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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: freedom

We Were Elite, Super Special Christians

16 March 2012, 06:00

Moderator

23

“You are the best of the best.” “You are on the front lines of the Christian battle.” “You are like the Marines of the Christian faith.” What Christian young person would not want to hear those words?  Every single one of us wants to be special.  We all want to belong to something bigger than […]

The Cost of a Vow

14 March 2012, 09:15

Anne

38

From the time I was a little girl, all I wanted was to find my knight in shining armor and be a mommy. If the Disney Princesses had all been around when I was a child, I’m quite certain I would have been enamored by their stories. But they weren’t, and they wouldn’t have been kosher anyway, as […]

The Art of Manipulation

5 March 2012, 06:00

Moderator

23

“Joseph, I wouldn’t be surprised if God caused the plane to crash in order to punish you for not honoring your mother.”  That’s what my mother said to me in the summer of 2002. I was 25 years old and it was the night before 4 of my friends and myself were to board a […]

If your god is not God, fire him.

2 March 2012, 06:00

Moderator

16

There is a difference—sometimes an enormous difference—between the God of our doctrinal statements and the god we live with every day. Our theological convictions may be thoroughly orthodox, but we may actually serve a god who is quick to anger and slow to forgive. Or a god who shames his followers. Or a god who […]

Contradictions and Confessions

22 February 2012, 06:00

Moderator

12

The Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP) Training Centers (TCs) seemed to be a breeding ground for hypocrisy. Especially for those who were in leadership. I will admit to being a part of that group. I was a staff member and I did things that were against the rules. All the time. If you happened […]

On Forgiveness

20 February 2012, 06:00

Moderator

6

If the topic of forgiveness just triggers panic or fear in you, I understand. It’s not the right time for you to work on this. There are other things to work on first. If you experience forgiveness as a kind of ‘have to’ or if you experience it as a kind of bondage – or […]

Spiritual Abuse Recovery

17 February 2012, 06:00

BrandonS

8

When I was approached by Recovering Grace to write articles related to recovery and healing, they referred to the analogy of “ripping the scabs off.”  The idea is that people who are trying to get back on their feet–emotionally and spiritually speaking–open up old wounds, but then have no place to go to get help […]

On Being a Shoe Salesman….

15 February 2012, 09:30

Seth S

11

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

64

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 […]

Uniquely Me!

6 February 2012, 06:00

Moderator

17

Journal Entry, September 2009– “I want more!! I really thought I could be happy with this life…but I was wrong. I feel like I’m going to explode. This isn’t me– *sigh* I don’t think it is, anyway. The sad part is, I don’t really know who “me” is…but it’s not this person, I’m sure of that. I […]