The Basic Seminar

[encourager]

This forum is for those who have been to the basic seminar and want to express what they liked and disliked about the basic seminar, and what they see as being in error.

I will start out by saying that there are some things in the basic seminar that have richly blessed me. I like his teachings on reconciliation and the section about meditating on scripture. I like his "chalk talk" on Psalm 1 and how he creates an illustration with fluorecent chalk and uses a black light to reveal the cross in the background. I have been to the basic seminar three times and still have have not been able to absorb it all.

Just recently I have pulled out the text book and note book and have gone back over it again. Now that I have a little bit more knowledge on Bill Gothard's ministry I can see things that I didn't see the first times I was exposed to the material. I can see traces of legalism spread throughout. The illustrations he uses are usually about sons and daughters just right at the legal age of independance (19-21) years of age. He is out to prove that even though these examples are at the legal age of independance that they should still be under their parents control or to be totally obedient, even if they disagree. He doesn't come out and say that parents should be an iron fisted tyrant, but I can see were people get the idea when they see the illustration of the hammer, chisel, and the diamond. The hammer is supposed to be the father. The chisel is the mother. The child is the diamond. Like I said before, discipline in a loving Christ centered home is very beneficial. A home that is out of balance with discipline can be a very distructive thing.

One example that bothers me is on page 106 under the section on "Rights". It gives an example of a mother listening in on her daughter's conversation on the phone. The conversation that her daughter was having with one of her friends was about two fellows. It doesn't say they were talking about sex, or anything immoral, it just says that they were talking about two fellows. That right there tells you that Gothard is into total control and distrust of parents with their children. It also tells you that Gothard is promoting total parental control over friendships of the opposite sex. For parents to be monitoring the calls of their children gives the signal "I don't trust you" and "I am out to run your life". This is just one of many things that disturbs me.

I would like to hear what others have to say about the basic seminar and how it has effected them and impacted them.

[Independent Girl]

My parents took my sister and I to the basic seminar a long time ago.  I don't remember too much about it except that I got to see one of my best friends there and I was just so excited to be able to sit with her....anyway!  My husband recently ran across one of the big red old books (the seminar textbook) and I started looking through it.  man! it brought back a lot of memories.  Even though I don't remember a lot of the seminar itself, many, many, many of the ideas/phrases/concepts from the book were used around my home growing up.  In many ways, I didn't even know alot of those things were taught by Gothard (since my parents didn't constantly talk about him-they just taught  his ideas) until I was in college and read "A Matter of Basic Principles".   It was quite eye-opening and explained a lot of what happened at home when I was growing up.  

All that to say, I'm slowly going through the big red book and re-reading it now.  Interesting....

One thing I stumbled upon while reading it was under the section entitled "Principles in Applying Scripture":  "It is essential that all Scripture be diligently studied and accurately applied.  Each application must be in harmony with the total meaning and message of Scripture-not from an isolated verse taken out of context"   Yes, ladies and gentlemen, that is the actual quote from his book! I almost fell over when I read that!

Oh! I found my nametag from when I went to the basic seminar way back in the day.  And I also found the "Wedding Covenant" answer book.  Man! Old stuff! And most of it totally wacko.

[encourager]

Yea, that quote that you quoted about applying scripture is on page 3 of my edition of the text book. It seems like a double standard. He has been known to take verses out of context. He goes on to say that there is only one interpretation, but many applications. Maybe what he is doing is using a different application to suite his teaching. Sometimes at the expense of the original meaning of the text.

I don't think Mr. Gothard had in mind to be scripturally off base. I believe he was teaching what he thought to be the counsel of God. I don't believe he had a secret agenda to lead people astray. Much of what I see in the Basic Seminar is a lot of sound wisdom. The problems I run into with the Basic Seminar is some of the examples and illustrations he uses have a bent towards legalism. Hints refering to parents not letting their children have the freedom to grow and be independant, totally yeilding rights over not only to God, but to parents and all others who seem to be in spiritual authority. He does emphasize total submission. The part that bothered me the most about submission was when it comes to non-Christian parents. He believes that you can win your parents to Christ by being totally submisive, even when you are an adult. Just try that in the Muslim world and see what happens. I wonder what Mr. Gothard does with verses like Matthew 10:34-39 where it talks about the whole family falling apart because of the gospel. The gospel doesn't always bring peace and harmony between parents and children, especially in when the parents refuse to believe and are ungodly.

[Anonymous]

gothard sees problems in society and comes up with convaluted interpretations of scriptures that, to him, will totally eradicate the problem if followed.  during the 50's and 60's he dealt with the rise of juvenile crime, so he told teenagers that if they totally submit to their parents then they will escape almost all problems in their lives.  the error has already been pointed out.