Former Pearl followers?

[Marrae]

What size of a following do the Pearls have in the States? Do they have a large sphere of influence?

Wonderful tangent. I read that book many moons ago and it did turn conventional thought on its ear.

That babies waking up at night was actually a *good* thing and that nobody *deserved* a good night's sleep. (If you sign up for certain jobs you won't always get a good night's sleep) I remember her equating mothering with the good doctor that gets up at night when a patient needs him.

That book really resonated with me.

I also remember reading pearl's materials a long time ago and some of it made sense (I was very conservative at the time, sort of Mennoniteish) and his earthiness appealed to me but then he got into the testing the toddler telling him to "come" and the toddler goes to the dad and the dad says, "oh, nothing, go back and play" over and over and over again until the toddler ignores the dad and then the dad switches the toddler.

I realized then and there that Michael Pearl had some problems and his advice contradicted many scriptures.

Debra Baker

What size of a following do the Pearls have in the States? Do they have a large sphere of influence?

They're fairly big among many crunchy Christians. My midwife offered to get me a copy of TTUAC when I was pregnant with ds. But they're not as well known as, say, Ezzo, and definitely not as well as Dobson.

but then he got into the testing the toddler telling him to "come" and the toddler goes to the dad and the dad says, "oh, nothing, go back and play" over and over and over again until the toddler ignores the dad and then the dad switches the toddler.

Really? He does/recommends this? How bizarre!

[UltraMother]

Believe it or not, even after rejecting Pearl's methods (100% rejecting) I have continued to read their writings. I just sorta filtered out their attitudes toward child training because I was very interested in some of their pet topics.

Me too. I really liked some of their homeschooling ideas. And I also followed most of his kids getting married and starting their own families. But I have to watch myself. It's too easy for his phrases to stick in my head.

[PrincessMommie]

I was 'beginning' to be a Pearl follower....I had the book TTUAC, and I get the newsletter every 3 months, and used to read articles on their website.

I never did finish TTUAC because I just didn't feel totally right with it..but I did use punitive methods then, but nothing like the Pearls teach.

I did enjoy some of the articles at their website, one called "ladies wear white socks" really stick in my mind....and I enjoyed seeing the photo's and stories of Shoshanna's wedding etc....and I like some of the HS articles as well as the herbs etc...some of the marriage articles I really enjoyed as well and was strongly considering getting Debi's book "Created to be His Helpmeet".

I still get that newletter....I'll have to see about cancelling it or something because quite frankly I don't want Michael Pearl in my home at this time.

[Wonder Woman]

and I enjoyed seeing the photo's and stories of Shoshanna's wedding etc..

I did too, until I realized that they didn't actually get *married*! He doesn't believe in marriage licenses, and preaches that all true Christians will one day get divorced and just live together instead

I've read his newsletters...sometimes I lurk over there to see where my friends/family are coming from. I always leave feeling

[phathui5]

The not getting legally married thing does stand out as weird to me. Especially with all the protection that a marriage certificate offers a couple.

[Mother Duck]

We were given a copy of TTUAC when DD1 was born. Sadly to say we did buy into some of it Our first two children were reared rather punitively for the first 2 and 3 years respectively but praise God we've been able to mend the relationship with years of AP and PD

[Soliloquy]

Originally Posted by jadensmom

He doesn't believe in marriage licenses, and preaches that all true Christians will one day get divorced and just live together instead

What????? Are you serious? Does he mean that someday Christians will have only platonic relationships or that we'll just abadon the whole marriage idea and live together? Is this guy for real? How can he say that and still have credibility with people who read the Bible?

[Soliloquy]

Forgot to add--I was nursing DD in a corner of the nursery at church this morning--an area that's not used as the nursery but for storage (whole separate thread--I want to help this church get family friendly in logistics as well as attitude) and lying in a box of what looked like odds and ends was a copy of TTUAC! I could barely believe it. This church I go to is soooooo far from anything Pearlish that I was so shocked. A bunch of homeschooling parents rent out the rooms in the church during the week and have a high school co-op kind of thing going on, so maybe one of them just dumped it in there and forgot about it, or maybe someone brought it in as an example of what's out there, I duuno. We had to leave early because DD was so hungry, but I mean to ask about it next time. It was so freaky to see it lying there, though in the nursery of all places!!!!

[jujubnme]

Originally Posted by LisaM

What????? Are you serious? Does he mean that someday Christians will have only platonic relationships or that we'll just abadon the whole marriage idea and live together? Is this guy for real? How can he say that and still have credibility with people who read the Bible?

I think his beef with marriage licenses has to do with his distrust of the government and the current push for the legalization of gay marriages. He advocates a religious/private marriage covenant. Here's a quote:

None of my daughters or their husbands asked the state of Tennessee for permission to marry. They did not yoke themselves to government. It was a personal, private covenant, binding them together forever—until death. So when the sodomites have come to share in the state marriage licenses, which will eventually be the law, James and Shoshanna will not be in league with those perverts. And, while I am on the subject, there will come a time when faithful Christians will either revoke their state marriage licenses and establish an exclusively one man-one woman covenant of marriage, or, they will forfeit the sanctity of their covenant by being unequally yoked together with perverts. The sooner there is such a movement, the sooner we will have a voice in government. Some of you attorneys and statesmen reading this should get together and come up with an approach that will have credibility and help to impact the political process. Please contact me when you do and I will assist with publicity.

http://www.nogreaterjoy.org/index.ph...se&tt_news=196

[Soliloquy]

oh, okay. While I don't agree with him (I don't think getting a marriage license means you support gay marriage) it isn't as wacky as I thought. Still, I don't like the way he puts things. Those "perverts" are unsaved children of God who are no better than we are. We have all fallen short of the glory of God and need Jesus to sanctify us.

[at home momma]

from what i have understood about their view on marriage liscenses they simply don't believe that you must have a marriage liscense from the state to be married in God's eyes. Each of his children has been married by a minister and taken vows to be married for life to ONE woman or man. they don't have a state marriage liscense, however. they absolutely do NOT believe in people living together before marriage. what he is saying is that since many states are allowing homosexual marriage liscenses, Christians should not 'yoke' themselves to the state's perverted marriage liscense(not saying i agree just what i understood from his writing on this). that TRUE christian marriage is between one man and one woman and vows taken before God.

love at home momma

[milkmommy]

Here is why I can't stant anything he has to say. Unlike say Ezzo who seems to imply if your baby isn't doing X then YOUR doing something wrong . Pearl takes another approach. He seems to talk about how wrong the child is (they sin they are stubborn, manuplutive) or "society is" (perverted goverment, others who stand in "our way") Then once hes planted the "I we stand alone" seed he moves in with for the kill,
I provide the answer this is OUR beliefs so do it MY way. He uses this same tatic in a more violent way to "train a child"

Deanna