Josiah Duggar is courting

[meee]

Is John courting?? Siah and Marj may have to wait indefinitely if they have to wait for him.

Wait, was Jessa forced to wait for Jill? I didn't know that. So why isn't anyone waiting for Jana?

[lascuba]

I think he's a good looking man, but compared to his wife...if they were my parents I know who I'd want to look like.

It's kind of how I feel about Jinger--pretty girl after she outgrew her long awkward phase, but man, compared to her sisters, well...

And yeah, I still can't see how Ben is hot. For a fundie, maybe.

[Mela99]

I'm sad because there's obviously a bright, intelligent and ambitious (least for fundie standards) young girl who will cease to exist once her new name is Duggar...

No pants, no theater, no dancing and singing, no writing, no old fashioned sitcoms.

I'm betting there will be an engagement by September and a marriage the minute she turns 18.

As an aside, I have no idea but this girl's description royally cracked me up. :lol:

" passionate about God’s Word, loving her family well, and special holiday Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups."

Makes me think about one of the early Duggar specials where Smuggar tried to defend his parents, saying they're all allowed to be individuals. "Everybody has something special, whether it's a hobby or a ... a.. a food."

[Alachantal]

Wow. I just saw the news on Amy's Instagram and I came here right away. I'm honestly shocked! I thought it would be one of the older boys first for sure.

[ILoveJellybeans]

I hope they are courting for a long, long time, they are way too young for marriage. And I am already dreading Jessa and Ben having babies, cause I think theyre too young, but Josiah and his new girlfriend are younger!

[Four is Enough]

The photo I saw... Siah did NOT look happy. He looked hunted. BUT: If he met and was attracted to her a number of years ago, and got to speak to her a number of times when he visited the house, perhaps the attraction is real and (what passes for) deep for him. At least she is a fairly long-known person.

I wish them the best.. my parents were sweethearts from a very young age, and married when they were 20 and 19. It could happen for Siah and Marjorie that they last for the 63 years my parents had..

ETA: and what's he GONNA say? "I thought she was gorgeous when I met her and I really wanted to explore her world of sit coms and musical theater?" Of COURSE he had to say how Godly she is and how.... precious.. :roll:

[Cleopatra7]

I honestly don't understand why the Duggars aren't criticized more for these super young marriages. If any other reality family was doing this, they'd be called "reckless" and "foolish," but since it's the Duggars and they use the word "courtship," it's "wholesome" and "old-fashioned." :pull-hair: :wtf:

[karen77]

So... will he be getting an instagram soon?

[MotherOfDragons]

I'm still just shell-shocked. The same Josiah who, in his latest TH, made this statement about jurisdictions: "...and you work your way up the system 'til when you get really old like my age. You start workin' for Daddy on the properties and stuff." This same Josiah is now publicly courting, which may as well be engaged/married in their culture. :sigh2:

[JenniferJuniper]

I had a feeling this would happen soon. Nine months at Alert last year and now this. I suspect he is being strongly "encouraged" by his parents to do this. It could be one way of keeping a bright, possibly questioning young man too busy to stray from his parents' effed up religious beliefs. It could also be an attempt to add another angle to the show to keep it afloat. Joe and John, even if they were fully cooperative with filming a courtship, would be very boring characters. Josiah has far more personality.

I feel incredibly sorry for him and the young lady. It will be a teenage wedding and neither has had a chance to even begin learn who they are as individuals.

Didn't Josh predict an early courtship for Josiah way back during the Jubilee announcement episode?

[BarbaraMary]

Like so many posters my first reaction to the news was bad. Sinking feeling in my gut. I hope he is happy. I hope she is happy.

[sunshine]

I had a feeling this would happen soon. Nine months at Alert last year and now this. I suspect he is being strongly "encouraged" by his parents to do this. It could be one way of keeping a bright, possibly questioning young man too busy to stray from his parents' effed up religious beliefs. It could also be an attempt to add another angle to the show to keep it afloat. Joe and John, even if they were fully cooperative with filming a courtship, would be very boring characters. Josiah has far more personality.

