'We fear for his soul': Josh Duggar's sister, Jinger, releases a statement on her brother's conviction

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – JULY 23: Jeremy Vuolo and Jinger Duggar Vuolo attend the Los Angeles Special Screening Of Discovery’s “Serengeti” at …

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – JULY 23: Jeremy Vuolo and Jinger Duggar Vuolo attend the Los Angeles Special Screening Of Discovery’s “Serengeti” at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on July 23, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images)

by: C.C. McCandless

Posted: Dec 10, 2021 / 06:15 PM CST

Updated: Dec 10, 2021 / 06:15 PM CST

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — A day after her brother’s conviction on child pornography charges, Jinger Vuolo released a statement on Instagram.

“We are saddened for the victims of horrific child abuse. We are also saddened for Josh’s family, his wife and precious children,” the statement read.

We are saddened for the dishonor this has brought upon Christ’s name. Josh claims to be a Christian. When a professing follower of Jesus is exposed as a hypocrite, the response of many will be to challenge the integrity of Jesus himself. They’ll question the legitimacy of a Savior whose so-called followers privately delight in the sins they publicly denounce. This is why the Apostle Paul told religious hypocrites that ‘the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you’ (Romans 2:24). For Josh, we fear for his soul.
Yet, amidst our sadness, there is gratitude. We are grateful that God is a God of justice who cares for the innocent and the helpless. And, of all the people in this world, he especially loves children, who are among the most vulnerable. This reality makes the existence of sex trafficking and child abuse one of the most horrific evils imaginable. It is an evil God hates.
Jesus welcomed and cared for children, seeing their helplessness as opportunity to protect, not exploit (Matthew 19:14). And his harshest indictment was reserved for those who caused them to stumble: ‘it would be better for him to have a great milestone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea’ (Matthew 18:6).
For those who follow him, he requires the same compassion toward children: ‘See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven’ (Matthew 18:10). The Apostle James put this care at the heart of true religion: ‘Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world’ (James 1:27).
We are thankful to God for exposing Josh’s actions and to a legal system committed to protecting the innocent and punishing the guilty in this case. We are grateful for justice. We are praying for further justice, vindication, protection, and healing for al those who have been wronged.
Jinger Vuolo, Josh Duggar’s sister

Vuolo’s parents, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, also released a statement.