The very fist post on this blog talked about what this blog set out to be: getting young adults to view the Honor Academy critically and to not follow the ministry blindly. Regardless of your position, pro- or anti-TM, we should all agree that blind faith is dangerous. This blog shifted focus over the years. The original RA tried her best to follow Matthew 18 Confrontation protocol, but as TM continued to rebuff reconciliation and more stories came to light things changed.
It only makes sense to make one of the first posts of this reboot would be to refocus the purpose of the blog. I touched on it in the last post but perhaps I should be more explicit here.
Almost a decade ago a young 23 year old, still reeling from their Honor Academy experience, came across the Mind over Mania documentary led me to this blog. Up to this point I struggled with an intense depression, generalized anxiety, and had spent a week in a mental hospital for suicide. I was unaware as to why I struggled with depression and despite a couple years of therapy, I remained unaware. It wasn’t until the documentary, where I got to see experts discuss the goings on at the Honor Academy. I got to see four women break down when retelling their stories of emotional trauma. For me, I vaguely recognized that I went through some things during my second year. I experienced gaslighting, questioned my own validity as a Christian, as a man, and as a human. I was bait-and-switched. I faced intense suicidal ideations and the on-site counselor did little about it.
Despite all of that, I compartmentalized my experience. “Well, I may have wanted to drive off the highway, but at least my first year was great!” or “Perhaps Mr. Bushnell did a poor job with us, but the other leaders and staff knew what they were doing!” By the time I found this blog, there was already a decent amount of posts covering the dangerous doctrines taught. The documentary, the Duncans, and this blog helped drastically change my life.
And that is the new purpose of this blog. I hope that the posts herein help readers in their journey. There seems to be a movement of sorts. A lot of people are deconstructing their faith and trying to reconcile American Christianity with their faith in God and Jesus. Other people are finding that they cannot be reconciled and are leaving the church altogether. Others are recognizing the missteps of the Church over the centuries and trying to be a new generation of believers that does not repeat the mistakes, abuse, or trauma.
I feel that all of Teen Mania is wretched. At best, Ron Luce was perhaps doing good work at some point early on, but the ministry grew too large and things got out of control. Some could argue that things were great until Dave Hasz showed up and added a legalistic philosophy to the curriculum. But that’s how I feel. I imagine that most readers may feel similar, but I think that there are plenty of people who regard their experiences with the utmost positivity.
Regardless of where your stance is in regards to TM and where you are in your faith (deconstructing/exvangelical or die-hard believer) I hope that this blog helps illuminate your experience differently, I hope it puts things in a different light and gets you to rethink things because I believe that it is healthy to reflect on our lives and where we were and why. All of this is not to be a cautionary tale for the prospective intern since TM is dead. Instead, allow this to be a space to reexamine your decisions, relationships, and aspirations.
I was an intern in fall class of 1996, the first year in texas. they didn’t inform anyone of the move, which was scheduled a month later, not the financial & lifestyle changes it would bring. we were treated, basically, as slaves. I was quite aware they were using military techniques to break down the psyche & I was bon voyage, during the summer missoin. several close friends in that class made it the whole year & David has denied them graduation certificates. he basically targeted anyone who was into heavy metal, even though, a few years earlier, acquire the fire had been quite metal. I got bv d because I plain didn’t care, anymore. I no longer respected leadership & said as much… I had asked to leave the program several times, because it was not as described, but has reamed me about “commitment”. well, they showed no commitment to my friends, that year. I think the lot of us ended up as atheists