[purple_kangaroo]

More quotes, from a paper on the Purity Balls: http%3A%2F%2Fdigitalarchive.gsu.edu%2Fcgi%2Fviewco ntent.cgi%3Farticle%3D1029%26context%3Drs_theses&r ct=j&q=always%20daddy%27s%20girl%20sarah%20faith%2 0schlissel&ei=wzhcTZiFD5KesQPmlPmOAg&usg=AFQjCNFn2 SXhytIRYGo_AGztXHjrc0z8Bw&sig2=pXPg3Cp-VE1zwRmzXYPaQw&cad=rja

Geoffrey Botkin . . and Doug Phillips . . . suggested that girls should not “learn career skills as emergency ‘backups’ to support themselves, as ‘learning to survive can teach girls attitudes of independence, hardness’” (Joyce, 222).

. . . girls who do not behave in such a manner can be assumed to be “unsaved,” for “the fruits of salvation would make a daughter eager to please and follow her father’s guidance . . . girls whose hearts are turned to their fathers will behave as Doug Phillips’ daughters: anticipating his needs, offering encouragement and physical affection (‘rubbing their fingers through Daddy’s hair’), and rejecting ‘patricidal’ friends who encourage them to keep secrets from their fathers” (Joyce, 224).

(emphasis mine)

The idea of giving your heart to your father and letting him be responsible for your spiritual walk and relationship with God, as well as everything else down to the level of thoughts, opinions and emotions isn't limited to females, though.

Robin Phillips has a rather lengthy article called "God in the Back Seat" which is actually an excerpt from his book critiquing the courtship/betrothal movement, giving several examples illustrating this: http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/largerhop...the%20back.htm

[Edited to take out the too-lengthy quotes--but I would highly encourage everyone to read the entire article.]


Robin puts it well when he says,

Any father who elevates his own ideas to hold a status that is co-equal with scripture is attempting to wear God's shoes, which is nothing short of spiritual idolatry. . . . It is revealing that in practice Lindvall puts a higher emphasis on children being their fathers disciples than their being Christ's disciples.

In one of Lindvall's newsletters, he tells of a situation in which a young man, at the age of 21, disagreed with some of his parents' beliefs as they began following Lindvall's teachings, and chose to move out of his parents' house before he was married. His parents disagreed with this decision, feeling that he should stay home and remain under their authority. When they wrote to Lindvall, asking his advice, Lindvall recommended cutting the "rebellious" son off completely and not allowing him to have any contact with his siblings or his mother, cut him off and give him up to the destruction of the devil--basically disown him.

When the son wrote to him, pleading that Lindvall hear the son's side of the story and reconsider this advice for his family to cut off all relationship with him, Lindvall replied,

Sons are supposed to be extensions of their fathers... The fact that your opinions differ so markedly from your parents is evidence that you have never fully given your heart to them. Solomon appealed to his son (Prov. 23:26), 'My son, give me your heart.' A son is supposed to give his father his heart. That means he fully surrenders to his parents' desires, opinions, tastes, aspirations, etc."

(emphasis mine)

He also went on to explain that he felt there was no Scriptural obligation to hear the adult son's side of the story before passing judgement.

Remember, this is an adult man we're talking about, not a child. Lindvall actually teaches that this level of submission to parents must continue even after a child is grown, married and living on his own.

(And, no, I'm not just going off of Robin's portrayal . . . I've sat through several Bold Christian Parenting seminars, heard Lindvall speak a number of times, and have read much if not most of what he wrote--I was heavily influenced by his teachings when I was younger, as he was a popular speaker at homeschool conferences in my area.)


---------- Post added at 10:19 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:09 PM ----------

In my opinion these teachings are dangerous both because they create a go-between between God and women/children in a way that I believe is contrary to the clear teaching of Scripture, elevate men and put them on pedestals to the level of what essentially becomes idolatry, and also because it has the potential to create kids who become adults that have difficulty knowing who they are, having a personal and direct relationship with God, and even forming opinions and making decisions once they are on their own.