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I have the privilege of knowing and working with extremely brave people who have walked away from the Christian Dominionist bible-based cult. And Vyckie Garrison is one of the bravest. She has come forward with a statement about Daniel Webster and just who this Bill Gothard megliomaniac really is, and why their association IS important.
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Dan Webster’s Religious “Family Values” – Disguised Misogyny: Former devotee speaks out
Women are conditioned to be submissive to their husbands, discouraged from using birth control, and prohibited from working outside the home. Gothard-style worldview and lifestyle overburdens women, enslaves the daughters and destroys families.
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Vyckie Garrison was involved with Webster ally, Bill Gothard’s teachings for 14 years; after following the fundamentalist teachings of the ‘Quiverfull’ movement, Garrison was subjected to mental abuse and told to ignore medical advice not to have more children because her job as a woman was to obey God by submitting to her husband – an act that allegedly afforded her physical and spiritual protection.
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“On the surface, Bill Gothard’s wholesome message seems to promote happy family life, but in actual practice, the lifestyle perpetuates heavy burdens and unrealistic standards for women.
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“Gothard’s teachings stress that safe and proper, ‘godly’ living comes from submission to authority.A woman must submit to any and all whims of her husband, including all types of domestic abuse,” said Garrison. “Anyone concerned about women’s equality and empowerment should be alarmed by this religious movement.”
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According to Bill Gothard, a man’s wife “has to realize that God accomplishes his ultimate will through the decisions of the husband, even when the husband is wrong.” Citing I Thessalonians 5:18 (“In every thing give thanks”), Gothard even advises a wife whose husband chastises her to say, “God, thank you for this beating.” And Gothard adds to Christ’s words from the cross: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. But you know what you are doing through them to build character in me.”
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Gothard’s Institute for Basic Life Principles has political ambitions. Kathryn Joyce, an expert on Christian extremism, notes in her book that the Institute of Basic Life Principles is a $63-million per year business that enumerates a series of “nonoptional” spiritual laws calling for strict authoritarian child training, including a fundamentalist condemnation of worldly modern music and toys and an ethos of unswerving obedience to one’s proper authorities in all jurisdictions of life.
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On September 28, 2003 the St. Petersburg Times reported: “What he has said I believe to be the truth,” Dan Webster said of Gothard in 1987.
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“I have personal experience as a woman who has lived under the rule of such religious extremism and I know it is a threat to women and families if a person who subscribes to these principles is elected to Congress,” said Garrison.
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“Gothard’s teachings stress that safe and proper, ‘godly’ living comes from submission to authority.A woman must submit to any and all whims of her husband, including all types of domestic abuse,” said Garrison. “Anyone concerned about women’s equality and empowerment should be alarmed by this religious movement.”For more information refer to articles written by Bruce Wilson of talk2action.org. about Reconstructionism…one of the MANY “isms” that fall under the broad umbrella of Christian Dominionism.
In Grayson Flap, Factcheck.org Misses Webster Ties To Christian Reconstructionism
By Bruce Wilson
“So how close is Republican Congressional candidate Daniel Webster, running against Democratic Representative Alan Grayson for Florida’s 8th Congressional District, to evangelist Bill Gothard? That question is now politically salient because of Gothard’s participation in a radical Christian political movement called Christian Reconstructionism that seeks to impose stoning as a form of capital punishment for crimes including murder, adultery, “heresy,” and “witchcraft.” (for more on Christian Reconstructionism, see story appendix)” [...] read full article here…
Here is the video that the Grayson campaign ad put together that is causing all the stir…
Now here is Rep. Grayson explaining his political ad…
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Okay…this is where the fight goes off the tracks. Grayson is rightly concerned about Webster. He is the epitome of a Christian Dominionist political candidate. Grayson is SPOT ON about that. And knowing as much as I do about the Institute of Basic Life Principles, Bill Gothard and the oppressive teachings they hold toward women…I really get why Grayson felt it was appropriate to put the audio clip of Webster saying “submit to me”. But here is the problem…most Americans have NO idea how extreme these Christian zealots are!
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This is precisely why we are working so hard to expose the Dominionists. So that it becomes a conversation that we can have without the right taking it and turning it into an outrageous attack from “that anti-Christian left” on yet another persecuted “Christian family man”. Look at how Palin has made millions making that work for her!
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This can backfire. Grayson has the message. People aren’t informed enough about Dominionism and their worldview enough to understand just how oppressive they are. It really isn’t a stretch to call Webster a member of the American Taliban. But this may have been too much too soon.
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I am completely behind exposing Webster’s association with Gothard and his horrific attempts at introducing legislation to punish “disobedient woman” as Grayson mentions in this news interview, but we can’t use manipulation to prove our points.
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I agree, Leah! While I detest everything that Webster believes and stands for, we simply cannot manipulate the "news" to communicate the "message."