ABUSE & VIOLENCE IN THE CHURCH, Disturbing Trends, Extra-Biblical Nonsense, God's Design for the Family, It's All About the Image, Julie Anne's Personal Stories, Legalism, Marriage, Modesty and Purity Teachings, Parenting, Patriarchal-Complementarian Movement, Personal Stories, Spiritual Abuse, Spiritual Authority, Spiritual Bullies, SURVIVOR STORIES, Women and the Church

What was it like in my Patriarchal home, you ask? Let’s discuss hymens.

When our eldest daughter was 13 and before she started her period, my then husband told me he did not want her to use tampons because it would break her hymen and it was important for her future husband to do so.

Clergy Misconduct, Clergy Sex Abuse, emotional abuse, It's All About the Image, Ravi Zacharias, Religious Power and Control, Sexual Abuse/Assault and Churches, Spiritual Abuse, Spiritual Bullies, Women and the Church

Julie Anne Smith Interviewed on Almost Heretical Podcast: Spiritual and Sexual Abuse

Nate is the first person to interview me specifically about the Ravi Zacharias sex abuse scandal and ask me why I thought it took so long for the collective church to "get it."

Biblical Counseling, Christian Marriage, Divorce, It's All About the Image, Julie Anne's Personal Stories, Marriage, Marriages Damaged-Destroyed by Sp. Ab., Mental Health and the Church, Personal Stories

A personal update from Julie Anne:

Today is my birthday. This morning I woke up happy, smiling, and very excited to be alive and well with a great home, a great job, and great family and friends. But I’d like to give you a window into what it was like this time last year. I was not well.

Clergy Misconduct, Crazy Things Church Leaders Say & Do, Disturbing Trends, Extra-Biblical Nonsense, It's All About the Image

Christian Music Artist and Pastor Steve Camp Puts God to the Test with #COVID-19

But the people who went to the church may or may not have been infected with the virus. Why was this necessary? Oh yea, it wasn’t.

ABUSE & VIOLENCE IN THE CHURCH, Abuse Systems and Transformation Tools, child abuse, Clergy Misconduct, Clergy Sex Abuse, It's All About the Image, Mandatory Reporting, Meetings with the Pastor, Sexual Abuse/Assault and Churches, Southern Baptist Convention, Spiritual Abuse, Statute of Limitations, Women and the Church

Is J.D. Greear just talking, or are we going to see action?

The SBC has been getting push back about selecting "designated survivors" to speak. Was he doing damage control by mentioning the names of the survivors/advocates they chose not to speak? Were the ones chosen to speak selected so that the SBC can control the narrative?

Addressing Abuse, Clergy Misconduct, Clergy Sex Abuse, Forgiveness, Franklin Graham, It's All About the Image, Misuse of Scripture, Sexual Abuse/Assault and Churches, Spiritual Abuse, Spiritual Authority

Cissie Graham Lynch – Publicly Criticizing Pastors or Ministries Destroys the Gospel

If we do not publicly call out abusive or neglectful church leaders or ministries then abuse thrives. Silence and privacy is not an option.

ABUSE & VIOLENCE IN THE CHURCH, It's All About the Image, John MacArthur, Master's University / Master's Seminary, No-Talk Rule

John MacArthur Demonstrates Expertise in the Destructive and Self-Preservation Tools of Ingratiation and Gaslighting

John MacArthur on his schools' accreditation probation status: "What had happened in the three days is a rather orchestrated attack, if not by any human source, certainly by Satan himself. There was an attack directly on me, and it came in all kinds of forms." 

ABUSE & VIOLENCE IN THE CHURCH, Clergy Misconduct, Clergy Sex Abuse, Crazy Things Church Leaders Say & Do, Divorce, It's All About the Image, Narcissistic Pastors, RC Sproul Jr., SMH (Shake My Head), Spiritual Abuse, Spiritual Bullies, Tullian Tchividjian

Estranged Adult Child of Disgraced Former Pastor R.C. Sproul, Jr., Urges People to NOT Purchase Father’s New Book; Foreword by Tullian Tchividjian

“Myself and RC Jr’s other adult children are estranged from him. We do not support this book or his return to public ministry.”

