View Single Post
Old 03-17-2010, 07:17 AM   #1
NewCovenantMama
Climbing Rose
 
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Cardiff, Wales, UK
Posts: 1,192
NewCovenantMama has a reputation beyond reputeNewCovenantMama has a reputation beyond reputeNewCovenantMama has a reputation beyond reputeNewCovenantMama has a reputation beyond reputeNewCovenantMama has a reputation beyond reputeNewCovenantMama has a reputation beyond reputeNewCovenantMama has a reputation beyond reputeNewCovenantMama has a reputation beyond reputeNewCovenantMama has a reputation beyond reputeNewCovenantMama has a reputation beyond reputeNewCovenantMama has a reputation beyond repute
Default Bombard CBS!!!! Especially ex-Pearlites!!!

I wonder what would happen if as many people as possible who can give an informed opinion on Michael Pearl emailed and/or phoned CBS....

I'm in the UK, so I don't know how much clout my email will have, but I might email anyway and point out that MP has influences in other countries besides the USA.

The following might get CBS's attention:

- The fact that MP misrepresents what the Bible teaches, and that even most pro-spanking Christians would consider his teachings abusive - "This isn't a debate about spanking, it's about exposing blatant, cultlike child abuse."


- The cultlike aspects of NGJ - followers encouraged not to listen to critics. The way his followers say, "His teachings look harsh when you read them, but you have to see him in person ..." quite frankly reminds me of 1930s newsreel footage of Adolf Hitler's followers...

- The fact that he tells people to take the KJV at face value and accuses those who want to check original word meanings of scripture-twisting.

- Any examples you know of where MP takes scripture out of context even in English. This would help expose the ridiculousness of the above! It's also a powerful way both to warn other Christians about him, and to reach Pearl followers - "exit counsellors" who help rescue people from religious cults use this a lot if a person has respect for the Bible.

- His unorthodox ideas - no original sin, possible to live a life of "sinless perfection" in this life, the idea that children can't respond fully to the Gospel/receive God's forgiveness under age 13 or so (or whatever age it is he says), and of course the idea that the blood of Jesus is inadequate in itself to cleanse a child's heart from sin/guilt.

- The fact that he believes an unwhipped child can't feel forgiven and will suffer emotional problems caused by a sense of guilt. (Say "whipped", not "spanked" - most people's idea of a spanking isn't MP's.)

- Any contradictions you know of, eg the discrepancy between MP's folksy-fun manner and the fact that "trained" by his methods is anything but fun. Also, I've noticed that MP followers on forums tend to trot out the line, "You don't need any other parenting book than the Bible," then in the next sentence they recommend MP's book!

- Quotes about things like sitting on children, counting slowly, stopping mid-whipping to talk about how the whipping isn't over yet, following the child around the house laughing at his/her efforts to avoid the whipping, etc...

- The fact that he encourages older siblings to whip younger siblings.

- The fact that he says there is no upper limit to the number of "licks" a child may recieve (give quotes).

- Experiences of ex-Pearlites, explaining the effect following these teachings had on your family. Also how you came to realise how anti-scriptural and wrong his teachings are.

- Links to blog articles by people who knew the Schatzes, especially pointing out that, despite the abuse they were suffering, the children seemed happy, sociable and creative - attributes MP says are a sign that a child isn't being abused.

- The almost unbelievably insensitive statement the Pearls have issued, laughing at those who would cite his teachings as being instrumental in little Lydia's death.


(Edited to add that if you write in bullet points it's more likely to be read all the way through. Also, both beginning and ending on an attention-getter can be very effective.)

Edited again to remove a sentence I wasn't happy with, and to add don't forget that he talks about "training" a precociously mobile 4 month old baby to keep away from the stairs by making him too terrified to approach the "switch" left on the bottom step. (I know it's been cancelled now, but it might still be worth contacting them to ask if they are going to investigate these abuses).

Last edited by NewCovenantMama; 03-22-2010 at 08:41 AM. Reason: add comment
NewCovenantMama is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to NewCovenantMama For This Useful Post:
amyhntr2 (03-18-2010), SortaCrunchy (03-17-2010), Zooey (03-17-2010)
 
X vBulletin 3.8.3 Debug Information
  • Page Generation 0.05334 seconds
  • Memory Usage 6,980KB
  • Queries Executed 14 (?)
More Information
Template Usage:
  • (1)SHOWTHREAD_SHOWPOST
  • (1)ad_footer_end
  • (1)ad_footer_start
  • (1)ad_header_end
  • (1)ad_header_logo
  • (1)ad_navbar_below
  • (1)cyb_flashimagebanners
  • (1)footer
  • (1)gobutton
  • (1)header
  • (1)headinclude
  • (19)option
  • (1)post_groan_box
  • (1)post_groan_javascript
  • (1)post_groan_navbar_search
  • (1)post_thanks_box
  • (3)post_thanks_box_bit
  • (1)post_thanks_javascript
  • (1)post_thanks_navbar_search
  • (1)post_thanks_postbit_legacy
  • (1)postbit_legacy
  • (1)postbit_onlinestatus
  • (11)postbit_reputation
  • (1)postbit_wrapper
  • (1)spacer_close
  • (1)spacer_open 

Phrase Groups Available:
  • global
  • postbit
  • reputationlevel
  • showthread
Included Files:
  • ./showpost.php
  • ./global.php
  • ./includes/init.php
  • ./includes/class_core.php
  • ./includes/config.php
  • ./includes/functions.php
  • ./includes/class_hook.php
  • ./includes/functions_notice.php
  • ./mobiquo/smartbanner.php
  • ./includes/functions_bigthree.php
  • ./includes/class_postbit.php
  • ./includes/class_bbcode.php
  • ./includes/functions_reputation.php
  • ./includes/functions_post_thanks.php
  • ./includes/functions_post_groan.php
  • ./includes/functions_misc.php 

Hooks Called:
  • init_startup
  • cache_permissions
  • fetch_postinfo_query
  • fetch_postinfo
  • fetch_threadinfo_query
  • fetch_threadinfo
  • fetch_foruminfo
  • style_fetch
  • cache_templates
  • global_start
  • parse_templates
  • fetch_musername
  • notices_check_start
  • global_setup_complete
  • showpost_start
  • bbcode_fetch_tags
  • bbcode_create
  • postbit_factory
  • showpost_post
  • postbit_display_start
  • post_thanks_function_post_thanks_off_start
  • post_thanks_function_post_thanks_off_end
  • post_thanks_function_fetch_thanks_start
  • post_thanks_function_fetch_thanks_end
  • post_thanks_function_thanked_already_start
  • post_thanks_function_thanked_already_end
  • post_thanks_function_fetch_thanks_bit_start
  • post_thanks_function_show_thanks_date_start
  • post_thanks_function_fetch_thanks_bit_end
  • post_thanks_function_fetch_post_thanks_template_start
  • post_thanks_function_fetch_post_thanks_template_end
  • post_groan_function_post_groan_off_start
  • post_groan_function_post_groan_off_end
  • post_groan_function_fetch_groans_start
  • post_groan_function_fetch_groans_end
  • post_groan_function_groaned_already_start
  • post_groan_function_groaned_already_end
  • reputation_image
  • postbit_imicons
  • bbcode_parse_start
  • bbcode_parse_complete_precache
  • bbcode_parse_complete
  • postbit_display_complete
  • error_fetch
  • showpost_complete