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Imagine that you and I are in a horrific car accident. Our car is “T-boned” on the driver’s side. We roll down an embankment and land topside down. Our vehicle is in the ditch, making it hard for other drivers to see that we are in trouble. Finally, a police officer sees the wreck, stops, and comes down the embankment.
The officer is able to open the passenger side door with no problem. He helps you out and you stand up. He asks if you are okay, and you say that you are fine. You both stoop to look into the front seat. I am crumpled up on the upside-down roof of the car. You both can tell I am badly hurt. There is blood matted in my hair, very noticeable fractures, and massive head trauma. The officer asks dispatch to send a medic unit immediately. You look at the officer in disbelief and exclaim, “Hey, my friend is fine! She just needs to get over it. Look at me. I came out unscathed. She is just a faker that wants attention.”
You crawl back into the car and repeat to me what you said to the officer, “Hey, get up! You’re fine. C’mon, look at me; I’m fine. Get over yourself. It’s a little car accident. You act like you’re hurt or something.”
The “accident” in this illustration is like the fall-out from Gothard’s teachings. The “car” that has been T-boned is carrying ATI families, eagerly steering them toward promised Spiritual holiness through righteous living. One family—one student, perhaps—is horrifically injured by unproved teachings. The injuries are numerous—some more obvious than others. Another survivor of the same accident has escaped nearly unscathed. The injured victim needs help desperately. But the uninjured survivor has been well-trained—we do not complain, we suffer in silence, we get over our pain, we don’t make accusations that could reflect badly on another. And so she dismisses the pain of her fellow-passenger, encourages her to “get over it,” and tells outsiders who might sympathize that the pain is irrelevant. Possibly even falsified.
The injured passenger does not wish ill on those who survived unscathed. In fact, such pain could never be wished on anyone. But oh, how grateful she would be to be rescued, to be understood, to be validated and cared for and nurtured. We would ask our readers to consider this analogy as a plea for consideration—do you want to be the passenger who asks her injured friend to “get over it,” or rather, the officer who seeks to save before the injured is lost forever? Will you seek to help or to hinder our healing process?
A former student relayed the following story:
In my line of work, it has been said that you will experience an accident scene that you will never forget, and that you will take it to your grave.
I was 23 years old. A call went out around 10:30 p.m. for a motorcycle versus van. When we arrived on scene, we immediately called for a helicopter. Moving down the embankment we saw the first victim lying on his side moaning. We found the second victim farther down. It was a female, and she was barely responsive. My Lieutenant asked what I needed, and then helped me package her up for the flight to the trauma center.
I did CPR on the victim for 20 minutes, covering the trooper and myself with blood during our flight to the hospital. The hospital’s chief of staff took my patient, and I stood in the bay watching them throw in chest tubes and fill cylinder after cylinder, CT’s, opened up in the bay—and then everything came to a halt. The doctor came over to me, grabbed my shoulders and said, “Damn fine splint job, damn fine job. But she had a ruptured aorta. No amount of splinting or CPR would have saved her. She had injuries no one could have seen with the naked eye.”
For those who came out of ATI unscathed: praise God! You have no idea how blessed you are that your family didn’t fall for Bill Gothard and his Advanced Training Institute (ATI) hook, line, and sinker.
On the flip side: you never know if you will one day be in need of some sort of compassion, or a life-line thrown out to you during a major crisis in your life. Be careful how you judge or dismiss others, because one day you might find yourself in need of help in your recovery process, even if nothing appears to be wrong with you on the outside.
Great article, Renee. But I would have to disagree a bit with the illustration of one passenger escaping with no injuries at all. It is nearly impossible for anyone influenced even in a small way by the spiritual train wreck as twisted and fundamentally warped and unbiblical as ATI/Gothard is to be completely unscathed. Many times accident injuries don't show up until long after the wreck, whether days, weeks, or even years later (my husband recently had a ruptured disk from an old injury that the doctor said was likely just waiting for years to happen).
My family was only in ATI for two years at the very beginning, but Gothard was in us much longer than we were in the organization. Reading the many articles on RG over the last two years has opened my eyes to how much twisted teaching and internal soul injuries I had sustained as a child and teenager without even realizing it. And often times it's in stressful situations that my old injuries and scars get aggravated and rear their ugly heads.
