A few weeks ago, in my meanderings through the internet, I had caught glimpses of a couple who have given life to 19 children here in the USA. My curiosity regarding a possible connection to opposition to abortion led me to a video clip on the couple's (Michelle and Jim Bob Dugger) website showing clips of the Nazi atrocities in the Holocaust followed by interviews of ordinary American citizens of today who were demonstrably opposed to these atrocities of the Nazi era but were not currently pro-life; but after seeing the clips from the holocaust most of these people identified abortion with the killing of innocent human life as was done by the Nazis.
Several decades ago the film “Yours, Mine and Ours” starring Henry Fonda and the witty comedian Lucille Ball, played the roles of Frank and Helen who dated each other and were considering marriage when they both had to reveal their "secrets" that each had been left with 10 and 8 children respectively after their spouses had died. Following the humorous events that finally resulted in their marriage, Helen became pregnant and gave birth to the 19th child in the family.
But unlike the movie family of 18 children born of two separate couples with a 19th added later from the marriage of Frank and Helen, the Dugger family of 19 children are born of one couple, Michelle and Jim Bob Dugger. Combining the 2 large families of children under one roof is one thing but my interest was further piqued, after first seeing their video on the holocaust and being pro-life, to find out the intriguing story that brought about a brood of 19 children born of one couple.
The story of the Dugger family is not an ordinary, but an extraordinary story of love for children and faith in God that is so lacking in our American society today. Their dedication to the cause of restoring the right to life to all human beings, including the unborn, is a prominent feature of the many activities in their community work. Delving into this story has brought nothing but amazement in seeing how God works even in a society that seemingly has lost all sense of morality and which fosters the misguided concept that marriage, or any sexual union between male and female, need not result in any children at all, or no more than one or two children, using contraception and ultimately abortion to ensure this goal is met.
The Dugger family, first accepted the wisdom of the world to control the births of their children with "the pill" so that a child is brought upon the scene at the right time, and with the wherewithal to take care of the child. However, through the miscarriage of their 2nd child (which can be brought about when using the birth control pill), their faith and trust in God directed them to allow God to provide them with the gift of a child as well as the provisions to take care of them. Their story is one of true faith in God for Whom nothing is impossible.
Here are the words of Michelle: A Message to Mothers from Michelle
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