guilt | Recovering Grace

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

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An ATI Education, Final Chapter: Guilty Silence

4 January 2016, 14:55

Sara Jones

162

Was a woman raped? Don’t jump to her defense—God might hold her just as guilty as her attacker. In Wisdom Booklet 36, Gothard discusses the legal penalties for kidnapping, assault, battery, and rape. He writes: “God has established some very strict guidelines of responsibility for a woman who is attacked. She is to cry out for […]

An ATI Education, Chapter 3: Thou Shalt Not Trap the Eye

14 December 2015, 12:15

Sara Jones

“Ye are the light of the world; a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.” According to Bill Gothard, this verse clearly directs women to avoid clothing with “eye traps” that might attract a man’s lustful attention. As a quick recap, my previous articles explained: 1. Bill Gothard set himself up as the final authority […]

An ATI Education, Chapter 2: Is It Just Me?

19 October 2015, 06:00

Sara Jones

102

“ATI is not user-friendly.” That was the opinion of one former Advanced Training Institute (ATI) student, now an adult, who skimmed over the materials that our parents had to work with. He was right. The Wisdom Booklets are the foundation of Gothard’s homeschool curriculum. There are 54 of them, and at a glance, they’re pretty impressive. […]

An ATI Education, Chapter 1: Under the Umbrella

15 October 2015, 06:00

Sara Jones

How do we grow in wisdom and character? How are we protected from temptation? How does God give us direction for our lives? Say it with me, ye thousands of Gothard’s alumni: “By staying under authority.” Authority is the foundational principle of Gothard’s worldview. “Our faith multiplies as we see how God speaks to us […]

Set Free from Silence

30 May 2015, 06:00

Moderator

108

I’ve been seeing a lot of news lately about the Duggars. Comments on the stories run along the lines of, “I bet the victims didn’t receive counseling! I bet they were just told to wear longer skirts. The culture of ATI [Advanced Training Institute] created an atmosphere of abuse.” I’ve decided to jump on the […]

The Shame of Beauty

16 April 2015, 06:00

Moderator

142

Before I was born my parents started following the teaching of Bill Gothard and IBLP, and when I was 5, they joined ATI (Advanced Training Institute), the homeschool program that Gothard developed for the families of his Basic and Advanced Seminars. Gothard emphasized “principles” which simply meant there were many different rules that dictated specific activities in my […]

The Difference Between Horizontal and Vertical: Fifty Years of Yielding Rights and Not Taking Up Offenses

18 November 2014, 09:00

Moderator

Rebecca Davis of Here’s the Joy has written about the IBLP Basic Seminar’s teachings on “taking up an offense” and “yielding rights,” the way these concepts have permeated both her own experience and broader American Evangelical culture, and the teachings’ practical effects in culture. Links to and excerpts from Davis’s posts follow below. Taking Up […]

Me and My Red Notebook

23 September 2014, 12:01

Moderator

Years ago, right out of college and newly married, I took a position as an associate/youth pastor at a small, very fine church in Houston, Texas. At the time I had not heard of Bill Gothard, but at our senior pastor’s suggestion, that first week in May found my wife and me sitting for half a […]

Four Tools of Spiritual Manipulators

19 September 2014, 11:33

Moderator

I grew up in the homeschool subculture of Bill Gothard and his Advanced Training Institute (ATI). I participated in Children’s Institutes, worked at Training Centers stateside and in Russia, and attended Oak Brook College of Law, Young Men’s Conferences, and too many seminars to count. Though I learned much from these experiences and am grateful […]

Heather’s Story

9 July 2014, 06:00

Moderator

128

The following is a list of all currently published allegations (that we know of) of Bill Gothard’s behavior. Megan’s Story, published April 3, 2014 (external link) Robin’s Story, published March 10, 2014 Rachel’s Story, published February 17, 2014 Ruth’s Story, published February 12, 2014 Charlotte’s Story, published February 5, 2014 Meg’s Story, published January 20, 2014 […]