Jessa Duggar's Father-In-Law Encourages Josh Duggar: 'Hang In There'

Michael Seewald, the father-in-law to Jessa Duggar, is throwing his support behind the 19 Kids and Counting family after Josh Duggar came under fire for allegedly molesting five girls back when he was a teenager.

"There are many who seem shocked that a child from a Christian family would do such things. While it is always alarming when we find out about our children's sins, we should not be surprised. Christians (and many other reasonable people) believe that we are all born with a sinful nature," Seewald wrote Sunday in a blog post titled "Grace Greater Than Our Sin."

"We should not be shocked that this occurred in the Duggar's home, we should rather be thankful to God if we have been spared such, and pray that he would keep us and our children from falling."

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"There is blood in the water and the sharks are in a feeding frenzy," he continued. "Finally, the Duggar family's opponents have found what they have been eagerly waiting for: shocking revelations of scandal by Jim Bob and Michelle's firstborn son, Josh."

Seewald's 20-year-old son, Ben, married Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar's daughter Jessa, 22, in Bentonville, Ark. last November. The couple is now expecting their first child.

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Seewald's 2,000-word post continues to address Josh directly, saying that he should not punish himself forever and that the alleged victims involved "not be lost in all of this."

"Sadly, this type of thing is all too common. Victims of sexual abuse of any kind often suffer greatly for many years as a result of these sins," he said. "We should not downplay the seriousness of these offenses particularly, nor gloss over the pain and confusion they often bring, sometimes for a lifetime."

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The post continues to address victims of sexual abuse. "No matter what the abuser may have said, you are not the one to blame," he wrote. "Do not keep silent if you are being abused, tell someone you trust, a parent, a teacher, a friend, anyone is better than silence. You are likely not the only one who has been abused. Tell someone so that they will be stopped."

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Seewald is adamant in his writing that his family is supporting the Duggars , and often references the Christian beliefs they share.

"I want to say that the Seewald family stands with the Duggar family in solidarity. We stand with the unnamed victims of these incidents," the post reads. "Our thoughts and prayers are for you. I want to say to Josh, hang in there, the shame you feel is legitimate, yet Jesus took your shame as he was punished in your place. Rest in his forgiveness and grace. Remember that he gives you his righteousness as a covering for your shame."

Offering even more encouragement to Josh, he added,  "Let this trial in your life build humility and grace. Don’t be angry at the world for their hatred of you. Show them through your love for them that it is Jesus Christ that made all the difference in your life. I’m rooting for you."

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He goes on to counter those calling out the Duggar's viewpoints. "There are others that see this episode as a result of sheltering and repressing human desires. They think that had he access to sex education by Planned Parenthood, been allowed to watch edgy Hollywood films, been encouraged to experimentation with a girlfriend, or gotten free condoms from the local school nurse, then none of this would have happened. Right," Seewald wrote.

"The stupidity of some people is mind boggling."

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