Another look at the 'legacy' of Bill Gothard and Michael Pearl...

Here they are again! Wolves in sheep's clothing. Kudos to Kristiana for speaking on behalf of a generation of Gothard alumni in this interview with Chris Shelton.

The Commitments Payoff

Check this out. My friend, Ryan wrote: Who wouldn’t want God’s best? But if you break it down, the practical steps to achieving this goal are manipulative. I’m convinced, looking back, that a number of the commitments I made during my time with IBLP were in direct response to this question. I may not have completely agreed with the proposed commitment, but when faced with the “don’t you want God’s best for your life” question, the only logical answer was, “of course.” What I failed to ask, however, was who was determining what constituted God’s best? And by what criteria was he deciding that? Read on for his story... God's Best: The "Commitments" Payoff

Faith versus Formulas

http://darcysheartstirrings.blogspot.com/2011/01/how-teachings-of-emotional-purity-and.html 

"God doesn't seem to like formulas. Because formula is the opposite of faith. Formula says "I will follow a God that I've put neatly in a box, to give me the desired results". Faith says "I will follow You even when I can't see where I'm going, even when the world is collapsing around me". Formula says "I will not risk, I will be in control of my future". Faith says "I will risk everything, I will trust Whom I cannot see, surrender what I cannot control anyway." Formula is the assurance of things planned for, the conviction of things seen. Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (Heb. 11:1). But we are afraid. So we control instead of trust. We don't take a step unless we can see where we're going. We build neat little formulas and say "THIS will keep me safe!" Then we blame God when our puny formulas fail."

interesting write up:
http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/whatever-happened-to-bill-gothard

our letter to those attending iblp seminars: http://www.recoveringgrace.org/category/basic-seminar-letter/

Prisoner of the Glass House

I have a friend who is a part of a group of people journeying through a recovery process after coming out of a religious cult. In 2009, he wrote the following (Thank you, Micah):

My family went from ordinary homeschooling to ATIA when I was 8 years old, along with moving to a very rural area, another pregnancy, Dad leaving his job and starting his own business... At age 14 I was given the choice to literally burn to ashes my life's dream, or have a parent do it for me. So I set the fire...... And cried, alone. I cried once more at 17 (also alone) watching my mother descend into mental/nervous breakdown in front of us. I displayed almost nothing, a few months later, when she pulled a large kitchen knife in a disagreement with my sister.

I was plenty 'tough' for OK TC life on Characterlink's staff. Only I had this crazy, touchy-feely coworker named Matt Jensen, who came from a broken home, checkerd past, college, once had a live in girl friend... And actually FELT something with God when he prayed! It took six months for us to even get close enough for meaningful conversation. Let alone for him to introduce me to the God he knew, through The Holy Spirit...
I could describe in detail some of the crazy stuff that I experienced the night Matt and I prayed, and I asked for 'the overflowing presence of The Holy Spirit'. And we could argue theologically ad infinitum. But there I was, laughing, sobbing, in front of a guy I barely got along with, babbling it all back to a God that I all of a sudden like calling 'Father'.

A couple of years ago, I finally revisited where I'd been to write the story in poetry. I doubt this story is mine alone.

Prisoner of the Glass House

"Don't throw stones" said the sage so well
"If in a house made of glass you dwell"
But a different tale I think he'd tell
If he'd been raised in my crystal hell.

WHERE...

I never felt a breath of wind
No rain, no snow, no sleet
Not even a pebble to stub my toe
No grass to stain my feet.

What secret sin could I commit
In this prison where every inch is lit
And the world can see every time I spit?
While an inch away my inquisitors sit
Peering into my prison of glass.

Prisoners all, through the walls we stare
Quick to judge and unable to share
With our hearts concealed and our actions bare
In our spotless palace of glass.

So our deeds eschew what our minds embrace
We dare not go where our feelings race
Shouting 'TRUTH', a path of lies we trace
And 'holy' we call the best poker face
In this twisted dungeon of glass.

Kept alone by walls we dare not break
Enslaved by chains that we will not shake
Entombing our hearts where the will not break
Immune to the love that we try to fake
Frozen fast in our cell blocks of glass.

In this sterile world, with its pristine curse
My charade grew better and my heart grew worse
Long prayers poured forth from a soul half dead,
My heart dreams crash round me, their wings made of lead.
But I helped build this prison myself.

Yet through our halls one man walked free
Blemished past laid bare for us all to see
Free to hug and to laugh, get annoyed, even cry
If this life was human, then zombie was I.
And TRAPPED in this prison of glass!

Of the touch of his God I heard him tell
And it tossed a rock through my crystal cell
A rock called hope touched my vacant shell
While around our heads, in shards it fell,
That hideous prison of glass!

So I told him my life's tale in all its woe
Fear slave of the God I didn't know
Choking back the emotion I couldn't show
Dreaming of places I dared not go...
Yes, THIS was my prison of glass!

My 'God' was a bully who'd take me to task
His, a gentleman friend-- whom I'd only need ask
And choking up sobs that for years I'd held bound
I begged 'Him' for whatever this friend of mine found.

And I felt rushing LIFE where before-- only glass!

I sob, I laugh, I babble thanks
As walls collapse of rage and angst
My God-- no more in black and white
In livid colors, warmth and light.
My prison's shattered-- I have flown.

