Abusive church tactics

Is The Independent Fundamental Baptist Church Any Different Than the Southern Baptist Convention and Sovereign Grace Ministries?

Mon, Apr 18 2011
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Is The Independent Fundamental Baptist Church Any Different Than the Southern Baptist Convention and Sovereign Grace Ministries?

  Many a man's reputation would not know his character if they met on the street. -Elbert Hubbard       wikipedia   This week, we will be focusing on the Independent Fundamentalist Baptist churches and will use the 20/20 special on sexual and child abuse within that “family of churches.” Today we will look at an incident of molestation. Lord willing, tomorrow, the IFB and child abuse will take center stage. On Thursday, we will define the distinctive beliefs of the IFB as seen through the eyes of their leaders and on Friday we will contemplate Holy Week with a special video. Next week, we will attempt to define the differences between fundamentalism and evangelicalism. That one should get the juices flowing!   I, for one, have paid little attention to this group of churches. There is an IFB private school in my area. One young man allegedly got punished for buying a country western CD. During an evangelistic outreach, a little girl, from outside the school, came to the event dressed in pants. She was thrown off of the premises because girls are not allowed to wear pants in IFB schools, even if they are not IFB.   Continue reading →

Written by: dee on Mon, Apr 18 2011.

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When Pastoral Care Means Taking Care of the Pastor

Fri, Apr 15 2011
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When Pastoral Care Means Taking Care of the Pastor

"There are pastors who won't go to people's sick beds. How can people of God turn their back on the sick, poor and hungry?"      James Robinson   Sunset over the Sahara-NASA   On Monday, we will look at the 20/20 story on the IFB churches which dealt with sexual and child abuse.   What has happened to the role of pastor? I think of the genial Methodist minister who lived up the street who occasionally visited our home, along with the homes of all of our neighbors, for coffee and cookies. He was often found at the local hospitals and nursing homes, visiting church members and even some locals who were not church attendees. He attended Little League games, cheering on the kids from his youth group. He attended school board meeting and gave the occasional prayer.   Our Russian Orthodox priest always viited our home. He could be seen dancing the polka at the Polish festivals and kept a similar schedule to his Methodist counterpart. Both men were known, respected and genuinely liked by the community in Salem, Massachusetts. Soon after I became a Christian, I met another pastor who was cut from the same cloth. These Continue reading →

Written by: dee on Fri, Apr 15 2011.

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Rantings on Better Ways for Churches to Respond to Sexual Abuse

Thu, Apr 14 2011
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Rantings on Better Ways for Churches to Respond to Sexual Abuse

  "It still remains true that no justification of virtue will enable a man to be virtuous." CS Lewis     wikipedia After learning about a horrible pedophile situation in a former church, TWW has been committed to shining a light on this problem. It is time for the evangelical church in America to admit that it has shown a less than compassionate and intelligent response to this pervasive issue. One would think that the experience of the Roman Catholic Church would serve as warning to the Protestant church. But, it seems, we are just too clueless to learn from another's mistakes.   It is becoming glaringly evident that many denominations, along with para-church ministries, are experiencing pedophile situations on par, percentage wise, with the Roman Catholic Church. And we should hang our heads in shame. Our response to those who have been abused has been pitiful and we deserve the scorn of those outside the faith who point their fingers and call us hypocrites. We are, no excuses.   The following is a number of suggestions taken from both my experience in working with abused children as well as watching a pedophile debacle unravel at a church. I am Continue reading →

Written by: dee on Thu, Apr 14 2011.

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Vienna Presbyterian Church Finally Goes Public About Sex Abuse

Mon, Apr 11 2011
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Vienna Presbyterian Church Finally Goes Public About Sex Abuse

The search for truth implies a duty. One must not conceal any part of what one has recognized to be true. –Albert Einstein     The sex abuse scandal at Vienna Presbyterian was essentially swept under the rug for a time, and this proved to be extremely detrimental to the congregation. As explained in The Washington Post article “Vienna Presbyterian Church seeks forgiveness, redemption in the wake of abuse scandal”, LINK .   Jordan-Haas, VPC’s newly hired Associate Pastor, saw the VPC congregation through a fresh set of eyes. As the article states:   “…he (Jordan-Haas) began asking questions and noticed the issue tearing at the fabric of the church. He found that the issue had not been explored, that there appeared to be the potential for numerous victims, and he encountered families and young women who were still hurting or just beginning to deal with their pain.”   Sadly, the above statement could be said of many churches throughout Christendom which choose to ignore victims of sexual abuse at the hands of church staff or worse — blame the victims.   As the article explains, VPC chose to do a number of things to right the wrongs that had Continue reading →

Written by: deb on Mon, Apr 11 2011.

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The Pearls’ Profit-sharing Program

Fri, Mar 25 2011
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The Pearls’ Profit-sharing Program

"All that we call human history–money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery–[is] the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy."   C.S. Lewis       Hey NGJ True Believers, LISTEN UP!!! If the recession has hit your family hard, Michael and Debi Pearl, out of the goodness of their hearts, have come up with a phenomenal way to boost your income (not to mention theirs!) All you have to is peddle Pearl paraphernalia. What a fantastic ministry/business opportunity you can do together with your kids.   It’s called the “Business in a Box” and here's how it works. Go to the No Greater Joy website http://www.nogreaterjoy.org/ and click on “Learn about Distributorship Program”. When you do, an exciting opportunity awaits you. Here's what you'll discover…   “NGJ's Home Business-in-a-box!   A rewarding home-based business for your entire family!   No Greater Joy Ministries has a home-based business program custom made for families just like yours. The following information gives you an outline of this program, how it works, the cost, and how your family can get started right away!   How this program can benefit your family and Continue reading →

Written by: deb on Fri, Mar 25 2011.

