John David Duggar: Breaking Courtship Rules AGAIN? In Front of His Sisters?! While FLYING A PLANE?!?

In the two months since the world learned of John David Duggar and Abbie Burnett’s courtship, the couple has received far more scrutiny than the average Duggar couple.

This is partially due to the fact that at 28, John David is much older than the average first-relationship fundie.

But there are also much more intriguing reasons that fans are so fixated on JD and Abbie.

Throughout his time in the spotlight, John David has been regarded as one of the most conservative Duggars … which is really saying something.

The accepted narrative pertaining to John David has always been that he’s as much of a go-getter as his workaholic dad, and his lifestyle prevented him from finding the right partner.

In addition to pitching in with the family businesses, John David is a volunteer firefighter, a deputy with his local sheriff’s department, and a licensed pilot.

And it’s that last vocation that’s really caught the attention of Duggar Nation this week.

The photo above shows John David flying the friendly skies with Abbie as his trusty co-pilot.

Throughout their relationship, John David and Abbie have broken Duggar courtship rules on multiple occasions, and this latest pic seems to show the couple once again being more physical than his family generally allows.

As usual, some of the more prudish Counting On fans have given John David flak for violating his family’s code of conduct … and those folks really freaked out after laying eyes on the photo below:

Yes, since the photos were posted so close together that at first glance it seems that John David was allowing his fiance to get handsy (by Duggar standards) right in front of his sisters.

The youngest Duggar daughters have formed a singing group called The Duggar Girls, and they’re currently on tour promoting their debut album.

“The girls were flying with John-David while they were working on #HappyHeart,” the above pic is captioned on the Duggars Facebook page.

Some fans were incensed … until they learned the pics were actually taken several weeks apart.

Thankfully, for the most part, Duggar obsessives were effusive with praise, applauding John David for taking his sisters on tour.

“What can’t that guy do? Those kids are all so diversified,” one fan commented, according to In Touch Weekly.

“I have read so much criticism about this family. How many of you have a plane and can fly it?” wrote another.

“Hope none of the Duggars got motion sickness! I know they are all prone to it.”

Yeah, heathen! Where’s your plane?!

So it turns out all the fuss about John David tossing the rulebook out the window in front of his sisters was a whole lot of nothing.

But you can bet all eyes will still be on JDD and Abbie.

There have been rumors that the courtship rules don’t apply to John David at all, and for reasons we can’t quite understand, people have a big problem with that. 

Let us know if you figure it out.

View Slideshow: Duggar Courtship Rules Reveal Dark Side of Counting On Clan

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John David Duggar: Not Subject to Courtship Rules at All?!

John David Duggar and his fiancee Abbie Burnett are doing things a little bit differently when it comes to their relationship.

So much so, in fact, that some observers have wondered if the Duggar family’s famed courtship rules even apply to him.

Just one month after announced to the world that they’re courting, the couple had another exciting announcement to make:

They’re engaged! To be married! Already!

“Wow! We are engaged! This feels even more real than it did before! It was a special moment to share together,” Duggar and Burnett said.

Not that the Duggars are known for dragging their feet when it comes to romantic relationships, but this one took place at light speed.

And raised more than a few questions.

“The proposal and the ‘YES’ really solidified that we want to spend the rest of our lives together,” John David, 28, added.

“One of the most amazing things about following Christ is being able to trust Him to direct your path and lead your life.”

With all due respect to Him, the one calling the shots here seems to be John David – to a degree rarely seen in his family.

THG’s sources on the ground at the compound tell us that John isn’t a fan of Jim Bob, and he’s showing his indepedence.

An eyewitness claims to have seen the couple on an unchaperoned date, upon which Abbie Burnett was wearing shorts.

Shorts! Two courtship rules shattered in one day!

The Duggar fan Facebook page, Duggar Family News: Life Is Not All Pickles and Hairspray, was the first to break that exclusive.

One of the Picks n’ ‘Spray admins posted:

“I just heard that John and Abbie were spotted today unchaperoned at the Tontitown Grape Festival… and Abbie was wearing shorts!” 

Alas, there is no photo evidence to back this claim – “I put you who want to play sleuth in charge of finding a photo,” the post read.

Still, that particular page is not in the business of lying, and it basically confirms what we already know anyway at this point:

John David just does not care.

Think about it. He’s rarely, if ever, seen on TLC’s Counting On, the family’s reality series which basically pays everyone’s bills.

Unlike his siblings who feel comfortable living that Duggar life, he’s content doing his own thing, personally and professionally.

It was John David who decided to court Abbie in secret, we’re told, out of the spotlight, so that he could live his life as he saw fit. 