Thanks, RG, for making house calls across the world to bring the balm of Jesus' love to our hurting hearts. Opening up old wounds and draining out the poison hasn't been pleasant for me, but I am so thankful for the Gentle Shepherd who has used you all to pour in the oil and wine as modern day Good Samaritans.
Beth, I concur. I would say, based on my experience, there are thousands who will only begin to understand the damage done to them in the years to come, but it will take years, and God's grace, for them to begin to understand it.
I see so many people who keep saying,'we were in it, we're fine, we're great' etc.. well at one time my family would have said the same. I want to say, 'I'm so sorry, but just wait, someday you're going to wish you had listened to those who went before you and were shouting a warning.'
Excellent!
Dear Renee,
Thank you for your well thought out article! I appreciate you addressing the possible dismissive attitudes of those who do not think they were hurt by Gothardism for whatever reason. I have experienced some of that myself.
You really encouraged me to keep on working to unlearn the lies and to not dismiss my own injuries.
Blessings to you!
Willow
Some of the most ignorant things a person can respond with (when it comes to telling about abuse) is: "Hey, I went through all that and worse, and I turned out fine!"
You mean you still have four limbs and pay taxes? That's not the point. Every time someone says such a thing, they are merely attempting to not face needful personal change. They defend against change (and facing their own experience) because it's much more easy. The road to recovery from physical/spiritual/etc. abuse is DEEPLY difficult.
I only know because I steadfastly said the same dumb crap until panic attacks forced me to admit I had a problem.
Very interesting analogy between internal damage that no one can see and obvious external damage. That holds true for a lot of people that suffer from traumatic events and later need to deal with PTSD. I think the second to the last paragraph is most interesting "if you came out unscathed you have no idea how blessed your family didn't fall for Bill Gothard hook, line and sinker". I think that is insightful. Why did some like myself attend basic and advance even not end up delving deeper into Gothardism but others did much to their regret later on? Why did too many fall for his teaching hook, line and sinker? It is hard to do but for those that did, were there any inner concerns or warnings or hey wait a minute moments that were overlooked? Was it due to too much local Church support to question? Was common sense ignored? In reviewing all of this, I realize that I had a number of hey wait a minute doubts, even if I couldn't put my finger on it. I guess I am addressing to those that ended up raising their children in ATI and would have attended in the 70-80s. Where other Christian influences ignored in the rush to follow Gothard? I think looking at this angle might explain why some were able to walk away rather unscathed as oppose to those that rushed ahead into Gothard. Other Christian non-Gothard influences would be the seat belt that enabled those to be able to walk away once the car crashed.
I agree, Rob War.
I also fear that we can put exclusive emphasis on IBLP/BG/ATI and forget that it is but one current of falsehood that does affect our spiritual health. Many "fell" because other factors made them ripe for the picking. Others "arose" because the Word of God and Spirit of God shown light in the darkness. Others have fallen into worse darkness, reacting to BG and missing Grace all together. None of our institutions is perfect. None of our families could have found perfection by merely avoiding Gothardism. All of us are burdened by this and other corruptions. The call of God is to deliverance from all our works and thoughts, into Him. "Move on" and "get over it" is just another work of the flesh, but abiding in self pity (as opposed to an honest diagnosis of damage) can be a rejection of hope and promise offered to all. Let's be sure we are offering hope as we nurse the wounded.
Encourage one another to love and good deeds. Do not prefer others before yourself. Love one another as I have loved you. Bear one another's burdens.
Don, your insight is always appreciated and spot on. I was reviewing all of this and realized that the more liberal Protestant home life I was raised in probably was the key for me not to go head hog into Bill's advice. While he emphasized single adults to stay at home, my late parents groomed me to go away to college and have a career to support myself. With all of Bill's submission teaching, I submitted to what their desire was, go away to college. However, there was a number of poisonous ideas that took some time to uproot. When newly married, I did have it drilled into my head that I was suppose to be at home, even without children. It did cause me unnecessary stress in the early years of marriage due to that. Like the car accident, looked ok on the outside but internal bleeding on the inside.
Don you said "None of our families could have found perfection by merely avoiding Gothardism." This is good. It is so true and obvious but so good to review. I am guessing many former ATI parents reading on RG find it helpful.
"All of us are burdened by this and other corruptions. The call of God is to deliverance from all..." I agree. Some might have been drawn to ATI because there were such clear "answers" on the submission teaching and it deeply appealed to their need for accountability. Others for the opposite reasons. "The call of God is to deliverance from all." Thank you for offering hope.
Hi Rob,
You ask, "Why did too many fall for his teaching hook, line and sinker?"
About a year or so ago there was some discussion here about how it seemed many families already had been "messed up" (my words) before they drank the Kool-aid. That is way way it was for me.
I was raised in a very "messed up" family. Just about all the descriptions you might use to describe BG and ATI and the Training Centers, could be said about us, including my father being a preacher who had a direct line to God. One might say that the enemy "groomed" me for 25 years before I went to my first basic and drank the poison. Of course, that does not excuse my responsibility but might help with some understanding of how it all came about.
I have 1 sister and 3 brothers who also went to the seminar. However, none of them fell for BG like I did. I attended in the mid 70s and was a second year ATI dad (for 5 or 6 years.)
It turns out that I had a couple of extra problems: I did not crawl as a kid and that contributed to ADD/ADHD. Also I have had a heavy metal toxin problem since I was a kid, which has gotten worse over the years with more toxins. Neither of these problems I knew about until recently. That is I did not know precisely what was triggering some of my madness. I knew I "was not quite right" but thought it was all just a sin problem. (if I would just try harder, memorize and meditate more, get up earlier and so on)
Between processing what is here on RG for the past two years, using a balance board for my ADD, and beginning through the long process of cleating out the toxins, I am doing way better. I still have a long way to go.
Before my family fell apart, if I had a "wait a minute doubt," they were quickly brushed aside with the "Gothard's Biblical Inoculation" (see article 14 March 2014.) After I lost everything, it still took several years before the light came on. RG has had so much to do with my processing and freedom. Who knew the day would come that I could talk about this and others would understand? God is good.
I'm sorry Guy, but I'm glad that God is continuing to heal and bring you to wholeness. Your comment about families that already had problems before hand is certainly true for a number of people. I read the book "I Fired God". It is a very tough read and the author's father was already abusive before they became involved with that form of fundamentalism and Gothard. I think the strong authority type teaching would be a big draw to people that already have an abusive bent and don't want to be accountable for it. May God continue to heal and bring you wholeness in your life.
Thank you Rob. Bless you also.
This song (Lucy Britton singing) just came on Live365 Celtic Christian station when I was posting the prior note. Be encouraged:
I will change your name
You shall no longer be called
Wounded, outcast
Lonely or afraid
I will change your name
Your new name shall be
Confidence, joyfulness
Overcoming one
Faithfulness, friend of God
One who seeks my face.
I only went to one Basic Seminar, but I was in a church for several years that took a number of Gothard teachings to heart. They were very fond of the "umbrella of protection" and the diamond illustration (how God uses trials in our lives). No one every questioned the leadership, even when it was obvious that the pastor was in sexual sin. Trials were supposed to be quietly minimized because that would obviously be questioning God's work in your life. I ended up being distrustful of church leadership and denying my feelings about some very painful events in my life during high school. It took a long time for me to work through both issues. So, even minimal exposure to something as twisted as Gothard's teaching can leave hurting people behind.
The scary part is that ATI/Gothard (and the fundamentalists who write extensively about beating children) DEEPLY appeals to a certain type of person.
This sort of fits this article.
I just came across This article on Forbes by Rob Asghar which contains these paragraphs
"With toxic leaders, there are no happy endings, no matter how hard you pray. You just have to move on. That may seem especially sad to those Mars Hill congregants who want Driscoll to undergo a disciplinary process so that that a newly mature, repentant and humbled version of himself might someday take the pulpit.
"But a number of psychologists have told me that the truly toxic leaders, the ones who manage to cause trouble on the scale of a Driscoll, are tragically irredeemable as managers. Oftentimes, the disciplining process only teaches them new ways to exploit the system while pretending to obey it. (Bear in mind that Driscoll himself has been claiming for years that he’s been making progress on his shortcomings.)"
Apropos of Bill, I think. The moving on is hard though, as Renee points out so well in this article.
thanks for the article. I think it shows the lack of oversight and control in mega churches built on personalities and para-church ministries like IBLP, there is no control or oversite and scandals bring them down.
the car accident comparison is not an accurate comparison. and imho, this type of article simply caters to the cry baby generation, i.e. 30 yrs and younger.
"cry baby generation" is a caricature, not a characterization. Not likely to come across as "truth in love."
But to your point, you think the car accident is a bad analogy. The two questions that come to mind for me are, 1) applying your concept, who might "get over it" cater to? and 2) do you have any thoughts about what a better analogy would be?
You know I'm 50+ years, so I'm not sure what cry baby generation you are referring to. The point of the analogy is that some injuries are obvious and open, others are not and they are deep within. When injuries are deep within and looking at someone, one can't tell who is really injured or not. That is true of Gothardism. Some of us are able to walk off. Others especially those brought up in it with no other choices are going to have more internal injuries. But having Christian compassion for anyone that is suffering or injured is what Jesus would have us do not calling names like cry babies.
I think of the Scripture, 'weeping with those who weep'. It indicates to me that there are some sorrows that each person won't be able to really relate to in another person, but should we just write them off? Also indicates that if someone is weeping, there's a pretty good chance they have a really good reason to weep. Weeping is often synonymous with mourning.
Yes, exactly. I see no where is the Bible where Jesus told someone to "get over it". He went ahead and ministered to that person. That should be every Christian's attitude towards anyone that is hurting and needs healing.
I am way past the "crybaby" generation (57 years young), but I continue to see Gothard-like behavior and beliefs in many churches/parachurch organizations, and I cringe. Christians are always looking for something that will create "heaven on earth" in their families and churches vs. really wrestling with the Scriptures to see how they can be applied to the current generation. However, we like formulas and people who will tell us what to do. I am thankful that my current church is careful before ever introducing a new program. At the same time, we have lost a number of homeschooling families because we were not considered conservative enough and-HORROR-our staff usually has sent their children to public school (we also have a very high focus ministry to teachers in our local public school through providing supplies, tutoring, and landscaping help). Scripture provides ways to have a lifestyle in the world but not of it, allowing us to reach our neighbors for Jesus without circling the wagons. Gothard and his ilk do not provide any meaningful way to reach a hurting world for Christ. How can you when you are only focusing on an insular family unit, and other units that are clones of your own?
right, the Scripture also says there is a time to weep and a time to mourn; then there is a time to get on with things. is it weeping or is it wallowing in the mire? I still stand by my cry baby generation statement. "here we are now, entertain us" is the anthem.
If you are going to quote scripture please get it right. Ecc. 3 did not say at all a time to get over it or get on with things. Nor does it even imply that or encourage others to view hurting people as cry babies. Nor does the Bible anywhere lump generations of people together in a condensending mannor.
rob war
Proverbs 30 speaks of a generation much like the generation I am alluding to - "lofty in their own eyes"; the generation that had to spend another 40 yrs in the desert come to mind. so yes, the Bible does lump generations together ...
Ygoi, I would like to point out that you have not addressed the two questions MathewS ask. It seems to me that you want to engage in dialogue here as a reasonable person, but you refuse to answer a couple reasonable questions. It looks like you are showing your true colors based only on that.
Ygoi, it appears that your argument is first, the "cry baby generation" is real and and second, Rec Grace fits in that category and third, individuals here therefore do not deserve first aid and fourth, God in the Bible lumps (judges?) generations together.
A good place to start to prove your first argument might be the popular article by Cal Newport, "Solving Gen Y"s Passion Problem" in the Harvard Business Review. This is a quote form the article."The New York Post called us “The Worst Generation,” while USA Today noted that we are “pampered” and “high maintenance.
So Ygoi, suppose we spent so time discussing this article and others like it. We might agree with many descriptions used to describe the younger generation. However at the end of the day, I and many of us here would probably still agree with MathewS who called the expression "cry baby generation" a caricature. It maybe accurate to many, but on this site you lose a lot of credibility and come across as unreasonable. There are real people here, not a statistical group that you call names.
However to save time, for arguments sake suppose I agree with you because you prove your first two points. So lets just skip to your third argument, that this young generation does not deserve first aid. You might be correct in one way of thinking. But what generation does? Presumably, your generation deserve help (or maybe they are so awesome they need no help?) We are back to to one of the questions by MathewS you did not answer, "1) applying your concept, who might "get over it" cater to?"
As to your fourth argument, surely you do not believe that just because it is in the bible and God does things, that automatically gives us the right to do the same.
So Ygoi my two youngest sons are under 30, and while neither of them post here, if they ever did it would be nice to see them treated as people. I am guessing if you have kids under 30, you would feel the same.
Ygoi,
I think you can see by many of the replies here is that a bunch of us are in the 50+ crowd. There are many ages and age groups represented on RG and even many of those raised under ATI are those past the 30+ years and are speaking out. I'll use a Gothard on you, you have a hard bitter attitude towards others. The only person you hurt is yourself.
yes, get over it - some of those who are struggling are parents who exited ATI and Gothard's teachings after seeing their children rebel in frustration. I remember one such woman on the old "Gothard discussion list." As I recall, one of her grown children was OK, but another was NOT OK, and this is ROUGH!!! I want you to hear me real well, so watch closely: Parents who feel responsible for the agnst and frustration and rebellion in their children, due to excessive authoritarian teachings may NEVER get over feelings of recrimination and remorse in this lifetime, especially if their children reject or appear to reject the claims of Christ, and blame Gothard for it. These are people in their 50s and 60s by now, most of them.
You really need to rethink and have a fuller comprehension of what is taking place here. And this is saying nothing of Gothard pleasuring himself by playing footsies with young women and entering into close confidences with them (one way, of course). "Get over it?" My perception is your comments are bordering on cruel and inhumane.
^^^ this ^^^
LynnCD you said, "some of those who are struggling are parents who exited ATI...may NEVER get over feelings of recrimination and remorse in this lifetime..." Thank you for this. I am guessing other parents also are grateful for your compassion.
Thanks. I'm closer to 60 than 50 at this time. We have two grown children we are very thankful for, and one almost grown. But I refer to myself in my comment as well. We followed Ezzo, and I followed some of IBLP teaching for a time. There are many things I regret, and sometime I beat myself up, or rather, feelings of recrimination become acute. I have found the best antidotes to be persistence in prayer, honestly discussing matters if they come up, and faith and knowledge that God loves us and His grace super abounds to all who cry, "God! Be merciful to me, a sinner!"
LynnCD, you said ""Get over it?" My perception is your comments are bordering on cruel and inhumane.' I feel the same. My oldest son (almost 40) has been in jail/prison 7 times. He currently is in prison. "God! Be merciful to me, a sinner!" Indeed.
man, that's rough, Guy. My heart goes out to you and your family.
Thanks Matthew
Oh, GuyS, I didn't know that. My heart goes out to you and to your family. Thank you for sharing. One thing we can do for each other is to pray, and I am going to be praying for you and your family tonight.
Thanks LynnCD
Once again we see the true fruits of Gothardism. No love. Complete lack of compassion and understanding of people's human needs.
Is it weeping, or wallowing in the mire? Only God could possibly know the answer to this question. Is it for us to demand that someone 'get over' anything? Unless you really really know someone's story, and who that person is, I don't think any of us can judge whether any individual here is weeping or wallowing.
Ever heard of someone breaking a bone, healing, and then years later experiencing pain of some kind from the old break, even though it healed? It's the same thing.
Please realize that there are quite a few people on this site who are relatively new, that is, they have only recently begun to understand the damage that was done, and are watching their lives fall apart. It's a hard, horrible thing to go through, they must be allowed to weep. I understand that it can seem repetitive at times, but I think it's rather telling that so many different people who don't know each other, have such similar stories. It speaks of an evil that ought to be exposed for what it is, to prevent more suffering of the same, ESPECIALLY since this particular damage is done in the name of Christ.
I believe your generalization, especially the, 'here we are now, entertain us' does not apply to any on this website at all. It's a very good description of the general attitude of the youth of today in America, yes, very much so, but it does not apply to this website, or it's stated purpose. Exposing false teachings and the resulting fallout and damage as evidence doesn't fit the statements you've offered.
YGOI,
I agree that much of this generation can be characterized by an entitlement mentality and a penchant for immediate gratification, but I'd add that it can also be characterized by a tendency to view people as nothing more than animals - machines to be programmed, with as few emotional needs in play as possible. Whether you realize it or not, your plea for people here to "get over it" fits right into our cultural paradigm and is completely antithetical to the character of Christ. There are many people here who are legitimately struggling. Their healing process and the timetable for it is not something you can dictate. For some, myself included, discovering issues that are a direct result of exposure to IBLP teaching isn't something that we've been fully able to do without supportive communities and storytelling like this. Please keep that in mind.
Yes, Get Over It, who are you? Are you involved with ATI now? What brings you to this site? I have been so helped by reading these articles and comments on RG since a friend posted one on facebook in 2012. Reading about other people's experiences and analyses of BG's wrong teachings really opened my eyes to see the lies and distortions of scripture I had been bound by and I, for one, turned away from the mess and am learning to walk in the Spirit, not in the flesh. I wish I could push a "like" button under these comments I've read here. They are full of grace and wisdom. Maybe your condemnation of these commenters shows that you have been damaged by the teachings of BG, because your comments are not in the spirit of Christ at all, but in the flesh.
Sometimes God Himself won't allow us to "get over it ,until the link into a greater dimension of empathy and understanding substantiates true spiritual comprehension.Comprehension that causes me to discern that Gothard's victims were treated as rugs to walk on,vulnerable and naive,exploitable,if the calculated plans to exploit were shrewdly executed in coldhearted,self centered perversion.Its precisely these that should not be open to just any kind of superficial ministry.The hurting former female victims have too much value,that should only be channeled past the propped up self proclaimed users doomed to a spiritual wasteland.In the faithfulness of God,those that deny any injustice was done,any measures meted out to helpless trusting,vulnerable youth,that went beyond casual brutality,then tbe only possible recourse,could be a full blown display of one's own hardened heart,no holds barred.
Tangent you said, "Reading about other people's experiences and analyses of BG's wrong teachings really opened my eyes to see the lies and distortions of scripture ... I wish I could push a "like" button under these comments" I feel the same way. It is odd to me that after I told my family and friends about RG, none of them have showed any interest. I think about the incredible sacrifice of time and money I gave to BG/ATI searching for answers. (as i am sure many on this site also have done)
Now it is so easy to have information that is freely given on RG. I am grateful.
wow. Interesting that one of Bill's attacks against those who have confronted him is that they were after his money. Perhaps he tips his hand when he says that, revealing something about his own heart...
(I don't intend to judge his heart, I think that's a dangerous game, but I have noticed that often when people attack you in self-defense, they accuse you of what are really their own motives)
for posterity's sake, I'd like to point out to Mr. "yes get over it" (I'm making an assumption that this anonymous commenter is male) that your comments were on the strong side from the start but you were not rejected out of hand, rather, various attempts to interact. You have not interacted but have merely doubled down. In my experience, people who do that most often seem to enjoy provoking reactions but do not seem to demonstrate the humility of a learner that Solomon said was the mark of a wise man. If you had wanted to have a conversation, even if it were a hard one, you'd be having it by now. Not a wise pursuit of my time to attempt further interaction with someone who has that attitude, so I'll wish you a nice day and I'm out.
I think it's so important that a site like this be able to hear and interact with opposition. It's a disappointment when the opposition chooses to leave all the substance at home and instead go for the froth of negative attention. You've cheated us all, dude.
MatthewS you said,
"I think it's so important that a site like this be able to hear and interact with opposition."
I totally agree. This was the main reason that I was attracted to this site. I could not believe how nice everyone was to a particularly narcissistic personality that was not shy in his opposition. What I found fascinating was the kind and thoughtful interaction from RG.
awesome
One of my favorite life verses is Jeremiah 12:5
If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?
I read this article, and couldn't help be think of this verse. I love that it is a question. I love that it can only be answered by looking within, through examination of those things that wearied one, by analyzing one's wisdom in moving among humanity.
We are fallen. We feel our brokenness. We hurt. We hurt others. We long for something better. We seek. We are found. God's Grace allows us to be something more than we ever dreamed. But we must go through the pain and trust the Holy Spirit to move us in His time as we grow in understanding.
Those who have been described in this article have been taught that running with the footmen is the goal. Yet they know there is something more. They long for possibilities that are unknown to IBLP/ATI. Yet IBLP/ATI desire them to be satisfied with merely being another footman.
For those defending IBLP/ATI, do you know there is something far greater to enjoy in the Kingdom of God?