And if as we walk through this earthly veil
At an unseen wall you see me quail...
Rejoice when that relic I finally pass through.
To my newest found freedom raise your glass (or two).

For a ruin is all that remains today
Of my hideous prison of glass!

And if one day as I've left these shards
I meet one trapped in his house of cards
Then joy from my broken heart I'll show
And a rock through his glass prison wall I'll throw.

That the God who is LOVE
We can feel, we can know
I was once past feeling,
I know,
I know!

Micah Kohler-- 7/21-8/4/09

thriving outside of a religious noose PART #5

To read "Thriving Outside Of A Religious Noose"

in order, you will want to start at my

March 13, 2011 post and scroll up. 

Okay, you’ve recognized it.
You got out.
Now what?

They were raised in a normal America. They had children and then, in reaction to the symptoms of societal misdeeds, they were drawn to an organization (Institute in Basic Life Principles) that held a checklist of answers to life’s every question. (clothing, hair style, vocabulary, music, activities, pets, education, culture, friendships, dating, marriage, raising children, finances, etc.) “If you do A, B, and C, the results will be success. If you fail to do A, B, and C, the results will be heartache and chaos.” And so these seeking individuals joined the exotic inner-sanctum of this IBLP which is now called the Advanced Training Institute, subjecting their young children to the ideals and “standards” of the organization.

These children did not grow up in a normal America. They grew up in the homeschool/ATI culture chosen by their parents. Many of these children reached an age where they finally were able to get out.

So when these children finally leave, (get married, get shunned [see my post on PART#2 from May 10th] get counsel, or just walk out due to overwhelming oppression or finally seeing the truth) they are leaving their first culture. Remember: Normal America is their secondary culture. Therefore, recovery is going to be a process!

In the beginning, I think it’s pretty normal to feel guilty. You’re opposing the only thing you know. On one hand, you're sure that getting out is the right thing to do. But on the other hand, you feel like a rebellious child. In my latest post, I referred to Tangled’s depiction of this type of confusion.
http://donna-theviewfrommywindow.blogspot.com/2011/06/thriving-outside-of-religious-noose.html

Rapunzel’s dialogue after her first taste of freedom was as follows:

“I can't believe I did this.”

“I can't believe I did this.”

"I CAN’T believe I DID this!”

“Mother would be SO furious.”

“That's OK though, I mean what she doesn't know won't kill her.”

“Oh my gosh. This would kill her.”

“THIS IS SO FUN!”

"I am a horrible daughter. I'm going back.”

“I am never going back!”

“I am a despicable human being.”

“Woo-hoo! Best. Day. Ever!”

[cries]

Not only are you afraid of being wrong, but you’re afraid of hurting the ones you love who are still involved in the system: leaders, friends, parents, pastors, relatives, God,… Yes, I included God. Because, although God has not been properly represented in this religious sect, all you know is to connect Him to it. If we have swallowed false teachings about God. And if we’ve been fed a misrepresentation of his character, (especially throughout childhood and the teen years) then a lifelong task lays before us to get to know the real Him. A genuine, simple, sweet relationship can be developed with the true, loving Heavenly Father. At first, however, it is natural to think you might be running from Him as well as from the cult. What a terrible, terrible feeling. The phrase “between a rock and a hard place” comes to mind. Damned if you do. And damned if you don’t.

The next phase many of us reach (perhaps not in this order?) is the questioning phase. It can get pretty confusing as to what exactly needs questioning. You question the “standards” of the organization. But maybe you also question the existence of God or the truth of the Bible. Unfortunately, I’ve seen former cult members stop and plant their feet here. They’ve turned to a lifestyle opposite to their upbringing merely because it’s the opposite. The thing we need to remember is that the families who bought into the cult did so just to be different from normal society, while hoping for promised success.

For more information on the pendulum swing, refer to the beginning of my article dated March 31st.
http://donna-theviewfrommywindow.blogspot.com/2011/03/my-stand-against-iblp-being-real.html
I’ve seen ex-cult members become atheists, claiming that there is no God. Or, some become agnostic. Because “If there is a God, then why would He be so cruel?” To them, IBLP meant God. To them, the beatings they received to comply to the family standard was received as coming directly from Him. So, really… who needs God? Who wants to voluntarily invite that kind of heartache and pain into their lives?

The physical stress that goes along with pre and post-recovery varies in form. I know of grown-ups who still carry literal, physical scars left by the whippings handed out under the approval of the IBLP organization. Other stress-signals have come in the form of frequent sickness, anxiety, nightmares, emotional problems, attachment disorders, marital problems, sexual confusion, divorce, suicide, hostility, anger, nausea, clenched teeth, or other signs of stress. The longer or deeper the person or his family has been in the group, the more painful these symptoms can be.

The final stages of successful recovery from a cult (such as ATI and others) comes with the realization that you are precious to your Heavenly Father. It comes with taking hold of the true meaning of grace in your life and making it personal. The key is learning to lay yourself out there naked to Jesus,

knowing that you don’t measure up. And you never will. But it’s still understanding that, to Him, you are to die for. You’re priceless. It’s integrating your old personality -the one who was trained to please, and to hide imperfections, and to fit a mold- into your new personality –the one who sees your Creator for all He is. The one who “gets” that grace makes everything okay. The one who is learning, day by day, to keep centered in Jesus. The one who rests in Jesus, learning to live fulfilled, growing, thriving, and loving others to Him along the way. This is recovery.

