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Articles about how Bill Gothard mishandles the Bible to support his legalistic viewpoint.

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Author Archives: Moderator

My Tower Won’t Reach!

27 July 2011, 06:00

Moderator

19

tower of good works

MY FAMILY JOINED THE ADVANCED TRAINING INSTITUTE (ATI) IN 1986 when I was 13 years old. Drinking in the false definition of grace brought me to the belief that to maintain favor with God, I needed to live by a particular set of “standards.”  As with many other Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP) teachings, […]

Gothard’s Biblical Inoculation

25 July 2011, 04:00

Moderator

11

a set of syringes

Question: How do you insure that your children don’t catch a deadly disease? Simple…inoculate them. In the 1700s, it was discovered that dipping a needle into the pus of a smallpox blister and then inserting that same needle into a healthy person prevented them from getting the disease. The infected dose was large enough for […]

Escaping the Religious Noose, Part 4: Wrapping Up

21 July 2011, 08:00

Moderator

10

[Editor’s note: This is Part 4 of a four-part series. Click here for Part 1, Part 2, or Part 3] —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 […]

Escaping the Religious Noose, Part 3: Absolute Authority

20 July 2011, 08:00

Moderator

26

[Editor’s note: This is Part 3 of a four-part series. Click here for Part 1, Part 2, or Part 4] Using this verse in a manner not unlike the Jehovah’s Witness movement, Gothard teaches that the kingdom of heaven operates much like the Roman Empire. High-powered individuals at the top require those under them to […]

Escaping the Religious Noose, Part 2: Grace Redefined

19 July 2011, 08:00

Moderator

6

[Editor’s note: This is Part 2 of a four-part series. Click here for Part 1, Part 3, or Part 4] I will never forget the first time I heard Mr. Gothard teach that “unmerited favor” is a faulty definition of grace. His first step in redefining grace was to look up the New Testament word “graciousness” […]

Escaping the Religious Noose, Part 1: Legalism

18 July 2011, 08:00

Moderator

7

[Editor’s note: This is Part 1 of a four-part series. Click here for Part 2, Part 3, or Part 4] My name is Donna. When I was a child, our family became involved with the Institute in Basic Youth Conflicts (IBYC), which was later renamed the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP). In 1986, we […]

An Open Letter from Bill Gothard’s First Generation to Basic Seminar Attendees

16 July 2011, 08:00

Moderator

147

Dear Basic Seminar Attendee, The person who handed you this letter tonight cares about you. They care enough that they took time to bring it to you because they believe in the message and want you to understand before it is too late. This person is someone who grew up in a household influenced by […]