Semper Eadem: Spiritual Abuse

Showing posts with label Spiritual Abuse. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Doug Phillips = Pervert

I never really thought I'd title a blog post with that phrase... but this is a new era. Doug Phillips is going to court. But this time, he's the one on trial. See the news article here and the official legal complaint here. (Trigger warning: Both links contain graphic details about sexual and spiritual abuse.) I knew it already but this just cements the fact that Doug Phillips is a freaking pervert. Can I just say that again? Doug Phillips is a freaking slimy pervert!

Most of you know the story: On October 31, 2013, Doug Phillips confessed to a "lengthy, inappropriate relationship" with another. See my brief post here, with a link to his statement. Since then, there has been much speculation about the details. What did Phillips mean? Who is "the woman"? Was this all that happened or was there more? More than one person tried to unravel the details and one blog in particular, (*cough* Jen's Gems *cough*), was rather invasive and emotional about the whole thing. I stayed out of it... mostly because I knew a bit more than I was able to disclose.

Lourdes Torres c.2007

Now that the details are public, I can state that I've known that the "mystery woman" was Lourdes Torres for several months. When Phillips' confession was posted, I immediately thought the woman was probably Torres. Soon after, I received the information confirming this from one of my sources who also told me that a lawsuit was in the works. However, I did not feel it was my place to disclose that information until Torres chose to release details. I just kept praying that she was recovering from her experience and receiving counseling. I encourage everyone to continue to pray for her and her family. I'm very glad she's taking Phillips to court. I praise her bravery in speaking out. Doug Phillips can be an intimidating man... but maybe not as much as we once thought. Phillips is far more of an idiot than even I imagined. I mean, knocking on Torres' window in the middle of the night? Going to talk to Torres' parents, with Beall? What a creepy idiot! And Beall's sending threatening e-mails to Torres was hilariously stupid of her. Very incriminating. It's such perfect evidence of the sickness that is Doug and Beall Phillips and Vision Forum. Though Beall meant to be intimidating, her efforts backfired beautifully and will now be extremely valuable in court.

The fact that the Vision Forum Board is implicated and that the likes of Scott Brown, Voddie Bauchum, and etc. are mentioned in the complaint, may turn out to be a good thing. Maybe all these so-called ministries can go down together.

On a side note, I am both amused and aghast at Michael Ferris' distancing himself from Doug Phillips and Vision Forum. Ferris is himself a fundamentalist, has espoused some parts of the patriarchy movement, and I recall reading about the courtship of one of his daughter's in Josh Harris' Boy Meets Girl. Ferris was freakishly controlling and separated his daughter from her future husband while they were in college. He made his daughter cut off contact with the young man and manipulated the couple's feelings and actions. The couple finally reunited when Ferris decided it was time. They could have had a happy, normal relationship all through college but oh no, Ferris had to be in control. It was totally ridiculous and a terrible waste of everyone's time and energy. In fact, it was emotionally abusive. And if Ferris didn't like Phillips' teachings, why didn't he tell the homeschool community sooner? That would have been helpful! In addition, Michael Farris has handled reports of rape on the Patrick Henry campus in a completely antiquated and dismissive manner. See this link. This is completely unacceptable and disgusting. Thus, I have a very difficult time respecting Ferris and believing anything that he states.

There's more to come I'm sure... this issue is far from over.

Ingrid

P.S. Does anyone else find it funny that the lawsuit was filed on April 15th? The 102nd Anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic?

Monday, February 4, 2013

Paradise Recovered

I don't usually recommend films, especially Christian ones, as I find that most self-styled "Christian" films can be very trite, over-sentimental, rigid, contain poor production values, and can have fundamentalist overtones. You're far better off watching films like Chariots of Fire or The Blind Side than Courageous. (Especially since the Kendrick brothers, the filmmakers behind Courageous, Fireproof, Facing the Giants, and Flywheel, have documented ties to Gothardism, Vision Forum, and other fundamentalist groups, see here and here.) That being said, I am happy to find a film that is relevant to what I write on this blog. Paradise Recovered is an excellent film that clearly portrays the dangers and allure of fundamentalist cults, as well as the journey taken to escape from them. After sitting through many fundamentalist films and documentaries, such as Return of the Daughters (and usually yelling at the TV the whole time :-D), it was refreshing to see that there are filmmakers who are Christians who want to share truth and use film to raise awareness about real problems. In addition, since I've worked in independent film, I'm very sensitive to elements of production and find it grating when they're not right. I was very happy to see that Paradise Recovered has excellent production values and the music was really good too. All in all, I highly recommend this film and I'm so happy that there's finally a film that I can give to friends who wonder why I'm so fussy about theology, courtship/dating, and gender issues within the church.

