Christian arguments against the Pearls' teachings.
The Riggs family is also taking Mr. Pearl to task for his comments about adoption in the 2nd part of today’s blog post. They are commenting on Mr. Pearl’s blog. I can’t help but wonder what his reply will be. I have yet to see him to apologize or retract a statement.
I see that Mr. Riggs believes in spanking so I will tag this accordingly.
Lorraine from All Are Precious In His Sight has written an impassioned blog post called Man vs. God which is a response to Michael Pearl’s advice regarding adopting and fostering children. Apparently, he is scaring away prospective adoptive and foster families with his advice which is in no way Biblical.
David Cloud of Fundamental Baptist Information Service has updated his Warning Against No Great Joy Ministries. While he agrees with a lot of what the Pearls teach, he has some serious reservations:
1 ) Exalting the family over the church.
2 ) Sinless Perfection
3 ) Michael Pearl’s duplicitous dealings with the author
4 ) The teaching that Jesus became a sinner (!)
He then includes some testimonies of people who have written to him in response to his previous writings. That is where you will find some discussion of Rebekah Pearl and her dreams.
Living Creatively has posted a book review of To Train Up a Child called, To Train Up a Child OR you could call it How to Abuse a Child.
She started her research when a friend asked her about the book and was properly shocked. She gives her own thoughts and then shares another review and some good links.
This blog writer is not against spanking, she says so in the comment section of her post, so I am tagging it appropriately.
At first glance, Mary Stephens of the Homemaker’s Corner looks like a typical Pearl follower. She is strictly King James Only and believes strongly in submissive wives who are keepers at home. However, she uses God’s Word as her light and the Pearls’ persuasive prattle did not fare well under the searching light of Scripture. She has written an in depth examination of the Pearls. This is not limited to Michael and Debi, but also includes Rebekah and her husband as part of the Pearl Family.
This is quite an undertaking she has started. She apparently has not had time to finish her study, having only answered 3 out of the 8 questions she presents. However, she already has quite a lot up there and I find it quite interesting on a few levels.
For one thing, this is the first time that I have noticed someone who feels strongly that the King James Bible is the only real Bible speaking out against the Pearls. While Michael Pearl does, indeed, use KJV only; she determines that he does not always use it correctly. She also brings up the very valid concern that Pearl appears to believe that the KJV more than the original Greek. (!)
She exposes the fact that the Pearls use very little scripture to back up their conclusions. She actually counts the scriptures they use. The has done a very thorough investigation here. Her conclusion is:
From reading their material it appears that the Pearls are basically offering their own homebrewed child psychology. A little psychology, a little Bible and a lot of the Pearls’ philosophy and ideas go into the mix.
Another good observation is how Pearl seems to have undue influence over his followers and how dangerous that is. Here is another quote from the link in the above paragraph:
Please notice how the Pearls’ speaking, leadership and words have become so important in these people’s home. This is pathetic. Where is God’s word? Why is it that she feels they would benefit so much more from having the Pearls right there to help them? They have the God of the universe, the Almighty, the Great I AM, the Creator of the human race and the Institutor of the family indwelling them if they are saved! And, if they possess the King James Bible, they have His very words and instructions for mankind in their own hands and language. Isn’t that enough?! Apparently the Pearls’ teachings have conveyed to them that God and His word are not enough! This is horrifying.
She also has posted a critique on Debi Pearl’s study of the book of Esther.
I have not found her saying anything anti-spanking so I’m going to assume that I have found another pro-spanker speaking out against the Pearls teachings and tag it according. I also base this assumption on what she said about discipline in her ABC’s of Raising Children (under D for Discipline).
Edited to add: Mary has clarified her position on spanking in a comment to this post.
Notable Trials has a update on the Schatz Trial to summarize the case and say that there is no real update.
Signs of Life blog warns us about the Pearls’ teachings and offers some Parenting gems as an alternative.
Why the teaching of Michael Pearl regarding child raising (and other things too) is grossly in error and dangerous by Mamame from Life on the Sound.
From the Paradise Post reposted here for permanence
By Elizabeth De AlwisPosted: 06/26/2010 01:00:00 AM PDT
A Paradise couple will stand trial in November for allegedly murdering one adopted child and torturing another during a “biblical chastisement” session.
Kevin and Elizabeth Schatz are charged with an open count of murder for allegedly beating their 7-year-old adopted daughter, Lydia Schatz, to death with a quarter-inch plumbing supply line in February. They are also charged with torture for allegedly beating their 11-year-old adopted daughter in the same manner, causing whip-like marks and internal injuries including kidney damage which required hospitalization.
The couple appeared in court Thursday morning for further arraignment and the setting of their trial date. Both pleaded not guilty to all charges. They have been in custody at the Butte County Jail on $2 million bail each. Last month, they waived their preliminary hearing. The trial is expected to begin Nov. 1 and last for three weeks. Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey said having three attorneys – one prosecutor and two defense attorneys – often lengthens a trial. He said it may also take a week just to select a fair and impartial jury. If convicted, both defendants face two life terms in state prison.
Defense attorneys Dennis Latimer of Chico (representing Elizabeth Schatz) and Michael Harvey of Oroville (representing Kevin Schatz) are reportedly continuing their investigation of the case. They have also not ruled out the possibility of trying to move the trial to another county where there has been less publicity.
Ramsey said it appears the couple was influenced by a book found in the Schatz’s home, written by a fundamentalist religious group based in Tennessee, called No Greater Joy Ministries. It was founded by Michael and Debi Pearl. The Pearls and their organization encourage parents to use a “rod,” a quarter-inch plumbing supply line as a “chastisement” tool to train their children to be more obedient.
The Schatzes have six biological children. Both victims were adopted from an African orphanage along with an infant girl about three years ago. Ramsey said he plans to call the Schatz children as prosecution witnesses during the trial.
According to Ramsey, the autopsy result showed that Lydia died due to a rapid breakdown of skeletal muscle due to injuries to her muscle tissue. The scientific name for the cause of death is Rhabdomyolyis. In Lydia’s case, it was reportedly caused by blunt force trauma. The destruction of muscle leads to the release of damaged muscle cells in the bloodstream, which can harm the kidneys and other vital organs. Ramsey explained that the breakdown of the kidneys can cause an increase in potassium, which is associated with cardiac arrhythmia – a change in the rhythm of the heart, leading to cardiac arrest.
According to authorities, Lydia’s death occurred after hours of discipline for reportedly mispronouncing a word during a home school reading lesson. Her 11-year-old sister had reportedly had a similar discipline session the previous day. Police and emergency personnel arrived at the Crestwood Drive home Feb. 6 after the wife called 9-1-1 to report that her 7-year-old daughter had stopped breathing. They found Lydia in full cardiac arrest.
In addition to murder and torture involving great bodily injury, the Schatz’s face a misdemeanor count of child abuse involving their 10-year-old biological son.
The trial readiness conference is scheduled for Oct. 21, followed by the trial assignment hearing on Oct. 28. The trial is scheduled to begin Nov. 1.
***
Terry Vau Dell contributed to this report.
ThatMom challenges us to take a stand in in her post “i am personally opposed to beating a child with a piece of plumbing supply line, but…..”
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