Disturbing Trends, Franklin Graham, It's All About the Image, SMH (Shake My Head)

Franklin Graham’s Nonprofit Charities, Samaritan Purse and Operation Christmas Child, Cancel Advertisement Account with Relevant Magazine after Quoting Graham’s Own Words

  *** Franklin Graham's non-profit organizations, Samaritan's Purse and Operation Christmas Child, will no longer use Relevant magazine for advertising. What was Relevant's crime?  They printed Franklin Graham's own words! On September 19, 2018, Relevant magazine reported a quote from Franklin Graham which were originally said during a CBN news interview. Here are Relevant's two paragraphs.… Continue reading Franklin Graham’s Nonprofit Charities, Samaritan Purse and Operation Christmas Child, Cancel Advertisement Account with Relevant Magazine after Quoting Graham’s Own Words

ABUSE & VIOLENCE IN THE CHURCH, Abuse Systems and Transformation Tools, Classical Conversations, Dictators, It's All About the Image, Legalism, Misuse of Scripture, No-Talk Rule, Parenting, Personal Stories, Spiritual Bullies

Classical Conversations #7: Business or a Non-Profit; Cult or a Christian Homeschool Group?

*** NOTE: This is part of a series that began with these earlier posts: Classical Conversations #1: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly Classical Conversations #2: What Led You to Join a Classical Conversations Homeschool Community? #ClassicalConvMadeKnown Classical Conversations #3: Leaders Delete Comments and Block Commenters Who Don’t Toe the Line Classical Conversations #4: A CC… Continue reading Classical Conversations #7: Business or a Non-Profit; Cult or a Christian Homeschool Group?

ABUSE & VIOLENCE IN THE CHURCH, Abuse Systems and Transformation Tools, Calvinism, Clergy Misconduct, Clergy Sex Abuse, Complementarianism, Debi Pearl, Doctrine as Idol, Failure to Report Crimes, It's All About the Image, John MacArthur, Legalism, Mandatory Reporting, Mark Driscoll, Michael Pearl, Parenting, Phil Johnson, Sexual Abuse/Assault and Churches, Sovereign Grace Ministries, Sovereign Grace Ministries Lawsuit, Tom Chantry

Tedd Tripp and Tom Chantry: Shepherding a Child’s Heart … or Not

Tedd Tripp, Tom Chantry, Failure to Report, Mandatory Reporter, Spanking, Shepherding a Child's Heart *** *** In the late 1990s, I attended a parenting seminar by Tedd Tripp. It may or may not be significant to note that the seminar was held at a Sovereign Grace Ministries church in Chesapeake, Virginia. Shepherding a Child's Heart… Continue reading Tedd Tripp and Tom Chantry: Shepherding a Child’s Heart … or Not

ABUSE & VIOLENCE IN THE CHURCH, Abuse Systems and Transformation Tools, Bill Hybels, Clergy Misconduct, Clergy Sex Abuse, It's All About the Image, No-Talk Rule, Sexual Abuse/Assault and Churches, Spiritual Abuse, Spiritual Authority, Spiritual Bullies, Willow Creek Church/Willow Creek Association, Women and the Church

Bill Hybels, the Willow Creek “System,” and Why the Women Needed to Speak Publicly

Bill Hybels, Clergy Sexual Misconduct, Willow Creek Church *** Scot McKnight at Jesus Creed wrote a very important article about the Bill Hybels/Willow Creek sexual misconduct scandal. This is a very important article that summarizes the system that was in place which allowed Bill Hybels to not only go unchecked, but to be protected and… Continue reading Bill Hybels, the Willow Creek “System,” and Why the Women Needed to Speak Publicly

Classical Conversations, Doug Phillips & Vision Forum, Failure to Report Crimes, Homeschool Movement, It's All About the Image, Legalism, Mandatory Reporting, No-Talk Rule, Patriarchal-Complementarian Movement, Spiritual Abuse, Spiritual Authority, Spiritual Bullies, Stay-At-Home Daughters Movement, Vision Forum

Classical Conversations #1: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Classical Conversations, Homeschool, Classical Education, #ClassicalConvMadeKnown ***   About 10 years ago, I was at a homeschool family camp with my family in Washington state, and it was talent-show night. Previous years at the talent show, children and families sang, kids performed skits, or danced a routine. However, this year, there were a couple of… Continue reading Classical Conversations #1: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

9Marks, ABUSE & VIOLENCE IN THE CHURCH, Clergy Misconduct, Clergy Sex Abuse, Complementarianism, Failure to Report Crimes, Fred Butler, It's All About the Image, John MacArthur, Safe Churches, Sexual Abuse/Assault and Churches, Women and the Church

