More reputable evangelicals consider Gothard to be a cultish fringe character, but he has built an enormous empire, which depends on funding from local and state governments to bring his authoritarian version of the Gospel to prisoners, police officers and welfare recipients, among others.
I found this quote on Salon in an article discussing the ultra-Biblical worldview of Mike Huckabee. It try pains my heart to realize that Bill Gothard is a name I used to hear in my grandparents' house. My mother's family is all evangelical, or at least most of them are. 6 different cousins in 2 families have been home-schooled either a portion or for their entire schooling. I don't really know the long-term ramifications- perhaps they'll be every bit as functional as I- but their worldview depends on a fire and damnation, literal interpretation of the Good Book that just seems out of sorts with the modern world. They have all been riding their Republican Revolution for the last 25 yrs, although virtually all of them are working-class stiffs who have lost ground in that same time period. To them, though, and like Huckabee, they're not concerned with this world really. The Lord has given them what they have, and will give them far greater in the next life as recompense for their faith and dependability. Peace to them, though.
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