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Spare the Rod, Spoil the Child and a Trip to Home Depot

Thu, Mar 24 2011
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Spare the Rod, Spoil the Child and a Trip to Home Depot

An explanation of the image: It is one of your blog queens who gave up her glamorous image for the sake of a point. She is wearing Three Stooges lounge pants, a “10 Reasons That Captain Kirk Is Better Than Captain Picard” T Shirt,  a bathrobe and Cheetos (the national uniform of bloggers.)  However, she is also wielding a plumbing supply line in order to beat any kids or dogs who try to steal her Cheetos or Star Trek T shirt. ********************************************** Today we are wrapping up our review of To Train Up A Child, authored by Michael and Debi Pearl. Their approach to “child training” has drawn both applause and criticism. It is interesting that there seems to be no middle ground with regard to the Pearl’s approach to child rearing. Before we get into the Pearls’ teachings on “the rod”, we want to share another unusual way they “trained” their children. Michael Pearl writes: “When I was yet young I determined that I would rear no sissies. When an infant fell over from a sitting position to the floor and bumped his head, we pretended to ignore it. When a toddler took a spill, we let him lie, Continue reading →

Written by: deb on Thu, Mar 24 2011.

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Child “Training” Pearl Style

Wed, Mar 23 2011
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Child “Training” Pearl Style

“The child must know that he is a miracle, that since the beginning of the world there hasn’t been, and until the end of the world there will not be, another child like him.” Pablo Cassals www.studentsoftheworld.info/sites/society/childabuse.php TWW has found the Pearl’s advice so concerning, we are doing an extra post this week. Clarification: TWW recognizes that good Christians are all over the place on the issue of spanking and we believe it is a worthy subject for discussion. Both of us have spanked our kids, albeit rarely. This series is looking at abusive punishment and treatment of children. Michael and Debi Pearl have established quite a following in the seventeen years since To Train Up A Child was first published. Have you ever wondered what Michael Pearls’ qualifications are for doling out “child training” advice? Here are his qualifications according to the No Greater Joy website. “No Greater Joy is the ministry of Michael and Debi Pearl under the auspices of No Greater Joy Ministries Inc. Michael has been a pastor, missionary, and evangelist for over 40 years. The Pearls’ five children were all homeschooled, and have grown up to become missionaries and church leaders. Though holding a BS Continue reading →

Written by: deb on Wed, Mar 23 2011.

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Are Plumbing Lines Weapons of Child Destruction?

Mon, Mar 21 2011
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Are Plumbing Lines Weapons of Child Destruction?

The consequences of your denial will be with you for a lifetime and will be passed down to the next generations. Break your Silence on Abuse! – Patty Rase Hopson   plumbing line     Consider this headline: “Is Conservative Christian Group, No Greater Joy Ministries, Pushing Parents to Beat Kids to Death?”   Here’s how the article begins:   “Prosecutors say that earlier this month Kevin and Elizabeth Schatz of Paradise, Calif., beat their 7-year-old daughter to death with quarter-inch plastic tubing because she mispronounced a word. They say the girl's parents held her down and whipped her for hours causing massive tissue damage that resulted in her death.”   The CBS News article describes the death of a four year old who lived not far from Dee and me. We remember this local news story very well, and it was and still is heartwrenching!   “On February 26, 2006, 4-year-old Sean Paddock died in Raleigh, N.C. He had been beaten with plastic tubing as a punishment. When that didn't work, his mother Lynn wrapped him in blankets so tightly that he suffocated. She was found guilty of murder.”   What was it that influenced these parents to take Continue reading →

Written by: deb on Mon, Mar 21 2011.

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New Study and Warning on Spanking of One Year Old Children Released

Sat, Mar 19 2011
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In an Associated Press article reprinted in the News and Observer on Monday, March14,2011, we read: "A study just released in the respected journal, Pediatrics,  found that a surprising number of depressed fathers spank their one year old children. "The researchers said spanking is especially troubling in children who are only 1, because they could get injured and they are 'unlikely to understand the connection between their behavior and subsequent punishment.'" Read the last part again. And so, do Piper, Ezzo and other proponents really feel that sure of their own observations? Could they be in serious error? Once again, TWW is watching churches who teach parents to spank babies very, very carefully.

Written by: dee on Sat, Mar 19 2011.

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John Piper-Help Your Baby to Understand God’s Wrath and TWW Responds With a New Service

Fri, Mar 18 2011
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John Piper-Help Your Baby to Understand God’s Wrath and TWW Responds With a New Service

“Child abuse casts a shadow the length of a lifetime.”  Herbert Ward       I was sent the following audio clip from an alert reader. In this seven-minute discussion, Piper clarifies his thinking on spanking Although I agree with some of his points, I found a few things he said troubling. In particular, he focuses on the issue of God as a God of wrath. Here is the link to the relevant audio at Desiring God. A summary follows.   Piper states the following:   "God does “not” stick us in the corner facing the wall! He “spanks” us and He does it often with great pain. Another way to say it is, I doubt that it’s easy for a child to come to terms with the Biblical God of wrath if he has never tasted “severe” wrath from his father or mother in growing up. A wrath that is controlled.”   The reader who called this to my attention made the following comments. She wishes to remain anonymous but I am grateful for her communication.   “Piper goes where no preacher has gone before, that I have heard of, to say that spanking a child, the threat of Continue reading →

Written by: dee on Fri, Mar 18 2011.

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