Why The Duggars, And Millions Of Other Baptists, Were Deceived By Bill Gothard

Amazon Prime's newest docuseries, Shiny Happy People, dives deep into the Duggars, IBLP, and Bill Gothard. Todd Friel explains why Gothard was so successful in bamboozling millions and how you can avoid being deceived too.

Wretched TV and Radio are hosted by Todd Friel. On the show, you will see and hear live witnessing encounters, discussions of tough theological issues, and Christian commentary on current events. We might even make you laugh.

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[jodyward]

"Obedience is not your protector. God is." Excellent. Thank you, Todd.

[MsQ]

This reminds me a lot of the Mormon cult I survived. Sadly, I turned to atheism for many years to cope with that abuse.... I'm saved now and am so grateful God pulled me in but sometimes I'm sad for all the lost decades of unGodly living. I really feel for the children caught in this Gothard world.

[michaelwest]

I met Bill Gothard when I was 16. I only spoke with him for a couple of minutes. I told him that I wanted to be a Christian businessman and bring glory to God through business. I received a very condescending reply, implying that I was putting God last in my life after pursuing business. I am very thankful that I never went to another Gothard event. In the many years since then, I have learned how much Christ loves me and what he did for me and that he does not keep us under fear and apprehension.

[JnJnlllipp]

I'm athiest. Putting that up front.

This video was absolutely inspiring. (Obvi, the preborn ad bothered me, but that's very personal, and not why I'm here.)

I genuinely appreciate the message of this video. To hear a Christian MAN, a Preacher even, say that the IBLP & ATI are NOT godly is... Hopeful!

It gives me comfort to know that not all of the Christian men of the world think this way. It was my only experience until now.

I'm not converted, but I AM genuinely touched by the beautiful words and message of this video. Thank you.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[marymack]

The mixture of truth with lies is the deadliest cocktail.

[charliecrowe]

Excellent work Todd. Legalism is so insidious, it dresses up like an angel of light.

[MsLeeB]

I was a young woman, 26, when I attended his ‘event’. (Am now almost 72) It was “THE event” to attend back then if you were a Christian, besides Billy Graham Crusades. When, however, I felt unsettled about what I was hearing, and rejected much of what was said at the Gothard event, I was ostracized by my Christian friends I had known since I was a teen. I no longer felt welcome in Christian circles, nor in this world. With Christians, I was the ‘wrong kind’, (?), and with the world, I was ‘too Christian’. Painful! And for years I wondered about my own salvation, though I knew I loved the Lord with all my heart. I still do, even though my ‘walk’ through the years has been rocky. The Lord is so good, however, and never let me go. 🙌🙌 He has, especially in the past few years, brought me closer to Him, increasing my understanding of His Word, assuring me of His Love. I listen to Pastor MacArthur(since the late 70s), Paul Washer, Justin Peters, a few others, and feel a new deep hunger to know even more about God’s Word. I now have that blessed assurance, Jesus IS mine❣️ I am so thankful to Him❤️🙏❤️ Btw, I enjoy your videos. Thank you💕

[atonementandreconciliation]

Modesty, authority, masculinity, and femininity are all biblical. The problem happens when they become hyper-focus, and over-prioritized.

[ldpetete]

I am a Christian, and a Baptist minister. I had one of Gothards books and was always uncomfortable looking at it and reading what it taught. Now I know why. The Holy Spirit was protecting me.

[ulusalani]

I really liked Ravi Zacharias; he always had really cute and meaningful stories to tell. And I listened to all his videos I could find. Then he died and the truth came out. I was stunned. But he was exactly the kind of preacher that Todd talked about: a preacher with hundreds of stories but no Bible teaching. I won't get fooled by another like that again.

[GaveMeGrace]

You’re a trusted enough source to listen to in this matter for a first time—Thank you for standing and speaking on the Rock of our salvation, Jesus Christ.

[clintonstubbs]

I’ve heard of Bill Gothard but I grew up in the black church which was weak in a lot of ways. No real strong basis in the Bible but a lot of religion and racial idolatry. I am saved now but I could see why some liked Bill Gothard. I thought the Duggars seemed more devout than what I saw growing up and when I went to college. I don’t care for a lot of the different things I have seen in many churches since I’ve been saved but I study the Bible for myself and am in a solid church now.