I feel incredibly sorry for him and the young lady. It will be a teenage wedding and neither has had a chance to even begin learn who they are as individuals.

Didn't Josh predict an early courtship for Josiah way back during the Jubilee announcement episode?

I believe he thought Joseph will be next. (No snark)

[Buzzard]

My only hope is that the more the family fragments the closer we are to the end of their tenure on TLC. The young couples arent as "interesting" as the Duggars were when they first got their show, and no one wants to see the feral littles pretending to be homeskooled and go to the dentist.

I hope this is Josiah's choice and not something he was pressured into for ratings or celebrity. As his own headship he will be free to make decisions and leave the cult!

[Cleopatra7]

I had a feeling this would happen soon. Nine months at Alert last year and now this. I suspect he is being strongly "encouraged" by his parents to do this. It could be one way of keeping a bright, possibly questioning young man too busy to stray from his parents' effed up religious beliefs. It could also be an attempt to add another angle to the show to keep it afloat. Joe and John, even if they were fully cooperative with filming a courtship, would be very boring characters. Josiah has far more personality.

I feel incredibly sorry for him and the young lady. It will be a teenage wedding and neither has had a chance to even begin learn who they are as individuals.

Didn't Josh predict an early courtship for Josiah way back during the Jubilee announcement episode?

There are no individuals in the Duggar Borg-Collective. :crowded:

[avonleajules1]

Did anyone read the comments? A lot of snarking on Jana. Hold out, Jana. I think now I have the biggest hopes for her, but perhaps they are misplaced. I really want to see her head to college but don't know if that was a internet rumor.

But a girl wearing jeans with a small for fundie family may be the best option he can get away with. With only 5 perhaps he is getting more love from her mother than he experienced from his own mother. I can only hope that he will get some loving family into the mix as I think Jessa has with Guinn.

[NotALoserLikeYou]

From the beautiful girls site:

Beautiful Girls Retreat is community based and inter-denominational. It serves girls from fifth grade to college age, as well as sessions for moms. It is NWA's biggest sleepover with a ballroom dinner, passionate worship and lots of surprises. We believe God is creative and we encourage creativity through dance, art, photography, music, and drama. Girls are encouraged to use their spiritual gifts and talents.

Passionate worship and dance. So fundie lite.

[pea3]

Wow, I am surprised! Although I didn't think it would be John....he wasnt hit with the pretty stick and his personality seems about as exciting as drywall. She looks like a pretty young girl, which is my surprise with it she is a young girl!

I don't know why it brings me so much joy that she wears pants. The whole skirt thing makes me crazy. It bugs me that the seewald girls wear pants but boy, when they are on the show, it's all skirts.

I have always wondered if Whitney Bates conformed when they were married to the whole dress code.

I definitely agree with an earlier post-this is a diversion from baby dilly and Jill. Well played Duggars!

[LadyAberlin]

From everything I read, I'm actually kinda impressed by Marjorie. She's shown much ambition in her short 17 years. Blogger, author, speaker, acting (her blog mentioned she was in a community theatre performance) -- that's definitely better than sitting around waiting for Prince Charming.

She does seem like a driven, goal oriented girl. If only her (pants wearing) Mom would get her on BC before these two marry. Then Josiah could be free from the Duggar house and get an education! :pray:

[LadyAberlin]

I think he's interested cause there's only 5 kids in that family... Not to say that she isn't good for other reasons too, as she seems pretty ambitious for a fundie, but, there are only 5 kids, and we have reason to believe Josiah doesn't want 19 kids and counting (see- the arm twist)

Josiah will be the oldest boy (well, son in law) in his future wife's family. I bet he is getting something from this relationship with her parents and new brothers/sisters in law that he has never experienced at home and is totally loving it. Maybe in this way he is emulating Josh as other posters have mentioned. He'll finally be the older, wiser brother in the family, instead of being lost in the middle.

[eh02]

Josiah will be the oldest boy (well, son in law) in his future wife's family. I bet he is getting something from this relationship with her parents and new brothers/sisters in law that he has never experienced at home and is totally loving it. Maybe in this way he is emulating Josh as other posters have mentioned. He'll finally be the older, wiser brother in the family, instead of being lost in the middle.

