Mike Huckabee may have picked the wrong horse to back.
When news broke about Josh Duggar’s molestation scandal, you could almost hear the scramble and shuffle of people retreating from openly supporting the family. The story of a conservative who has openly spoken out against the LGBT community being discovered with hanky-panky skeletons of their own has almost become commonplace.
But Mike Huckabee was undeterred. He took to his Facebook page to let the world know that he — and his wife — were standing behind their friends the Duggars.
You can see Mike Huckabee’s full statement below. Many agree with some of the points he made about forgiveness and not piling on when a person’s past indiscretions are revealed. Mike Huckabee said:
“Josh’s actions when he was an underage teen are as he described them himself, ‘inexcusable,’ but that doesn’t mean ‘unforgivable.’”
“… being a minor means that one’s judgement is not mature.”
“They are no more perfect a family than any family …”
But Mike Huckabee also railed against those who are passing the tale of the Duggars’ fall from grace along with glee. He said:
“No purpose whatsoever is served by those who are now trying to discredit Josh or his family by sensationalizing the story.”
And that is where many would beg to differ. Some believe there is a purpose to broadcasting this story loudly and widely. They believe that it should serve as a warning tale for people who build a public image and celebrity around denigrating those they disagree with, denying rights to groups they think less than them.
Some believe that the Duggars and others who agree with their moral imperative should be careful not to throw stones. Their glass houses could end up on Facebook.
Josh Duggar’s supporters keep talking about his “past mistakes.” The word “mistake” gets used a lot.
Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar said, “When Josh was a young teenager, he made some very bad mistakes, and we were shocked.”
Josh’s wife Anna said, “When my family and I first visited the Duggar home, Josh shared his past teenage mistakes.”
Most people understand the mistakes of a teenager. But they also feel that there is a certain justice in Josh Duggar’s behavior coming to light when his mother called LGBT people “child predators.”
Here is Mike Huckabee’s full statement about Josh Duggar:
Janet and I want to affirm our support for the Duggar family. Josh’s actions when he was an underage teen are as he described them himself, ‘inexcusable,’ but that doesn’t mean ‘unforgivable.’ He and his family dealt with it and were honest and open about it with the victims and the authorities. No purpose whatsoever is served by those who are now trying to discredit Josh or his family by sensationalizing the story. Good people make mistakes and do regrettable and even disgusting things. The reason that the law protects disclosure of many actions on the part of a minor is that the society has traditionally understood something that today’s blood-thirsty media does not understand—that being a minor means that one’s judgement is not mature. No one needs to defend Josh’s actions as a teenager, but the fact that he confessed his sins to those he harmed, sought help, and has gone forward to live a responsible and circumspect life as an adult is testament to his family’s authenticity and humility. Those who have enjoyed revealing this long ago sins in order to discredit the Duggar family have actually revealed their own insensitive bloodthirst, for there was no consideration of the fact that the victims wanted this to be left in the past and ultimately a judge had the information on file destroyed—not to protect Josh, but the innocent victims. Janet and I love Jim Bob and Michelle and their entire family. They are no more perfect a family than any family, but their Christian witness is not marred in our eyes because following Christ is not a declaration of our perfection, but of HIS perfection. It is precisely because we are all sinners that we need His grace and His forgiveness. We have been blessed to receive God’s love and we would do no less than to extend our love and support for our friends. In fact, it is such times as this, when real friends show up and stand up. Today, Janet and I want to show up and stand up for our friends. Let others run from them. We will run to them with our support.