In this conclusion of
this series examining Lifton's thought reform criteria of Doctrine
Over Person, we come back full circle to that which prompted the
discussion.
Good vs Evil Pastors and Shepherds
Likening people to sheep and pastors to
shepherds, the Bible warns us many times of the existence of those
who fall beow the Bible's standard of love and care for those in
leadership. A notable theme in the parables and teachings of Jesus who set the ultimate standard for the good shepherd, He
warns followers to be aware of evil religious leaders. He talks of
earnest people whom He likens to scattered sheep with absent
shepherds, moved with compassion for them becaos of their
hopelessness (Matt 9:35-38, Mark 6:33-34). In John, Chapter 10,
Jesus also talks about hapless shepherds that the KJV calls hirelings
who can apparently perform required tasks but lack the needed sense
of care and compassion for sheep.
Other examples offered in the Bible
note the undesirable pastors who exploit their power and position of
authority (1 Peter 5:1-4). And there are the examples of the
shepherds who treat their sheep like a commodity used for personal
gain, as things to be used. And some exhibit terrible cruelty and
deceit, just because they are wicked men who can get away with it
(Zechariah 11, Jeremiah 5:26-31). And one of the most obvious of these analogies is that of the wolf in sheep's clothing (Matt 7:15, Acts 20:29).
In Ezekiel
34, the Prophet writes:
Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them.
The Business of Supporting Evil
Shepherds
I have spent many hours reading the
testimonies of former residents of Hephzibah
House (HH), talking with them and corresponding with them. From
all that I have gathered, at the very least, there is some cause to
believe that Ron Williams (the proprietor of HH) has demonstrated all
of these undesirable traits in the care of the wounded lambs, the
girls, who were placed in his care. Jesus Himself devoted much
attention to the topic of caring lovingly and selflessly for sheep
(regardless
of whether they were “good sheep”), never advocating cruelty
or harsh treatment. He also demonstrated a very atypical,
countercultural kindness and care towards women, setting an
altogether different standard than the misogynous one we hear spoken
of at HH.
(Note: On the subject of how Jesus treated women, please read Adele Hebert's lovely and scholarly work at the Overcoming Botkin Syndrome blog, and in an additional post found HERE. I'm very grateful for Adele's contributions; some of her writing is also featured in the Quivering Daughters book as well as at GodsWordToWomen.org.)
Ten days ago, someone who thinks quite
highly of Ron Willams posted a
blog commentary in support which many found quite inflammatory,
not only because of his staunch defense of Williams and HH, but
because of his cruel manner and demeanor. Though I see his behavior
as something that confirms the thesis of spiritual abuse and
confirmation bias at work, the blogger's behavior does offend and
discourage those women who have braved rejection and ridicule to come
forward to bear witness to the abject cruelty and abuse that Ron
Williams inflicted upon them, just like the shepherds who scatter,
abuse, and use sheep with utter disregard.
But the discussion also brought
attention to a more difficult issue concerning those who work to
expose and stop the abuse of young women at Hephzibah House and the
profiteering off of them. Lucinda Pennington was again offered up as
evidence for Williams' virtue and as a testimony against other former
HH residents.
The Case of Lucinda Pennington
Lucinda is a former resident of HH,
known for her high esteem for Ron Williams (the proprietor), her
denial that the conditions at HH constituted acceptable discipline
for teens, and what some describe as an aggressive, non-empathetic
attitude towards other survivors of HH who speak out about the
abusive conditions there. As Lucinda discusses in various versions
of her testimonies which appear and disappear on the internet and are
apparently detailed in a book she has written (which I have not yet
read), she suffered terrible experiences at the hands of various
abusers within the foster system from the time of her infancy. (Read an online testimony Here in Part I and Part II.)
In the process of looking for answers
about conditions at HH, may people find it confusing that Lucinda's
testimony differs so vastly from those of other former residents
which form the majority of consistent, corroborating testimones that
span some 30 years or more from the
survivors, former staff members, and remorseful mothers. May of
the sermons
of Ron Williams also corroborate a motive for abuse, as his own
poor opinions and prejudices are woven into his theology and
ideology.
To those who trust Lucinda's testimony
which denies abusive conditions at the home, I hope that they will
consider the information presented here concerning Doctrine Over
person, the trauma response, and why she may have latered her
perceptions of experiences as a means of coping with her own abuse,
both prior to and during her residence at HH. The possibility exists
that Lucinda's treatment was exceptional while groomed by Williams as
a HH “model citizen.” In closed groups, such exemplars are given
preferential treatment for serving as examples of desired behavior.
Remember also that spiritually abusive groups are consumed with an
image consciousness, both to intensify control over members through
example (or competition) within the group and to demonstrate the
virtues of the group to those on the outside, proving that they are
more special to God than everyone else.
Williams was reported to have sent
Lucinda for a lie detector evaluation, but no other residents were
required to undergo testing. As a master manipulator, Williams would
have been especially adept at spotting the most malleable girls who
could serve as ambassadors for HH. This grooming and double standard
treatment, if it existed, could have well been perceived by Lucinda
as validation from Williams, enhancing the bond of covert
emotional influence and traumatic
bond with him. Anderson Cooper mentions
on AC360 that Williams offered her to them as a source for
positive feedback about HH, so this positive reinforcement may be a
continued and ongoing influence in Lucinda's life today. And there
may be no specific reason why Williams may have treated Lucinda
differently, as it is irrational to expect irrational people to
behave in rational ways. There may be no express or obvious reason
for a double standard that Lucinda may have enjoyed if it was not
something she created in her mind through a Doctrine Over Person
response.
Some
of the claims that Lucinda has made speak of the typical
compulsion to repeat trauma (another ineffective coping mechanism) as
evidenced by sensational
sounding accounts of revictimization after leaving HH, and even claims that her church paddled her before the congregation at age 19 or 20 (the age varies between accounts). She also
describes an unusually aggressive spanking
session while at HH wherein she's confined in a prone position on the floor, held by two people with a third person who paddled
her, a chair on top of her back, and with some suggestion that a
fourth party may have been required to sit on the chair to restrain
her for what she insists were only for three mild swats. She
describes the event as though it was a reasonable experience that was
not out of the ordinary, all told in an inappropriately flat
affect which one could interpret as highly suggestive of
dissociation, or at the very least, a lack of reasonable and
appropriate perspective.
(Note: The
common compulsion in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder to repeat
and reenact trauma combined with self-protection deficits which
contribute significantly to revictimization will a be a theme in
upcoming posts on this blog, specifically because it is a significant
problem for young women after exiting HH, as Lucinda's own testimony
attests.)
For Consideration
If any of these
factors are remotely true concerning Doctrine Over Person in the
example of Lucinda – and I think that given the matters explored
in this series of posts that there is adequate reason to consider
that they are true in Lucinda's case – please consider that those who encourage and
support Lucinda in her advocacy of Ron Williams and Hephzibah House
only help to enable and deepen her trauma.
To those who cite
Lucinda as evidence in support of Ron Williams, have you considered
that you might be making sport of one of his most
unfortunate victims and only reinforce the harm done to her by adding
to the millstone of trauma that she already bears?
