If you know anything about Jim Bob Duggar aside from the fact that he’s very big on procreation, then you know that the father of 19 is deeply religious.
In fact, aside from the staggering size of his brood, it seems to be Jim Bob’s strict fundamentalist beliefs that attracted television producers and audiences to his unique story.
But it often seems that for every one fan who’s drawn to Jim Bob’s piety, there are 100 who are disgusted by his cultish views or who revel in pointing out his hypocrisy.
From an outsiders persective, it seems that Jim Bob rules over his household with an iron fist.
And indeed, the Duggars enforce a patriarchal system that gives Jim Bob a disturbing amount of autonomy over the lives of his wife and daughters.
But he exercises no such control over his adult sons or his daughters’ husbands, and it seems that even within the extended Duggar clan, Jim Bob’s uncompromising belief system has proven to be a source of strife and conflict.
We already knew about some of the more obvious ways in which Jim Bob’s beliefs differ from those of the men who have married into his family.
The most commonly cited example is likely the fact that Jinger Duggar is permitted to wear pants now, as her husband, Jeremy Vuolo, doesn’t share Jim Bob’s belief that women should only wear skirts.
Yes, once the Duggar girls marry, their husbands assume control of their lives, which may be why Jim Bob is taking some seemingly minor religious differences with his sons-in-law so seriously.
A source tells the The Hollywood Gossip exclusively that Jim Bob has openly disagreed with Jessa Duggar’s husband, Ben Seewald, on a number of different issues, particularly Ben’s belief in the doctrine of Calvinism.
Seewald and his family are adherents to the teachings of an Arkansas pastor named Kevin Smead, one of the nation’s formeost propnents of Southern Baptist Calvinism.
One of the more controversial teachings of Calvinism is that of predestination, or the belief that one’s salvation and path through life are pre-determined.
Ben has openly split with Jim Bob on a number of issues, such as when he publicly supported the Black Lives Matter movement, but it’s reportedly his beliefs in Calvinism and predestination that are of particular concern to Jim Bob.
Our source, a former employee of the Duggars, accuses Jim Bob of being unfaithful to his beliefs and accepting Ben’s influence over his daughter as a means of maintaining the illusion of wholesomeness and family unity that’s so essential to the Duggar brand.
“They chase they almighty dollar instead of their doctrine,” says the insider.
“When the cameras aren’t rolling, it’s a whole different life,” he adds. “It’s all about money. It’s crazy.”
The source adds that he believes fans would be shocked to see “such a division, doctrine-wise” within the Duggar family and the rift that it’s caused between generations.