NOTE: A friend of mine commented on my article from March 31st, "Okay. I see what grace isn't. I see that we learned an incorrect definition of grace. But what IS it?" So in the next few weeks, I'll be posting on the Biblical meaning of grace and my understanding of living a “centered” life.
For a glimpse on keeping centered, refer to my post on June 29, 2010.
http://donna-theviewfrommywindow.blogspot.com/2010/06/keeping-centered.html

thriving outside of a religious noose PART #4

IBLP? A Cult?

Maybe the following link will shed some light:

http://robinphillips.blogspot.com/2008/03/bill-gothard-ati.html

I'll include some key excerpts below:

“Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of Gothard’s heterodoxy is what it does to God. Not only does God plays little or no part in a believer’s life through omission, but Gothard actually teaches that God’s grace is bound to the limitations of our own abilities. It is not simply that God helps those who help themselves, but that God will not and cannot help anyone who is not already practicing the right principles.”

“Another part of the answer to why Gothard is so popular is, to put it bluntly, his personality is simply irresistible. This is not, however, in the usual way that one would expect. Bill is not an outgoing extrovert that wins people by impassioned speeches and a sanguine personality. If that were the case he might be easily seen through. Bill is a bit shy, a quiet man that one feels would rather not have to be speaking to thousands. He is doing it because he cares for you. His relaxed and gentle face, together with his quiet sense of humor, make one feel instinctively that Bill understands me. He has an atmosphere of quiet wisdom about him, so that anything he says tends to feel right simply because he has said it.

People are often surprised when they attend one of Gothard's seminars for the first time, for they come expecting Bill to be harsh and strict like his teachings, and instead he seems more like someone who's just walked out of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood.

This is one of the reasons I said earlier that we cannot evaluate Gothard based on his results, for many of the seemingly positive results may actually be a direct effect of Gothard's skill at being a silver-tongued, scripture-quoting confidence artist, who is able to use his powerfully hypnotic personality to make people do what he says, for both good and ill.”

“… an almost universal tendency within human nature. At any time in history when cultural or spiritual factors create a situation whereby large numbers of people are desperate for a solution and need the stability of having a leader to follow, there will almost inevitably be someone who rises from the crowd to fill that void. At that point, it is crucial to see whether the leader gathers crowds to himself in order to point them to higher realities, leading them to Someone beyond himself, or whether he creates a system of dependence whereby his followers would be unable to function if he were removed. Does he teach people to look to him for the answers, or does he motivate them to find the answers for themselves and to follow their own convictions even when those convictions may differ from his own? Does he spoon-feed his followers the answer to every problem, or does he help them to hear the still small voice of the One who alone is the Answer? Does he present a concept of reality that is exclusive to anything outside a narrow orientation, a reality that does not stretch beyond the confines of his teaching, or a reality that is open-ended, expansive, dynamic, non-static and exciting? In practice, does he encourage people to put their trust in him, or in the Lord?”

“Two thousand years ago, Paul warned the believers at Colossi to beware of those who would deprive them of the freedom in Christ and cheat them of their reward through unnecessary regulations. These regulations, Paul said, had the appearance of false humility but were really nothing other than the striving of the flesh. "Therefore," wrote Paul, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations...according to the commandments and doctrines of men? These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh. (Col. 2:20-23)”

For a book shedding more light on the ministry, check out
http://www.amazon.com/Matter-Basic-Principles-Gothard-Christian/dp/0974252808

A former ATI student wrote the following letter to someone considering joining the ATI movement:

http://darcysheartstirrings.blogspot.com/2011/06/letter-to-family-considering-joining.html

"I was in ATI for about 12 years, from age 10-22, very involved, lots of mission trips, Russia, Singapore, Character First, Children's Institutes and so forth. And I never rebelled, I was not one of those who hated the program and fought it while I was in it. I threw my heart and soul into being a good example for my siblings and embracing the standards and trying to live as I was taught. My family left the program in 2002, when I was 22, primarily because they could no longer afford the $600 annual fee. Since then, I have been soul-searching, searching the Scriptures, and re-examining what I was taught. It has been a long, complicated sifting process. To this day, my wonderful, godly husband of nearly 3 years, who grew up in a fabulous Christian family but NOT in ATI, cannot believe some of the things I grew up believing, or the culture my young life was based in.

It is especially now at age 31, looking back, that I see the very subtle dangers and heresies that I (and my family) fell for. Part of the danger is in the teaching, part is Mr. Gothard himself, part is in the culture... I truly believe, now, that it is a very dangerous organization. I would STRONGLY caution you to do your homework and be very careful! It is so easy to get sucked in, a bit at a time. It truly is like a cult." For the rest of the letter, you can visit her blog at the link noted above.

