Responses to the CNN Story

Elizabeth Esther follows up on the CNN coverage of the Pearls’ teachings by explaining how these teachings lead to the sickness of  Cognitive Dissonance which is what “happens when a teacher, pastor or person in authority advocates abusive methods while simultaneously recusing themselves from the actual, direct results of that abuse.”

She also reminds us that Even God Does Not Break Our Wills.

Wanna Walk Along says that  There are No Pearls of Wisdom in the Pearls’ Book on Child Rearing.

Libby Anne explains exactly why she blames the Pearls’ teachings and illustrates it with her own testimony of how these teachings almost killed her brother in Michael Pearl on CNN.  Check out the quotes from TTUAC from in the comments.

Created To Be His shared similar thoughts in CNN Investigates Pearls.

Abigail, from Reflections from Beit-Shalom, posts her warning For all the Living Lydias and Seans & Their Parents…

4 Comments

  1. Nancy on August 21, 2011 at 4:27 pm

    I am happy to say that, having been a Christian since I was 21 and attending the same church since then, I had never heard of the Pearls until about a year ago on EE’s blog. Their teachings are truly horrifying, and I didn’t know until reading your blog that Lydia and her sister were adopted.

    Since I’m an adoptive mother myself, and know all about the post-placement visits and pre-adoption education requirements for our particular agency, I am stunned that no red flags about the Schatz’s discipline style stopped their adoptions. I am left wondering if they lied outright about how they raise their kids, or what went wrong . . . if we had been even “normal” spankers, we would’ve been red-flagged at a minimum, or refused outright. Anyone in the adoption community knows that attachment parenting and creative, gentle discipline are the gold standard for children from painful backgrounds. I am heartsick wondering what went wrong to prevent those poor girls from gaining abusive parents?

    • Hermana Linda on August 22, 2011 at 9:58 am

      That is a very good point. It is hard to understand. My understanding is that the Pearls teach parents to be always gentle and calm. They are also taught to hide all mentions of chastisement from non-believers. They do appear attached and very gentle from the outside. Even their friends did not know as we read here.

      I once knew a family who appeared very gentle and attached. As I got to know them better, she shared about the Pearls. I believe that the best way to recognize Pearl followers is to look for a sweet, gentle family who seems very attached, natural, and “crunchy”. If the children obey every soft spoken request immediately and without question and everyone is always smiling, they are probably Pearl followers.

      • JAVITA KNIGHT on September 2, 2011 at 7:48 pm

        THANK GOD THAT THIS POINT HAS COME TO THE NEWS AGAIN, REGARDING RAISING CHILDREN.
        THE BOOK HAS AS MUCH TO DO WITH THE ACTIONS OF THESE PARENTS AS THE PREACHER WHO MARRIES A COUPLE HAS TO DO WITH THEIR MARRIAGE OUTCOME..GET THAT….POINTING THE BLAME IS EASY FOR THE AUTHORITIES DO BECAUSE THEY POSSIBLY DON’T AGREE WITH THE BOOK THAT THIS PRECIOUS PARENTS TEACH.
        I HAVE DON THIS SAME TYPE OF SPANKING AND TRAINING THE CHILDREN I HAVE RAISED AS WELL AS MY
        SON AND IT IS NOT TEACHING ABUSE AND TORTURE, BUT THE PEACEABLE FRUIT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS (HEBREWS: 13)… OR THE UNDERSTANDING AND LEARNING HOW TO BECOME SELF CONTROLLED AND OBEDIENT IN A HEALTHY WAY…SUCH AS WHAT BRINGS ABOUT A GOOD MEMBER OF SOCIETY…AND THE PARENTS WHO ARE ARRESTED WAS BASED ON THEIR …LACK OF WISDOM AND GOD ONLY KNOWS HOW UNLOVING THAT BEHAVIOR WAS…7 HOURS OF BEATING ANYONE INCLUDING AN ANIMAL WOULD KILL THEM…TO BLAME ALL CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE IS NOT TO HAVE A TRUE BLAME. THIS IS A SAD STORY INDEED. BUT THE BOOK WRITTEN IS NOT AT FAULT NOR THE AUTHORS HAVE CONTROL OF WHAT PEOPLE DO IN RESPECT TO THEIR INTERPRETATION OF LITERATURE. THIS CHILD PAID A HIGH PRICE FOR THE
        IGNORANCE OR EVIL INTENT OF PARENTS WHO WERE NOT FIT…THAT;S NOT THE CASE FOR EVERY PARENT WHO READ THE PEARLS BOOK OR OF PARENTS WHO WANT TO RAISE THEIR CHILDREN ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE STANDARDS. GODSPEED…GOOD REPORTING…

        • Hermana Linda on September 2, 2011 at 8:09 pm

          So, you’re saying that the parents did not follow the advice of the book because they continued to switch her for 7 hours. But according to the book, they should not have stopped the switching until the child submitted. So, how long should they have continued to switch her, assuming that she never submitted?

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