Would you say that the Duggar's are married in the eyes of God?
I ask because I want to know whether there is in a fact an indisoluble marriage among todays Southern Baptists and simmilar protestants.
I have an e-book title
The Question Box by Rev. Bertrand L. Conway, CSP.
You can download it from here.It is a very useful book, written in 1909, to have when discussing anything Catholic with Protestants.
Here is what it says about Protestant Marriage:
Does the Catholic Church regard the marriage of Protestants valid, or can a Protestant be divorced and marry again upon entering your Church?
Two baptized Protestants (for instance a Methodist and a Lutheran), who are married without being subject to any of the diriment impediments of the Church, are as validly married as two Catholics, for they receive the sacrament of matrimony, which binds until death. The Catholic Church has no power to dispense in the divine law, which absolutely prohibits divorce.
The New Edition was printed in 1929. There is no e-book but I did find this from that edition:
Is a marriage between a baptized Protestant and an infidel or an unbaptized Protestant considered valid by your Church?
Under the old canon law, such a Marriage was invalid because of the impediment of the disparity of worship. Under the new canon law--i.e. since May 19, 1918--this impediment has been abolished so far as non-Catholics are concerned, and such a marriage would be valid. This important change in the Church's law arose from the increasing number of unbaptized Protestants, and the consequent increase of invalid Marriages among them. The impediment of disparity of worship now exists only between a Catholic and an unbaptized non-Catholic.
So, legally, yes, the Duggars have a valid marriage.
No. They are not free to divorce and remarry.
Protestants have a contract marriage, not a sacramental marriage, so I assume the good Reverend above is speaking in terms of legality. I do think it is important to make the distinction between a contract marriage, which confers no grace, and a sacramental marriage, which does, because without grace it is very, very hard to have a marriage.
Of course, Our Lord can give His graces to whomever He chooses, but I suspect the Duggars, as independent Baptists, know full well about Catholicism. They have completely rejected it. Make of that what you will.