The true story of one whose life was damaged by ATI/IBLP: http://www.helium.com/items/795351-matthew-murray-and-bill-gothard
Another: http://www.denverpost.com/ci_7697827
And another: http://nolongerquivering.com/2010/02/19/disciplining-to-death-no-greater-joy-ministries-and-child-abuse/
And yet another (an Alert graduate): http://www.wafb.com/story/8580617/warrant-man-killed-pregnant-wife-before-leaving-for-work?redirected=true and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaqbrMEmEoE
Years ago, the following was written by a pastor who was seeing too many people hurt by IBLP/ATIA: http://storage.cloversites.com/calvarybiblechurch/documents/Gothard_Paper_02.pdf

To read "Thriving Outside Of A Religious Noose"

in order, you will want to start at my

March 13, 2011 post and scroll up.

thriving outside of a religious noose PART #3

To read "Thriving Outside Of A Religious Noose"

in order, you will want to start at my

March 13, 2011 post and scroll up.

I watched Disney’s “Tangled” with my family last week and was struck with the number of analogies I saw in the story. Here was a soul, trapped and made to believe that her captivity was only in her best interest. Then when she finally escaped her captor, she felt liberated. And then her liberation scared her. Notice the confusing dialogue we heard and how spot-on that dialogue is to our confusion when we realize the deception we've been under for so many years!

“I can't believe I did this.
“I can't believe I did this.

"I CAN’T believe I DID this!

“Mother would be SO furious.

“That's OK though, I mean what she doesn't know won't kill her.

“Oh my gosh. This would kill her.

“THIS IS SO FUN!

"I am a horrible daughter. I'm going back.

“I am never going back!

“I am a despicable human being.

“Woo-hoo! Best. Day. Ever!”

[cries]

    

thriving outside of a religious noose PART #2

To read "Thriving Outside Of A Religious Noose"

in order, you will want to start at my

March 13, 2011 post and scroll up.

FREEDOM. There is nothing like it. There is liberty in resting on the other side of a cult. But how do we get out? How do we get here? I’ve seen it happen in a variety of ways:

Leave. Yes, it feels like rebellion. And, unless you can shed the mind control, I’ve seen this lead to destructive, fear-filled, agnostic, or even atheistic living. The misuse of the Bible has these people confusing God with the very thing that is hurting them. Some people may think they didn’t measure up to this organization’s requirements, so they must be less than desirable to God.

Get kicked out… Or, as the religious like to call it: shunning. The one being shunned obviously has not mentally or emotionally yielded properly to the brainwashing of the organization. Being shunned can cause great guilt (and grief) do to the fact that, being a minority in the situation, you’re made to believe that the situation is your fault.

Burn out... Have you ever felt so used up that you’re hardly able to function? In this situation, symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Reactive Attachment Disorders have been known to overwhelm the victim.

Discovery… You stumble upon information that disproves everything you thought you believed and trusted in. You catch a leader telling a lie. Or maybe it’s just an exaggeration. Or twisting the truth to accommodate his point. And then it happens again. And then again. After a few incidents, it dawns on you that you have been dedicated to a foundation of lies. Yes, some of the teaching are true. (Remember: every cult begins with a seed of truth.) But the FOUNDATION is lies. Harmful, controlling lies. To the person who finds out that they have been following lies, well… their world has been rocked to its core. It will take time. Lots of time. To wade through the mess to find the Truth.

Wise, loving counsel… I’m not sure this is very common. But there are those people who have been counseled by concerned individuals… people who saw the damage that was being done and spoke up. In many cases, the person receiving the counsel is so caught up in their lifestyle that they cannot see the harm. Since the person giving the counsel is “from the outside”, they are viewed as a heretic or a liberal or worldly, or what-have-you.

I think that no matter how you leave, reality is going to be a difficult grasp. Maybe for some people, it is easier to fall into a normal lifestyle without feeling tremendous guilt. But for some, they are leaving the only culture they knew to try to fit into a normal America. If you’ve not been a part of a separated organization, you will not relate to the cultural and social issues I’m referring to. Your reality is standard to you. But to those coming out of a religious sect, reality can be a little foggy. I personally go through cycles of life where I have this tremendous drive to study, study, study… Figure out what the Truth is on a few particular issues. Then I land there and rest for a while. Basking in the reality of my freedom. Then, the cycle hits again triggered by family issues, my child’s question, a reconnection with someone from my old life, or a particular sermon heard at church. And then I find myself driven to study, study, study again. And so then I can, once again, rest in the fact that no matter how terribly I’ve messed up, GOD LOVES ME. And I so here I rest until the next cycle hits. Surely I’m not all alone in this???

thriving outside of a religious noose PART #1

My Stand Against IBLP
A Religious Cult.


I’d like to dedicate this post to my parents who sowed seeds in me to dig deep, question life, and dare to go against the flow when it counts. I LOVE YOU, Mom and Dad.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I THINK A PERSON WHO HAS NEVER LIVED IN A DICTATORSHIP CAN’T UNDERSTAND THE POWER OF PROPAGANDA. IF YOU JUST HEAR ALWAYS THE SAME… IF YOU ALWAYS READ THE SAME… AND IF YOU HAVE VERY FEW POSSIBILITIES OF OTHER INFORMATION, THEN YOU BECOME VERY IMPRESSED BY THE THINGS YOU ARE TOLD, AND IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO MAKE UP YOUR OWN MIND AND BE CRITICAL.” Edwald von Kleist (anti-Hitler conspirator)