Now, reportedly, the rest of the young adult Duggars want time off or to quit TV altogether, inspired by their brother’s example. 

A gender dynamic can’t be overlooked. John David can clearly get away with things his sisters can’t, including his twin Jana.

Whereas Jim Bob effectively denies the Duggar girls’ careers and lives at his discretion, his son can (within reason) assert himself.

View Slideshow: 21 Insane Things BANNED By the Duggar Family

That’s a topic for another time, but as far as John is concerned, it sounds like the family “rules” for dating simply don’t apply to him.

A month-long courtship before proposing is bonkers even in Duggar terms. There’s no way they didn’t court in secret for some time.

Moreover, you can bet there are as many unchaperoned dates as he sees fit, because all his chaperones are filming Counting On.

Think about it.

View Slideshow: Duggar Family Courtship Application: Revealed! Bizarre! 423 Questions Long!!

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Josiah Duggar & Lauren Swanson Relive Their Whirlwind Courtship on Counting On!

A new season of Counting On debuted on TLC Monday night, and we think it"s safe to say the premiere delivered everything that fans have come to expect from the Duggar clan.

The episode centered around the wedding of Josiah Duggar and Lauren Swanson.

Not only did fans get their first look at the couple"s massively-attended ceremony, we also got to circle back and relive Lauren and Josiah"s courtship.

As we"ve known for months, Lauren and Josiah are not your typical Duggar couple.

And last night"s two-hour-plus mega-episode was not your typical season premiere.

Check out some highlights from Josiah and Lauren"s big day in the gallery below:

1. The Happy Couple

Josiah and Lauren have been head-over-heels for one another from the moment their courtship began. On this week’s episode of Counting On they relived their whirlwind romance.

2. Starting at the End

The episode kicked off at the conclusion of Josiah and Lauren’s courtship, as the excited couple put the finishing touches on their wedding preparations. It then circled back to fill fans in on their brief bur passionate romance.

3. They DO Have a Sense of Humor!

“I can’t wait to meet you at the altar and marry you,” Josiah tells Lauren early in the episode. The comment prompts a Counting On producer to joking suggest that the couple “get a room.”

4. Meet Josiah

At one point, the episode throws it waaaay back to Josiah’s childhood, as his siblings lovingly recount their memories of the family’s resident prankster.

5. Meet Lauren

From there, Lauren was introduced to viewers, and the Duggars spoke just as lovingly about their new sister-in-law. “Lauren is already one of the sisters,” Jessa Duggar remarked.

6. A Courtship Begins

Both Lauren and Josiah can barely contain their joy while discussing the early days of their relationship and the manner in which he proposed.

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John David Duggar & Abbie Burnett: Breaking Courtship Rules Left and Right!

It’s only been a few weeks since the world learned that John David Duggar and Abbie Burnett are courting, and yet, to look at photos of the happy couple, you’d think it had been much longer.

For one thing, they seem much more comfortable with physical contact than any of their predecessors.

Yes, John David and Abbie are breaking courtship rules — and they don’t seem to care who knows it.

Not only are they openly flouting his parents’ rules regarding limited physical contact, JD and Abbie seem to be blazing their own trail in just about every other respect, as well.

For starters, they both have multiple social media accounts.

This may seem perfectly normal for two people in their late twenties, but for the Duggars, it’s virtually unheard of.

While it’s not a hard and fast rule, Duggars typically don’t join social media until they’re engaged.

Which, as far as we know, John David and Abbie are not.

So that’s out of the ordinary, to be sure … but it’s the content on those social media pages that really has fans scratching their heads.

For starters, Abbie wears pants.

Again, in most of the world, that’s perfectly normal behavior for a 26-year-old woman (or anyone else, for that matter) to engage in.

But if you’re a fan of the Duggar family, you know that women are forced to wear long skirts until they get married, at which time, their husband determines their dress code.

It’s not the most progressive system in the world, but for years, John David’s sisters have participated in it uncomplainingly.

But Abbie is not a Duggar — and it seems she has every intention of sending that message loud and clear.

In addition to embracing John David in public, being active on social media and wearing jeans, Abbie has broken perhaps the biggest Duggar rule of all.

Okay, the second biggest (as far as we know, she and JD are not engaging in premarital sex).

Yes, John David and Abbie have been skipping church.

Online sleuths pieced together info garnered from the couple’s social media pages and determined that they’re often off doing their own thing while the rest of the Duggars are at Sunday services.

And we probably don’t need to tell you that church is quite a big deal in Duggar Land.

It’s enough to make fans wonder — why are John David and Abbie allowed to get away with so much more than his siblings?

