Sunday, August 12, 2018
The Cult Next Door - A Documentary on Bill Gothard and the Institute of Basic Life Principles
This is a short documentary on a very large subject. Having done some of my own research on this as well as reading things others have written, listening to the experiences of others (both positive and negative), and watching the Duggar's shows and also one or two video exposes, I feel that it is an important subject to address. Bill Gothard's teachings have wormed their way into Christendom in many areas and ways that many of us are not even aware of. People from almost every Christian denomination and cult have attended his seminars at some point and carried his teachings back with them, thus spreading ideologies and beliefs that appear biblical on the surface but most definitely are not.
Clear back in the 1970s my own dad rejected the teachings of Bill Gothard because of the fact that his brother who was living in gross sexual sin assisted in writing the early materials, but when he was exposed for his sin the book(s) was not pulled back and re-examined and rewritten. Bill Gothard chose to continue using material written with assistance from a man who was living in significant defeat in the very areas that Gothard was so interested in - sexual purity, character, authority, etc.
Furthermore, while there is nothing wrong with a single man doing some teaching on the family and marriage and raising children (the apostle Paul did), it is completely unbiblical for a single man to become an expert, a spiritual authority so highly esteemed, whose words are followed so religiously. In the position into which he has pushed himself with his claims to have the "perfect plan" for having a perfect godly family ("perfect plans" dependent upon a man's teaching are always a big red flag), he absolutely should have been the husband of one wife. Based on the exposure of his sexual harassment of young women who worked for him at his headquarters, we might wonder if he had entirely honorable motives in his choosing to never marry.
1 Timothy 3:2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife...
Titus 1:6-7 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. For a bishop must be blameless...
Mr. Gothard is disqualified on more than one point here. He is not blameless, nor is he the husband of one wife.
The Cult Next Door (Official Short Film) from Youngman Films.
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QUERIDA HERMANA: HE LEIDO SU PUBLICACION SOBRE BILL GOTHARD, SI BIEN YO NO SOY DE EE.UU., LEO Y ME CONTACTO CON ALGUNAS FAMILIAS DE SU PAIS, QUE SON CRISTIANAS Y QUE SIGUEN O HAN SEGUIDO EN ALGUN MOMENTO A ESTE FALSO PREDICADOR, DA ASCO DE SOLO PENSAR EN LOS TESTIMONIOS DE LAS JOVENES QUE SE HAN DECIDIDO A HABLAR SOBRE EL ABUSO DESHONESTO POR PARTE DE ESTE SUJETO. HAY MUCHAS FAMILIAS CRISTIANAS CONOCIDAS COMO LOS DUGGAR, BATES, LOS STADDON, NEELY, WALLER, STELZ, FAMILIAS QUE YO HACE MUCHO LEO SU BLOG Y ME CONTACTO CON ELLAS, CUANDO PUBLICAN ALGO EN EL BLOG Y YO LES ENVIO MI MENSAJE, MUCHOS DE ELLOS NO HAN QUERIDO HABLAR DEL TEMA, VEO QUE ALGUNAS FAMILIAS SIGUEN AL PIE DE LA LETRA LAS INDICACIONES DE GOTTARD, TIENEN HIJOS DE 30 AÑOS O MAS SOLTEROS, QUE NO HAN PODIDO CASARCE, PORQUE NO ENCUENTRAN PAREJAS CON SUS MISMOS PENSAMIENTOS O ESTILOS DE VIDA, IMPUESTOS POR GOTTARD. REALMENTE NO LOS ENTIENDO CUANDO ALGUNOS QUIEREN DEFENDER ALGO QUE ES IN DEFENDIBLE, LO MISMO OCURRIO CON OTRO PASTOR DE UNA TAMBIEN CONOCIDA INSTITUCION, QUE ENGAÑABA A SU ESPOSA CON OTRA MUJER DESDE HACE VARIOS AÑOS, Y PARA MUCHOS SU PALABRA ERA SANTA, CREO QUE SE LLAMA PHILL DOUGH O ALGO ASI. ES LAMENTABLE VER LA DECADENCIA MORAL EN LA QUE ESTAN SUMERGIDOS MUCHOS PASTORES, LLEVANDO A SUS REBAÑOS POR EL CAMINO INCORRECTO. ESPERO QUE PUEDA LEER MI MENSAJE Y QUE ME PUEDA CONTESTAR. BENDICIONES.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment. Yes, there is much deception to families in many ways. I am not familiar with all of the families you have mentioned who are followers of Bill Gothard, but I do know about some of them. They do say some things that are very contrary to the Bible because of their belief in Bill Gotard above the word of God. They would not admit this, but because they refuse to admit his errors they are saying by their actions that they esteem him more highly than Jesus Christ.
DeleteThe other man you mention is perhaps Doug Phillips, the former leader of Vision Forum. I have written about him also.
It is a reminder to always examine anyone's teaching by the word of God and to beware of false prophets and wolves in sheep's clothing.