“[Bill] Gothard turned obedience into a matter of terror. If I misstepped in any way, I was removed from all protection, and Satan would have full access.”—Jinger Duggar, Becoming Free Indeed, p. 65
“Despite Shiny Happy People’s shortcomings, it’d be a great loss to the church if thoughtful Christians, pastors, and other ministry leaders choose to look the other way.”—Christian attorney, Alex Harris (interviewed on Shiny Happy People)
On June 2nd, Amazon Prime aired a new docuseries called Shiny Happy People (Duggar Family Secrets). It was difficult to watch for several reasons, but we knew it was necessary. If you watch it, we believe you will understand what we mean. What’s sad is that it took a secular group to expose what the church should have dealt with years ago. Basically, if the church refuses to judge itself on seriously gone wrong issues, then the world will judge us; and because they do not understand the nature of true Christianity vs those within the church who have sorely and often horrifically misrepresented Christianity, secular exposés will grossly generalize and lump together the real and the fake.
While Lighthouse Trails was troubled with Shiny Happy People’s misuse and misrepresentation of the term “Fundamentalist”* and other over generalizations, there are things to be learned from this series; church pastors and leaders have allowed false teachers and cultish teachings to pervade the church to the detriment of countless victims (often young ones, many of whom end up rejecting Christianity, thinking that biblical Christianity is equated with the false teaching; in this case, Gothardism). We hope this series, as painful as it is to watch, will be a wake-up call to defend truth and not be afraid to call out the names (and their teachings) of those who stand in the gates of the church proclaiming and practicing dangerous lies (in this case, legalism, unscriptural authoritarianism, and sexual and physical abuse). If the church doesn’t judge itself, the world will—in its own way.
Don Veinot of Midwest Christian Outreach has tried to warn the church for many years about Bill Gothard and IBLP (Institute of Basic Life Principles) (and the many associated false teachings) because countless numbers of unsuspecting Christian parents and their vulnerable children have been harmed. This week Mr. Veinot wrote the following article after watching Shiny Happy People.
“Bill Gothard and the Unpaid Bills of the Church”
By Don and Joy Veinot
Midwest Christian Outreach
There is a cost, very often a high cost, exacted by false teachers in the lives of their followers. Lives can be crushed. Often people are badly damaged spiritually and almost always emotionally devastated by authoritarian leaders in whom they have put their faith. Pastors and elders are charged with guarding and protecting the flock from predators that creep in from outside the church, or perhaps worse, arise from within (Acts 20:28-30), but too often, the wolf sneaks past the guard without being seen for the danger they are. The late Dr. Walter Martin used to say, “cults are the unpaid bills of the church.”
We were painfully reminded of the harm and damage that can be done to spiritually ravaged sheep by authoritarian predators as we watched the four-part series, Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets on its release date, Friday, June 2. There wasn’t a story told that we had not heard from people who had experienced the same treatment over the past quarter century, as we have ministered to people victimized by Gothardism. One of the directors/Producers, Olivia Crist, called and emailed us numerous times while they were producing the series. She and others on her team read our book, A Matter of Basic Principles: Bill Gothard and the Christian Life. and had also been in contact with our friends at Recovering Grace. We were not interviewed for this series, but one of the things we were able to point out to the producers is that although Bill Gothard has unfortunately had great access to Evangelical and Fundamentalist churches, he is neither an Evangelical nor a Fundamentalist. In the opening episode titled “Meet the Duggars,” Brooke, one of the women who was interviewed, said something very similar:
The IBLP teachings aren’t Christianity, they’re something entirely different.4
She is correct, but if Gothardism does not represent true Christianity, how can it be classified? What is it? Click here to continue reading.
Related Articles:
Legalism or License Versus The Treasure of Living Water
5 Things You Can Do to Protect Your Kids From Sexual Predators
Public School or Homeschool?—How Public Schools Are Corrupting Children’s Values
LT disclaimer on the following article: We have decided to put a link to an article titled “Amazon’s ‘Shiny Happy People’ Has Lessons to Teach, If We’re Willing to Listen” by Alex Harris. However, the article is on The Gospel Coalition website, a progressive emergent Calvinist site, and our linking to this one article in no way is meant to be an endorsement of this organization.
Wow, I hardly know where to start. When I was a baby Christian, brand new in the Lord and joyful in Him (glory to God!), my husband and I joined a church that was very good in many ways. I immediately joined a ladies weekly Bible study (I put that phrase in quotes now), which was really Gothard’s teachings. Some of it was good (the basic Biblical teachings), but some of it was definitely not.
The pastor was gung ho about it, and my husband and I attended several Basic and Advanced Seminars. I really wanted to use the homeschool program, but hubby said No. Thank God! We homeschooled with excellent Bible-based materials that did not have that slant.
It took me YEARS to sort it all out. What saved me from it was simply spending time in God’s Word, daily, being led of the Holy Spirit. That made all the difference!
One day, the Lord spoke to my heart about Gothardism and showed me it is a “religious system” (there are many others, too). The man might have been well-meaning, but NOTHING can replace (or should) the pure Word of God.
At the same time, I too have the concerns which M shared. I have scriptural concerns about John MacArthur, too, He is very dogmatic about his views, and they don’t all line up with the Word of God.
I think this comment of M’s is worth repeating:
“They label the Duggars and IBLP as a “radical organization” and, far worse, “As details of the family and their scandals unfold, we realize they’re part of an insidious, much larger threat already in motion, with democracy itself in peril.”
It was difficult to watch, but I agree that watching Shiny Happy People was helpful to see the secular viewpoint of the Gothard teaching. As believers, we need to be willing to look at and critically evaluate this for ourselves, lest – as you said – unbelievers will do so to the detriment and witness of the church. As a child, I remember having a character sketches book by Gothard at home…it wasn’t taught that I can remember, but I always felt uncomfortable by the book and didn’t really like it. Interestingly, I am encouraged now to see that it was good, in hindsight, that I didn’t like the book, as I learn about Gothard’s character and false teaching. As evangelicals we need to hold leaders accountable for their teachings and analyze it against God’s Word. So many people may still be suffering under this false doctrine and the abuse being perpetuated. Thank you for your willingness to speak up about this difficult but important issue in within conservative Christianity.
About 40 years ago my parents and grandparents all with extensive Biblical education and experience managed to keep Gothardism from prevailing at our church. It was an unpopular stand to some in the church that had already been propagandized. Warning, stay away from it.
And if church leaders and pastors had rightly exposed and dealt with this matter themselves in the first place, perhaps there wouldn’t have even been such a docuseries.
Romans (cf. Isaiah 52:5, also Ezekiel 36:20)
“As it has been written: “For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you””
This docuseries tries to present as an objective critique of Bill Gothard (and the Duggars) that cares about his/their victims (and I am sure some do care), but it is bursting with bitterness, snarkiness, and generalized allegations that sweep biblical Christians into all of this.
They label the Duggars and IBLP as a “radical organization” and, far worse, “As details of the family and their scandals unfold, we realize they’re part of an insidious, much larger threat already in motion, with democracy itself in peril.”
“an insidious, much larger threat … with democracy itself in peril”?!?! Where have we heard this before? While the problems and dangers in IBLP, etc are all too real, the people behind this series are being deception, and, therefore are very dangerous. While many go behind the usual bitterness, they are subtly and openly anti-Christianity, and happily lump wolves in with biblical Christians, which fits with the ongoing demonization and false accusations of the ever-dreaded “Christian Nationalism.”