When I was a child, our family became involved in the Institute in Basic Youth Conflicts (IBYC) which was later changed to the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP). In 1986, we joined its Advanced Training Institute (ATI) and the lifestyle that came with it (homeschooling, social separation, etcetera). Beginning at the age of 16, I spent time at a variety of seminars as well as the Institute Headquarters. At 18 and 19, I was in Russia with the ATI program. And then in 1993 I moved to the Indianapolis Training Center until the summer of 1996 when I reached an impasse in the road, ending my days with IBLP. The older I grew and the more “inside dynamics” I witnessed with the Institute, the more unsettled I became. Instead of looking to God’s Word for the answer to life’s questions, I saw more and more that the answer became “whatever is opposite to the rest of the world or society.” And then Scripture was used to “back it up”. For the most part, I overlooked the issues. They really seemed small at the time. And back then, I even considered that my own reasoning might be off-balance. However, throughout the past 15 years as I’ve grown older and began a family of my own, some of those “little issues”, as well as a few glaring ones, have driven me to go back to square one, so to speak. And during this process, I’ve come to realize that even the aforementioned “little issues” are actually symptoms of the misuse of Scripture.

“WHAT A PERSON COMES TO BELIEVE DOCTRINALLY WILL INEVITABLY MOLD OR A LEAST INFLUENCE HIS OR HER WORLD VIEW, ATTITUDES, AND BEHAVIOR –WHETHER IN A POSITIVE, WHOLESOME WAY OR IN A NEGATIVE, DESTRUCTIVE WAY…” -Dr. Ron Rhodes

Before you read any further, I do want to clarify my belief that a majority of the families involved in the IBLP and ATI movement were/are well-meaning, God-desiring families simply looking for answers. Bill Gothard was at the right place at the right time… “IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL THE UPHEAVAL AND RAPID CHANGE THAT CHARACTERIZED THE 60’S AND EARLY 70’S, FEARFUL PARENTS JUST TRYING TO RAISE DECENT AND SUCCESSFUL CHILDREN WERE DESPERATE FOR DIRECTION. RIGHT ON TIME A MAN WITH A PLAN CAME ALONG. THERE GOTHARD STOOD –CONFIDENTLY HOLDING OUT ONE SIMPLE WORD AS THE CENTER OF HIS WORLD VIEW: AUTHORITY… TO THE CHURCH-GOING, GOD-FEARING, AND TERRIFIED PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS OF THE 60’S AND 70’S, HE APPEARED TO BE A GODSEND ARMED WITH OVERHEADS AND THREE-RING BINDERS.” (-statement by Don Veinot) In many people’s minds, Dr. Spock’s philosophies on child-rearing (i.e. permissive parenting, anti-spanking,…) were blamed for a pendulum swing bringing up a whole generation of spoiled, narcissistic brats. (And, yes, I tend to agree.) This caused many parents to seek out a new kind of “expert”: Bill Gothard. Gothard presented himself and his material as the answer to the problem of youth conflicts. So, even though I will strongly point out Gothard’s principles and definitions as extra-Biblical, heretical, and even cultic, I do believe that many of his followers were/are well-meaning Christians who set out to properly protect and spiritually instruct their children. My prayer is that as you read the following, you will not sense ugly resentment in my tone, but merely a desire to point out the lies taught by Bill Gothard and IBLP.

---LEGALISM---LEGALISM---LEGALISM---LEGALISM ---

“FUNDAMENTALIST CHRISTIANS [HAVE] BECOME MORE DEFINED BY PARTICULAR SET OF DO’S AND DON’TS THAN BY ANSWERING THE “WHATS” AND “WHYS” OF THEIR BELIEFS… THE ANTI-INTELLECTUAL FAITH OF THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY HAD REDUCED IT PRACTICAL DISTINCTIVES INTO A SET OF DRESS AND BEHAVIORAL CODES… THESE ISSUES (DRESS, HAIR, MOVIES, BEHAVIOR, MUSIC, DRINKING,…) ARE PRIMARILY EXTERNAL AND REPRESENT A VERY SUB-CULTURAL, AMERICANIZED FORM OF CHRISTIANITY. THE BIBLICAL TEACHING THAT A CHRISTIAN SHOULD BE SALT AND LIGHT IN A DARK WORLD HAD LARGELY BEEN ERODED FROM THE FAITH” (-Don Veinot)

Bill Gothard has created a “fence” of unnecessary, extra biblical laws around Biblical laws. I call this legalism. Legalism has been described as being like paralysis which deadens spiritual nerve endings and softens spiritual muscle. As seen in many IBLP churches in ATI families, they ended up doing less and less out of love for others and requiring more and more from them. Bill has recently stated that accusing IBLP of legalism is illegitimate because the word can’t be found in the Bible. Ha, ha… If we only used words from the Bible, we would all be speaking Hebrew and Greek! (If you remember, he once taught against “legalism” in his “Instructions for Our Most Important Battle” although he will not recognize it in himself. Crazy.) Matthew 23:4 “For they bind heavy burdens, and grievous to be borne and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.” (“They” = the Pharisees) The idea of “the more laws you set up for yourself, the easier it is to keep from sinning” causes hypocritical compliance crushed under the strain of so many do’s and don’ts. (Unfortunately, I can attest to this.)

