10 Comments

1. 

   David Pigg June 21, 2013 Reply

   Has anyone out there read a book written by Coral Anika Theill called "Bonshai"?It's depiction of how utterly dehumanizing,brutal,sadistical treatment was made against a mother of eight children from Oregon.And yes Bill Gothard was involved.This account is documented,and now Theill is going across the country with her story.It covers all too well the depravity of religious man,judicial bullying,coercion under much suffering.For years Theill was denied the so called privilege of seeing her children by her ex husband a Gothardite in cooperation with a judge who told Coral she was a witch.No one knows the ordeal she went through but few reached out.She is on you tube.This article hits the nail on the head when what's esteemed to be protected for an image supersedes the essence of what needs to be protected for its precious commodity: women, children,helpless.For Recovering Grace I will Quote a Russian proverb from Alexander Isayevich Solzhenitsyn:"Remember the past and lose an eye, forget the past and lose both eyes,"The Gulag Archepelago".[By the way, Coral escaped Bill Gothard's detention center in Chicago].

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     MatthewS June 21, 2013 Reply

     As far as I can recall, this is the first I've heard about that book. Sounds interesting.

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       Tangent June 21, 2013 Reply

       I checked on Amazon.com, but saw no book by that title.

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         guest June 21, 2013

         It's spelled Bonshea. It is sad that the author seems to have taken a totally different direction in her faith.

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       reader June 21, 2013 Reply

       I read a few excerpts on her website, and it's a very sad story. I did not read the book, but here's a page from her website, just so we know where her views ended up.
       http://www.coralanikatheill.com/Spiritual_Journey.php

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       esbee June 21, 2013 Reply

       "The memory of my own suffering has prevented me from ever shadowing one young soul with the superstition of the Christian religion."
       
       "The whole tone of Church teaching in regard to women is, to the last degree, contemptuous and degrading."
       
       "The religious superstitions of women perpetuate their bondage more than all other adverse influences."
       
       "The Bible and the Church have been the greatest stumbling blocks in the way of women's emancipation."
       
       Above are quotes from the woman who wrote Bonshea who was raped and mistreated by her husband and had her children taken from her. It is interesting that some people who are deeply hurt by those calling themselves Christians then decide to not believe in anything Christian.
       
       If a communist leader kills or imprisons someone for having a religion or differing political opinion, I know that leader is a true communist BUT if a person claiming they are Christian then goes and does some horrific deed in the name of Christianity or just a horrific deed because they are a fallible human, then I doubt they are a true christian. Many atheists claim they cannot believe in a god because of the crusades(God sending soldiers to make war in Islamic countries) But were those crusaders really Christians? For example, anyone can claim to go and do something in the name of our president but then the president gets wind of it and says, I never told that person to do that, I do not even know that person.
       
       Too bad those hurt in Christian circles can't see past the free will choices that Christians, or those claiming to be Christian, make. God never told that man to rape his wife nor does He condone it.

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         MatthewS June 22, 2013

         That is sad.
         
         I think the problem is not any particular religion, Christianity included, but men and women who are living in the flesh vs. in the Spirit. As bad as some Christian circles are, there are other religions and cultures where it seems just as bad and sometimes significantly worse to me. Not that there is really a scale to be put on the suffering that happens as a result of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness being squashed. Hopefully places like RG can help redeem what Christianity represents for some folks who have been deeply abused and hurt, as this lady has been.

2. 

   Tangent June 21, 2013 Reply

   It's spelled "Bonshea"

3. 

   David Pigg June 22, 2013 Reply

   I hate to say it but I never got psyched up enough to read but only a few excerpts of the book.All I can hope for is may Christ reveal Himself to Coral.May the Holy Spirit reveal the true heart of God the Father and Jesus the Son to all abused in the trumped up kingdoms of men.The world really has no answers.

4. 

   Barbara Mathews May 7, 2017 Reply

   I'm very disappointed in Coral. I reached out to her and have written many articles and posts in her behalf, and have carried on personal correspondence with her since 2007, until the primary news outlet she had written on removed all her articles a couple years ago, and subsequently the same articles were removed from my website.
   Prior to that, Coral had mailed me some of her beeswax ornaments, her Danish Cinnamon rolls one Christmas as a special thank you...but just as soon as all her articles were taken off her news outlet and my website, she wrote me and dropped me like a hot potato saying we had nothing in common. I guess we didn't. She is not the woman I thought she was, and I am a Christian. I forgave her, but realize I had been used under false pretenses.
   I am truly sorry for what happened to her but she has made herself her own worst enemy and will never obtain the peace she so desperately needs as long as she continues hating the Lord Jesus Christ. She would deny this, but in essence, she does. May the Lord forgive her for this. She needs repentance and deliverance, and true salvation. Jesus Christ is "not the false church" and the false church is "not Jesus Christ", nor does He have anything whatsoever to do with "religion" per se. There is a vast distinction between the two that people like Coral need to recognize.