The answer seems to have much to do with age.

John David is 28, which means he’s beginning the courtship process much later than expected.

As such, it seems that he’s being allowed much more freedom than Josh and Josiah, the two previous Duggar males to enter relationships.

Of course, the real reason that John David is given so much leeway can be found on his birth certificate — but it has nothing to do with when he was born.

Yes, JD is a man, and as such, he isn’t bound by the ridiculous set of rules that confined his sisters for so long.

Jim Bob and Michelle might have preferred that John David had ended up with a more traditional courting partner, but at the end of the day, he’s male, which means they trust him to do what’s right.

Watch Counting On online for more from reality TV’s most controversial family.

View Slideshow: Duggar Courtship Rules Reveal Dark Side of Counting On Clan

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Duggar Family Courtship Questionnaire: Revealed! Bizarre!

One of the most heavily-scrutinized aspects of life in the Duggar clan is the courtship process by which young people find suitable spouses.

Casual dating, premarital sex, and divorce are all forbidden in the Duggars" world, so there"s a lot riding on every courtship.

Despite all that, the process moves fast — very fast.

Often, Duggars get engaged just a few weeks after they begin courting, and they"re married a few weeks after that.

So perhaps it shouldn"t come as a surprise that the family has its mate selection protocol down to a science.

Thanks to the folks over at Free Jinger, as of today, we know more about the process than ever before, and as you might expect, the whole thing is intensely creepy.

Without further ado, here are some of the more bizarre highlights from the list of 423 questions (!!!) that are presented to potential Duggar suitors.

It"s believed that both male and female courtship partners are forced to fill out the questionnaire, and of course, the responses are reviewed by Jim Bob himself:

1. Do you ever seek advice from others?

This is the very first question in the very first section, entitled “Life Influences”. If your answer is anything other than “the lord and savior JC,” ya best just keep it moving.

2. Who were your role models and heroes? For what reasons?

We’re still under the “Life Influences” heading here. Again, if you’re answer doesn’t start wth “J” and end wth “-esus of Nazareth,” then don’t let the door hit you.

3. You are the result of the influence of which people?

Is it us, or is this just a weird way of repeating the previous question? The list is 423 questions long, JB, maybe you could trim the fat a little.

4. What personality traits and/or strengths do you see in women/men you know that you would desire for your wife/husband to possess?

This one provides a great opportunity to troll Jim Bob with an answer like “the ability to shotgun a 12-pack of Bud Light Limes on a nude beach in San Tropez.”

5. What do you read?

Obviously, this is 100 percent a trap question. The Bible is the only answer that won’t have you cast out like Satan himself. Feel free to answer “the Harry Potter series” if you want to see steam shoot from a grown man’s ears.

6. Would you be willing to die for Christ? If you’re not dying daily, how can you be so sure you would then?

Now we’re in the “Spiritual Life” section, and we think it’s safe to say things will be getting a lot more abstract from here on out. It’s okay to encourage your spouse to engage in a certain activity every day, but it should be something like making homemade mac and cheese … not, ya know, dying.

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Joseph Duggar & Kendra Caldwell: Did They Break the Rules of Courtship?

It’s been six months since Joseph Duggar and Kendra Caldwell got married, but today, many Duggar fans are thinking about the last days of the couple’s courtship.

That’s because Monday night’s episode of Counting On featured the couple engaging in behavior that doesn’t quite align with the Duggar rules of courtship.

A joint bachelor/bachelorette party allowed the young couple to – gasp! – engage in premarital physical contact, and being human adults with genitals, they took advantage.

“We were on John’s boat and whenever we were back on the tube he was definitely working pretty hard to get us off the tube,” Joe said in a voiceover.

“It was pretty tough not to break the rules of engagement just for the fact that when you’re tubing your closer than you normally would be,” he added.

“When they put you in a turn, you’re trying to counter for the turn so I had to move from side to side so therefore I was crawling over top of her and definitely in close quarters.”

It was a nice attempt at explaining away behavior that would have gotten a female Duggar locked in the basement until her wedding day, but fans weren’t buying it.

On social media, viewers expressed shock that Joe and Kendra allowed themselves to be shown “climbing on top of one another.”

Many pointed out that Jim Bob and Michelle appear to be getting more lax with age, as physical contact of the variety that Joe and Kendra engaged in last night would have been the stuff of scandal a decade ago.

One of the downsides of making such a big deal of your ridiculous dating guidelines is that millions of people now know the Duggar courtship rules by heart.

Not only are Duggars forbidden to engage in premarital sex, they’re not allowed to kiss or hold hands for a period of time exceeding 15 seconds.

