Comments on: The Truth About Mercy Ministries of America http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2008/10/03/the-truth-about-mercy-ministries-of-america/ by Hemant Mehta Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:32:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Live_passionately http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2008/10/03/the-truth-about-mercy-ministries-of-america/#comment-794432 Live_passionately Tue, 06 Sep 2011 04:24:00 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/?p=4951#comment-794432 I am Jennifer Wynne. I don't have a blog dedicated to attacking Nancy or her ministry. The article in the Nashville Scene involved about 5 different girls. I did NOT pursue the article and when approached I only agreed when promised the focus of the article was NOT to attack Nancy but tell the truth of the abuse that was happening. I considered Nancy my mom. She called me her daughter. It is not my fault if telling the truth about her paints her in a bad light. I am Jennifer Wynne. I don’t have a blog dedicated to attacking Nancy or her ministry. The article in the Nashville Scene involved about 5 different girls. I did NOT pursue the article and when approached I only agreed when promised the focus of the article was NOT to attack Nancy but tell the truth of the abuse that was happening. I considered Nancy my mom. She called me her daughter. It is not my fault if telling the truth about her paints her in a bad light.

]]> By: cameron noble http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2008/10/03/the-truth-about-mercy-ministries-of-america/#comment-504605 cameron noble Sun, 27 Jun 2010 03:38:24 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/?p=4951#comment-504605 I attended Mercy Ministries in 2002. I disagree with what many of you all are saying. Women that apply to attend Mercy do so while realizing that will commit their lives to Christ. When I arrived at the Monroe home in May 02' I was told that the Mercy believed in speaking in tongues (something that I was unfamiliar with), but this belief would not be pushed on me, and it was not. The girls received counseling once and week and were encouraged to stay on medication prescribed by our doctors while we there until we recovered enough to not be on it. I was taken to the doctor very often due to my asthma and EXTREME humidity. Girls were asked to leave if they demonstrated little effort in focusing on their improvement. I chose to leave early due to exteme home sickness. I wish I had stayed at Mercy. It was probably one of the best experiences of my life. I remain in contact with many of the girls and all of them are leading healthy lives. I attended Mercy Ministries in 2002. I disagree with what many of you all are saying. Women that apply to attend Mercy do so while realizing that will commit their lives to Christ. When I arrived at the Monroe home in May 02′ I was told that the Mercy believed in speaking in tongues (something that I was unfamiliar with), but this belief would not be pushed on me, and it was not. The girls received counseling once and week and were encouraged to stay on medication prescribed by our doctors while we there until we recovered enough to not be on it. I was taken to the doctor very often due to my asthma and EXTREME humidity. Girls were asked to leave if they demonstrated little effort in focusing on their improvement. I chose to leave early due to exteme home sickness. I wish I had stayed at Mercy. It was probably one of the best experiences of my life. I remain in contact with many of the girls and all of them are leading healthy lives.

]]> By: Sean the Blogonaut » Blog Archive » More Mercy Ministries blog posts http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2008/10/03/the-truth-about-mercy-ministries-of-america/#comment-252803 Sean the Blogonaut » Blog Archive » More Mercy Ministries blog posts Tue, 16 Dec 2008 21:46:03 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/?p=4951#comment-252803 [...] The Truth About Mercy Ministries of America [...] [...] The Truth About Mercy Ministries of America [...]

]]> By: Alice http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2008/10/03/the-truth-about-mercy-ministries-of-america/#comment-232364 Alice Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:05:34 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/?p=4951#comment-232364 My little sister's latest relapse (she's bipolar) was thanks to her Christian Bible study leader and boyfriend (that's two people) telling her she doesn't need medicine or counseling; she needs to pray harder and have faith. And it's not them who have to deal with her when she's coming down off her medication and trying to convince her to take them again. And its not them that they'll get the call to identify the body if she ever really loses it, either. My little sister’s latest relapse (she’s bipolar) was thanks to her Christian Bible study leader and boyfriend (that’s two people) telling her she doesn’t need medicine or counseling; she needs to pray harder and have faith. And it’s not them who have to deal with her when she’s coming down off her medication and trying to convince her to take them again. And its not them that they’ll get the call to identify the body if she ever really loses it, either.

