Here’s an interesting take on the news photo of Duggar baby number seventeen I think that this attitude of creating as many children for god is pretty reprehensible, no matter which god is mandating the excessive reproduction. Partly because of the nominalization of women to a single role, and the indoctrination of their children into a gender-determined future regardless of their strengths and interests. (However, I do laugh, darkly, when I see the phrases “It’s a vagina, not a clown car” or “It’s a vagina, not a Pez dispenser”.) Partly because of the religious aspect, the blind obedience to a set of laws made by primitive people – and in this case, especially since the Quiverfull movement is “raising an army for god”, and is loosely structured enough that most Quiverfull families do not have the means or the community support to provide food, shelter, and clothing for all their brood the way the Duggars seem to be able to. If you read the comments after the entry, a lot of people are focused on the environmental impact, or on the birthing of multiple babies while there are so many children awaiting adoption. These are valid, too, but I think they miss the point that I feel is the most important.

These children are part of such a large group that they will never know what it’s like to have a parent’s undivided attention, to be encouraged to pursue their dreams and to hone their special skills. In fact, they will never know what it’s like to be truly special because of who they are. They will learn that they are special only in that they were produced to fulfill the edict of the invisible man in the sky – they are special in that they are a religious commodity. The praise they might get in a smaller family for their musical or artistic talent, their mathematical aptitude, the robot they made all by themselves, their role in the school play, the gift they have for chemistry, will mean nothing. It will pale by comparison (if it is acknowledged at all, since they’re being homeschooled in their religious tradition, all at once, by mom) to the girls’ accomplishments in housewifery, and the boys’ knowledge of scripture, and the alacrity with which they continue the family tradition of poppin’ out them puppies.

We hear talk about “throwaway children” all the time – they’re growing up poor, uncared for, eking out an existence on public support. The Duggars benefit from donations from private sources, have money from their Discovery Channel show, live in a large house, pay no taxes on property since daddy Jim Bob delcared their house a church, but these kids are “throwaways” too, just in a different way.