Usually, Duggar controversies are pretty predictable in nature.
They tend to come in one of two varieties:
There are the instances in which a member of the family intentionally posts something controversial on social media, such as when Derick Dillard bullied a transgender teen and was fired by TLC as a result.
And then there are those cases in which a member of the family behaves in such a way that one is reminded they never learned the basics of human interaction as a result of their profoundly sheltered upbringing.
For examples of this, look at any aspect of Josh Duggar's dating profiles.
But the latest scandal involving Jill Duggar is sort of an uneasy combination of these two previously-established types:
On Monday, Jill posted the above photo to her Instagram page.
"Today has been a really hard day as I watched a couple do what no one should ever have to do...bury their little baby," she captioned the pic
"Although our hearts break here on earth, we look forward to the day when we will see Jesus face to face, he will wipe every tear from our eyes and we will be reunited with those we miss so much," Jill continued.
"Until our race on earth is over, let us live intentionally, glorify God through our lives, serve Him well, fulfilling His purpose for our us until we draw our last breath."
Yes, Jill posted a photo of an infant's casket.
And it would be a massive understatement to say that the decision didn't sit well with many of her fans.
While Jill unquestionably posted something controversial on social media, it seems she did so not with the intention of stirring the pot, but rather as a result of a major blind spot with regard to proper social media etiquette.
Jill's heart may have been in the right place, but followers made it clear that they found her post to be in poor taste:
“Not everything has to be an Instagram post, even with the purest intentions. This is insanely tacky of you to post,” one person wrote, as pointed out by OK! magazine.
“Why would you post a picture of someone’s baby in a casket? You are so tacky,” another fan added.
“Hopefully she got permission to post this,” a third commenter remarked.
“With the Duggars being in the spotlight & [having] more than the average person viewing their profiles, it’s certainly not appropriate to post stuff like this unless given permission.”
Other fans were even harsher in their criticism:
“This is someone else’s deepest heartbreak. I hope you rethink this post and delete it,” one user commented.
“Oh boy hope you rethink this post...this is such a private heartbreaking thing...not your story to tell,” another wrote.
Many also pointed out that the post is poorly-timed, as it may well trigger painful memories for one of Jill's sisters.
Joy-Anna Duggar suffered a miscarriage in July, and is still so distraught by the loss that was forced to leave Amy Duggar's baby shower in distress.
Again, we imagine Jill's suffering on behalf of her friends is genuine -- but her post may not have been the best way to express her compassion.
