Exposing IBLP Gothard's Commandment Cosplay and Blame Shifting Logic | Episode 14

In this episode, we combine three parts of the Exposing IBLP series to explore Bill Gothard’s tangled web of “convictions,” parenting formulas, and blame-shifting theology. Gothard teaches that when families struggle, it’s because someone’s disobeying — a dangerous idea that traps followers in endless cycles of guilt and “spiritual fixes.” We’ll unpack how the phrase “doing it in your own strength” was used to judge anyone who dared to struggle, how a “slothful” son is somehow destined to beat his father to retirement (???), and why daughters were told to adopt their father’s “God-given goals.” From there, we dive into Gothard’s infamous Conviction Quiz and his so-called Ten Basic Convictions — which turn out to be little more than Commandment cosplay. Behind the Scripture references lies a system built on control, contradictions, and shifting definitions of what “faithfulness” really means. Join me as we look at how Gothard turned spiritual growth into a checklist, convictions into control, and parenting advice into a blame game that kept everyone under his authority — right where he wanted them.