If you watched this week’s episode of Counting On , you bore witness to a rather awkward encounter between Jinger Duggar and her brothers-in-law, Ben Seewald and Derick Dillard. In the scene, Ben and Derick advised Jinger on proper courtship protocol. Because apparently in Duggar Land, there’s nothing weird about two dudes telling their wives’ adult sister how far she should go with her boyfriend: Jinger Duggar Gets Courtship Rules Refresher Anyway, the conversation served as a reminder of just how deeply the Duggar kids (and their spouses) subscribe to the belief system handed down to them by patriarch Jim Bob. Interestingly, however, in the weeks between the when that episode was filmed and when it aired, Ben Seewald hinted that he may not be buying everything that his father-in-law is selling. On his social media pages, Seewald expressed his support for Colin Kaepernick , the San Francisco 49ers QB who sparked a national dialogue about race and police violence when he chose to take a knee instead of standing during performances of the national anthem prior to his team’s games. Despite harsh criticism from commenters on his Instagram page, Ben has been unwavering in his support of Kaepernick and the Black Lives Matter movement. Following the police shooting of Terrence Crutcher last month, Seewald drew further flak for retweeting a minister who begged for unity and compassion for Crutcher’s family: But while he’s been more vocal than ever in recent weeks, Ben has been sensitive to the ongoing problem of police violence in America going at least as far back as the Ferguson protests of 2014. It was around that time that Seewald interviewed the socially conscious rapper Flame for a video on his YouTube channel: Ben Seewald on Racial Unrest For once, fans of Counting On and critics of the Duggars have something in common, as both have expressed their surprise (pleasant or otherwise) over the realization that Ben is so politically aware. Interviewing a rapper of any political stripe is a controversial move for a member of the extended Duggar clan, as the family famously rejects all forms of modern music, even rock with Christian-themed lyrics. Given the amount of power Jim Bob wields in his family many thought he would have a talk with Ben about expressing views that run counter to those of the Duggars and their fan base. But either that never happened, or Ben is more strong-willed than we thought, as earlier this week, the 21-year-old father of one posted a link to this article which every recent incident in which police killed a black man, and urges Christians to act. View Slideshow: Jessa Duggar and Ben Seewald Photos It’s a bold move by Ben, and it could prove to be an important one. Love ’em or hate ’em, the Duggars have a massive audience for their every musing.
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Ben Seewald: Continuing to Support Black Lives Matter in Defiance of the Duggars
