Pray For All The Children Of The Twelve Tribes — Part Two

“On the Internet, the faith community expresses their educational practices… There it is clearly stated: ‘Yes, we beat our children.’ He continued: ‘We love our children and they are precious and wonderful to us. Because we love them, we beat their butts.'”

Pray For All The Children Of The Twelve Tribes — Part One

“So many checks and balances broke down in protecting these children. In a land where spanking and other punitive forms of discipline that include striking a child are outlawed, it’s just unbelievable. To hear in other people’s words what I lived as a child, it just completely validates how I feel about punitive parenting, and how it simply cannot, and does not have a biblical basis whatsoever.”

Bill Gothard on Education: Jeri Lofland’s Thoughts

“My parents began homeschooling me in third grade, and enrolled in Gothard’s Advanced Training Institute, a curriculum exclusively for alumni of his Advanced Seminar, before I started seventh grade. Our family was part of ATI until I reached my mid-twenties. The following statements are the main points from a session of Bill Gothard’s Advanced Seminar.”

The Political Reach of Bill Gothard: Jeri Lofland’s Thoughts

“With Bill Gothard’s ceaseless emphasis on authority, obedience, and chain-of-command, it should be no surprise that he is compulsively attracted to men (and more rarely, women) whom he perceives to be in a position of power. He believes without question that his organization has answers that can solve the problems faced by any public official, if they can only work together to promote Gothard’s vision. This characteristic has resulted in an extensive mycelial network whereby Gothard silently influences public policy across the country.”

Voices of Sister-Moms: Part Six, Mary’s Story

“As I was growing up, I got very used to hearing remarks and jokes about how many children we ourselves would have when we grew up. Some people would sit down and start doing the ‘if all 8 of you have 8 children’ equations. Then they would start joking about what family reunions would look like.”

Voices of Sister-Moms: Part Five, Samantha Field’s Story

“One day, when I was fourteen years old, I remember asking my mother if she had ever wanted more children than just me and my sister. Her response was an automatic ‘of course.’ And she cried for the rest of the afternoon. That was the first time I heard the word barren.”

Growing Kids the Abusive Way: Auriel’s Story, Part Two — Isolation and Ideology

“Through HSLDA and my parents, I learned that foster homes are terrible places that abuse children by burning their hands on stoves, and more. Well, it worked. I didn’t call hotlines, tell the speech moms who cared about me, or beg my few friends for help. When CPS showed up at our doorstep, my siblings and I lied for fear of being separated from each other forever.”

Life With A Gay Husband: Rachel’s Story

“I had been talking to my best friend who had just come out to me. She described how she felt — in a marriage with a man — being gay herself. I asked a lot of questions and realized she sounded exactly like my husband! I approached him and asked him if he was attracted to men.”

Burn In Case Of Evil: Cain’s Story, Part Four

“Many have remarked that it was obviously homeschooling that made us who we are. The answer to that question is complicated because I am what I am because of, and despite of, homeschooling. When your entire social life and community K-12 is homeschooled, of course these influences significantly impacted my life.”

Getting Bi Ain’t Easy, No Matter Where You Are: Isaiah

“I’m sure those who are homeschooled in a truly evangelical environment would prefer the risks of being bi in public school to the erasure they would suffer at the hands of fundamentalist families. But being bi, and especially learning that you’re bi, is usually a traumatic experience in both mainstream and homeschooling subcultures.”