[shanpastaflocka]

I'm soooo glad you are talking about this! So well said

[billcook]

Grew up going to IBYC seminars and workshops. Met the man a few times. He taught some good stuff. He taught some silly stuff (women should never open a car door when a man is around.) He taught some flat out wrong stuff. And we knew it and ignored it, other than to poke fun. Just my opinion, but the problem is not so much bad teaching, but the idea that we should follow anybody 100%. Never put your faith in a person. Never accept any teaching uncritically.

[scottishwarrior]

I grew up in the Gothard cult. My mom still has binders and books (that need to be used to start my grill, its the only thing they are worth using for) that she won't get rid of. That legalism was so bad that I thought I was saved at lest 2 different times, as a child and then as an adult. But the fruit was not there. It wasn't until 2020 when I received a regenerated heart from the Lord.

I knew Bill personally and talked with him on many, many occasions. My wife and her family were also involved in the program. She went worked at the HQ, I attended the Life Focus program at the Indianapolis IN training center where I worked at the front desk over night on "security" which was nothing more than monitoring the front and side doors to make sure the juvenile delinquents did not escape. I can 100% confirm that there was never any teachings of the gospel of Christ in that program. Team leaders would refuse to answer basic questions about the bible when we were having our morning devotion time. I legit had questions and they would refuse to answer them.
My family spent almost every summer in the 90s at the main conf in Knoxville TN. 20, 000 families duped by that wolf in sheep's clothing.
In the mid 90s we moved back to the ATL and joined a church that was almost 100% part of the cult. If you were not in the cult then you were shunned! The reason that so many people were at that church was because most families had 8+ kids.
My family was more of the black sheep in the program because we had TV and my parents couldn't be consistent with the strict rules placed on us. They did try... It was a crazy roller coaster of inconsistency. My mom's greatest regret is not being able to be an ideal ATI family. My parents ended up getting a divorce 2 years ago after 29yrs of marriage. My dad cheated on my mom because my mom wanted him to meet every single expectation that she had and at the bottom of it all, Christ was not the center of their lives. My older sister is pretty scared as I think most of the girls were. Girls were treated oddly because they were taboo but yet the main goal of being at a training center was to hopefully find a spouse. I came out with scratches, and nothing really more than just being shunned because I couldn't and wouldn't conform to all of their ridiculous rules.


I'm glad I was homeschooled I wouldn't change that for anything and I do believe that Christian's should NOT put their children in the public school system. Voddie Baucham would say: "if you send your kids to Rome, don't be surprised when they come back Romans."
All of my children are homeschooled, but they are taught the saving grace of Jesus Christ and that their dad is not perfect and he (I) need Jesus every day just as much as they do.

God is merciful. He is good. And HE is the ONLY way to Salvation!!


Sola Scriptura, Sola Gratia, Sola Fida, Solus Christus, Soli Deo Gloria!

[Mracelocates]

We were in a house church greatly influenced by BG, Doug Wilson, and Doug Phillips. We are still suffering from it and have a daughter who refuses to see us as parents or grandparents. We tried to do life by the book and it turned out to be the wrong book. Please pray for our eldest to heal.

[squrpion]

Gothard took an indicative and made it an imperative.

[NehemiahRyan]

We had a few families in our church who followed Gothard and they were very much like a cult. One family left our church because they actually called Bill and asked him what to do when our pastor was counseling against the errors. Bill told them to leave our church and they did. Two of the other Gothardite families are now in ruins because of his teachings. That's what legalism does.

[FBCTrona]

I Have been IFB for over 30 years, and the Majority of Baptist Pastor's would not touch BG with a ten foot pole, but unfortunately many others were deceived.

[jesusbeloved]

When I was 20, a husband/wife ran the youth group at my church. They adhered to Gothardism. They tried pounding into our heads all those legal rules you mentioned. It took about 6 months before I was fed up and quit going. However, it took 10 years before I’d attended a church again!