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

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On Being a Shoe Salesman….

15 February 2012, 09:30

Seth S

Dearly beloved–let us beware! There is a Shoe Salesman among us! So I work in a shoe store. Quiet, and unpretentious, I do little more than get the boxes off the top shelf, match mates up from our back storage room, and ring up sales. Tada! That is about it. Recently however, thanks to two […]

I Kissed Courtship Goodbye!

13 February 2012, 06:00

admin

When I was in my early 20’s I spent about 13 months working at an ACE school in Mexico. It so happened that one of my brother’s friends, a guy I had met previously at the IBLP (Institute in Basic Life Principles) Dallas Training Center, lived there as well. His family would frequently have me […]

A Response to Bill Gothard

30 January 2012, 06:00

Moderator

275

The year 2011 was an interesting chapter in the legacy of Bill Gothard, the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP), and the Advanced Training Institute (ATI). Through what we believe is the hand of God at work, many of those who were raised under Gothard’s teachings began to reach out to–and compare notes with–others who […]

A Legalist Goes Shopping

28 January 2012, 06:00

Moderator

I was musing over how a legalistic mindset makes life more difficult, and wrote the following illustration: Rebecca walks into the shoe store. She needs church shoes. She’s uncomfortable; the first salesman to see her is male. He walks toward her. She immediately does a mental check of her outfit to make sure it’s modest: […]

Finding the Key

18 January 2012, 06:00

Ileata

When my husband and I were courting, we carefully set our “line” of physical touch. There would be no kissing until our wedding day; handholding was ok after we were engaged. Yes, we were following the “courtship model,” albeit loosely. We had been friends and had a lot contact before we were officially courting. We […]

Thoughts on “Tangled”

17 January 2012, 06:00

admin

My wife and I watched the movie Tangled last night. For months now, we’d heard from other former ATI students that the movie was a great analogy for spiritual abuse and the journey out of a legalistic system of thought. It’s even been referenced a number of times here on Recovering Grace. After watching it, […]

Energy Givers, Energy Wasters, and Energy Takers

28 December 2011, 05:00

Moderator

A teaching we heard often in ATI was the need to be an energy giver. Let me start by clarifying that I firmly believe that we ought to reach out to others, encourage them with smiles and kind words, look for ways to serve, and just generally be a friendly and nice person. But what […]

Vow vs. Relationship

1 December 2011, 06:31

Moderator

I was saved at the age of 5. I remember where I was and the basic content of the conversation with my dad that led up to me accepting the gift of eternal life. Over the next 8 years, I don’t remember many specifics about my life as a Christian. I do remember a hunger […]

Failing Formulas

2 November 2011, 06:30

Moderator

For 23 years I lived with the understanding that there is a formula for everything: “If you do A-B-C, the result will be X-Y-Z.” If I followed the steps of 1-2-3, I’d have a successful education. If I do exactly these things, my marriage will be perfect. If I operate by a specific code of […]

They Will Know You Are Christians… By Your Standards?

29 October 2011, 05:00

Julie Terrell

There is an abundance of teaching within the Advanced Training Institute (ATI) and the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP) about “high places”–about the danger of putting things in the place of God and our relationship with Him. But isn’t this exactly what has happened with our “standards” and “character”? In a recent conversation with […]