This article will be slightly different then the previous two. Although I am still using her own quotes to highlight Rebekah Pearl Anast's life, I am not following a specific chronological order. For the most parts these quotes can be found on a site called WWW.7XSunday.net which she and her hubby run.
Since her marriage, Rebekah has moved to a Navajo Reservation outside of Gallup, New Mexico. The couple have six children named, Joseph Courage, Ryshoni Joy, Hannah Sunshine,Elijah Music and Chaiyah Eve. In addition to 7xsunday, Rebekah runs a site called Dreaming Awake in which she details the dreams that she has about a apocolyptical future for our country. Together she and her husband also run another forum called Urban Exodus.
Rebekah and her husband, Gabe, had a much greater part in Debbi Pearl's book, Created to Be His HelpMeet then I had thought. This is from a thread on 7xsunday. Debbi Pearl seems to be the author of this acknowledgment.
My son-in-law Gabriel Anast and my daughter Rebekah Joy Anast gave me the idea and much of the information for the section on the three types of men, which made understanding men so much simpler. Beka also provided examples, ideas, and Scripture included in the other parts of this book. I consider her co-author of this book.
In a plea for money from the followers of his site, her husband writes:
However, recently, since February, I have been studying full time. I have not been working anymore. All I’ve been doing is studying the Word. And I did that because I think God told me to. It’s not because I wanted to... it really scared me. And we were really poor for those months. And a handful of people have supported us here and there by giving us a bag of wheat or food a few dollars. And that’s fine... And we’re happy to live poor. We’ve done that our whole married life, Rebekah and I. We’re good at it. And I should say more or less; we haven’t always lived as poor as we are now, we certainly have had more money in the past, but that is not the point, I’m just going through the situation...
As the sole provider for his family, it would seem that Gabe Anast would not want to voluntarily surrender his income. When he wrote his plea, Rebekah was pregnant with their sixth child. Neither parent appear to have held any paying job during her pregnancy.
Later in a thread entitled, How Is Beka, Rebekah confirms that the family is without electricity.
Gabe's quote of my statement "the kids need clothes" has to be put into American context. Nobody is running around naked. Yeah, so what the electricity got cut off (in the summer). We cooked outside and had a big time doing it. Gabe takes our needs to heart because he wants to give me everything; and does give me all that matters.
During previous pregnancies she self medicated with herbal treatments. What follows is her opinion on the preeclampsia which she believed that she was experiencing with her other five pregnancies.
The short version is that I believe preeclampsia is a condition that is secondary to inflammation (at least, in my case.) During my last pregnancy I used Bilberry tonic to control it, and even reverse it to some extent until the baby was born. There is a thread on WTM on dealing with preeclampsia on which I posted some of the research.
As someone who loves to write, the following saddens me for Rebekah. Apparently, her husband can choose to take time off from supporting his family, but she can not engage in an activity that she enjoys. Even worse are her references to her husband as her Lord.
http://www.7xsunday.net/forum/index.php/topic,21637.30.html
In fact, if your worship of God IN ANY WAY short-changes your husband or son, or makes them feel shut out, then IMO, it is not in spirit and in truth. This, I believe, includes time "writing to God" when your husband is sitting beside you. :-\Remember that your husband is your lord. Would you write about your King's bad temper whilest he sat on the throne watching you and frowning?
I know that in my own life, I would have to be majorly sleep deprived to maintain the American idea of "time alone with God" and meet my family's needs. I have learned to subscribe to Christ's version of a good Devotion and worship God in spirit and in truth wherever I am, all day long. This also helps me stay cheerful, because my time of devotion to God is over all and in all that I do. Not that I am perfect, but this is what I am fighting for and trying to attain every day.
Also, if your writing (like mine) alienates your family, you may have to lay it down completely. I love to write. It is my favorite thing in the world... second to my family. If writing about them, or about anything, makes them feel second, or in a waiting line for my attention, or like I am telling on them... then I quit. I don't write about my family these days. I don't keep a diary like I did all my life and for the last 2 years I haven't written much at all except for an occasional post on WTM or 7XS at my husband's request... Soon my family will be grown, and my writing days will bloom again. But I know I won't regret laying aside the pen/keyboard for these few years.
Now remember... count the mistakes you haven't made. God bless your journey forward!
I do not have any problems with women choosing to give birth at home if they are under the care of a qualified professional. On another site called, WellTell me, Rebekah posts under the name, Forever Girl. This quote is number fifteen in the thread.
http://www.welltellme.com/discuss/index.php/topic,353.0.html
Now, I have had 4 "unassisted" homebirths. It did save us 20,000 dollars all told, and has been a thrilling and bonding experience for both my husband and I. With just the two of us, I feel free to pray out loud at the top of my voice (or scream as the case may be), *dress* comfortably, do whatever is comfortable, and be in my own surroundings. If I had a medical condition, we'd make the appropriate adjustments.
Since writing this on February 24, 2007, Rebekah has had two more children. It appears that all six of her children have been unassisted home births.
In this statement Rebekah Anast takes passive aggressive rudeness to an entirely new level. A mother had asked how to handle a set of parents who refused to listen to her advice to follow the Pearls' training methods. This is Forevergirl's(Rebekah's) answer.
It is our policy, when bombarded by foolish people, to pull together as a family. We keep our kids with us. We tell them why. I do not engage in personal or entertaining conversation with the woman. I stay close to my husband and children and focus entirely on meeting his needs, and keeping my own children orderly. I read books to them quietly. If the woman asks me a question, I answer briefly and cheerfully, and go back to my "duty." If she engages in being a mother and help meet... then I interact with her and help if she needs help. If her focus is on herself and getting me to focus on her, then I disengage and go back to focusing purely on my family. If we are at a playground, then I play with the children... staying with them at all times.
This makes "hanging out" very pleasant for a woman whose goal is to be a help meet... it makes hanging out miserable for a woman whose goal is to get attention. She won't want to come back.
We also try to meet at a public place and keep it short... and do not engage in conversations that are pointless and erred. We don't disagree or fight, we just cease to engage
Can you imagine being treated this way by someone whose house you were visiting? Jesus met with prostitutes and tax collectors but Rebekah won't talk with a woman with unruly kids.
Rebekah seems to have absorbed her father’s irrational fear of homosexuals. This is what she claims to tell her very young children about homosexuals.
This answer comes with as much of an answer as I CAN give:
"Sodomites are men that like other men instead of women... like sleeping with each other... and women that like other women. Sometimes they dress as a woman instead of a man... not the way God created them. Sometimes they also want little kids instead of a regular wife. This is very evil. It is safest for you to stay away from them and stay near Daddy. God hates their sin and destroyed a whole city with fire because of all the sodomites that lived there."
This is said without much emotion, but with gravity. It is my intention to answer curiosity and dispel fear...
In an effort to prevent her from feeling competitive with her six year old daughter, Rebekah notes that she remembers that everything belongs to her husband. (DH means Dear Husband)
It really helped me to remind myself "this kitchen belongs to DH, the food belongs to DH, the meal is all about DH, and both me and our daughter are helpers for DH..."
With this in mind I can tell my daughter "yes, you can cook dinner for Dad. Remember he likes everything cleaned up as you go... let me know if you need any help." In this way, my daughter has a focus: Dad. She is learning to please a man, not herself. She is learning to be a help meet - not just a cook.
Also, in this way my daughter has the freedom to grow and mature as a woman that is learning to please a man... rather than a girl who is a slave to her mother. She isn't my helper - she's Daddy's helper. This perspective will make a girl WAY happier to stay at home longer... not in such a hurry to get married.
I thought that Christians were not supposed to have idols and yet Rebekah does sound as if she is advocating a type of husband worship. Her fear that she might one day be jealous of her daughter is troubling also. The little girl is only six!
On a strange note, Rebekah and Gabe have were sued by the Zuni Indian Tribe of the Navajo Nation over water rights. I have no idea what happened with the case or why the Anasts are allowed to live on the reservation.
http://www.zunibasin.com/documents/2142.pdf
The Pearls point to their children as examples of the adults that their methods will produce. Yet, Rebekah does not seem like the type of person that I would want my children to emulate. Not only does she appear paranoid but I wonder if she is suffering from postpartum depression. I find it difficult to believe that loving parents would want this future for their children.
I apologize for being late in getting this information up but sometimes digging for the information on this group leaves me feeling emotionally worn out.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Rebekah's Form Letter.
Here is Rebekah's form letter. I wrote some comments about it, if you want to read them, my post follows this letter.
My name is Rebekah Anast, I am the firstborn daughter of Michael and Debi Pearl,
I would know (I am their daughter) whether their techniques are violent and unjust, or loving and temperate. I would know if the result is an emotionally damaged and fearful child, or a creative, successful, happy adult. I would know, yes, better than any one of these angry people, whether Michael and Debi Pearl are barbaric child abusers, or loving, successful parents.
Every type of abuse leaves evidence to prove its occurrence, whether it be a mark on the spirit or the body. Let me give you the evidence that is me:
I am 32 years old, married and the mother of three children. I am the happiest person I know, and my life is full of fruit; my own three very happy, balanced children who are completely sound in body and mind.
I have written articles, books, screenplays, and traveled the world for 4 years, meeting new people, eating new food, ministering to those in need, and loving life. I always returned to my favorite place and my favorite people... my family.
I married a wonderful man who is worth every moment of reverence and honor I give him; he is my best friend and only lover.
I have very few bad memories of childhood, all of which I can recall clearly; my dog dying, my hand getting cut on a fresh pine board, my brother being stung by bees, and my father’s grief over a friend’s suffering. That’s all that I can recall.
I remember only one spanking. I remember it because I laughed all the way through it, and so did my Dad. I had played a prank that was dangerous, but funny, and fully deserved a spanking for it, but my parents were unable to spank me without laughing. That is the only spanking I clearly remember. The others were so well-deserved my conscience was able to write off the memory once the deed was paid for.
I was never injured in body or spirit by the training I received. I was never “struck” in anger. I did receive non-injurous spankings on my fully clothed backside with a willow switch when I had clearly transgressed a known “law” of the house. These spankings did not leave bruises or abrasions, or emotional distress.
I learned by the gentlest way possible that foolishness has consequences and wise choices make life comfortable. This training has literally saved my life and I am eternally grateful to both my parents for using a literal rod to train my flesh to make wise choices.
My brothers and sisters were my best friends growing up. We did everything together; swimming, playing, working. We usually got in trouble together too, and when spankings were due, they were due all around. However, trouble was hard to find, as either Mom or Dad was almost always with us, joining in the fun, the projects, and the learning. From dancing in the rain, to building forts, to learning to ride a bike; they were there, so much a part of my life.
A person is innocent until proven guilty. I have proof that Michael and Debi Pearl are wise and loving parents: I am the proof, and every one of my siblings would agree with me.
Almost everything we (my parents) have ever written is available online for FREE on nogreaterjoy.org; and everything else is as inexpensive as possible while still allowing No Greater Joy to operate as a non-profit organization, geared toward helping thousands of parents and children.
A lot of information about the Pearl’s on the internet is simply taken out of context or completely misquoted. Look up the quotes on nogreaterjoy.org for yourself and make sure your source isn’t lying or misconstruing the truth. It’s important to the homeschool movement that we be accountable for our views, instead of blindly following the loudest sensationalist, or giving them credibility of any kind.
Rebekah (Pearl) Anast
I give full permission to reprint or repost this article in it’s entirety in any format
My name is Rebekah Anast, I am the firstborn daughter of Michael and Debi Pearl,
I would know (I am their daughter) whether their techniques are violent and unjust, or loving and temperate. I would know if the result is an emotionally damaged and fearful child, or a creative, successful, happy adult. I would know, yes, better than any one of these angry people, whether Michael and Debi Pearl are barbaric child abusers, or loving, successful parents.
Every type of abuse leaves evidence to prove its occurrence, whether it be a mark on the spirit or the body. Let me give you the evidence that is me:
I am 32 years old, married and the mother of three children. I am the happiest person I know, and my life is full of fruit; my own three very happy, balanced children who are completely sound in body and mind.
I have written articles, books, screenplays, and traveled the world for 4 years, meeting new people, eating new food, ministering to those in need, and loving life. I always returned to my favorite place and my favorite people... my family.
I married a wonderful man who is worth every moment of reverence and honor I give him; he is my best friend and only lover.
I have very few bad memories of childhood, all of which I can recall clearly; my dog dying, my hand getting cut on a fresh pine board, my brother being stung by bees, and my father’s grief over a friend’s suffering. That’s all that I can recall.
I remember only one spanking. I remember it because I laughed all the way through it, and so did my Dad. I had played a prank that was dangerous, but funny, and fully deserved a spanking for it, but my parents were unable to spank me without laughing. That is the only spanking I clearly remember. The others were so well-deserved my conscience was able to write off the memory once the deed was paid for.
I was never injured in body or spirit by the training I received. I was never “struck” in anger. I did receive non-injurous spankings on my fully clothed backside with a willow switch when I had clearly transgressed a known “law” of the house. These spankings did not leave bruises or abrasions, or emotional distress.
I learned by the gentlest way possible that foolishness has consequences and wise choices make life comfortable. This training has literally saved my life and I am eternally grateful to both my parents for using a literal rod to train my flesh to make wise choices.
My brothers and sisters were my best friends growing up. We did everything together; swimming, playing, working. We usually got in trouble together too, and when spankings were due, they were due all around. However, trouble was hard to find, as either Mom or Dad was almost always with us, joining in the fun, the projects, and the learning. From dancing in the rain, to building forts, to learning to ride a bike; they were there, so much a part of my life.
A person is innocent until proven guilty. I have proof that Michael and Debi Pearl are wise and loving parents: I am the proof, and every one of my siblings would agree with me.
Almost everything we (my parents) have ever written is available online for FREE on nogreaterjoy.org; and everything else is as inexpensive as possible while still allowing No Greater Joy to operate as a non-profit organization, geared toward helping thousands of parents and children.
A lot of information about the Pearl’s on the internet is simply taken out of context or completely misquoted. Look up the quotes on nogreaterjoy.org for yourself and make sure your source isn’t lying or misconstruing the truth. It’s important to the homeschool movement that we be accountable for our views, instead of blindly following the loudest sensationalist, or giving them credibility of any kind.
Rebekah (Pearl) Anast
I give full permission to reprint or repost this article in it’s entirety in any format
I Got Rebekah's Form Letter.
A few years back there was an outcry in the British Homeschooling community over the possibility that the Pearls' might visit the U.K. and spread their abusive parenting practices. In response, Rebekah Pearl Anast wrote a form letter that she sent out to many bloggers saying how great her childhood was. This morning I started to moderate my blog and discovered I had been sent that same form letter.
I have several thoughts about this letter. One of the reasons that I feel comfortable in writing about Rebekah, who I believe was horribly abused as a child, is that she has put herself out as the defender of her parents. Here is a woman who has had options in life. At one point, she did get away from her family's control. So, I don't believe for an instance that she is unaware of how abusive her family is.
I will admit also that there are parts of her letter that strikes me as odd. She points out that Gabe Anast is her only lover. There is no reason for her to make such a statement in the letter. Nor does it add anything of value to her point. To be honest, I do not care how many sexual partners another person has had and unless, we are having a conversation about it, I don't want to know. That seems like very intimate information to give out to strangers.
Also, Rebekah claims to be the happiest person that she knows. Unless she is psychic there is no way that she can know who is happy or not. There is also the fact that as a child, she has been told to always be cheerful. How can we trust what she claims to feel when we know that she was whipped for not showing joy?(see To Train Up A Child) Her claims to be the happiest person that she knows is so extreme that I wonder if the opposite isn't true and she is trying desperately to cover up her unhappiness.
Another odd point in the letter is how Rebekah clearly contradicts herself. In one paragraph she writes that she was never spanked, but then she continues to describe her thankfulness that the rod was used against her. I was never injured in body or spirit by the training I received. I was never “struck” in anger. I did receive non-injurious spankings on my fully clothed backside with a willow switch when I had clearly transgressed a known “law” of the house. These spankings did not leave bruises or abrasions, or emotional distress. Notice the plural use of the word spanking. So, she did receive more then one spanking. Either she is a horrible liar or Rebekah has some weird definition of corporal punishment that the rest of us do not share.
Because of my childhood, I feel empathy for Rebekah. My own mother was mentally and emotionally abusive but she combined her cruelty with moments of kindness and generosity. I am certain that lots of abused children have a very confusing relationship with their parents. Parental cruelty is often sporadic and twisted in with claims of love and even attempts by the abusing parent to win their child's affections. Its not always easy admitting that you were an abused child. I know. I have been there.
But when my mother turned her abuse toward my children, I had to cut contact with her. Protecting my children was more important then my denials about my mother's actions. I include my own story to make a point. Rebekah Pearl Anast's childhood sounds like the religious version of my own. She probably has some of the same scars that I do.
On the slight chance that she ever reads this blog I would like to talk directly to her. Rebekah, your parents' advice is responsible for creating a adversarial relationship between parent and child that can lead to abuse. By defending them you are as culpable for their actions as they are. When innocent children are hurt, you need to stand up and admit that the myth that your family has tried to create is not true.
Rebekah, it doesn't matter what your parents tell you, or Gabe. You have to live with your own conscious. Every time a child is whipped or their spirit is broken, you are partially responsible because you have not spoken out but have tried to hide the truth. Anyone reading the first part of this series can tell that you had a rotten childhood. A woman as obviously intelligent as you can not be unaware that she had an abusive childhood. I had to stand up to my mother to protect innocent children, now you need to do the same thing. Grow a set of ovaries and be a woman.
I have several thoughts about this letter. One of the reasons that I feel comfortable in writing about Rebekah, who I believe was horribly abused as a child, is that she has put herself out as the defender of her parents. Here is a woman who has had options in life. At one point, she did get away from her family's control. So, I don't believe for an instance that she is unaware of how abusive her family is.
I will admit also that there are parts of her letter that strikes me as odd. She points out that Gabe Anast is her only lover. There is no reason for her to make such a statement in the letter. Nor does it add anything of value to her point. To be honest, I do not care how many sexual partners another person has had and unless, we are having a conversation about it, I don't want to know. That seems like very intimate information to give out to strangers.
Also, Rebekah claims to be the happiest person that she knows. Unless she is psychic there is no way that she can know who is happy or not. There is also the fact that as a child, she has been told to always be cheerful. How can we trust what she claims to feel when we know that she was whipped for not showing joy?(see To Train Up A Child) Her claims to be the happiest person that she knows is so extreme that I wonder if the opposite isn't true and she is trying desperately to cover up her unhappiness.
Another odd point in the letter is how Rebekah clearly contradicts herself. In one paragraph she writes that she was never spanked, but then she continues to describe her thankfulness that the rod was used against her. I was never injured in body or spirit by the training I received. I was never “struck” in anger. I did receive non-injurious spankings on my fully clothed backside with a willow switch when I had clearly transgressed a known “law” of the house. These spankings did not leave bruises or abrasions, or emotional distress. Notice the plural use of the word spanking. So, she did receive more then one spanking. Either she is a horrible liar or Rebekah has some weird definition of corporal punishment that the rest of us do not share.
Because of my childhood, I feel empathy for Rebekah. My own mother was mentally and emotionally abusive but she combined her cruelty with moments of kindness and generosity. I am certain that lots of abused children have a very confusing relationship with their parents. Parental cruelty is often sporadic and twisted in with claims of love and even attempts by the abusing parent to win their child's affections. Its not always easy admitting that you were an abused child. I know. I have been there.
But when my mother turned her abuse toward my children, I had to cut contact with her. Protecting my children was more important then my denials about my mother's actions. I include my own story to make a point. Rebekah Pearl Anast's childhood sounds like the religious version of my own. She probably has some of the same scars that I do.
On the slight chance that she ever reads this blog I would like to talk directly to her. Rebekah, your parents' advice is responsible for creating a adversarial relationship between parent and child that can lead to abuse. By defending them you are as culpable for their actions as they are. When innocent children are hurt, you need to stand up and admit that the myth that your family has tried to create is not true.
Rebekah, it doesn't matter what your parents tell you, or Gabe. You have to live with your own conscious. Every time a child is whipped or their spirit is broken, you are partially responsible because you have not spoken out but have tried to hide the truth. Anyone reading the first part of this series can tell that you had a rotten childhood. A woman as obviously intelligent as you can not be unaware that she had an abusive childhood. I had to stand up to my mother to protect innocent children, now you need to do the same thing. Grow a set of ovaries and be a woman.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Rebekah Pearl's Young Adult Years
The first part of this series covered Rebekah Pearl’s childhood. This second part will cover her early adult hood until her marriage. To me, this is the saddest part of her life because it exposes the potential that the younger Rebekah possessed.
The young Rebekah Pearl attended a Bible College where she received a BA degree in linguistics and Bible translation.
At the age of 21, Rebekah Pearl was escorted by her 18 year old brother, Gabriel to Papua New Guinea. (No Greater Joy. September 12 1995 Wusaywusay-ai-yanday)
After twenty-five hours in the air, here I stood below the equator with my lanky, eighteen- year-old brother in a strange country thousands of miles from our little valley in Tennessee. As we picked up our back packs and wandered bewilderedly toward the buildings, I was wondering what we would do if our contact did not come to pick us up. God has called me to go to the primitive unreached tribes of Papua New Guinea, learn their language, translate the Scripture, and teach them how to read it. I have been told more than once that it is not the job for a young lady. I too have wondered how I would survive alone in a primitive tribe. I have prayed that God would send another woman to go with me.
It is interesting that as a young woman, Rebekah believed that she was capable of doing what men could not. Apparently, she also believed that God could call women to teach men.
About his daughter's role in Papua New Guinea, Michael writes:
Upon her final return to P.N.G., Rebekah will be learning an unknown language and reducing it to writing by creating an alphabet and a dictionary. She will have to discover and define the innate rules of their grammar. All definitions of words must be linked to an understanding of the culture. In order to make the translation and her communication understandable, she will be recording their history, folk tales, religious beliefs and social customs. She will have to teach them to read the literature she produces and cause them to understand the Scripture in its foreign cultural context
This is very impressive. I don’t know how successful she was at creating an alphabet and dictionary, teaching this tribe to read its own language or writing out scripture for them. That sounds like a monumental task that would take one person an entire lifetime to complete. If she did all this then Rebekah is a highly intelligent, disciplined person who deserves to be credited for her role in bringing literacy to this tribe.
From the same article, Michael writes about the people that his eldest daughter will serve
Their naked bodies reek with the stench of decaying flesh and putrid sores. Their faces are hardened by fear of the evil spirits ruling every facet of their lives. Their daily life is one of foraging the rotten logs for grub worms, which are eaten alive as they are found, or of digging in the ground with stone implements or sticks for the roots which comprise the main part of their scarce diet. Their existence is not as National Geographic or Public Television would portray. They are unhappy people with sins and evil habits ranging from the deliberate killing of young children to Sodomy and child molestation
and
It is a simple matter to obey our Lord’s last words and take the message that is medicine to the soul and health to the spirit. As all men, every tribal adult is individually, willfully rebellious. They do not deserve to hear, but it is at this very point that grace begins
She seems to have enjoyed her adventure but to keep from being lonely she wrote songs that she would later turn into a CD entitled From The Ends Of The Earth. All alone in a bamboo hut on the top of a mountain in New Guinea, the first white woman ever seen by the Kumboi village, Rebekah writes and sings songs about her God. She accompanies herself on a classical guitar. One CD. Also available on cassette.
I admit that the emphasis on her being white and female strikes me as odd.
She spent two years among the Kumboi villagers.(No Greater joy July 1, 2003 Beginning With Words)
I spent two years among the Kumboi people of Papua, New Guinea. Most of that time was spent on linguistics and translation. I squatted for hours in the smoke-filled cook-house in the center of our village, practicing the words I learned and trying to pick up new ones.
I do not know if Rebekah ever accomplished her mission of translating the bible for the Kumboi people before she returned home. After her time in the jungle, Rebekah seems to have enjoyed a rather adventuresome lifestyle.
I enjoyed exploring and scuba-diving in Thailand and Laos. From there, I headed to the Middle East. For a year and half, I traveled Israel, Egypt, and Jordan, and had in-depth conversations with monks, Jews, Ethiopians, Germans, Palestinians, Europeans, and even some socially handicapped, public-schooled Americans.
Once she returned to the states, she did not date. Her father writes that dating is understood to be nearly synonymous with fornication. Not that we think everyone who dates will commit fornication, but recreational dating, at its best, is foreplay—psychologically and emotionally, if not physically
In the same article, Michael proudly comments:
Rebekah was twenty-six when she married, and she never had a “boy friend”—never shared any kind of emotional or physical relationship with anyone. Her husband need not be concerned that someday a man may walk up to him and say, “Your wife and I used to be very special to one another.” He is her first and only.
Michael does assure the readers that Rebekah had plenty of marriage offers. He claims to have turned away five or six young men who he didn't even allow near his daughter. There were also other men that he thought would make good husbands but his daughter turned down.
The Pearls do not believe in betrothal, although the family does exert a lot of control in who is allowed to get close to their adult children.
I have formed a fence around my daughters, and by their consent I guard them against unworthy suitors. I control the gate. I let young men that I trust gain social access to my daughters. In a sense, I allow only those that are tentatively approved to pass in review. Out of that small lot of potential suitors, with their parents’ guidance, they will seek God and determine their life’s partner. Every step will be under our oversight. Again, by their consent only, we hold veto rights. A young man must go through my wife and I to get close to our daughters, but we don’t make them sign on the dotted line before they get to know each other
After receiving Micheal's permission to court Rebekah, Gabriel Anast worked for a period in the family's business. Because Rebekah was overseas, it was several months before she and Gabe met.
Once they did meet, their relationship progressed fairly quickly. After a few weeks, Gabe had asked permission to court Rebekah. And a short time later Rebekah asked her parents for their permission to accept Gabe's offer of marriage. In four months they were married by their parents.
Due to a strong aversion to the possibility of same sex marriage, none of the Pearl children have gotten legally married. Instead of a license all of children, including Rebekah, were married via private contract.
So when the sodomites have come to share in the state marriage licenses, which will eventually be the law, James and Shoshanna(Rebekah's sister and brother-in-law) will not be in league with those perverts. And, while I am on the subject, there will come a time when faithful Christians will either revoke their state marriage licenses and establish an exclusively one man-one woman covenant of marriage, or, they will forfeit the sanctity of their covenant by being unequally yoked together with perverts.
Interestingly, Rebekah Pearl, who has visited several countries, brought literacy to a primitive tribe, wrote songs for a CD, published a book on her missionary work and translated scripture into a new language, is unable to choose who will answer her theological inquires. After her marriage, her father informed her that her husband, Gabe, was now the person who would answer her religious questions.
Although her young adulthood is not abusive as were her early years, it is probably the saddest portion to write especially as I am aware of Rebekah Pearl Anast's current situation.
The next and final article will cover her life after marriage and I will try to put it up in by the beginning of next week.
The young Rebekah Pearl attended a Bible College where she received a BA degree in linguistics and Bible translation.
At the age of 21, Rebekah Pearl was escorted by her 18 year old brother, Gabriel to Papua New Guinea. (No Greater Joy. September 12 1995 Wusaywusay-ai-yanday)
After twenty-five hours in the air, here I stood below the equator with my lanky, eighteen- year-old brother in a strange country thousands of miles from our little valley in Tennessee. As we picked up our back packs and wandered bewilderedly toward the buildings, I was wondering what we would do if our contact did not come to pick us up. God has called me to go to the primitive unreached tribes of Papua New Guinea, learn their language, translate the Scripture, and teach them how to read it. I have been told more than once that it is not the job for a young lady. I too have wondered how I would survive alone in a primitive tribe. I have prayed that God would send another woman to go with me.
It is interesting that as a young woman, Rebekah believed that she was capable of doing what men could not. Apparently, she also believed that God could call women to teach men.
About his daughter's role in Papua New Guinea, Michael writes:
Upon her final return to P.N.G., Rebekah will be learning an unknown language and reducing it to writing by creating an alphabet and a dictionary. She will have to discover and define the innate rules of their grammar. All definitions of words must be linked to an understanding of the culture. In order to make the translation and her communication understandable, she will be recording their history, folk tales, religious beliefs and social customs. She will have to teach them to read the literature she produces and cause them to understand the Scripture in its foreign cultural context
This is very impressive. I don’t know how successful she was at creating an alphabet and dictionary, teaching this tribe to read its own language or writing out scripture for them. That sounds like a monumental task that would take one person an entire lifetime to complete. If she did all this then Rebekah is a highly intelligent, disciplined person who deserves to be credited for her role in bringing literacy to this tribe.
From the same article, Michael writes about the people that his eldest daughter will serve
Their naked bodies reek with the stench of decaying flesh and putrid sores. Their faces are hardened by fear of the evil spirits ruling every facet of their lives. Their daily life is one of foraging the rotten logs for grub worms, which are eaten alive as they are found, or of digging in the ground with stone implements or sticks for the roots which comprise the main part of their scarce diet. Their existence is not as National Geographic or Public Television would portray. They are unhappy people with sins and evil habits ranging from the deliberate killing of young children to Sodomy and child molestation
and
It is a simple matter to obey our Lord’s last words and take the message that is medicine to the soul and health to the spirit. As all men, every tribal adult is individually, willfully rebellious. They do not deserve to hear, but it is at this very point that grace begins
She seems to have enjoyed her adventure but to keep from being lonely she wrote songs that she would later turn into a CD entitled From The Ends Of The Earth. All alone in a bamboo hut on the top of a mountain in New Guinea, the first white woman ever seen by the Kumboi village, Rebekah writes and sings songs about her God. She accompanies herself on a classical guitar. One CD. Also available on cassette.
I admit that the emphasis on her being white and female strikes me as odd.
She spent two years among the Kumboi villagers.(No Greater joy July 1, 2003 Beginning With Words)
I spent two years among the Kumboi people of Papua, New Guinea. Most of that time was spent on linguistics and translation. I squatted for hours in the smoke-filled cook-house in the center of our village, practicing the words I learned and trying to pick up new ones.
I do not know if Rebekah ever accomplished her mission of translating the bible for the Kumboi people before she returned home. After her time in the jungle, Rebekah seems to have enjoyed a rather adventuresome lifestyle.
I enjoyed exploring and scuba-diving in Thailand and Laos. From there, I headed to the Middle East. For a year and half, I traveled Israel, Egypt, and Jordan, and had in-depth conversations with monks, Jews, Ethiopians, Germans, Palestinians, Europeans, and even some socially handicapped, public-schooled Americans.
Once she returned to the states, she did not date. Her father writes that dating is understood to be nearly synonymous with fornication. Not that we think everyone who dates will commit fornication, but recreational dating, at its best, is foreplay—psychologically and emotionally, if not physically
In the same article, Michael proudly comments:
Rebekah was twenty-six when she married, and she never had a “boy friend”—never shared any kind of emotional or physical relationship with anyone. Her husband need not be concerned that someday a man may walk up to him and say, “Your wife and I used to be very special to one another.” He is her first and only.
Michael does assure the readers that Rebekah had plenty of marriage offers. He claims to have turned away five or six young men who he didn't even allow near his daughter. There were also other men that he thought would make good husbands but his daughter turned down.
The Pearls do not believe in betrothal, although the family does exert a lot of control in who is allowed to get close to their adult children.
I have formed a fence around my daughters, and by their consent I guard them against unworthy suitors. I control the gate. I let young men that I trust gain social access to my daughters. In a sense, I allow only those that are tentatively approved to pass in review. Out of that small lot of potential suitors, with their parents’ guidance, they will seek God and determine their life’s partner. Every step will be under our oversight. Again, by their consent only, we hold veto rights. A young man must go through my wife and I to get close to our daughters, but we don’t make them sign on the dotted line before they get to know each other
After receiving Micheal's permission to court Rebekah, Gabriel Anast worked for a period in the family's business. Because Rebekah was overseas, it was several months before she and Gabe met.
Once they did meet, their relationship progressed fairly quickly. After a few weeks, Gabe had asked permission to court Rebekah. And a short time later Rebekah asked her parents for their permission to accept Gabe's offer of marriage. In four months they were married by their parents.
Due to a strong aversion to the possibility of same sex marriage, none of the Pearl children have gotten legally married. Instead of a license all of children, including Rebekah, were married via private contract.
So when the sodomites have come to share in the state marriage licenses, which will eventually be the law, James and Shoshanna(Rebekah's sister and brother-in-law) will not be in league with those perverts. And, while I am on the subject, there will come a time when faithful Christians will either revoke their state marriage licenses and establish an exclusively one man-one woman covenant of marriage, or, they will forfeit the sanctity of their covenant by being unequally yoked together with perverts.
Interestingly, Rebekah Pearl, who has visited several countries, brought literacy to a primitive tribe, wrote songs for a CD, published a book on her missionary work and translated scripture into a new language, is unable to choose who will answer her theological inquires. After her marriage, her father informed her that her husband, Gabe, was now the person who would answer her religious questions.
Although her young adulthood is not abusive as were her early years, it is probably the saddest portion to write especially as I am aware of Rebekah Pearl Anast's current situation.
The next and final article will cover her life after marriage and I will try to put it up in by the beginning of next week.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Rebekah Pearl Part One--Her Childhood
Not only do the Pearls hold their adult children up as a living testimony to the success of their child training methods but many of their children have written articles for their parents’ magazine, No Greater Joy. The oldest daughter has even written a glowing letter describing how wonderful her childhood was. So, although I do not like causing pain to people who I feel were both physically and mentally abused as children, there are simply too many people who believe that the Pearls are the epitome of what a God fearing family should look like for me to ignore the adult children.
I am starting with Rebekah Pearl Anast, the oldest daughter. For years, I have been concerned with her. Something about her writing has always made me feel sad for her. I am using information gleaned from the Pearls’ book, To Train Up A Child, the website, No Greater Joy and the Anasts’ own site, 7xsunday to describe both her early years and present life.
In their book, To Train Up A Child, the Pearls describe their four month old daughter as being mobile at an unusually young age. Instead of putting up a gate to prevent the young Rebekah from climbing the steps, her parents switched her tiny body.(Meaning that hit her with a flexible stick) As she grew older, her father’s method of keeping his children from drowning was to allow them to fall into a pond. If his children were too well balanced to take the plunge, he gleefully pushed them into the water (again from To Train Up A Child).
His method of gun safety was similar in practice to his lesson in water safety. Michael writes in his book, To Train Up A Child. With our first toddler, I placed an old, unused and empty, single-shot shot-gun in the living room corner. After taking the toddler through the "No" saying, hand-switching sessions, they knew guns were always off limits. Every day they played around the gun without touching it. I never had to be concerned with their going into someone else's house and touching a gun. I didn't gun-proof my house, I gun-proofed my children. I am not certain why the Pearls insisted on such a dangerous practice in their own home.
Part of the Pearls’ methods includes teaching children to always show joy. Michael accomplished this outer show of mindless happiness by playing a strange game with his kids. He had his children follow a series of commands such as sit, stand, touch the door knob, don’t touch the door knob. It sounds like the game that most of us played in school, Simon Says, until you read that Michael had a switch in hand ready to spank any child that didn’t obey with a smile and cheerful demeanor.
I have taught the children to obey first and ask questions later. When they were small and I put them through paces, they learned to immediately do what I said. If they ever failed to instantly obey a command, I would "drill" them. "Sit down. Don't speak until I tell you to." Understand, I was not taking out frustrations. It was all done in the utmost pleasantness and usually even fun. "Stand up," I would say. "Now come here. Go touch the door." And, before they could get there, "Sit." Plop, down they would go. "Now, go to your rooms and clean them up." Just like little, proud soldiers, off they would go to the task.
If one of them should fail in his attitude, he would be spanked--without haste or hostility, mind you. Negligence or clumsiness was a time for patience and grace, but lazy rebellion was punished with the rod.
Some people might wonder why his children haven’t rebelled but that is where the truly insidious part of Michael’s methods come into play. The Pearls have discovered that children respond to love and attention. All children want their parents’ approval, affection and time. Not only were his children taught to deny their own emotions and only express joy but they have been taught that love is dependent on their acting in an approved manner. It doesn't matter that the book, To Train Up A Child, sounds like a manual for potential brainwashers or that the Pearls use methods from behavioral science to 'train' their children. Outsiders are willing to accept the fantasy that following the Pearls will produce perfect, happy kids.
At one point, the Pearls income was so low that they were forced to eat what might have been cat food. Rebekah describes this time period on her forum, 7xsunday under the thread called, How is Becca? When my family first moved near the Amish community in TN, I was 14 years old. The first winter we had cabbage, wheat, raw milk, and canned cat food or poor quality tuna (the cans were missing labels when we bought them and we couldn't tell for sure if it was cat food or tuna.)
It doesn't appear that either Pearl held down a paying job during this time period. Although I am uncertain, I think that this is the time period in which they were trying to start their ministry and magazine. Most responsible parents would either put their dreams on hold or one of them would find employment outside of their new business.
In 1974, Micheal Pearl announced to his wife that they would homeschool their young family. Debbi took up her husband's suggestion and began teaching her children at home. Rebekah has written that she suspects that she was dyslexic. She even jokingly claims that she would have been forced to ride the short bus if she had attended public school.
Rebekah writes, I never spent a day locked away in my own introspection (Mom was sure to intrude!). Despite the fact that I can no longer find the post, Rebekah has written on the forum, Well Tell Me, that she had trouble with daydreaming. Perhaps Debbi felt that her daughter had a real attention problem but I wonder if was it just another way to control their daughter. Even her inner thoughts were not off limits to her parents.
The Pearls certainly had a problem with boundaries.In the article Safeguarding Your Children, Rebekah remembers, Dad built our house so that all the bedroom doors facing the main living room/family room. None of our doors had locks on them until we were older, and then only the girls. We were never allowed to spend time in our rooms behind closed doors. The door could only be closed for five minutes of clothes changing. If a door was closed for a longer period of time, Dad was likely to walk in unannounced to see what we were up to. One has to wonder what their father thought his children were going to do if they were left alone for a few minutes. To me, this lack of any privacy shows an extreme need to control not only their children's life but their private thoughts as well.
By the way, the same article describes how Michael Pearl presented prostitution to his children. During a trip to Memphis, Rebekah observed a woman being slapped by a man. Despite the fact that No Greater Joy brags about the manliness of the Pearl men, Michael did not step forward to help the woman nor did he search for a pay phone to call the police. Instead he uses the opportunity to teach his kids about prostitution. She’s a prostitute,” Dad told us. “He’s a pimp. She works for him, selling her body to lascivious men who will burn in hell, so that she can continue to buy drugs to satisfy her addiction. God hates prostitution and pornography, kids. It destroys lives and families.” I think that he taught his children to stand idly by while people are being hurt.
Instead of being the wonderful fantasy life that the Pearls try to present to their followers, Rebekah's childhood sounds nightmarish. I have no idea why anyone would want this for their children.
In the next installment, I will continue the Rebekah Pearl story.
I am starting with Rebekah Pearl Anast, the oldest daughter. For years, I have been concerned with her. Something about her writing has always made me feel sad for her. I am using information gleaned from the Pearls’ book, To Train Up A Child, the website, No Greater Joy and the Anasts’ own site, 7xsunday to describe both her early years and present life.
In their book, To Train Up A Child, the Pearls describe their four month old daughter as being mobile at an unusually young age. Instead of putting up a gate to prevent the young Rebekah from climbing the steps, her parents switched her tiny body.(Meaning that hit her with a flexible stick) As she grew older, her father’s method of keeping his children from drowning was to allow them to fall into a pond. If his children were too well balanced to take the plunge, he gleefully pushed them into the water (again from To Train Up A Child).
His method of gun safety was similar in practice to his lesson in water safety. Michael writes in his book, To Train Up A Child. With our first toddler, I placed an old, unused and empty, single-shot shot-gun in the living room corner. After taking the toddler through the "No" saying, hand-switching sessions, they knew guns were always off limits. Every day they played around the gun without touching it. I never had to be concerned with their going into someone else's house and touching a gun. I didn't gun-proof my house, I gun-proofed my children. I am not certain why the Pearls insisted on such a dangerous practice in their own home.
Part of the Pearls’ methods includes teaching children to always show joy. Michael accomplished this outer show of mindless happiness by playing a strange game with his kids. He had his children follow a series of commands such as sit, stand, touch the door knob, don’t touch the door knob. It sounds like the game that most of us played in school, Simon Says, until you read that Michael had a switch in hand ready to spank any child that didn’t obey with a smile and cheerful demeanor.
I have taught the children to obey first and ask questions later. When they were small and I put them through paces, they learned to immediately do what I said. If they ever failed to instantly obey a command, I would "drill" them. "Sit down. Don't speak until I tell you to." Understand, I was not taking out frustrations. It was all done in the utmost pleasantness and usually even fun. "Stand up," I would say. "Now come here. Go touch the door." And, before they could get there, "Sit." Plop, down they would go. "Now, go to your rooms and clean them up." Just like little, proud soldiers, off they would go to the task.
If one of them should fail in his attitude, he would be spanked--without haste or hostility, mind you. Negligence or clumsiness was a time for patience and grace, but lazy rebellion was punished with the rod.
Some people might wonder why his children haven’t rebelled but that is where the truly insidious part of Michael’s methods come into play. The Pearls have discovered that children respond to love and attention. All children want their parents’ approval, affection and time. Not only were his children taught to deny their own emotions and only express joy but they have been taught that love is dependent on their acting in an approved manner. It doesn't matter that the book, To Train Up A Child, sounds like a manual for potential brainwashers or that the Pearls use methods from behavioral science to 'train' their children. Outsiders are willing to accept the fantasy that following the Pearls will produce perfect, happy kids.
At one point, the Pearls income was so low that they were forced to eat what might have been cat food. Rebekah describes this time period on her forum, 7xsunday under the thread called, How is Becca? When my family first moved near the Amish community in TN, I was 14 years old. The first winter we had cabbage, wheat, raw milk, and canned cat food or poor quality tuna (the cans were missing labels when we bought them and we couldn't tell for sure if it was cat food or tuna.)
It doesn't appear that either Pearl held down a paying job during this time period. Although I am uncertain, I think that this is the time period in which they were trying to start their ministry and magazine. Most responsible parents would either put their dreams on hold or one of them would find employment outside of their new business.
In 1974, Micheal Pearl announced to his wife that they would homeschool their young family. Debbi took up her husband's suggestion and began teaching her children at home. Rebekah has written that she suspects that she was dyslexic. She even jokingly claims that she would have been forced to ride the short bus if she had attended public school.
Rebekah writes, I never spent a day locked away in my own introspection (Mom was sure to intrude!). Despite the fact that I can no longer find the post, Rebekah has written on the forum, Well Tell Me, that she had trouble with daydreaming. Perhaps Debbi felt that her daughter had a real attention problem but I wonder if was it just another way to control their daughter. Even her inner thoughts were not off limits to her parents.
The Pearls certainly had a problem with boundaries.In the article Safeguarding Your Children, Rebekah remembers, Dad built our house so that all the bedroom doors facing the main living room/family room. None of our doors had locks on them until we were older, and then only the girls. We were never allowed to spend time in our rooms behind closed doors. The door could only be closed for five minutes of clothes changing. If a door was closed for a longer period of time, Dad was likely to walk in unannounced to see what we were up to. One has to wonder what their father thought his children were going to do if they were left alone for a few minutes. To me, this lack of any privacy shows an extreme need to control not only their children's life but their private thoughts as well.
By the way, the same article describes how Michael Pearl presented prostitution to his children. During a trip to Memphis, Rebekah observed a woman being slapped by a man. Despite the fact that No Greater Joy brags about the manliness of the Pearl men, Michael did not step forward to help the woman nor did he search for a pay phone to call the police. Instead he uses the opportunity to teach his kids about prostitution. She’s a prostitute,” Dad told us. “He’s a pimp. She works for him, selling her body to lascivious men who will burn in hell, so that she can continue to buy drugs to satisfy her addiction. God hates prostitution and pornography, kids. It destroys lives and families.” I think that he taught his children to stand idly by while people are being hurt.
Instead of being the wonderful fantasy life that the Pearls try to present to their followers, Rebekah's childhood sounds nightmarish. I have no idea why anyone would want this for their children.
In the next installment, I will continue the Rebekah Pearl story.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Rebekah's Dreaming Awake Blog
Michael Pearl holds his own children up as examples of the good that can come from his child training methods. I thought it appropriate to explore what his children are now doing.
In her blog, Dreaming Awake, Rebekah Pearl Anast, posts under the name Ruby Archuletta. My real name is Rebekah Anast. I am an author and freelance writer for homeschool magazines. She doesn't claim in this particular post that her dreams are prophetic but if you read through her answers to questions that people leave on her blog, it appears she does consider herself a prophetess.
dreaming-awake.com/index.php?itemid=95(you have to add the www. at the beginning of the address.)
The majority of the dreams are troubling accounts of the end of civilization. There is rape and desperate parents hurting their children. At the very least, Rebekah has a very scary view of the world. It makes me wonder what is going on in her life to make Rebekah have so many frightening dreams. If there are any psychologists who visit this site, I would love to know their opinion on Rebekah's mental state. I am not saying that she is insane, but she does sound as if she has a very unhealthy mindset.
This is a typical dream listed on the site. I took the www. out of the address so you have to add it back in.
dreaming-awake.com/index.php?itemid=134&catid=10
I dreamed that I was asleep and then awoke to a regular day. Time passed and I saw events come to pass that are prophesied in Scripture. I was distressed to see people I love experiencing horrific distress. Sickness, famine, war, death... These are just words. How can I describe the way famine looks? The way pain-induced insanity rings in the ears? How violence upon loved ones breaks the mind? I was overwhelmed with grief because I had not warned the people enough to convince them to leave the cities and the coasts... grieved that they had not believed me. It was too much to bear.
I awoke with huge relief that it had been only a dream, and had not yet happened.
So I went about my day and thought about the dream. Time passed, and I saw the same events come to pass that I had dreamed about... and then saw again the people I love experiencing the most traumatizing violence and death. I couldn't bear it... and so I woke again with relief that it was just another dream.
I lay in the bed crying and praying for the people, and then got up to go about my day... and was horrified to see the end coming so quickly. It was just like I had dreamed, but with more detail and involving people that are very dear to me.
A friend and her husband wanted to show us a place that they had purchased out in the rural mountains of the East. I was impressed with their choice of a house. It was stone, and very rural. People were trying to talk them out of living so far away from friends and family, but they believed bad times were coming, and wanted to live rurally. They were showing us the house they had bought, and we told them that it was going to get really bad in the East, but that the place they had chosen was pretty good, for that area of the US.
Time passed and violence fell on the land. We were separated from friends and family in the East, but I saw how it went with them. I saw many of the younger men leave their families to go fight in small groups to help defend the country. It was a noble cause. But the end was prophesied. They died. I saw my friend starving. Her youngest had died earlier, by disease I think. She had no one to care for them or hunt for food. She didn't know what wild things were edible. She was living in a rural "safe" place, but had not seen anyone alive in a long time. She knew her husband must be dead. She and her 7 year old child sat listlessly waiting for death. The child was starving to death.
The woman looked at her child and thought "I should just kill her, so she won't go through the pain and suffering of death." So she did. Then she looked at the child's body and thought, "Why not eat the body? Why not?"
I saw the end ahead of her... I saw the relief coming. It was just beyond the reach of mortality... or maybe not... and I saw the endless ages in which she would live with the knowledge that she had eaten her own child. I thought, "these are the tears he wipes away." And I began to cry.
I woke up crying. I cried all day. I'm still crying for the people that just don't believe what is coming could be that bad.
In her blog, Dreaming Awake, Rebekah Pearl Anast, posts under the name Ruby Archuletta. My real name is Rebekah Anast. I am an author and freelance writer for homeschool magazines. She doesn't claim in this particular post that her dreams are prophetic but if you read through her answers to questions that people leave on her blog, it appears she does consider herself a prophetess.
dreaming-awake.com/index.php?itemid=95(you have to add the www. at the beginning of the address.)
The majority of the dreams are troubling accounts of the end of civilization. There is rape and desperate parents hurting their children. At the very least, Rebekah has a very scary view of the world. It makes me wonder what is going on in her life to make Rebekah have so many frightening dreams. If there are any psychologists who visit this site, I would love to know their opinion on Rebekah's mental state. I am not saying that she is insane, but she does sound as if she has a very unhealthy mindset.
This is a typical dream listed on the site. I took the www. out of the address so you have to add it back in.
dreaming-awake.com/index.php?itemid=134&catid=10
I dreamed that I was asleep and then awoke to a regular day. Time passed and I saw events come to pass that are prophesied in Scripture. I was distressed to see people I love experiencing horrific distress. Sickness, famine, war, death... These are just words. How can I describe the way famine looks? The way pain-induced insanity rings in the ears? How violence upon loved ones breaks the mind? I was overwhelmed with grief because I had not warned the people enough to convince them to leave the cities and the coasts... grieved that they had not believed me. It was too much to bear.
I awoke with huge relief that it had been only a dream, and had not yet happened.
So I went about my day and thought about the dream. Time passed, and I saw the same events come to pass that I had dreamed about... and then saw again the people I love experiencing the most traumatizing violence and death. I couldn't bear it... and so I woke again with relief that it was just another dream.
I lay in the bed crying and praying for the people, and then got up to go about my day... and was horrified to see the end coming so quickly. It was just like I had dreamed, but with more detail and involving people that are very dear to me.
A friend and her husband wanted to show us a place that they had purchased out in the rural mountains of the East. I was impressed with their choice of a house. It was stone, and very rural. People were trying to talk them out of living so far away from friends and family, but they believed bad times were coming, and wanted to live rurally. They were showing us the house they had bought, and we told them that it was going to get really bad in the East, but that the place they had chosen was pretty good, for that area of the US.
Time passed and violence fell on the land. We were separated from friends and family in the East, but I saw how it went with them. I saw many of the younger men leave their families to go fight in small groups to help defend the country. It was a noble cause. But the end was prophesied. They died. I saw my friend starving. Her youngest had died earlier, by disease I think. She had no one to care for them or hunt for food. She didn't know what wild things were edible. She was living in a rural "safe" place, but had not seen anyone alive in a long time. She knew her husband must be dead. She and her 7 year old child sat listlessly waiting for death. The child was starving to death.
The woman looked at her child and thought "I should just kill her, so she won't go through the pain and suffering of death." So she did. Then she looked at the child's body and thought, "Why not eat the body? Why not?"
I saw the end ahead of her... I saw the relief coming. It was just beyond the reach of mortality... or maybe not... and I saw the endless ages in which she would live with the knowledge that she had eaten her own child. I thought, "these are the tears he wipes away." And I began to cry.
I woke up crying. I cried all day. I'm still crying for the people that just don't believe what is coming could be that bad.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
My Comments On Michael Pearl's Post
Even my chickens are laughing . . . well, actually it more like cackling, because they just laid another organic egg for my breakfast and they know that it was that same piece of ¼ inch plastic supply line that trained the dogs not to eat chicken....
I am pretty certain that whacking dogs with a quarter inch supply line is considered animal abuse.
My five grown children are laughing at your foolish, uninformed criticism of God’s method of child training, for their kids—
Many Pearl followers claim that Michael's happy adult children are proof that he and his wife have done a wonderful job and must know how to raise perfect children. The problem is that his daughter, Rebekah, has left an online paper trail proving that she does have some serious issues.
I will post about Rebekah soon.
I am pretty certain that whacking dogs with a quarter inch supply line is considered animal abuse.
My five grown children are laughing at your foolish, uninformed criticism of God’s method of child training, for their kids—
Many Pearl followers claim that Michael's happy adult children are proof that he and his wife have done a wonderful job and must know how to raise perfect children. The problem is that his daughter, Rebekah, has left an online paper trail proving that she does have some serious issues.
I will post about Rebekah soon.
Spare The Rod And A Thank You
Here is an article from a woman whose parents used the Pearl's methods in their family. Tulip Girl has been very vocal about speaking out against the Pearls. Here is another excellent article on the subject. I think that it is very important that parents understand that there are Christians who are crying out against the Pearls.
I want to thank everyone who has spoken so kindly to me about my doubts. You guys are great.
I want to thank everyone who has spoken so kindly to me about my doubts. You guys are great.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Michael Pearl Answering His Critics.
This is from Michael Pearl's facebook page. It is his answer to another child's death. Even if he believes that his child training methods are not at fault, I would assume that he would express sorrow and horror that anyone misunderstood him. Instead of answering his critics, he writes a rather arrogant post which doesn't even mention the little girl's death.
It has come to may attention that a vocal few are decrying our sensible application of the Biblical rod in training up our children. I laugh at my caustic critics, for our properly spanked and trained children grow to maturity in great peace and love.
Numbered in the millions, these kids become the models of self-control and discipline, highly educated and creative—entrepreneurs that pay the taxes your children will receive in entitlements. When your children finally find an honest mechanic or a trustworthy homebuilder, it will be one of ours.
When your children apply for a job it will be at a company our children founded. When they go to a doctor, it will be one of our Christian children that heals them with cutting edge innovation. When your adult kids go for therapy it will be one of our kids-become-psychologist that directs them to the couch and challenges them to release their self-loathing and embrace hope for a better tomorrow. When your children grow old and realize their mortality and seek to make peace with their Creator, it will be one of our children that shares with them the message of God’s love and forgiveness.
My five grown children are laughing at your foolish, uninformed criticism of God’s method of child training, for their kids—my 17 grandkids—are laughing . . . because that is what they do most of the time. They laugh when Daddy is coming home. The laugh when it is time to do more homeschooling. They laugh when it is time to practice the violin and piano. They laugh when they see their Big Papa coming (that’s me) because Big Papa is laughing and they don’t care why just as long as he laughs with them.
My granddaughters laugh with joy after giving their baby dolls a spanking for “being naughty” because they know their dolls will grow up to be the best mamas and daddies in the world—just like them.
People all around the world, in places like Russia, China, Germany, New Zealand, Guatemala, Peru, Africa, and fifty other countries are laughing with joy because after applying the Biblical principles found in our books they finally have happy and obedient children.
Even my chickens are laughing . . . well, actually it more like cackling, because they just laid another organic egg for my breakfast and they know that it was that same piece of ¼ inch plastic supply line that trained the dogs not to eat chicken....
It has come to may attention that a vocal few are decrying our sensible application of the Biblical rod in training up our children. I laugh at my caustic critics, for our properly spanked and trained children grow to maturity in great peace and love.
Numbered in the millions, these kids become the models of self-control and discipline, highly educated and creative—entrepreneurs that pay the taxes your children will receive in entitlements. When your children finally find an honest mechanic or a trustworthy homebuilder, it will be one of ours.
When your children apply for a job it will be at a company our children founded. When they go to a doctor, it will be one of our Christian children that heals them with cutting edge innovation. When your adult kids go for therapy it will be one of our kids-become-psychologist that directs them to the couch and challenges them to release their self-loathing and embrace hope for a better tomorrow. When your children grow old and realize their mortality and seek to make peace with their Creator, it will be one of our children that shares with them the message of God’s love and forgiveness.
My five grown children are laughing at your foolish, uninformed criticism of God’s method of child training, for their kids—my 17 grandkids—are laughing . . . because that is what they do most of the time. They laugh when Daddy is coming home. The laugh when it is time to do more homeschooling. They laugh when it is time to practice the violin and piano. They laugh when they see their Big Papa coming (that’s me) because Big Papa is laughing and they don’t care why just as long as he laughs with them.
My granddaughters laugh with joy after giving their baby dolls a spanking for “being naughty” because they know their dolls will grow up to be the best mamas and daddies in the world—just like them.
People all around the world, in places like Russia, China, Germany, New Zealand, Guatemala, Peru, Africa, and fifty other countries are laughing with joy because after applying the Biblical principles found in our books they finally have happy and obedient children.
Even my chickens are laughing . . . well, actually it more like cackling, because they just laid another organic egg for my breakfast and they know that it was that same piece of ¼ inch plastic supply line that trained the dogs not to eat chicken....
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Should I Close My Blog
I would like some honest opinions.
Lately, I have not been posting any articles. The reason is that I have been seriously questioning my faith. I have tried very hard to make certain that anything posted on my blog was in line with Catholic teaching. Regardless of my believes, I think that the religious articles can still be used by faithful Catholics. But I don't want to be a hypocrite and give anyone the impression that I am not having doubts.
Although I won't go into the specifics of my spiritual life, I will say that there is much about Catholicism that I still find beautiful. From the time that I was small, it was always Catholics who reached out to help me, often without any intent to convert me. They were just being kind. There is no anger in my heart toward the Catholic Church.
My doubts are about Christianity in general, so it isn't a question of changing denominations. Until I work this out, I will try and stay away from writing religious articles. Everyone finds peace and comfort in their own way and I would never jeopardize another person's faith.
So, what do you all think? Should I close this blog down?
Lately, I have not been posting any articles. The reason is that I have been seriously questioning my faith. I have tried very hard to make certain that anything posted on my blog was in line with Catholic teaching. Regardless of my believes, I think that the religious articles can still be used by faithful Catholics. But I don't want to be a hypocrite and give anyone the impression that I am not having doubts.
Although I won't go into the specifics of my spiritual life, I will say that there is much about Catholicism that I still find beautiful. From the time that I was small, it was always Catholics who reached out to help me, often without any intent to convert me. They were just being kind. There is no anger in my heart toward the Catholic Church.
My doubts are about Christianity in general, so it isn't a question of changing denominations. Until I work this out, I will try and stay away from writing religious articles. Everyone finds peace and comfort in their own way and I would never jeopardize another person's faith.
So, what do you all think? Should I close this blog down?
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Another Death Attributed To The Pearls
Four years ago a small child named Sean Paddock was killed by his mother before his fifth birthday. His adoptive mother, Lyn Paddock was a follower of self proclaimed child experts, Michael and Debbi Pearl.
Because neither Michael or his wife advised parents to child suffocate children in blankets some might be not see the couple's liability in the toddler's death. But reading through their website, No Greater Joy, it is easy to see that a certain harmful mindset is encouraged. Although I do not wish to detract from Lyn Paddock's culpability in anyway, it is important to understand what influences drove her. Certain personality types are susceptible to unquestioningly following an authority figure even if there seems to be no logic in doing so.
I am going to let the Pearls' words speak for themselves. You can link on their site and find the quotes so that you know I am not changing the meaning by quoting these lines out of context.
This is from an article entitled Different Techniques to Control Parents. The Pearls are speaking about a three and four year old child.
Sit on her, if you have to, and slowly explain that you will not tolerate this resistance. Explain in a normal tone (She will eventually stop screaming and listen) that you are going to give her, say, five licks for the original offense and an additional two licks for the fit. Slowly apply the five licks, counting out loud. When I say slowly, I mean with a thirty second gap between each lick and a calm explanation to the screaming child that you are not the least impressed except that you are going to spank harder and she still gets the additional two licks plus one more for her ongoing screaming
But then he writes about a six month old who dumps his bowl of food on the floor:
So we watch him, knowing his propensity to selfish compulsion. When he seizes his bowl with intentions of dumping it, swat the offending hand with a little instrument (light wooden spoon, rubber spatula, flexible tubing less than a quarter inch in diameter, or any instrument that will cause an unpleasant sting without leaving any marks). As you swat the offending hand, say “No” in a normal commanding voice. The tone is more important than the word―not angry―but decisive. Children understand the temperament in your tone before they are born, and will recognize it. This swat is not punishment. Probably, it will not even cause the little guy to cry. He will be shocked and stop any action in which he is engaged. Explain to him that he is not to throw his food onto the floor. If he again makes an attempt, swat his hand again and say, no. The third time is the charm. He now knows that “No” uttered in a commanding tone, is something serious. He will not try that stunt again—at least not for this meal
It should be noted that in their book To Train Up A Child, the Pearls write about switching their four month old daughter. From their writing it appears that spanking young children is permissible as long as the parents use the word, training.
In this article, he describes a very young infant cries as being manipulative.
At less than three-months-old this little girl had discovered the power of emotional manipulation.
He instructs young mothers how they should respond to their infants instead.
This wise mother decided to retrain her three-month-old baby. She laid her down knowing she would cry. The mother calmly ignored the crying. When Suzzie stopped crying and became cheerful, Mother picked her up and played with her. When Suzzie was placed in the crib and again cried, the mother again ignored her until she became cheerful. Through a several day process of never paying her any attention when she cried, Suzzie stopped crying to get her way. Now, four-month-old Suzzie never cries to get her way. Why go to the trouble if it doesn’t work? She is trained to maintain a good attitude. This training has extended to every area of Suzzie’s life.
Although this is clearly abusive to most of us, the Pearls' not only promise that their methods will produce perfectly behaved children who will adore their parents but warn their readers that not following their advice will lead to troubled teenagers and sorrow for the parents. Their message is very tempting to some people. When you add to the mix that the Pearls claim that their methods are taken directly from the Bible, you have a very dangerous mix.
In February of this year another couple, The Schatzs, were charged with the death of their 7-year old adopted daughter, Lydia and the torture of their 11-year-old daughter, Zariah. The older child was beaten so badly that she had to be hospitalized because of the possibility of renal failure. The sisters were beat with a quarter inch plumbing line as suggested in this article by the Pearls.
The rod we speak of is a plumbing supply line that can be bought at any hardware store or large department store. It is a slim, flexible, plastic tubing that supplies water to sinks, and toilets. Ask for "¼ inch supply line." They cost less than one dollar. I always give myself one swat before I swat the child to remind myself how much force to exert. It stings the skin without bruising or damaging tissue. It’s a real attention-getter. Michael demonstrates its use in our new Seminar videos
I am going to try to cover the Pearls in more detail on my blog. Not only does this family's business need to be shut but this couple ultimately need to be held responsible for these two children's deaths.
Because neither Michael or his wife advised parents to child suffocate children in blankets some might be not see the couple's liability in the toddler's death. But reading through their website, No Greater Joy, it is easy to see that a certain harmful mindset is encouraged. Although I do not wish to detract from Lyn Paddock's culpability in anyway, it is important to understand what influences drove her. Certain personality types are susceptible to unquestioningly following an authority figure even if there seems to be no logic in doing so.
I am going to let the Pearls' words speak for themselves. You can link on their site and find the quotes so that you know I am not changing the meaning by quoting these lines out of context.
This is from an article entitled Different Techniques to Control Parents. The Pearls are speaking about a three and four year old child.
Sit on her, if you have to, and slowly explain that you will not tolerate this resistance. Explain in a normal tone (She will eventually stop screaming and listen) that you are going to give her, say, five licks for the original offense and an additional two licks for the fit. Slowly apply the five licks, counting out loud. When I say slowly, I mean with a thirty second gap between each lick and a calm explanation to the screaming child that you are not the least impressed except that you are going to spank harder and she still gets the additional two licks plus one more for her ongoing screaming
The next quote is from an article entitled Too Young To Spank. At first I thought that Michael Pearl was saying that some children are too young to spank but I was wrong. The Pearls do not consider all hitting to be spanking. Sometimes in Pearl speak, hitting is training not spanking. You have to keep that double speak in mind when you read their writings, if not the quotes by Michael will seem to contradictory.
At first Michael states:When is a child too young to spank?” Based on my definition of “spanking,” I can answer the question. A child is too young to spank when spanking is not profitable to the child. Of course, the same applies to a child of any age. "But then he writes about a six month old who dumps his bowl of food on the floor:
So we watch him, knowing his propensity to selfish compulsion. When he seizes his bowl with intentions of dumping it, swat the offending hand with a little instrument (light wooden spoon, rubber spatula, flexible tubing less than a quarter inch in diameter, or any instrument that will cause an unpleasant sting without leaving any marks). As you swat the offending hand, say “No” in a normal commanding voice. The tone is more important than the word―not angry―but decisive. Children understand the temperament in your tone before they are born, and will recognize it. This swat is not punishment. Probably, it will not even cause the little guy to cry. He will be shocked and stop any action in which he is engaged. Explain to him that he is not to throw his food onto the floor. If he again makes an attempt, swat his hand again and say, no. The third time is the charm. He now knows that “No” uttered in a commanding tone, is something serious. He will not try that stunt again—at least not for this meal
It should be noted that in their book To Train Up A Child, the Pearls write about switching their four month old daughter. From their writing it appears that spanking young children is permissible as long as the parents use the word, training.
In this article, he describes a very young infant cries as being manipulative.
At less than three-months-old this little girl had discovered the power of emotional manipulation.
He instructs young mothers how they should respond to their infants instead.
This wise mother decided to retrain her three-month-old baby. She laid her down knowing she would cry. The mother calmly ignored the crying. When Suzzie stopped crying and became cheerful, Mother picked her up and played with her. When Suzzie was placed in the crib and again cried, the mother again ignored her until she became cheerful. Through a several day process of never paying her any attention when she cried, Suzzie stopped crying to get her way. Now, four-month-old Suzzie never cries to get her way. Why go to the trouble if it doesn’t work? She is trained to maintain a good attitude. This training has extended to every area of Suzzie’s life.
Although this is clearly abusive to most of us, the Pearls' not only promise that their methods will produce perfectly behaved children who will adore their parents but warn their readers that not following their advice will lead to troubled teenagers and sorrow for the parents. Their message is very tempting to some people. When you add to the mix that the Pearls claim that their methods are taken directly from the Bible, you have a very dangerous mix.
In February of this year another couple, The Schatzs, were charged with the death of their 7-year old adopted daughter, Lydia and the torture of their 11-year-old daughter, Zariah. The older child was beaten so badly that she had to be hospitalized because of the possibility of renal failure. The sisters were beat with a quarter inch plumbing line as suggested in this article by the Pearls.
The rod we speak of is a plumbing supply line that can be bought at any hardware store or large department store. It is a slim, flexible, plastic tubing that supplies water to sinks, and toilets. Ask for "¼ inch supply line." They cost less than one dollar. I always give myself one swat before I swat the child to remind myself how much force to exert. It stings the skin without bruising or damaging tissue. It’s a real attention-getter. Michael demonstrates its use in our new Seminar videos
I am going to try to cover the Pearls in more detail on my blog. Not only does this family's business need to be shut but this couple ultimately need to be held responsible for these two children's deaths.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