In order to maintain full compliance with Michelle and Jim Bob’s rules, unmarried Duggar couples can’t even hug face-to-face lest their fully clothed genitals come into contact.

Fortunately for Joe and Kendra, their scenes were overshadowed by the news of Joy-Anna Duggar’s pregnancy.

Still, the fact that such a racy (by Duggar standards) scene was permitted to air is a sign that either Jim Bob is desperate for ratings, or he’s finally easing up on his beleaguered adult children.

Watch Counting On online for more from reality TV’s most controversial family.

View Slideshow: Joseph Duggar and Kendra Caldwell: The Newest Counting On Couple!

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Josiah Duggar & Lauren Swanson: Breaking Courtship Rules In Front of his Parents?!

Last week, we learned that Josiah Duggar and Lauren Swanson are engaged.

Obviously, this means another Duggar wedding is on the way.

But for the young couple, it might mean something even more immediate and important

You see, according to Duggar courtship rules, Josiah and Lauren are allowed a bit more physical contact know that they’re engaged.

In other words, the couple went from barely being able to touch at all to holding hands for brief periods and engaging in “side-hugs.”

What they are not allowed to do, however, is paw at each other like lustful wildebeests in heat!

And from the way fans are reacting to a new video of the couple, you’d think that’s exactly what they’re doing:

The clip below appeared on the Duggars’ website earlier this week:

Josiah Duggar & Lauren Swanson Talk to His Parents

“I know Josiah feels very honored that you have accepted him as your fiancé,” Michelle tells an obviously nervous and reticent Lauren.

“I’m really looking forward to marrying you,” Josiah says at one point.

“And starting a new life and a new journey together with you along that path with me.”

Lauren continues to smile sheepishly, and at one point manages to remark that she’s “speechless.”

Then she saves herself by blurting out “God is good” at the end of the video.

Needless to say, even at a scant 90 seconds, it’s a pretty boring clip.

Or at least it would be, were it not for the fact that Josiah and Marjorie maintain physical contact the whole time, which has caused some Duggar fans to lose their freakin’ minds.

As you can see, Lauren has her hands on Josiah’s arm throughout the clip.

Since this is the Duggars we’re talking about, that was sufficient to whip some fans into a frenzy:

“CAN YOU SEE HER RUBBING HER THUMB ON HIS ARM???” commented one fan.

“I can feel the sexual tension between these 2 from here! They wanna do it, ASAP,” wrote another.

Yes, a little thumb-on-arm action is all it takes to get Duggar fans envisioning the wedding night.

It’s an extreme read on a very innocuous video, but in a sense, the Duggars invite this sort of fixation by talking so much about their premarital restrictions.

So are Josiah and Lauren breaking the rules of courtship here?

Not exactly, but they’re probably going a bit further than Michelle and Jim Bob would prefer.

Though come to think of it, just by being in the same room, they’re going further than Michelle and Jim Bob would prefer.

Watch Counting On online for a refresher course on the Duggar Rules For Sexual Frustration. 

View Slideshow: Duggar Courtship Rules Reveal Dark Side of Counting On Clan

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Josiah Duggar: Rumors of Gay Affair Resurface Following Courtship Announcement

Earlier this month, we learned that Josiah Duggar is courting Lauren Swanson.

The couple shared the news with fans in a video message posted on Facebook, and both seemed positively giddy about beginning the process that the Duggars describe as “dating with a purpose.”

News of a Duggar courtship is always greeted with excitement from the family’s legion of obsessives, but in this case, there’s been a pervasive sense of deja vu sweeping across the family’s fan pages.

The reason, of course, is that Josiah has been down this road before.

Yes, back in 2015, Josiah courted Marjorie Jackson, but in an unprecedented move, the couple parted ways just a few weeks after their relationship went public.

Five of Josiah’s siblings are married and every one of them wed the first person they courted.

Josiah and Marjorie parted ways with no explanation, which naturally led to speculation that they broke up for reasons that the Duggars would prefer to keep quiet.

The split took place at a time when the Josh Duggar sex scandals were still making tabloid headlines, but Marjorie would have known about that situation before she entered the relationship.

Duggar fans ran wild in their effort to come up with a reason why these two might have broken tradition by ending their relationship, and the best they were able to come up with by way of an “explanation” was that Josiah is secretly gay.

Some even went so far as to insist he was caught carrying on an affair with another young man, which prompted Marjorie to end the relationship.

These conspiracy theorists cite two pieces of “evidence,” one of which is patently ridiculous, while the other might–might–serve as an indication that Josiah engaged in some sort of sexual behavior that the Duggars would deem unacceptable.

