On a 2002 campaign website, Josh Duggar's dad stated, 'Rape and incest represent heinous crimes and as such should be treated as capital crimes.'
- May 27, 2015
AceShowbiz - Amid Josh Duggar's molestation scandal, Dad Jim Bob Duggar's 2002 campaign material re-surfaced on the internet. It revealed his stand on death penalty to rapist and his view about abortion and incest.
In 2002, Jim Bob ran a political campaign for U.S. Senate to Arkansas. His campaign website, which was preserved via web chace, was in the form of question-and-answer section. He was asked about many subjects, including his stance on abortion, rape, incest and threat to mother's health. Regarding abortion because of rape, he said, "If a woman is raped, the rapist should be executed instead of the innocent unborn baby."
The website also revealed Jim Bob's view about rape and incest. "Rape and incest represent heinous crimes and as such should be treated as capital crimes," he stated on the webpage. Related to his strong view about rape and incest, he explained that abortion can only be committed to save the life of the mother. "The developing infant committed no crime and should be allowed to live. In the unlikely event that the life of both mother and baby would both be lost (for example, a tubal pregnancy) all should be done to save the life of the mother," the former politician said.
His opinion about rape and incest sounds ironical given his son's molestation scandal, which recently emerged after Springdale police report was publicized by In Touch on May 21. Josh Duggar was said to molest five minor including his sisters. However, regarding his son's molestation scandal, Jim Bob alongside wife Michelle Duggar said in a statement to PEOPLE, "That dark and difficult time caused us to seek God like never before."
In 2002, when the parents learned of Josh's inappropriate behavior, they reportedly defended him. They even helped him avoid prosecution for his misconduct. It appeared that protecting his child from prosecution contradicted his statement on his campaign. Following the scandal, TLC pulled off the episodes of "19 Kids and Counting". Josh also removed his official website and canceled his appearance as a keynote speaker at Teach Them Diligently Christian home-school convention in Sandusky.
