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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: submission

Peering Underneath the Umbrella: Musings on Gothardism

3 December 2012, 06:00

Moderator

46

In recent days, I’ve been reading a bit about Gothardism on various websites, and it has brought back a lot of memories. Growing up, my family never went hardcore into the ATI (Advanced Training Institute) program, and we would still be considered on the outer fringes by the inner circle members. We were actually very “worldly” […]

Can God Speak Past the Umbrella?

29 October 2012, 06:00

Moderator

21

“For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ” (I Tim. 2:5). That’s a verse that many of us learned early in our lives. It’s a special verse that assures us we don’t need someone other than Jesus to be our go-between with the Father. He is our […]

The Ravages of Guilt

8 October 2012, 06:00

Moderator

13

“If you say anything, I will tie up your family, just like I tie you up. Then I will make you sit there and watch as I kill each one of them in front of you. Will I kill you? No! You I will leave alive, so that you can spend every day of your […]

Designed to Be a … Finger?

1 October 2012, 06:00

Moderator

38

“Females who enjoy horseback riding have a problem with rebellion.”      —  Bill Gothard I remember reading years ago that Bill Gothard allowed families to have one small pet dog, but not to give it too much love as it might become an idol. Just reading that made me cringe as I thought, “Boy, […]

The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, Chapter 12: Straining Gnats, Swallowing Camels

6 September 2012, 13:30

MatthewS

13

The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, Chapter 12: Straining Gnats, Swallowing Camels We continue our Thursday series blogging through “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse.” The first post in the series is here. Jesus used an evocative word picture when he told the Pharisees that they strained out gnats even as they swallowed camels. Gnats […]

The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, Chapter 11: Image Is Everything

30 August 2012, 06:00

MatthewS

4

The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, Chapter 11: Image Is Everything We continue our Thursday series blogging through “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse.” The first post in the series is here. Jesus talked about the false leaders who did their deeds to be noticed by people and who desired to be seated in the […]

The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, Chapter 10: “You Can Trust Me”

23 August 2012, 10:00

MatthewS

14

The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, Chapter 10: “You Can Trust Me” We continue our Thursday series blogging through “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse.” The first post in the series is here. Chapter ten continues the consideration about leaders in spiritually abusive systems with a discussion about trust. In Matthew 23, Jesus raises two […]

The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, Chapter 9: “Because I’m the Pastor, That’s Why!”

9 August 2012, 06:00

MatthewS

4

The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, Chapter 9: “Because I’m the Pastor, That’s Why!” We continue our Thursday series blogging through “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse.” The first post in the series is here. The previous chapter concluded part 1 of the book, which focused on the victims. Part 2 (chapters 9-16) looks at […]

The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, Chapter 8: Revictimizing Victims, cont’d

2 August 2012, 07:22

MatthewS

4

The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, Chapter 8: Revictimizing Victims We continue our Thursday series blogging through “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse.” The first post in the series is here. It is a devastating re-abuse of victims when a code of silence over the wounds they have experienced is enforced by a misuse of […]

Behind Every Good Man…

30 July 2012, 06:00

Moderator

52

The concept of authority is central to Bill Gothard’s teachings. So much so, that I remember performing a coronation ceremony crowning my dad “king” of our family as a Wisdom Booklet project. I was 16 at the time, and struggling with authority being defined as dad’s complete control over every aspect of my life. My […]