I’ve been hearing a lot lately that the red notebooks are referred to by some as a kind of “Evangelical Talmud”. The Talmud is the thousands of pages of rules set up by Jewish legalists to keep people safe from sinning. (I’d forgotten about this myself, so I had to look it up.) Matthew 11:28-30. I am grateful to be no longer be crushed by this system. I’ve find peace in my freedom in Jesus Christ!

A problem with Bill’s extra-Biblical principles is that what may be set up as appropriate for him has been imposed on others as non-optional. With his system, he created an “us versus them” mentality among the church. Another gospel had been created. A gospel of moralism –regulating the morals of others to cure the issues of the world. The problem with moralism is that it can be alluring and yet it is incapable of truly dealing with sin. In Romans 2:1-16, Peter points out that moralism neglects to offer a pardon for sin or an answer to the power that sin’s pull has on us. Yes, laws and morals define how we ought to live our lives. But they have no power in assisting us to fulfilling them. Biblical righteousness is motivated by our love for God –not by our tie to a law.

---GRACE---GRACE---GRACE---GRACE---GRACE---GRACE---

Gothard teaches that “In the Old Testament, those who found grace possessed qualities that MERITED God’s favor.” He uses Philippians 2:13 to explain his extra-biblical definition of grace as being “the desire and the power to do God’s will.” His teaching limited “grace” to the realm of sanctification while excluding justification. (God’s declaration of sinners being righteous in Christ.)

I will never forget the first time I heard Mr. Gothard state that “unmerited favor” is a faulty definition of grace. As a teenager, I heard a song performed by a southern gospel group: “There’s no other word for His grace, but amazing. No other explanation will do. Unmerited favor, this song that I sing! There’s no other word for His grace but amazing!” and as I heard that song, I thought, “What misguided singers! They don’t know what grace really is.” How could I have been so naïve to allow a man to minimize my understanding of the definition of God’s grace?

Bill Gothard’s first step in redefining grace was to look up the New Testament word “graciousness” which is abbreviated as “charis” in the Greek language. “Charis” means, in part (the part that Bill utilizes) “the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude, joy, and liberty.”

He used this partial definition of graciousness to define and apply every usage of the word grace in the Bible. Romans 11:6: “And if by grace, it is not of works, otherwise grace is no more of grace.”

Gothard removes the emphasis on the unmerited gift of God and replaces it with an emphasis on one kind of gift from God and how we are to utilize this gift, earning His favor. In his “Definition of Grace”, he states that “the grace of comes by Jesus Christ is an active, dynamic, energy from God to carry out his will.”

Yes, God in His grace gives is the power to carry out His will. But this cannot limit our understanding of the definition. This power is just one aspect. (Ephesians 2:8-9) This power is freely given by God. Never earned. As with his other teachings, Bill Gothard bends “grace”, leading people back to a set of rules, thus making his followers stuck in this self-defeating cycle: Get grace to keep the law in order to earn more grace to keep law so that you can earn more grace in order to keep from sin,…

Bill Gothard will state that Salvation cannot be earned. This statement preserves his standing in the evangelical Christian community. However, his re-definition of grace, in my opinion, cancels out his understanding of free salvation and undeserved justification.

Catholicism teaches that initial grace is free –or unmerited. But after that, we accumulate “merits” to continue the grace-receiving cycle. Sound familiar? In page 3 of Bill’s “Definition of Grace”, he states “…initial grace is a free gift of God and growth in grace is a process after salvation.” Bill sneakily markets himself as evangelical although his teachings are far from evangelical.

Obviously we believers grow in grace as noted in the Bible. We grow in GRACE, though. Not the law. Not by works do we grow INTO grace. Not by graciously complying with anti-societal rules, regulations, and “principles” compiled to earn favor with God. In order to grow in grace, we apply Matthew 7:8-9. Ask seek, and find this beautiful gift. Romans 4:4-5 –forget about “earning” or “meriting” this gift. It’s free!

For those who struggle with sin, temptations, habits and addictions, instead of depending on lists of man made rules and regulations that will find you, reminding you of your weakness let’s rest our hopes on simple prayer and the promises of God’s Word. We have a generous Heavenly Father Who longs to throw His grace at us –free of charge. And this grace, unmerited and unearned, continued to grow in us, changing us, transforming our lives. This is the cycle of grace. Unaltered, undefined, UNMERITED, unearned, free grace! =)

In his redefining of grace, Bill has laid a foundation (on the basis that it’s earned) which leads to a cycle of never-ending bondage to performance. He’s laid a foundation portraying merited grace ending with the teaching that Christians can’t handle freedom. The common thread throughout his ministry is that God is our harsh judge. I spent many years under this understanding. I neglected to see God as a loving Father because I was too consumed with wondering if I’d failed God. My heart was heavy, weary and rule-burdened under the weight of pleasing Him. Only in recent years has it occurred to me that God is not the kind of Father who lays down a list of moral demands. This changed me from feeling like a slave of the law, fearing the wrath of a ruthless Judge because I may have missed a rule or two to recognizing that I’m a sanctified, free child of God.