That is true. Josiah is charming and if her mom taught him, her family probably loves Josiah already. Hopefully he will be closer to them than he is to Boob and Jchelle.

[HarleyQuinn]

I wanted to be like "RUN!!!!!" But they are so young. I hope this is a long courtship.

I have this weird feeling that JB had them announce early so Josiah can be shamed if he fails. He doesn't seem to like his son at all.

I thought it would be Joseph courting

[VelociRapture]

A few thoughts:

1. This wasn't released now to distract from Jill. They intend to release what happened with her next month. This was released now because they began courting last week and this was a way to keep people from following them around trying to figure out whether they were or weren't courting.

2. Jessa did not have to wait to get married until Jill was married. Bin wasn't living at the TTH house when they got engaged and it was another 5 months before he proposed. It is possible that the Duggar parents requested that Bin wait until after Jill's wedding to propose to Jessa though.

3. Marjorie looks like a very intelligent, well-spoken, creative, and beautiful person. I like the fact that she has interests outside of religion and that, while she was home-schooled, her parents seem to have encouraged her to take part in activities with other kids her age. And I do appreciate the fact that they seem to have known one another for an extended period of time.

4. Beautiful family portrait.

5. All that said, I'm positive that Marjorie's family has enough in common with the Duggars in a religious sense to have them be passable - so while they seem to be Fundie-Lite that would mean they also oppose abortion and some forms of birth control.

6. Based off what others have mentioned about Josiah, I sincerely doubt that he was forced into this by anyone. If he really was one of the biggest mouthpieces when he was younger then he may have always wanted to marry young and attend Alert.

7. The photo released of them wasn't the best. It's possible that Josiah is miserable about everything - but I think it's more likely that he was just uncomfortable about having the news released like that. And some people just don't photograph that well too.

8. The article was a bit weird, but what else is he supposed to say? I mean, did anyone really expect a Duggar to say, "She's smoking hot and I'd love to not die a virgin," about why they chose to court someone?

I really would have liked to see him wait to start a courtship with Marjorie. She seems like a lovely young lady, but they are both so incredibly young. I doubt that this courtship will be a long one, though I hope they prove me wrong on that - all I can say is that I really hope Josiah finds legitimate employment in order to provide for a family before he proposes to her. I wish them the best of luck and hope that they are truly happy together.

[withaj]

Oh dear. I guess Josiah is the Alyssa of the Duggars -- he's skipping the line! I've got to say I'm really surprised that they are officially courting before she is 18. That seems like a pretty basic line I figure Jim-Bob would have drawn for appearances' sake. Then again, he and Michelle married when she was 17 (though they tend to acknowledge that as seldom as possible), so...

Poor John-David... he seems sweet, but lordy, that boy is not attractive, and his 18-year-old brother is way ahead of him! I have to say, though, I still expect another Duggar daughter wedding before this one. I suspect Josiah's will be a longer courtship, by Duggar standards, which gives Jana a chance to escape servitude (for a life of pregnancy, presumably, but still) before Josiah ties the knot.

[Mrs. Figg]

Oh dear. I guess Josiah is the Alyssa of the Duggars -- he's skipping the line! I've got to say I'm really surprised that they are officially courting before she is 18. That seems like a pretty basic line I figure Jim-Bob would have drawn for appearances' sake. Then again, he and Michelle married when she was 17 (though they tend to acknowledge that as seldom as possible), so...

Poor John-David... he seems sweet, but lordy, that boy is not attractive, and his 18-year-old brother is way ahead of him! I have to say, though, I still expect another Duggar daughter wedding before this one. I suspect Josiah's will be a longer courtship, by Duggar standards, which gives Jana a chance to escape servitude (for a life of pregnancy, presumably, but still) before Josiah ties the knot.

I'm in the minority, I suppose. JD's self-sufficiency and mechanical skills are attractive to me. I like a man that can handle heavy machinery. ;-)

[karen77]

anyone know when her b-day is?