Mercy Multiplied Is Subject of Slate Exposé

Mercy Multiplied (formerly known as Mercy Ministries) consists of several in-patient facilities which claim to assist young women recover from abuse, eating disorders, and various other mental and emotional conditions. On Sunday, online magazine Slate revealed unflattering and disturbing results of an investigation of the ministry through the eyes of several former patients.
If the reports are true, then Mercy Multiplied should be shut down.
These stories reminded me of the 1990s controversy over repressed memories and especially the Philadelphia area counseling center Genesis Associates. Former Mercy girls told Slate they were led to believe they had been sexually abused and involved in sex trafficking via imagery techniques. They claim that in counseling sessions girls were told by their counselors that God had reveal certain past abusive events. Residents were urged to cast out demons and refuse needed medications.
There seemed to be some similarities to the demon trials described by Mark Driscoll.
This morning, I asked Mercy Multiplied’s Director of Communication Jackie Quinn for a response to the Slate article but did not get a response.
One cannot know if these allegations are true or wide spread but it does provide a cautionary tale to people who are considering counseling to avoid these kind of techniques. I hope Mercy Multiplied will address the possible use of visualization techniques where false memories might be implanted.
From the mid-1990s, here are some clips of Genesis Associates from the documentary Divided Memories.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWoxGEr0nmw[/youtube]
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waBha5AOAyI[/youtube]
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZckrmKCzlU[/youtube]

PA Primary News: Donald Trump's PA Delegates Disclosed #NeverTrump

In Pennsylvania tomorrow, GOP voters will be confronted with a choice of John Kasich, Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush, and Ben Carson. They also will be asked to vote for delegates to the GOP convention in Cleveland.  The ballot doesn’t spell out which candidate each delegate has committed to vote for at the convention. Some will remain uncommitted and others might be persuaded to switch, making PA delegates very popular between now and the GOP convention.
Political website PoliticsPA published a list of delegates who are pledged to Donald Trump. For those #nevertrump PA readers, this could be a handy help going into tomorrow.
Review the list.
Trump has 41 delegates in 15 districts committed to him.
According Former KKK Grand Wizard David Duke, Donald Neuhaus has pledged for Trump in the 14th District. He also has a handy list. One wonders where he got it.
Here is something more official from the Trump campaign.
PA for Trump

Gospel for Asia Denies RICO Allegations, Moves to Dismiss Suit, and Asks Court to Compel Arbitration

In court filings Monday, Gospel for Asia denied all allegations of wrong doing, asked the court to compel the plaintiffs Matthew and Jennifer Dickson to enter into arbitration to settle their dispute and/or to dismiss the suit.
In February, Matthew and Jennifer Dickson brought sued GFA alleging fraud and mismanagement on behalf of themselves and the class of GFA donors. On Monday, GFA’s lawyers responded with denials, a motion to dismiss the suit and a demand that the Dicksons enter arbitration. The GFA legal response included signed agreements by the Dicksons while they were GFA employees which included a clause stating they wouldn’t sue over disputes but rather enter arbitration.
GFA’s response concludes:

Defendants [GFA leaders] pray that arbitration be ordered, or, alternatively, that judgment be entered that Plaintiffs take nothing by this suit against any of the Defendants, that class certification be denied, that all relief prayed for by Plaintiffs in this action be denied, and that Defendants be granted such other and further relief, at law and in equity, to which they may be justly entitled. DATED: April 15, 2016.

GFA’s motion to compel arbitration
GFA’s motion to dismiss the suit
GFA’s brief supporting motion to dismiss
GFA’s response to the complaint
The original complaint Dicksons v. Gospel for Asia
 

Yesterday John Wilsey Was On Line of Fire Talking About David Barton and American Exceptionalism

Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary historian and professor John Wilsey was on Michael Brown’s radio show Line of Fire yesterday talking about American Exceptionalism and David Barton.
You can listen to it here. He was on from 25:00 to 49:00.
Specifically he mentioned my book with Michael Coulter, Getting Jefferson Right: Fact Checking Claims about Our Third President as a factual response to Barton’s The Jefferson Lies.
Wilsey pointed out how Barton is often correct on certain points of history but has a pattern of omitting key elements, thereby making his claims false and misleading. Wilsey’s illustration was Barton’s citaton of Virginia’s 1782 law on manumission. That law allowed slaves to be freed but Barton failed to disclose in his first book that those slaves could be freed by their living owners. In other words, emancipation was legally allowed after 1782. Barton claims Virginia law didn’t allow private emancipation of slaves which he says hindered Jefferson from freeing his slaves. This is contradicted by Virginia law and the example of other slave owners in Virginia at the time.
I would have preferred for Brown to disclose to his audience that Barton’s initial appearance on the Line of Fire was riddled with errors.
However, I am glad Brown had Wilsey on to address even if briefly Barton’s historical misadventures.
Wilsey’s newest book is American Exceptionalism and Civil Religion. I believe readers of this blog will find it interesting and helpful.

David Barton Says Adolescence Is Unbiblical Like…

Ted Cruz Super PAC president and history advisor David Barton has a problem with adolescence since the concept isn’t in the Bible. Watch:
[youtube]https://youtu.be/W_n9Is_2OrY[/youtube]
Let’s take our middle school kids and put them in the military (but no gluten free meals!). Feel safer?
Let’s see, what else isn’t real?
Airplanes. Space travel. Lanyards. America.
Hard Cider. Cars. Computers. Cell phones. Celiac Disease. Antibiotics.
Neuroscience. Glasses. Little League. Wednesday night church. Asphalt.
Wallbuilders.
Anybody want to add to the list?