Brief Thoughts About the Duggars, Sheltering, and Our Own Sins

Yesterday while waiting in a doctor's office, I glanced through an old copy of People magazine - the cover story (The cover!  Not just a brief side article.) was about the Duggar daughter who had a baby in April.  All the details about the anticipated home birth that had to be moved to the hospital for a C-section.  History of her labor.  Sidebars about the other kids.  All this was printed before the news about Josh. 

 Why would any parents subject their family to such publicity and therefore scrutiny?  Especially knowing there was such an explosive skeleton in the closet.Their model in family-rearing is sheltering.  How ironic is it to shelter your children, but then expose them deliberately for all the world to see.  

This link to a Gospel Coalition article, about both the Duggars and sheltering, is extremely instructive.  So many Christians are bound up in the pride and the untruth of "If we protect our children, they will be OK." - as well as "If I protect myself, I will be OK."  That ignores the flagrant sin in our hearts, and in our children's hearts.  I will not be OK just because I am careful.  Neither will my children.  Oh that we would grasp the depth of sinfulness in our own hearts.