X-ATI Guy

God Bless You

Seven years ago I launched this blog after someone asked me if I'd raise our young child in ATI. My visceral reaction ("Heck no!") surprised me and forced me to ask why. I'd never even considered it before that conversation. Thus began a long journey of articulating my objections to Bill Gothard's teachings. For me, this site was a personal catharsis -- the perversions of Gothard's dogma were best illustrated through satire. You have to admit -- some of the stuff he and his zealots come up with is so ludicrous you can only laugh.

After I started the blog I quickly realized that I was not alone. Thank you so much for reading and sharing your own stories. For me (and I know for many of you) my disagreement with Gothard was fueled by my desire to draw closer to Christ.

Those conversations that a few of us had quietly are now shared by hundreds. I especially commend to you RecoveringGrace.org and the Facebook page ATI Student Survivors. These sites are run by thoughtful people (not me) who are speaking out in order to bring healing and unity.

I haven't blogged consistently in years, obviously, and it's time to officially call it quits. I plan to leave the site up for the benefit of new "escapees," but X-er is going dark. (So if some bozo starts claiming credit for my brilliance you'll know he's lying.)

Peace to you.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." ~ 2 Corinthians 5.