LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Jill Duggar doesn’t mince her words! The renowned writer and a former reality star talked about her family which follows the controversial Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP).
It is an ultra-conservative Christian organization, established in 1961 by Bill Gothard.
Jill, who is no longer associated with the institute, said, "I really do think that IBLP is a form of a cult. I think that even if you remove the person in leadership, a lot of those same values and principles are still being taught, so it doesn't fix the problem."
How does IBLP still influence people's lives?
The 32-year-old continued, "I think that's what some people think like, 'Oh, we've removed Bill Gothard from the situation. It makes everything better.' No, it changes and maybe adds a nice storefront to the picture, but it doesn't change the overall principles that are still being taught and held to."
Jill is releasing her second book ‘Counting the Cost’ on Tuesday, September 12. "The book reveals ‘the secrets, manipulation, and intimidation behind the show that remained hidden from their fans,” says the synopsis published by Simon & Schuster.
"I think that's the scary part that you really have to look deeper and see how does this affect people in the long run," Jill told People.
"My dad even said somewhat recently on a family group text, he was like, 'You owe your life to Mr Gothard.' I'm like, 'No,' I think that you just have to not look at the sugarcoating, or whatever. They try and gloss it up and repackage it. But you have to look at the long haul, how it really flushed out. What do these principles look like," she continued.
What did Jill Duggar say about her childhood?
Jill shares her learning with others. "Be careful not to get sucked into something because it looks great or because you see a family that you're like, 'Oh, I want to be like that,' and ignore the warning signs," Jill said.
Jill recalls her young days with her family, "So many happy memories. And you made one-on-one time a priority with us kids and finding out what our interests were, doing fun things for us."
"So those are definitely high points in my childhood. I think we do that as well with our kids. We try and value family time, be intentional. Don't just let the days pass," she added.
Jill shares the memoir she co-wrote with her husband Derick Dillard. "I didn't want to have to write this story," she explains, adding, "I do love my parents. I love my siblings. I struggle with the weightiness of it. But I feel called to do this."