Watch the Trailer here:

And, here's the link to the film's website: http://paradiserecovered.com/

Ingrid

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"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear." ~Ambrose Redmoon

“No I won’t stop! For every minute of the rest of my life, I will fight! I will never stop trying to get away from you!” - Rapunzel, Tangled, 2010.

"And less thanks have we than you. Travellers scowl at us and countryman give us scornful names. “Strider” I am to one fat man who lives within a day’s march of foes that would freeze his heart, or lay his little town in ruin if he were not guarded ceaselessly. Yet we could not have it otherwise. If simple folk are free from care and fear, simple they will be, and we must be secret to keep them so.” - Aragorn, The Fellowship of the Ring, Book II, Chapter II.

"... Ha. Look at you lot. You're all so vacant. Is it nice not being me? It must be so relaxing." - Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock, 2010.

"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned! Galatians 1:5-9

“My experiences in love have taught me difficult lessons, especially my experiences with crazy love. The red relationships. The ones that went from zero to a hundred miles per hour and then hit a wall and exploded. And it was awful. And ridiculous. And desperate. And thrilling. And when the dust settled, it was something I’d never take back. Because there is something to be said for being young and needing someone so badly, you jump in head first without looking. And there’s something to be learned from waiting all day for a train that’s never coming. And there’s something to be proud of about moving on and realizing that real love shines golden like starlight and doesn’t fade or spontaneously combust. Maybe I’ll write a whole album about that kind of love if I ever find it.” -- Taylor Swift, Red, 2012.

"We're clearly soldiers in petticoats
And dauntless crusader for women's votes
Though we adore men individually
We agree that as a group they're rather stupid.

Cast off the shackles of yesterday
Shoulder to shoulder into the fray
Our daughter's daughters will adore us
And they'll sing in grateful chorus
"Well done, sister suffragette!"

No more the meek and mild subservients we.
We're fighting for our rights...militantly. Never you fear!

So, cast off the shackles of yesterday
Shoulder to shoulder into the fray
Our daughter's daughters will adore us
And they'll sing in grateful chorus
"Well done...well done...well done...sister suffragette!"

Mary Poppins, 1964.
Written by: Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman.
As Sung by Mrs. Banks (Glynis Johns), Ellen (Hermione Baddeley), and Mrs. Brill (Reta Shaw).

Of course, Mrs. Banks priorites were out of whack but she fixed them in the end. :-) And I assume she won the right to vote anyway. :-)

~ A conversation between L.B. Jeffries and his nurse Stella. ~

Stella: Look, Mr. Jeffries, I'm not an educated woman, but I can tell you one thing. When a man and woman see each other and like each other, they oughta come together—wham!—like a couple of taxis on Broadway, and not sit around analyzing each other like two specimens in a bottle.
Jeff: There's an intelligent way to approach marriage.
Stella: Intelligence! Nothing has caused the human race so much trouble as intelligence!
Jeff: Now, we've progressed emotionally.
Stella: Baloney! Once, it was see somebody, get excited, get married. Now, it's read a lot of books, fence with a lot of four-syllable words, psychoanalyze each other until you can't tell the difference between a petting party and a civil service exam.
Jeff: People have different emotional levels.
Stella: When I married Miles, we were both a couple of maladjusted misfits. We are still maladjusted misfits, and we have loved every minute of it.
Jeff: Well, that's fine, Stella. Now would you fix me a sandwich please? ~ Rear Window, 1954.

Above: Stella (Thelma Ritter), Lisa (Grace Kelly,) and L.B. Jeffries (Jimmy Stewart), Rear Window, Paramount Pictures, 1954.

What Matters Most

Not money, not power, not fame, or position.
Don't want, don't need, don't give me religion.
All I wanna hear
All I wanna see
All I wanna read about is
All I wanna live
All I wanna know
All I wanna be about is Love, what matters most.
Givin' love, what matters most

What matters most
Is how much we love
What matters most
Is how much we give
What would it matter if we just lived
Without loving our GodWithout loving each other?
What matters most
Is how much we love,
Setting our sights
On the needs of our brother
Loving our neighbor as we love ourselves
We give to the Lord
When we give to each other
Faith, hope and love, especially love.
Faith, hope and love, especially love.
That's what matters most
What matters most.