]]> By: Kozbob http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2008/10/03/the-truth-about-mercy-ministries-of-america/#comment-232226 Kozbob Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:42:57 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/?p=4951#comment-232226 There are a few Mercy Ministries houses here in Australia too. One of them closed down recently after a heap of negative press about treating girls the Wynne recounts. The sad thing is that many of these girls are desperate for help for their troubles, and desperate for spiritual love and acceptance. And they get stiffed on both fronts, then tossed out like trash. There are a few Mercy Ministries houses here in Australia too. One of them closed down recently after a heap of negative press about treating girls the Wynne recounts.
The sad thing is that many of these girls are desperate for help for their troubles, and desperate for spiritual love and acceptance. And they get stiffed on both fronts, then tossed out like trash.

]]> By: The Cynic Sage http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2008/10/03/the-truth-about-mercy-ministries-of-america/#comment-231800 The Cynic Sage Sat, 04 Oct 2008 02:40:45 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/?p=4951#comment-231800 <em>Wynne has a blog of her own where she is trying to expose Mercy for what it is and show real support for the women in the program.</em> Actually that blog doesn't belong to Wynne, it belongs to another American Mercy Survivor. Wynne has a blog of her own where she is trying to expose Mercy for what it is and show real support for the women in the program.

Actually that blog doesn’t belong to Wynne, it belongs to another American Mercy Survivor.

]]> By: Sean the Blogonaut http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2008/10/03/the-truth-about-mercy-ministries-of-america/#comment-231769 Sean the Blogonaut Sat, 04 Oct 2008 00:08:19 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/?p=4951#comment-231769 The big problem is of course the lack of government oversight. Alcorn set the program up precisely so that she would have no interference from government. While this means no funding it also means they could do whatever the hell she wanted. The big problem is of course the lack of government oversight. Alcorn set the program up precisely so that she would have no interference from government. While this means no funding it also means they could do whatever the hell she wanted.

]]> By: Cathy http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2008/10/03/the-truth-about-mercy-ministries-of-america/#comment-231755 Cathy Fri, 03 Oct 2008 22:20:23 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/?p=4951#comment-231755 This reminds me of the stories I have heard about lgbt and non christian homeless children being abused at the catholic run Covenant House shelters (which do recieve government funding). This reminds me of the stories I have heard about lgbt and non christian homeless children being abused at the catholic run Covenant House shelters (which do recieve government funding).

]]> By: geru http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2008/10/03/the-truth-about-mercy-ministries-of-america/#comment-231727 geru Fri, 03 Oct 2008 18:52:42 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/?p=4951#comment-231727 Reading this, I just came up with the shortest possible description for the phenomenon known as religion: <strong>"Unnecessary suffering"</strong> Reading this, I just came up with the shortest possible description for the phenomenon known as religion:

“Unnecessary suffering”

]]> By: Larry Huffman http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2008/10/03/the-truth-about-mercy-ministries-of-america/#comment-231724 Larry Huffman Fri, 03 Oct 2008 18:33:03 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/?p=4951#comment-231724 The real key, I think, is the mainstream media's unwillingness to report such matters frankly. Look...if there was a bunch of crackpot psychologists who set up shop here in So Cal...and began doing these kinds of things without the religious context...the evening news would be filming scathing expose's about them and pretty much making sure they could not do any kind of substantial business again. But...add that it is a religious based group and everyone shuts up about it. If we reported this kind of stupidity and incompetence accross the board, rather than giving religion a free pass...well, maybe more people would wake up to the delusion. At the very least, maybe more church people would still value real professional treatment over this crack-pottery. Places like this...and other abuses in the name of religion...will occur until society as a whole can stop giving religion a free pass. When we hold religion to the same standards as we do anything else, it will crumple under it's own dogmatic weight. The real key, I think, is the mainstream media’s unwillingness to report such matters frankly.

Look…if there was a bunch of crackpot psychologists who set up shop here in So Cal…and began doing these kinds of things without the religious context…the evening news would be filming scathing expose’s about them and pretty much making sure they could not do any kind of substantial business again. But…add that it is a religious based group and everyone shuts up about it.

If we reported this kind of stupidity and incompetence accross the board, rather than giving religion a free pass…well, maybe more people would wake up to the delusion. At the very least, maybe more church people would still value real professional treatment over this crack-pottery.

Places like this…and other abuses in the name of religion…will occur until society as a whole can stop giving religion a free pass. When we hold religion to the same standards as we do anything else, it will crumple under it’s own dogmatic weight.

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