Not So Shiny Not So Happy People

How Bill Gothard, Church, and Family Taught Me Christianity Doesn't Work

De: Clint Heacock PhD, Tim Sledge - editor

Narrado por: Clint Heacock

Not So Shiny Not So Happy People is Clint Heacock's brutally honest and poignant story of growing up in a family living under the teachings of Bill Gothard. Clint spent years pursuing the victorious Christian life he had been taught to expect. He watched helplessly as the rigid interpretation of Christianity taught by Gothard inflicted severe damage on his family. He graduated from Bible college, served in pastoral roles, and earned two master's degrees and a Ph.D. in theology while still searching for that supernatural level of living promised in the New Testament.

Ultimately, Clint decided that Christianity isn't true and embraced a new level of truth and self-acceptance, but not without the hard work of personal reconstruction faced by any committed believer who leaves their faith.

©2024 Clint Heacock (P)2025 Clint Heacock

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Clint was a child of his time. He did kid things and teen things and adult things. He was neither saint nor sinner. He was just a person like the rest of us. But that is not the story of Christianity. In that religion, no one is just a person, and humanity is not something to be embraced but to be overcome. That poisonous indoctrination starts early, and, like interest on bad debt, is compounded daily. What happened to Clint throughout his life is the inevitable result of being immersed in the idea that humans are broken and need a supernatural rescue. Clint's struggles from his childhood through his time as a military chaplain is all the proof one needs that there is no supernatural cleanse from the reality of humanity. Sincerity is not enough. Deep study is not enough. Strong commitment is not enough. Prayer is not enough. The Christian God never has enough. But eventually, Clint did, and his story is one that resonates with so many of us." —David Johnson, Host of The Skeptics and Seekers Podcast

No Choice but to Re-start this Book

I finished this book in record time and am so sad it's over. I loved it. I resonated with so, so much of what he wrote about, the self-doubt, the self-blame, the shame, the anxiety, the confusion over what my true identity is, the disgust and judgment from family members still in the fold after my finally--after years of struggle--leaving, the anger over the illogic of the doctrines and over how if the Christian deity actually exists, it is cruel and unjust to the extreme.

I have read many books on this topic (by Jim Palmer, Emily Hedrick, Marlene Winell, Tim Sledge, Maggie Rowe, Cassie Fox, Christa Brown, Britt Hartley, and so many others I don't have time to type in the names of). This book compares very favorably to any of these others.

I'm so grateful Clint took the time to share his story. You are not alone, Clint. Thank you for showing others we aren't, either.