.  Anna, Pris, and Suze all showed signs of having much more of their own lives pre-marriage than any Duggar or even Bates' girl.  They certainly all had their own interests and were able to live away from their families.  

Anna, however, has attested to some fairly odd beliefs.  She almost seems SCARED of being a working woman and has said she pities them.  She has said that when Josh is not being a great husband, she remembers how she doesn't have to work and remembers how blessed she is compared to other, working, women.  However, this was all pre-Ashley Madison, so maybe she feels differently now.  At least formerly, however, she did genuinely seem to believe that single mothers and working women were all miserable and deeply unhappy, which is probably a large part of why she stays: she thinks leaving will make her feel WORSE not better.  Hard to say how much of this is brainwashing vs how much of it is a true desire to be able to be a SAHM. 

Edit:  Hard also to say how she reconciles these beliefs with the lives several of her siblings, who have left that brand of Christianity.  Of her adult siblings, only Esther and Pris remain in the fold.  The others appear to be leading very happy lives, but against the tenants they were raised in.  Anna was formerly very close to the most wayward of her siblings, Suzanna, who seems happy in her new, VERY worldly life.  Not sure how she has processed that, since Suze did in fact leave the father of her child(ren? not sure if Suze has more than the one child).  Good riddance, as that guy was Captain Douche.   

[Daisy0322]

@Georgiana thank you for the Keller run down!

[jacduggar]

I don't think they told Anna about the molestations at all. I think that gives them all way too much credit. I'm positive Ma and Pa Keller knew, but they probably did that whole "he was rehabbed, past is the past, forgiveness, repentance, its fine" thing fundies like to do and left her in he dark. After all, it's VERY obvious that the Duggar's did not anticipate that to come back up ever again, so how would Anna have found out? Except oops, she did. 

 

Anna is in a position where leaving means she loses her husband and a family that she loves and who love her. She's seemed pretty close to the older girls. Her kids have been very close to their aunts and uncles. Michelle seems really close to Anna too. Losing your husband is devastating when you aren't a fundie, pile on the beliefs, her source of income, and extra important people in her life and I see how it could be difficult. All that said, she gets no respect from me because he molested young girls and his parent's covered it up. Anyone with morals or even a fraction of sense about right or wrong would not allow a pedophile to be in their life, let alone continue making babies with the sick bastard. 

[DugFan]

Michelle:  Thank you, Lord, for giving me a new pair of shoes for the precious wedding.  Oh no wait... I'm still wearing the same ugly, black clodhoppers. 

 

Sigh...

[NakedKnees]

I think that Anna must have known SOMETHING about the molestations before the police reports hit, including Pa Keller probably telling her SOMETHING. I doubt she knew the detail described in the police reports, but she was close with the Duggar girls for years before Joshgate 1, and some of them must have shared at some point. I wouldn't be surprised if several of them were (are) so deep in the kool aid that they just didn't understand the gravity of Josh's actions and were able to talk about it on the level of Jana's hair bleach drama or Jill's hoarding food in the bathroom. It's a question of misunderstanding importance rather than misunderstanding content.

Total speculation, but it's honestly what I suspect is at play here