Galatians 2:4-5 “And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privately to spy out our liberty which we have in Jesus Christ, that they might bring us into bondage; To whom we gave place by subjection, no not for an hour; that the truth of the Gospel might continue with you.” The believer who enjoys liberty experiences true worship –praise from a heart toward God. The believer who lives by a list of rules will praise (and defend) the one who wrote that list. Bill Gothard followers are distracted from proper devotion to Jesus. Gothard once said (on a trip to Russia) that “Christians can’t handle freedoms”. This is why his supporters are so vehemently defensive of him. Their object of praise has been distracted.

---PROOF TEXTING---PROOF TEXTING---PROOF TEXTING---

I’m learning a little about this technique called “proof texting” which is commonly used by cults. Scripture is quoted and used to be a “hook” to lure in the listeners’ attention toward a point of view. An eager audience will not recognize the misuse of God’s Word but will accept it readily as valid proof.

Here is another example of proof texting: Using Matthew 6:25-28, Bill Gothard teaches about accepting our “unchangeable” features. Before listening to Mr. Gothard teach on this passage, I thought this was Jesus telling us that He will take care of us and we have nothing to worry about. Worry cannot change our situation in life, so give it to him! Now that I am out of the institute’s influence, I realize that trust IS what Jesus was teaching us! That Scripture is not telling us that it’s a sin to dye your hair or get a tan. (Which is how Bill interprets “adding one cubit to your stature”.) These things are not an act of faithlessness which might hinder my favor with God. But trust God. Trust Him to take care of the tiniest details of my life because I am so very precious to Him.

---CHOICES---CHOICES---CHOICES---CHOICES---CHOICES---

In Wisdom Booklets and in other manuscripts, Bill teaches that every choice -no matter how trite- is “good” or “evil”. He teaches that “gray areas” indicate a presence of evil because gray is a mixture of light and dark. He teaches that people who believe in “gray areas” operate on a failure to distinguish right from wrong. In the Wisdom Booklet, an example of this is the choice between wearing a clip tie and a long tie. Gothard explains that the gentleman choosing the clip tie made the correct choice that day because he ended up in a battle with a crook who could have strangled him with his tie. In all actuality, the moral decision wasn’t “hmm… what do I wear today?” It was “hmmm… should I obey dress code today and wear the standard-issue tie as mandated by my employer?”  (He was a police officer, by the way.) Obedience was the issue. Not what to wear! We often heard that even the color of the carpet was a moral issue to him. The fact that I don’t believe the choosing of a carpet color doesn’t mean that I don’t know the difference between good and evil. It means that even though I know it’s morally wrong to STEAL the carpet, I believe that the choice of color is a non-moral issue.

---AUTHORITY---AUTHORITY---AUTHORITY---AUTHORITY---

Hebrews 13:17 “Obey them that have rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief; for that is unprofitable for you.” Using this verse, and not unlike the Jehovah’s Witness movement, Gothard teaches that the kingdom of heaven operates like the Roman Empire. High-powered control freaks at the top force those under them to unquestioningly conform. Mr. Gothard supports the teaching that parents are placed above children with no accountability –except that of God. Therefore, they can interpret anything as being a directive of God!

Bill Gothard’s view of authority is the groundwork for many of his other teachings. (This is a BIG DEAL.) I Samuel 15:23 “Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft.” Gothard takes this Scripture a step further and teaches that rebellion equals witchcraft. He uses this to “prove” that when we are out from under an umbrella of authority (or, umbrella of protection) we are subject to satanic attack. My old red Basic Seminar textbook states that we will be “subject to unnecessary temptations that are too strong to overcome”. In conclusion, Gothard is teaching that all rebellion is evil which equals “all submission is righteous.” Sounds good and spiritual enough, but that Scripture (like many others) has been misused. Time and time again, his talent of misusing Scripture for his purpose reminds me of a slight-of-hand act. As with his other principles, Bill grasps to prove a point. But Christian society was so ready and relieved for an answer, that parents and grandparents and youth directors overlooked the Bible’s repeated misuse. Why couldn’t we just go to Paul’s teaching on authority I Romans 13:3-4 and Genesis 9 to point out the social ramifications of rebellion? Why add to it a mystical twist?

For too long, I listened to a particular preacher rant and rave that social drinking is sinful –only to “prove this" with Bible verses that dealt specifically with the sin of drunkenness. I’ve become weary of the misuse of Scripture. Very, very weary.

Luke 2:48-2. Gothard teaches that Jesus struggled with whether to obey His parents or to “be about His Father’s business”. He decided on the latter. If you read the passage at face value, it illustrates Jesus’ recognition of His identity as the Savior, the Son of God. But Gothard twists it to display an internal conflict of whether or not to obey the parental authority of his earthly parents. This fits Bill Gothard’s system… he twisted Scripture to fit his purposes. The inner conflict was in Joseph and Mary, not Jesus! (Read it. They lost their kid!!!) Once again, slight-of-hand at work. The work of an illusionist. If Jesus was truly inwardly conflicted, He displayed rebellion by staying back in the temple, but we know Jesus was sinless. Gothard invented a meaning that opposes the passage’s point –that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah. In other areas of the Bible, we are told that Jesus was completely without sin. So, you do the math. =)

Submission, proper submission, is taught in Romans 13:1, Titus 3:1, I Peter 2:13, and Ephesians 5. Mr. Gothard liked to use Mark 10:42-44 “…greatest shall be servant…” which is to teach us that the more of a leader someone becomes, the more accountable they need to become. Bill Gothard applied this passage, though, by donning his primitive, navy polyester suit and having his staff girls (myself included) on their hands and knees, scrubbing carpets while international delegates walked through our lobbies.

