The Salem Duggar Trials

This is pathetic.

Thousands are backing a petition calling for the cancellation of the TLC series “19 Kids and Counting” over the stars’ discriminatory sentiments against the LGBT community.

A petition on Change.org launched by Jim Wissick of San Jose, California, states that “19 Kids and Counting,” starring conservative Baptists Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar and their children, should be axed because of the LGBT fearmongering promoted by the family.

“The Duggars have been using their fame to promote discrimination, hate, and fear-mongering against gays and transgendered people,” Wissick wrote in a letter to TLC which was posted on the Change.org petition page. “You need to take a stand on the side of justice and cancel their show.”

Heavy accusations. Let us see now the exhibits of evidence the prosecution wishes to bring forward:

The Duggars’ Facebook page has also been embroiled in controversy. Last week, the couple posted a Facebook photo of themselves kissing and encouraged other married couples to share their own shots. John Becker, of LGBT blog The Bilerico Project, posted a photo of him kissing his husband, along with a message about marriage equality; he says his photo was later taken down and that he was banned from the Duggar’s page, E! News reports.

Homophobic ties extend to the Duggar children, too. Eldest son Josh Duggar is the executive director of the anti-gay Family Research Council’s legislative group, FRC Action, which is notorious for outrageous claims linking homosexuality with pedophilia and promoting the discredited theory of ex-gay therapy.

Ah, we have them! The Duggar clan has been caught moderating their own social media page! And young, wayward Joshua doth earn a living spreading his beliefs! The scandal, the outrage! This Duggar clan must be ruthlessly stamped out!

/end sarcasm.

So let’s lay all the facts out as simply as possible:

1) The Duggar family has a popular television program that many Americans enjoy

2) The Duggar family have personal beliefs about sex and religion that are shared by a very large number of other Americans

3) According to Jim Wissick and the petition signees, the Duggars’ beliefs–and by extension, the beliefs of tens of millions of Americans– are evil.

4) Entertainment companies like TLC have a moral duty to not give employment or platform to people whose beliefs about sex are evil.

5) Therefore, TLC should behave morally and cancel the Duggars’ popular show, in order to avoid spreading evil beliefs among the viewing public.

Read over that sequence carefully, and then ask yourself: Who is trying to force their beliefs on others here?