Hot on the heels of Jill Duggar's wedding to Derick Dillard, sister Jessa Duggar, 21, has announced her engagement to one Ben Seewald—a spiritually-focused, red-flag-free ministry-pursuer who has "issues" with the Catholic idea of the Virgin Mary as a "sinless being.". Though the two plan to save their first kiss until after marriage, they have engaged in some erotic hand-holding under the watchful eyes of Michelle and Jim-Bob.


Via ET:

Duggar, 21, is the third daughter of Jim Bob, 48, and Michelle, 47. ...The two met in church, and then asked to correspond via text and on the phone. They've decided to save their first kiss for marriage, and only started holding hands since getting engaged. "He's the first one she has shown interest in that has a spiritual focus and legitimate calling about ministry work," Jim Bob told People in September about allowing the two to court. "When a guy is pursing your daughter, you want to check him out and see if there are any red flags, and with Ben, there hasn't been. He is very sharp. It appears like a match made in heaven."


There's something so weird about using the phrase "a match made in heaven" when you literally believe that heaven is an actual literal place. Full of dead people.

Anyway, congratulations to the lovebirds. I hope they live a long, happy, fulfilling life together, and I especially hope that the Duggar daughters aren't just marrying willy-nilly so they can finally get laid. Not that I blame them! Doing it's great! But I wish the Duggar girls could be allowed the space and freedom to get to know themselves and their partners before making lifetime commitments.

Also, as I wrote back in April, there's an intense pressure to get married and have babies that's not just built into the Duggar religion—it's built into the Duggar brand:

While I definitely trust the Duggars' religious sincerity, procreation has become a family business—one that's already being passed on to the next generation. When your (extremely profitable) living is based on being the matriarch—and, um, casting director?—of a television show called 19 Kids and Counting, how many ways can you really answer the question, "So, do you want more kids?" If you say, "Not really," you're undermining the brand and, potentially, losing future income. And 19 is a lot of mouths to feed, man! That is hella hoagies on the daily!!!


Also, Jill Duggar's wedding apparently had ONE THOUSAND ATTENDEES. Gotta keep those Dugg-bucks coming in.