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

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

Category Archives: Featured Article

Standards that Divide Believers

23 September 2011, 06:00

Beverly

14

Ask any church leader who has come into contact with Gothard followers, and far too often you will hear about stories of divisions caused within churches, rather than people who are known for their love or unity. Many instances of division can be traced directly back to the teachings of Bill Gothard through the Institute […]

“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, […]

When Analogies and Anecdotes Dictated the Music Standard

21 September 2011, 06:30

RyanR

25

Anyone who has spent significant time under Bill Gothard’s teachings can tell you that he likes to use analogies to illustrate his points. While there is nothing wrong with analogies per se, they are a terrible basis upon which to build doctrine. Why? What happens when you come across two analogies that advocate opposite conclusions? […]

My ITC Prison Sentence, Part 3

20 September 2011, 06:15

JessicaF

21

The assignments I was given when I was confined to the prayer room at the Indianapolis Training Center (ITC) were all intended to make me aware of my sin and failure. For example, I was to write a two-page description of my sins, how they affected others, and the specific ways that God was using […]

Broken Glass

19 September 2011, 07:00

Wendy B

13

As I am going through this process of recognizing and healing from the effects of growing up with IBLP/ATI,  I find that daily life can often draw parallels to what I am feeling internally. I was washing a window in my kitchen today and realized that one of them is broken. It is pointless to […]

Judging 101

16 September 2011, 06:00

Moderator

31

I sat in the middle seat of the wood-grained station wagon, peering over the blue leather seats ahead of me, trying to get the best view I could out of the front windshield. I was on mission with my family to complete an ATI homeschool assignment for that day: “As a family, drive to a […]

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 […]

Dandelions

14 September 2011, 06:30

Moderator

29

LIVING HOLY. Why? Toward what end? By what motivation? For what purpose? My boys are still at that age where they eagerly “pick flowers for mommy” whenever they come across a patch of dandelions. Like many men stuck in the practicality of things, to my husband, they are clearly weeds. =) But to countless mommies […]

My ITC Prison Sentence, Part 1

13 September 2011, 06:15

JessicaF

10

My Indianapolis Training Center (ITC) prison sentence started in 1996, when I was 18 years old. My parents had gotten to the end of their rope with me. I had been the family project, constantly in need of guidance and discipline, ever since our family joined ATI when I was ten. I desperately wanted to […]

Taking the Bait

12 September 2011, 06:00

RickH

11

Hooked on Principles  My story is unique in that I first heard about Bill Gothard when I was an adult. As a college student, I joined a small church in a community in north Austin, Texas. I’d thought about going to seminary much over the previous year but I wasn’t certain that I wanted to […]