Fred Butler, #MeToo and the Worldly Culture

***   Who is Fred Butler? I saw this tweet the other day. Long-time blog readers will recognize the name, Fred Butler, an employee of Grace to You, the radio ministry of Pastor John MacArthur. Butler's tweet references another tweet from the @9Marks Twitter account which quotes from an article recently posted on their site.… Continue reading Fred Butler, #MeToo and the Worldly Culture

ABUSE & VIOLENCE IN THE CHURCH, Clergy Misconduct, Clergy Sex Abuse, It's All About the Image, Ravi Zacharias

Is Someone Manipulating YouTube Search for Steve Baughman’s Video: “The Case Against Ravi Zacharias?”

The Case Against Ravi Zacharias?, Steve Baughman, Clergy Sexual Misconduct, Misleading Credentials *** Steve Baughman, the attorney who has been attempting to get Ravi Zacharias to come clean on his academic credentials, just contacted me and told me that for the SECOND time, something/someone has been monkeying around with his YouTube account.From Steve: About two… Continue reading Is Someone Manipulating YouTube Search for Steve Baughman’s Video: “The Case Against Ravi Zacharias?”

ABUSE & VIOLENCE IN THE CHURCH, Clergy Misconduct, It's All About the Image, No-Talk Rule, Ravi Zacharias, Spiritual Abuse, Spiritual Authority

Two Posts Containing Ravi Zacharias’ Personal Emails Were Removed: Why? (Updated)

Ravi Zacharias, RZIM, Clergy Sexual Misconduct *** NOTE: This post is updated. The earlier version is at the bottom of this post. When I began blogging, I did so to tell my own spiritual abuse experiences. There were no rules. I followed my heart. I still do the same today. I probably do things that… Continue reading Two Posts Containing Ravi Zacharias’ Personal Emails Were Removed: Why? (Updated)

ABUSE & VIOLENCE IN THE CHURCH, Clergy Misconduct, It's All About the Image, LAWSUITS, Ravi Zacharias

Important New Video about Apologist Ravi Zacharias: Alleged False Credentials, Lawsuit, Online Relationship with Married Woman

"The Case Against Ravi Zacharias", lawsuit, falsified credentials, RZIM *** School deadlines prohibit me from making a longer post, but this video is important. I suspect things will be shaking up in the near future with regard to well-known apologist, Ravi Zacharias. Attorney, banjo player, atheist, and blogger, Steve Baughman has been following Ravi Zacharias'… Continue reading Important New Video about Apologist Ravi Zacharias: Alleged False Credentials, Lawsuit, Online Relationship with Married Woman

ABUSE & VIOLENCE IN THE CHURCH, Christian Marriage, Clergy Misconduct, Clergy Sex Abuse, Crazy Things Church Leaders Say & Do, Domestic Violence, Domestic Violence and Churches, Failure to Report Crimes, It's All About the Image, Leaving the Church, Mandatory Reporting, Meetings with the Pastor, Mental Health and the Church, No-Talk Rule, Sexual Abuse/Assault and Churches, Spiritual Abuse, Spiritual Bullies, Statute of Limitations

First #MeToo, Now #ChurchToo: Sexual Abuse, Harassment, and Mishandling in the Church

#MeToo, #ChurchToo, Sexual Abuse, Harassment, Church *** The hashtag #MeToo has been trending for quite some time on Twitter. Women who have been sexually harassed or abused have been identifying themselves as survivors of sexual harm, indicating it with the hashtag, #MeToo. But now, there is a new trending hashtag, #ChurchToo. The stories that you… Continue reading First #MeToo, Now #ChurchToo: Sexual Abuse, Harassment, and Mishandling in the Church

ABUSE & VIOLENCE IN THE CHURCH, Clergy Misconduct, Clergy Sex Abuse, Crazy Things Church Leaders Say & Do, It's All About the Image, Mark Driscoll, Tullian Tchividjian

Tullian Tchividjian and Mark Driscoll are Baaaack

Mark Driscoll, Tullian Tchividjian, Spiritual abuse, clergy sexual misconduct *** Tullian Tchividjian and Mark Driscoll are Baaaack Today was a really difficult day with the shootings in Las Vegas. As of this writing, 59 people have died, and over 500 injured. What a horrible, senseless tragedy, with so many people harmed. As I was reeling… Continue reading Tullian Tchividjian and Mark Driscoll are Baaaack