I've posted here before about the series by blogger "Latebloomer" of Past Tense, Present Progressive called "Biblical" Parenting. (For the previous post, click here). In this series, she gives here review of a book called "Child Training Tips" by fundamentalist author and pastor Reb Bradley. In essence, the book, which contains his philosophy on raising children, sums up the views on child raising that many extreme right Christians have, and displays all the worst aspects of such for all the world to see. The series comes to a close in post 4,
"A Parent Who Isolates in Order to Control" In this post, Latebloomer talks about how her family was a member of Bradley's church, Hope Chapel, and how her upbringing was profoundly affected by his disastrous advice to her parents.
This post is by far the best post in the series, and that is really saying something. The isolation, the strain that this kind of mentality puts on a relationship between parent and child, and the lingering effects into adulthood, I personally I know to be true. I was raised in a fundamentalist homeschooling family as well, and her posts on the impact of such an upbringing discuss it much clearer terms than I ever could. Her blog also has a series solely dedicated to her upbringing in a fundamentalist family, read the 7 part series here.
The posts "Homeschooled Girls and Trash Cans" and "Authoritarian Parenting and Emotional Repression" are the most eye opening in the series.
Take the time, read both series, if you were raised fundamentalist, it will profoundly bring back some memories of childhood, if you weren't, it will be a shocking entrance into the world of fundamentalism, and the harsh psychological impacts it has on those who were raised into it.
It's criminal what is happening to children brought up in this environment. Worst of all is the level of emotional abuse these kids endure all through their formative years. As if that is not enough, their future is sabotaged by substandard education, and Hyles Anderson, given that it is NOT accredited, provides a worthless (except to church administrators) education. HAC generates millions to the church. Add to that all the publications that they sell annually. Bottom line: its all about the money (and of course, the sex).
ReplyDeleteFor twenty-five years, I have watched my daughter (graduate of a northeastern college and who was brainwashed by this bunch) be the engineer of a slow moving train wreck. My son-in-law was the conductor. The children, my grandchildren, were whisked 1,000 miles away and hardly know ANY of their extended family. After a seven year separation, I visited them and went to their church, watched Brother Hyles and Jack Schaap at the pulpit. Little did I know what they were up to.
The philosophy of this group to alienate people from their families is tragic. Only by a twist of fate did I find out just how EVIL they are. Our story is still evolving, with the kids now in their twenties. Two are estranged from FBCH, one graduated from HAC recently. Time will tell how this plays out. God help them!