The Duggar family is often likened to a cult, and for very good reason.
After all, Jim Bob and Michelle’s children are inculcated with a religious belief system long before they develop the ability to reason for themselves, and then they spend the rest of their lives following a strict set of rules and avoiding outsiders.
Needless to say, that’s all very cultish behavior.
No one in the family ever responds to “cult” allegations, but if they did, they would likely point out that the Duggar children choose to live this way, and they’re free to leave the lifestyle behind any time they want.
Of course, that’s exactly what a cult leader would say, too.
Anyway, among those who believe that the Duggars are on par with Heaven’s Gate and the Manson family, it’s widely agreed that Jana is the one who’s fallen most deeply under Jim Bob and Michelle’s spell.
Jana is still single, and she still lives at home.
Insiders say she does the majority of the housework and shoulders most of the responsibility for the raising of her youngest siblings.
Last week, the Duggars teased a courtship announcement, and fans were hopeful that it would finally be Jana’s turn to take a trip down the aisle.
But it turned out that 17-year-old Justin Duggar is the one who’s courting.
We’re sure Jana is very happy for her brother, but fans still wish she had been the one with the big announcement.
The news came on the heels of an interview in which Jana clarified that she’s being patient in her continued search Mr. Right.
But fans — many of whom apparently think they know her better than she knows herself — don’t see it that way.
Last week, Jana posted a loving tribute to her mother on the occasion of Michelle’s birthday.
Following this week’s announcement, one fan went back and expressed their frustration with Jana’s continued allegiance to her parents by commenting one word: “brainwashed.”
According to a report from The World News Daily, the comment created quite a stir and was quickly deleted.
But it was up long enough to spark a debate among fans — is Jana really brainwashed?
The answer is, possibly — but no more so than most of her other siblings.
The belief that Jana has been especially victimized by her parents is centered on the idea that she’s been forced to remain at home, while her siblings leave the nest and start families.
But Duggar daughters are taught from a young age that procreation is their primary reason for being, and Jana’s parents would probably prefer that she start a family of her own.
Believe it or not, the decision to remain at home with her overbearing mom and dad appears to be Jana’s
Some of Jana’s sisters are currently in open rebellion against Jim Bob, and yes, she’s probably more “brainwashed” than they are.
But there’s always hope that she’ll one day see the light and realize that she doesn’t need to follow every single one of her parents’ bizarre beliefs in order to be a good person.