A pastor falsely claims to have cancer Author’s note: Shortly before publication of this essay, I heard yet another story of someone who pretended to have cancer and deceived many people in the process. A separate essay will be required to do justice to that story, but this episode of the True Crime Daily podcast details the story of a woman who falsely claimed to have cancer and was finally exposed after receiving over $100,000 in donations. I recently read... Read more
Photo by joseph d’mello on Unsplash Flipping the script on the punitive rod Spare the rod and spoil the child – where did we get this from? “Spare the rod and spoil the child” is a well-known aphorism that is often used to justify physical punishment. Even though the exact phrase may not appear in the Bible, it is based loosely on a few verses in the book of Proverbs, two of which are... Read more
The danger of over-spiritualizing the physical I once read about a character in a novel who didn’t believe in “wasting time” on things like eating and sleeping. Years later, as a young adult, I heard a pastor say, “If you sleep for eight hours a day, you are sleeping a third of your life away!” He would also make statements like, “Don’t listen to the doctors who say you need eight hours of sleep a day!” The interesting thing... Read more
Promise or general principle? “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22: 6 People often “claim” verses like the one above as promises that they can hold on to. But is this really a promise? One of the songs I remember from my childhood includes the following lyrics: “Every promise in the book is mine, Every chapter, every verse, every line….” The book the song... Read more
I was recently informed that the Christian mission organization that ran a school I once attended had recently issued a formal apology to former students who had been victims of various forms of abuse while enrolled there. I couldn’t help thinking about the significance of this, considering the fact that the person now at the helm of the organization had nothing to do with any of the occurrences and was probably not even a member of the organization... Read more
Shiny Happy People – “derogatory and sensationalized” or a reality check? The recent docuseries Shiny Happy People has brought to light some of the disturbing behind- the- scene realities of the lives of the famous Duggar family and the teachings of Bill Gothard, the founder of the Institute in Basic Life Principles, which they promoted. The Duggars (Jim Bob and Michelle) have responded to the docuseries with a statement on their family website, which reads in part: “The recent ‘documentary’... Read more
Dolly Parton’s message to the church Dolly Parton recently released a song titled “Don’t make me have to come down there”. Released on her 77th birthday, the song was based on a dream, in which she says God spoke from a mountain, warning that if we didn’t pay attention to Him, the consequences would be dire. Many people within the present-day church would probably be quick to assume that this message is for people outside the church, and it may... Read more
Lessons from the story of America’s favorite TV family “Shiny, Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets” is Amazon Prime’s new docuseries based on the story of the famous Duggar family of TLC’s Nineteen and Counting, and the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP), the “parachurch” organization that they actively promoted. I never actually watched the reality show while it was on TV, but since I have been researching and writing about various forms of abuse in religious settings, I recently took... Read more
I recently read an essay that outlined the reasons why women don’t report sexual harassment and rape. One of the main reasons given was the gender power differential. Another reason given for the reluctance of women to report was the fear that they would either not be believed or would be blamed for the assault. The author reflects on how perpetrators often wield power over their victims, making them vulnerable. Unfortunately, abused women often lack support from the very institutions... Read more
Image by author Several years ago, I gave a talk on recognizing child abuse to the workers in the church I was attending at the time. I thought it might be a good idea to reach out to other churches in the area and give the same talk. Though I... Read more
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