---TOTALISM---TOTALISM---TOTALISM---TOTALISM---TOTALISM---

Gothard teaches that obedience to leaders must happen without question. Conformity is key. Uniformity is mistaken for unity. Legalism nixes any chance for individuality and independent thinking. In such an environment, when Bill Gothard goes off on one of his crazy ideals, and you’re tempted to laugh at the preposterous nature (example: cabbage patch dolls prevent pregnancy) you look around and see the hundreds of serious nodding heads, you begin to question your own lack of rational is the kind of conditioning you receive under a totalistic IBLP. I have a friend who was employed by IBLP for several years. One day he and his wife were told by Bill Gothard that he was impressed by God that he will live until he’s about 120 years old. My friend laughed at the suggestion and was fired immediately.

I’ve heard a label for Bill’s gripping influence on people: the “power of persona”. Mr. Gothard presents himself really well. He appears sincere, humble, gracious, wise, and compassionate. His presentation and the atmosphere that follows him makes it very difficult to identify and point out the heresy.

---COURTSHIP---COURTSHIP---COURTSHIP---COURTSHIP---

In continuation with Bill Gothard’s step-by-step systematic way to live, there’s the subject of courtship. The term “courtship” comes from the days of old when a man “courted” a woman instead of “dating” her or “going out” with her. Mere terminology. In recent years, “courtship” refers to more of a potentially supervised relationship in preparation for marriage. Bill Gothard’s brand of courtship is intricately linked to his teaching of authoritarian parenting and systematic, mechanistic prescriptions for life. According to Mr. G, each area of life is governed by a military-like chain of command. Therefore, why should dating/courtship be any different? Marriage would surely be under attack if not gone into via Mr. G’s design.

Mr. Gothard is so caught up in his “umbrella of protection” concept that he can’t see reality. He has no idea how REAL families operate. Not Beaver Cleaver families. Not Stepford families. But REAL families. He claims that “Satan cannot get through to some sons and daughters unless there is a leak in the father’s umbrella”. He teaches a philosophy that as long as sons and daughters abide by the demands of the father, their lives will be successful. In his seminars, Bill teaches that if a father/husband’s authority is not properly recognized, then all else will fall apart. If the wife fails to submit to her husband, her children will be rebellious. The success and failure of the family hinges on how everyone in the line of command responds to the father. It really gripes me that Bill refuses to see the countless families under his influence who were falling apart due to power hungry, authoritarian parents and not because of rebellious children. Will he ever wake up and see that the huge generation of parents who were drawn to ATIA were attracted to it because it fed their hunger for self-centered control in the name of religiosity? And so now with his “courtship” development, he’s giving parents continued propaganda about the biblical standard for leading their children to marriage. Every control-obsessed parent’s dream!!!

Genesis 6:5: God saw that “very intent of the thoughts of [man’s] heart was only evil continually.” Gothard teaches that these thoughts were cultivated by dating which was common in that society. Again, extra-biblical teaching. Twisting God’s Word to fit his own agenda. Heresy. Bill uses Solomon, David, and Samson as object lessons as to why it is wrong to choose our own life partner. He neglects to point out that because they chose WRONG, they were wrong. Instead, he lead his followers to believe that it is wrong to choose. Period. Again, let’s strike the free will God gave us.

Proverbs 6:20-21: “My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother; Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck.” Gothard says this passage doesn’t mention ungodly or abusive parents, so there is no exception allowed. Bill ignores that this passage is referring to the commands and laws of Moses and claims that it refers clearly to submitting fully to the wishes of the parents in every area of life at every age of until the day of the marriage. Bill is so stuck on creating mechanical outlines for every area of life that he continues, even here, to twist Scripture for his purpose. This is actually a very simple task for him due to the fact that arranged marriages were common among the Jewish culture, thus lending lots of “Biblical examples”. Newsflash, Mr. Gothard: a Jewish story in the Bible does not equal a Biblical mandate!

(you might find this interesting: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYxHsbi1lqA&feature=related)

Back to the pendulum swing again: scared parents. Perverse society. Huge divorce rate. Then a hero emerges on the scene and provides promising answers.

---CONCLUSION---CONCLUSION---CONCLUSION---CONCLUSION---

I began my relationship with God while under Bill Gothard’s teaching. And like I stated earlier, for a time, I ignored the small little seemingly “non-issues” that I found disagreement with. My thinking was "awe, let's not throw out the baby with the bathwater." But Bill Gothard is someone who condones authoritarian parenting, replacing God with self, child abuse, creating choices as non-optional principles by twisting Scripture, and redefines grace erroneously. Therefore, I have been compelled to take a step back and rethink: “This bathwater is so dirtied by extraBiblical teaching that the baby needs to be found elsewhere.”



http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/whatever-happened-to-bill-gothard

So, is IBLP/ATI a cult? What do you think?: http://www.csj.org/infoserv_cult101/checklis.htm.

another great read: http://www.widewhite.org/2010/09/cult-of-quiverfull-ati-vision-forum/