© 1997 Cheri Keaggy

More Quotes

"If your morals make you dreary, depend upon it, they are wrong." ~ Robert Louis Stevenson.

"Of course, it is likely enough my friends," he said, slowly. "Likely enough that we are going to our doom: the last march of the Ents. But if we stayed at home and did nothing, doom would find us anyway, sooner or later. That thought has been growing in our hearts; and that is why we are marching now. It was not a hasty resolve. Now the last march of the Ents may be worth a song. Aye," he sighed. "We may help the other peoples before we pass away." ~ Treebeard, The Two Towers, Chapter IV.

"I have a 'snoggestion,' he said. That was what Mr. Ray always called a particularly good suggestion." ~ Betsy and the Great World, Maud Hart Lovelace, Chapter II.

"But, dear me, let us be elegant or die!" ~ Little Women, Louisa May Alcott, Chapter III.

"For with God nothing shall be impossible." ~ Luke 1:37.

"Play it once, Sam, for old times sake," "I don't know what you mean Miss Ilsa," "Play it, Sam, play 'As Time Goes By'," ~ Ilsa and Sam, Casablanca, 1942.

"Isn't it customary to give your valet a tip?" "Here's a tip, Felix, don't brush your teeth with a brick." ~ Felix & Felicity King, Road to Avonlea, 1994.

"I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure." ~ Eric Liddell.

"After all...tomorrow is another day." ~ Scarlett O'Hara, Gone with the Wind, 1939.

"And your defect is a propensity to hate everybody." "And yours," he replied with a smile, "Is willfully to misunderstand them." ~ Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen, Chapter XI.

"Bilbo Baggins, a bur--a hobbit," said poor Bilbo, shaking all over, and wondering how to make owl-noises before they throttled him. "A Burahobbit?" said they a bit startled." ~ Bilbo and the Trolls, The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien.

"Life moves pretty fast...if you don't stop and look around for awhile, you could miss it." ~ Ferris, in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, 1986.

Han Solo: Uh, everything's under control. Situation normal.
Intercom Voice: What happened?
Han Solo: Uh, we had a slight weapons malfunction, but uh... everything's perfectly all right now. We're fine. We're all fine here now, thank you. How are you?
Intercom Voice:We're sending a squad up.
Han Solo: Uh, uh... negative, negative. We had a reactor leak here now. Give us a few minutes to lock it down. Large leak, very dangerous.
Intercom Voice: Who is this? What's your operating number? Han Solo: Uh... [he shoots the intercom.] Boring conversation, anyway. ~ Star Wars, 1977.

"Look at all these people. They sit around telling stories. Then they sing songs all morning." "Yeah, they're hicks, Rita!" ~ Rita and Phil, Groundhog Day, 1993.

"I don't know! I'm making this up as I go!" ~ Indiana Jones, Raiders of the Lost Ark, 1981.

"You know what the three most exciting sounds in the world are?" "Uh-huh. Breakfast is served; lunch is served, dinner..." "No, no, no, no! Anchor chains, plane motors, and train whistles." ~ George Bailey and Uncle Billy, It's a Wonderful Life, 1946.

"If you were waiting for the opportune moment...that was it." ~ Capt. Jack Sparrow, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, 2003.

"Well, no need to brood on what tomorrow may bring. For one thing, tomorrow will be certain to bring worse than today, for many days to come." ~ Gandalf, The Return of the King, Chapter I.

Luke: What? HAHA! Hey, you did it 3PO! (He, Leia, and Han are laughing hysterically) C-3PO: Listen to them, they're dying R2! Curse my metal body, I wasn't fast enough, it's all my fault! My poor Master. Luke: 3PO, we're all right! We're all right! Ha ha! Hey, open the pressure maintenance hatch on unit number... where are we? 3263827! ~ Star Wars, 1977.

"With enough courage, you can do without a reputation." ~ Rhett Butler, Gone with the Wind, 1939.

"Joe"? "Just call me Joe"? As if you were one of those stupid 22-year old girls with no last name? "Hi, I'm Kimberly!" "Hi, I'm Janice!" Don't they know you're supposed to have a last name? It's like they're an entire generation of cocktail waitresses. ~ Kathleen Kelly, You've Got Mail, 1997.