All over the world, families are sheltering in place and limiting contact with the outside world for fear of contracting the coronavirus.
Those with young children or elderly parents to care for have been especially cautious for fear of spreading the potentially deadly virus to their more vulnerable loved ones.
No one is immune, and Covid-19 has repeatedly reminded us that it does not discriminate on the basis of wealth, religion, or nationality -- which is why it's odd that the Duggar family seems so unconcerned.
As we reported earlier this week, the Duggars have been ignoring coronavirus safety guidelines since the very beginning of the current crisis.
While some members of the family, such as Jessa Duggar, have been practicing social distancing and following CDC recommendations for limiting the spread of the virus, others have been brazen in their irresponsibility.
Earlier this week, the Duggars deleted a video from Instagram in which at least 18 people were gathered in close proximity in the Tontitown "big house" owned by Jim Bob and Michelle.
As many commenters pointed out, the assembled guests seemed to revel in flouting the rules currently being observed by billions of people all over the world.
"I thought that gatherings of more than 10 people were forbidden in the US," one Facebook user remarked.
"Why do they think it’s funny to put everyone at risk? And who is that couple there?" wrote one commenter, adding:
"I’ll wait for excuses as usual."
"The Duggar cult obviously thinks yet again that they are some sort of special and above the law," another comment read.
"Wonder if they have anything to do with their governor refusing to put stay in place orders down," a fourth commenter chimed in, obviously referencing Jim Bob's infamous political clout.
"Normal people in Arkansas are furious he’s allowing churches to continue to hold services."
Arkansas is one of just five states whose governors have not issued a declaration ordering residents to remain at home and limit gatherings to ten people or fewer, so the Duggars aren't breaking the law with their large gatherings.
However, the WHO, the CDC, and the president have advised all Americans to follow the guidelines put forth by other states.
Also attracting negative attention is a photo that Jana Duggar posted on Instagram earlier this week.
The pic shows Jana volunteering with a relief organization on behalf of those who have been impacted by recent tornados in Arkansas.
Obviously, her heart was in the right place, but many fans pointed out that in mitigating the damage from one disaster, Jana might be worsening the impact of another.
“You’re all way too close together. The last thing this community is going to need is to be hit with a surge of COVID cases,” commented one follower.
“You need to take this pandemic seriously,” another wrote.
“You are not only putting yourself at risk. You are putting your loved ones and many more people at risk for COVID-19.”
Numerous public figures have used their platforms to encourage fans to exercise caution at this precarious time.
Not only have Jim Bob and company been disregarding guidelines and recommendations, they've been flaunting their non-compliance on social media.
Some fans think the Duggars are of the belief that the whole thing is an elaborate hoax.
It's a theory that's gained a lot of traction online in recent weeks, particularly among those with Jim Bob's extremist right wing political views.
The Duggars are openly skeptical of a number of other accepted scientific truths, such as evolution, and those who know Jim Bob best say that he sees himself as a soldier in never-ending war against a network of shadowy left-wing cabals.
In other words, it wouldn't be difficult to convince Jim Bob that the coronavirus is a ruse concocted by Democrats in order to destabilize the Trump administration.
There's also a theory that the Duggars are unafraid of the virus because they're actively rooting for the end of the world.
It may sound absurd, but many evangelical extremist groups focus heavily on the ultimate battle between good and evil that will signal the end times.
It's not a part of their belief system that they often speak of publicly, but the Duggars are of the opinion that the rapture will take place in the very near future, and it's possible that they see the coronavirus as the first harbinger of mankind's demise.
Compared to some of the other things Jim Bob teaches his kids, rooting for the apocalypse seems downright tame ...
