Yes, I did read Becoming Free Indeed by Jinger Duggar Vuolo, formerly known for her family's show 19 Kids & Counting. Honestly, I feel like Jinger and I are kindred or that I'm kindred with all of her sisters. No, I wasn't raised in a family that followed Bill Gothard's Basic Life Principals or a family that followed the "quiverfull" movement. But, I was raised conservative Christian and had more than one false teacher in my life spreading their agenda instead of God's. I wanted to understand Jinger's point of view, her take and to know whether or not she escaped for lack of a better term.
Jinger did not disappoint me. She was open, honest and real. She has based her current opinions and beliefs in scripture alone. And, she did not lose her faith. She is still a believer despite the lies and heartache of her past. Her words honestly renewed my desire to find God again amidst the tangle of lies and hurt from my personal past.
One of the big analogies she uses throughout her book is the term "disentangling your faith". She shared how strongly she was against the term "deconstructing your faith". I have also heard this word in Christian circles for some time now. Believe it or not, it was recently popularized by the now no longer a Christian author of the 2000's book I Kissed Dating Goodbye, Joshua Harris. But, this phrase is now used often by young adults especially who are sorting through what they were taught to believe as a child and figuring out what they now believe as adults. The term in and of itself is not inherently bad. When doing a word study on the two words, they essentially mean the same things and can even be used as synonyms for each other. But, often we think of "deconstruction" as tearing down to the foundation and rebuilding. Many who go through this process may find that they are no longer believers at the end of the process as my husband and I did. It is possible though that some may rebuild their faith in the Christian God stronger than it was before. But, the way Jinger uses the term "disentanglement" is in a sense that you are painstakingly and delicately pulling the bad from the good and the lies from the truth. You're keeping hold of what you believe that is holy and true, but pulling out what is not found in scripture or what are man's opinions.
Another big take-way for me personally was how she suggests approaching reading the bible. She shares that it isn't about me, but about God. That I shouldn't read it asking myself how it applies to me, but instead, I should read the bible in a God-centric way. The bible isn't a roadmap, a blue print, a guidebook or a set a rules, neither is it a love letter as I've always been told. It is a historical document, chronicling the history of the Christian God. It is important at all times to remember the context (time, place, people, culture, social norms) in which it was written. Not all passages will or should have a modern application to my life. I should read it and ask myself, what does this say about God? How does it show his character? How does it reflect God's glory?
Ironically, I was listening to this part of the book in my car while traveling and only a few minutes after I heard her state that the bible is not a roadmap, I passed one of those church signs with a Christian musing meant to convict, encourage or draw people into their church. And, this sign read, "The Bible is a Blueprint for how you should live your life". I had to just laugh to myself.
She shared that unless the bible directly tells you to do something or not to do something, that the rest is up to your own personal interpretation of scripture or what you believe God is telling you to do about something. NO ONE has the right to force their personal convictions on you! There were many false teachers, mentors, and leaders in her life that were preaching their personal beliefs and opinions on how life should be lived and not on scripture. Do not take what anyone says at their word. Research it for yourself, read the scripture for yourself and then decide how you feel about what was said. You are allowed to have your own opinions, to read and interpret scripture and to think for yourself!
I also had several false teachers who poured their beliefs into me as a young person. Some of these teachers flat out lied to me and others abused me. It is so very hard to not look at these situations and not either blame God or question his allowing these people to continue their ministry, knowing that they are leading so many astray. But, at the end of the day, God gives us all free will and some will misuse, manipulate and lie. And, sadly, some of these men are truly charismatic and so very good at drawing people in. I am so thankful that Jinger got out of a toxic and dangerous situation. I pray that her siblings as well as anyone else caught up in a False Teacher's web are also able to escape and find their way to freedom as well.
I highly recommend this book especially if you are in the same point in your life as I am. It is not a tell all, but an honest look at her upbringing and the religious movement she was apart. You can buy Jinger Duggar Vuolo's book Becoming Free Indeed by following this link: