Have you Shiny Happy People? Looking for more info? Start here.

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

Personal testimonies of finding true freedom through God's matchless grace.

Living and thriving through the grace of God.

Stories and accounts of the destruction caused by the teachings of Bill Gothard.

Category Archives: The Destructive Effects of ATI & IBLP

Identity Theft

27 October 2011, 12:01

Moderator

9

When my mom and I were talking the other day she mentioned they had recently taken steps to prevent identity theft. Her words keep coming to my mind, but not in the sense that most people think of. I got to thinking about my own identity. I don’t really fear identity theft. What I fear […]

Courtship Covenants

20 October 2011, 06:35

Moderator

14

    What is a Courtship Covenant? A young girl walks down the aisle of a crowded church. She’s wearing a lovely white dress, and the pastor and her father are waiting up at the front… is she about to be married?  No, she is making a public commitment to courtship in this very wedding-like […]

ATI Teachings or Family Application: Which is the Culprit?

13 October 2011, 06:06

Moderator

23

  By the time I was 20 years old, I thought: •       That I had to obey my parents in every way, or suffer attacks from Satan too strong for me to withstand. •       That it was possible to disobey my parents without realizing it. •       […]

The Leaky Umbrella

6 October 2011, 06:04

JoyS

13

I remember the first time I heard about the umbrella of protection. It was when I was 13, at my first Basic Seminar. My younger sisters taught me about it initially. They had gotten the Children’s Institute lesson with the umbrella illustrations. It seemed simple and made sense to a child. Parents, church leaders, political […]

Story of a Destiny

29 September 2011, 06:03

Moderator

6

A little star was forming, developing, reaching to become all that the Biggest Star in the solar system meant for it to be. A Mentor star came alongside the little star, and offered to help. The little star shared its secrets and its struggles, and waited to be told how to become the great star […]

“Just Get Over It”

22 September 2011, 06:04

Moderator

13

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, […]

A Sorrowful Mother’s Answer

15 September 2011, 06:03

Sally

18

As a response to my son’s article, he was recently asked, “Kylar, where was your mom in all of this?” And so here is my answer… All I can say is that whatever my children were experiencing as far as brain washing and control, I was right there with them. I was 17 when I […]

God’s Best: The “Commitments” Payoff

25 August 2011, 06:00

RyanR

47

Anyone who has attended a Basic Seminar and has paid attention can tell you that Mr. Gothard is a man who likes checklists. Throughout the seminar he provides five steps to this, or three reasons for that. In many respects, a step-by-step process can be a helpful aid when trying to work through the various […]

Courtship Promised to Protect Me, Pt 2

18 August 2011, 06:30

JoyS

18

After my courtship with Josh failed, my parents did back off on having power over directing my love life. The fact that I lived several hours away from them helped to keep them from having much influence. The truth of the matter was that I had fought the idea of courtship for years. I just […]

Courtship Promised To Protect Me, Pt 1

11 August 2011, 06:00

JoyS

40

  Courtship. It’s a buzzword for people, not just in ATI, but in several conservative Christian groups. Bill Gothard defines courtship: “Courtship is experiencing the blessing of God by loving the Lord Jesus Christ and honoring both sets of parents. The purpose of courtship is to determine a couple’s readiness for marriage and to discern the […]