First, the absurd:

Some Duggar fans believe Josiah is gay because he often wears pastel-colored clothing.

Yes, that’s seriously a theory that grown-up adults have espoused on Duggar message boards.

Like we said, not exactly rooted in hard science.

The other theory, however, might have some legs.

Around the time that his courtship with Marjorie ended, Josiah attended an Institute for Basic Life Principles cadet training program, which was reportedly not unlike the sex addiction treatment that Josh attended after getting caught cheating on his wife.

The Duggars’ response to what they deem sexual deviancy is generally to ship the offending party off for militaristic reprogramming.

We have no way of knowing if that’s what Josiah was forced to endure, but it’s certainly more compelling evidence than pastel clothing.

Watch Counting On online for more from reality TV’s most controversial family.

View Slideshow: Duggar Courtship Rules Reveal Dark Side of Counting On Clan

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Josiah Duggar & Lauren Swanson: Courtship Confirmed!

Get ready for yet another awkward first kiss in front of a couple thousand wedding guests!

The Duggar family announced today that Josiah Duggar and Lauren Swanson are courting.

Rumors of Lauren and Josiah’s romantic involvement began last week, when she joined his family on a tour of Australia and New Zealand.

“I came up behind her at a meal while she was hanging out with some of my siblings and surprised her, and 

“We’ve been friends for a while and got to spend a lot of time together.

“They’re really similar our families, with a lot of the same goals.”

“We’re excited about sharing our journey on Counting On,” Lauren concluded.

Josiah elaborated on his feelings for Lauren in an interview published today by People magazine.

“We are overjoyed to begin this new phase of our lives together,” he told the magazine.

“Through the years our families’ friendship has allowed us to get to know one another as friends. I can definitely say I have found a great friend … even better than I could have hoped for or imagined.”

Josiah went on to explain that he and Lauren were drawn to one another due to their similar values:

“I so appreciate Lauren’s Christlike character and tender heart toward others,” he said.

“She bring sunshine into the room and encourages everyone around her. It’s always stood out to me that in every situation, she looks for the one who appears to be sad or lonely and quickly can brighten their day by sharing words of hope, an encouraging scripture, a prayer or even a simple smile with them.”

Josiah is unique amongst his siblings in that he’s entered a romantic relationship that did not result in marriage.

Josiah courted Marjorie Jackson back in 2015, but the couple called it quits after four months together.

“Marjorie and I had a good time together,” he said at the time of their split.

“We were just trying to follow God’s lead on everything. She didn’t feel that it was the right timing then, so we called it quits for a bit.”

Our sincere congratulations go out to both Josiah and Marjorie.

Watch Counting On online for more on the Duggars unique courtship practices.

View Slideshow: Duggar Courtship Rules Reveal Dark Side of Counting On Clan

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Jana Duggar Courtship Rumors: A Comprehensive List

Today marks the 28th birthday of twins Jana and John David Duggar.

Of course, in a rare reversal for the family, it"s the male who"s being pushed to the margins, and the female who"s getting all the attention.

But don"t worry, the reasons for that are completely sexist, in keeping with the Duggars" reputation.

You see, Jana is still single.

This is almost unheard of for a family in which girls are taught from a young age that procreation is their sole reason for being.

So with every birthday, the moaning and hand-wringing from the Duggar faithful becomes more intense, as does the need to believe that Jana is in a secret courtship that will soon bear fruit … and by "fruit," of course, we mean children.

Here"s a complete list of all the men Jana has been erroneously linked to over the years.

1. Single Cinderella

Dubbed the “Cinderella Duggar” due to the number of household chores she performs, Jana stayed at home to help care for her siblings as her brothers and sisters flew the coop to start families of their own.

2. Pushed Out of the Nest?

Sources close to the family say that from the time she was of child-bearing age, Jana’s family has been attempting to marry her off to any available man who crosses her path. So we guess this marks her tenth anniversary of being creepily objectified by her own parents!

3. Or Shackled to the Compound?

Of course, there are those who claim the opposite–that Jana has been forced to remain at home to help care for her siblings. Frankly, we’d believe either terrible rumor!

4. Either Way…

…the rumors keep flying, and they probably won’t let up until Jana either gets married or releases a statement proclaiming that she plans to remain single for the rest of her life.

5. The Pressure Increases

The public pressure on Jana to hurry up and start breeding has only gotten more intense as her sisters have married and started families of their own. At this point, five of Jana’s younger siblings have married and have either had children or are currently expecting.

6. Who Are the Suitors?

The list of Jana’s potential suitors runs the gamut from longtime family friends to famously pious NFL stars. And curiously, she’s mostly kept mum about the rumors…

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