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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: healing

Their Day in Court: Part Two

22 February 2019, 10:00

KariU

0

  This is part two of a three-part series. Part OnePart Three Motion for Sanctions: Jane Doe IV Jane Doe IV was next on the stand, and she walked up with just as much confidence as Emily, and with a determined expression on her face. Jane Doe IV has since outed herself to some friends and […]

Their Day in Court: Part One

22 February 2019, 10:00

KariU

1

What follows is part one of a three-part personal account of the hearing and some of the events leading up to it, written by a member of the Recovering Grace leadership team who was there. (Part Two) (Part Three) Hearing Day The morning of the hearing started for the plaintiffs at the Fairfield Inn and […]

What Sexual Abuse Counseling Can Do to Help You

12 June 2015, 19:59

Moderator

151

Christians and psychotherapy haven’t always had the best relationship. Growing up as I did, adjacent to cultural fundamentalists, I absorbed the following dominant assumptions: You don’t need counseling if you have Jesus. Counselors disapprove of homeschooling and Christianity and might want to take you away from your parents. The only good counselor is a Christian […]

The Truth About God’s Justice

21 April 2015, 06:00

Moderator

100

I grew up afraid of God’s justice. Though my parents were well-balanced in meting out mercy and discipline (very well-balanced considering we went to a Gothardite church), I always imagined God coming down from heaven with a sword of justice in hand, ready to punish all of us for our sins. He had just enough […]

You Cannot Pay With Words

12 November 2014, 09:00

Moderator

50

My story is about a leader maintaining a double life for decades and then demanding to pay for his deeds with words and tears. He is outwardly sorrowful that his words and favor are no longer valid currency. My parents were regional and state leaders in the homeschooling movement for years before we joined the […]

Speaking Up Late in the Day

3 May 2014, 08:48

Moderator

77

Over the past two weeks and previous two Aprils, Recovering Grace has focused on personal narratives by former Advanced Training Institute (ATI) alumni who endured sexual assault, abuse, or harassment in the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP) subculture, sometimes within a context of broader physical abuse, and almost always within a context of spiritual […]

Twelve Characteristics of Fundamentalist Societies that Shelter Sexual Abuse

30 April 2014, 09:00

Moderator

163

How could he have fooled so many people, so thoroughly? How did the abuse go on for so many years, unacknowledged? Whenever a leader at this level is ousted or steps down, questions like these come to mind. In the wake of revelations of sexual harassment and abuse pouring in from survivors of Bill Gothard’s […]

Readings on Acknowledging and Healing from Sexual Abuse

29 April 2014, 06:00

Moderator

23

Below are some links to readings that members of our community have found helpful on their paths to healing from physical and sexual abuse, especially abuse suffered at the hands of family members, authority figures, and other trusted individuals. In A Theology of Sexual Abuse: A Reflection on Creation and Devastation, Dr. Andrew Schmutzer describes […]

Finding the Words to Say, “No More”

28 April 2014, 05:58

Moderator

107

When I was fourteen years old I was diagnosed with a very rare, very aggressive cancer. To be able to start my treatment, we learned, I would need to go to a hospital in a different city. There we met the oncologist responsible for heading up my treatment protocol. He was my future abuser. At […]

When Sexual Harassment at IBLP Headquarters Is Acknowledged

17 April 2014, 06:00

Moderator

32

I attended my first Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP) Basic Seminar during my junior year of high school. It was interesting, although I couldn’t believe we were watching a video. My parents had been attending these seminars for years. They accepted Jesus at one in 1976. I did my part at the seminar, paying […]