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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.

Tag Archives: ati

Barbwired Heart

15 October 2011, 04:10

Moderator

7

I was reading the “Living as God Designed” post on Recovering Grace and started crying (something I almost never do). Here’s the part where the dam burst: “Just as the deer glorifies God by being swift and agile, the elephant glorifies God by being strong and loyal, the flower glorifies God by being beautiful and […]

Adoption: The Ultimate Act of Grace

14 October 2011, 06:00

Kevin

110

What do the following characters have in common?  Luke Skywalker… Harry Potter… Tarzan… Mowgli… Superman… Batman… Jane Eyre… Bambi… Oliver Twist… Buddy the Elf… Kung Fu Panda… Anne of Green Gables… Moses…. Answer: They’re all—in various senses of the word—adopted. Granted, some of these adoptive situations worked out better than others, and it’s admittedly better […]

“Get Over It”

12 October 2011, 06:30

Aimee

9

Recently a friend of mine, “Kay,” who also went through the Advanced Training Institute (ATI) was told by an acquaintance to just get over it. This acquaintance had come out of the ATI program without too much trauma. However, Kay had gone through some pretty horrific experiences at the hands of those in charge of […]

A Jonah Tale

11 October 2011, 06:05

admin

10

In the latter part of the 1990s, I spent the better part of two years working at the Oklahoma City Training Center (OTC). I worked primarily with Character First! Education (CFE), specifically going into the local schools and teaching the curriculum to mostly low-income children. While I now see some of the flawed philosophy behind […]

Hannah’s Story

10 October 2011, 06:00

Moderator

11

My mother was from an abusive home. My father’s was devoid of affection. They wanted something radically different for their family. In 1980, my parents credited their first Institute in Basic Life Principles Seminar with saving their marriage. My brother was born shortly after, when I was 6.  When Bill Gothard later started a home […]

A Tale of Two Abigails

7 October 2011, 08:57

MatthewS

14

The first Abigail is a wise and beautiful hero, an inspiration to women and men everywhere. Her quick thinking, deliberate action, and diplomatic speech saved many lives. We meet this Abigail in a delightful story told in 1 Samuel 15. Sadly, many of us raised under the Institute in Basic Life Principles and ATI’s teachings […]

A Letter From My Heart

5 October 2011, 06:00

Ed B

5

“My view of myself was so big when I felt I had to keep all the codes that my Savior was small in my thinking.”

Dear Friends, I’m 32 years old and married to my beautiful wife of 3 years. We have a 2-year-old boy and a 10-month-old girl and I love being their dad. In fact, baby #3 is in the oven and we are excited about our growing family! We don’t feel an obligation to fulfill God’s command […]

Spanking the Orphans: A Brief History

4 October 2011, 05:45

RobertM

10

The following is meant to share some of the history of the disciplinary philosophy of spanking used by the Advanced Training Institute (ATI) in their orphan ministry. Spanking at the Moscow Training Center (MTC) was used too often for offenses that were only minor and as a cure-all and spirit-breaker.  The lack of a coherent, […]

Choosing Forgiveness

3 October 2011, 06:00

Moderator

11

When I was 19 I worked for two years to save up enough money to go to Moscow, Russia.  I went with the home school program I was involved in, the Advanced Training Institute (ATI) and I worked hard. Much to my surprise I was quickly singled out as someone with bad intentions. One of […]

Sweeping the Stairs: An Exercise in Will-Breaking

27 September 2011, 06:15

Moderator

21

It was 1995. I was 20 years old. I had recently arrived at the Moscow Training Center in Moscow, Russia, and was eager to begin my first day of “ministry.” I was assigned to the housekeeping detail. The woman in charge was giving me instructions for sweeping a flight of stairs at the training center, […]