One of my big frustrations about blogging is how easily I’m distracted from the subject I want to write about. In this case, I’ve been wanting to write about Bobby Kennedy, the REAL RFK, and not the very pale copy, Junior. Instead, life and the news keep happening. I still intend to write about Bobby and maybe the delay is okay because I have still been processing my memory of him and how much I wanted him to live.
Ok, so the whole world is all about tRump being indicted on 37 different charges related to obstruction, careless care of documents he wasn’t supposed to keep, and possible espionage because he showed sensitive documents to people he ought not to have. I don’t want to write about that because, frankly, I’m tired. Even after reading the indictment and seeing pictures, most of the Rethugs in Congress still support him and want to go after the DOJ/FBI.
In fact, one
clown from Louisiana sent out a coded message which was interpreted to mean:
get ready, insurrectionists, we move on Tuesday (when tRump has to appear in
court) and we block bridges and hey, let’s have a civil war. 45 supporters on craven
social media sites are drooling over the idea of civil war.
It's the Upside Down, that reality. Truly. And it’s exhausting.
But that doesn’t mean I don’t care and that I’m giving up.
As rumors of the indictment began flying last week, I saw a FB message from someone close to me about a series called “Happy Shiny People”. She was going to watch it with a glass of wine and a box of tissues. A couple of people responded by saying they had no idea things were that bad for her, and she replied no one did. You could never tell in her church who was following IBLP and who were just regular parishioners.
IBLP? Ted was familiar with it but didn’t know much about it, and so we decided to watch it. If you’ve seen the 4 part series, then you know how insidious it is. If you haven’t, pull up a chair.
IBLP is an acronym for Institute in Basic Life Principles. It’s a non-denominational evangelical Christian hydra of ministries once headed by a minister named Bill Gothard. Gothard, who never married and never had children, gave sermons on how families were to behave. The father in the family was the absolute ruler and had to be obeyed by everyone. The mother also had to be obeyed but was subordinate. The children in the family had to be perfectly obedient, no questions asked. The children were to be home-schooled.
There were all kinds of rules restricting sexuality and it was applied most to the girls. They were expected to dress and behave modestly, wearing long-length dresses with bloomers underneath. The mothers were supposed to produce as many babies as their tired bodies could give.
Teenage dating was restricted because the belief was not to even kiss until after marriage. There was no hand holding, no necking. When a boy and a girl were of age, the boy would ask the father’s permission to court the girl. A lot of the marriages were prearranged.
The homeschooling materials lacked substance and only reinforced the ideas and rules behind IBLP.
Does this sound cultish? It did to us, especially when the rampant sexual abuse of women and girls was uncovered.
It started
with the Duggar family. I remembered them, vaguely. There were on the Discovery
Channel, a gazillion children and counting. Because they were presented in a
sweet, loving way, viewers learned about IBLP. It looked appealing. Look at how
the Duggar parents love each other. Look at how well-behaved those children
were. But there were moments when I saw a blankness of expression or sadness in the eyes. I've been in a position, too, of having to pretend everything was fine when it wasn't.
Unbeknownst to Discovery and the viewers, the eldest Duggar son was molesting his younger sisters. That’s what happens when sexuality is taboo. Curiosity blooms. Ugh, it was disgusting. The girls admitted later that they knew it was weird, but they didn’t really understand that it was wrong.
Perhaps that’s
because the abuse was so widespread throughout the movement. Even Jim Gothard
was a predator. Women survivors talked about how they were fondled, groped and raped. They couldn't protest because of the rule that men were sovereign. One woman said when she read The Handmaid's Tale, she thought: this is my story.
When the ugly stories came out, the Duggars’ show was canceled and Gothard was removed from IBLP.
IBLP continued, and there was another really disturbing part of their mission. There was a reason the wives were counseled to have a gazillion children. These kids are part of what is called the “Joshua generation”. These kids are indoctrinated with IBLP principles through isolation and homeschooling.
As adults, they move quietly into the mainstream. They infiltrate churches, school boards, and local and state offices. From there, they move into the FBI, Department of Justice, Homeland Security, and Congress too. Former Representative Madison Cawthorn is an example of the Joshua Generation and how it’s spreading.
In addition, IBLP principles are showing up in military and police training.
A former member of IBLP’s Joshua Generation said in an interview that the idea was for the organization to grow to the point that it could take over the country and then the world.
Does this sound too fantastic?
Maybe, maybe not.
These cults and violent militias do exist, however. Staying ignorant of them is dangerous. That’s how one gets sucked in … or run over.
Want to see for yourself? It’s airing on Amazon Prime. There’s also a lot of information from various sources if you google IBLP.
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