Website review

I was introduced some time back to a website called "Recovering Grace." The essence of this site is to "expose" the false teachings of Bill Gothard.

Some time back, Bill Gothard started an organization, the basis of which was to give people a stepwise approach to leading a Godly life. Naturally, Gothard acquired his share of critics.


Problems with Gothard:
Of the legitimate problems with the teachings of Bill Gothard are extreme legalism and the misuse of scripture. Gothard frequently quotes parts of verses or passages to make a point about an unrelated topic. He is also as legalistic as I've ever seen (Calvinists included!), and that was never the way that Christ taught.

Problems with Recovering Grace:
While much of the criticism toward Gothard is warranted, Recovering Grace takes it all to an extreme. So much so, that so many people wind up blaming Bill Gothard, a man most of them never met, for their problems in life. In the end, it comes across as whiny, and as though many are reaching to pin the blame on Gothard.

What I really think:
Gothard's legalism attracts the legalistic. By and large, the person who would be attracted to this sort of environment is a bit off... "eclectic" if you will. So the slightly to strongly weird are attracted, and then given a set of instructions that are more weird, and then they go overboard (they always do). What you get is a real mess. People acting outright strange.

Then you have the children of those strange individuals grow up and resent it. And they place blame. Instead of blaming their parents (which a lot of them do anyways), they blame Gothard.

A better idea would be to grow up, move on, and decide how to live your life.

Summary:
If anyone is reading this, and is wondering whether to attend an Institute in Basic Life Principles ("IBLP") event, let me be clear: you should attend. They are really educational, and can point a new Christian in the right direction on a lot of stuff. But, like everything else, don't go overboard. In all things, moderation.

If anyone is reading this and wondering if they should join Recovering Grace, let me be equally clear: you either give Gothard too much credit/blame, or you need to seek therapy. It is an amusing outlet, and was worth a few hours of my reading time, but that's about it.