As fans of the “Counting On” series know, the Duggar family belongs to an independent Baptist denomination that holds a very traditional view of marriage and family. They believe that casual dating is too often “just for fun,” rather than a means of finding the spouse that God has in mind for them. With that in mind, the Duggars prefer to practice a “courtship” process in which couples get to know one another through supervised family outings.
Courting couples are also expected to be accountable to an older mentor who can “[support] the couple’s goal to honor God and one another with purity in their words and actions,” per the Duggar website. That purity includes physical contact; the Duggar daughters didn’t even hold hands until they were engaged (via Romper). If the courtship works out, a proposal is expected to follow. Since the ultimate goal is marriage, it makes sense that the Duggars wouldn’t want to waste time with a long engagement.
One extended family member put it much more directly. Shortly after 18-year-old Justin Duggar announced his engagement, a fan remarked about it on sister Jill Duggar Dillard’s Instagram account. “Why do you guys rush to marry [so soon in] life?” the fan asked. Jill’s husband, Derick, replied bluntly: “Because we want to have sex” (via Daily Mail).
Indeed, once they said their vows, the 10 married Duggar children got busy starting families of their own. The siblings have 22 children between them, with one more expected this spring (per ET Online).
