Reversing Self-Destructive Patterns is the name of the book version of the 1991 Adventure by the same name. The book argues for such things as "Satan-caused" self-destructive patterns (sin?) in a Christian's life (p. 6); the validity of personality typing (p. 8); the false gospel of self-love/self-esteem/self-image (p. 9); "workaholism" (p. 13); "unconditional love" (p. 28); the insufficiency of Scripture (pp. 28, 33); psychological counselors and support groups (p. 33); and visualization for Scripture memorization (p. 58).
Healing the Dysfunctional Church Family is the name of the David Mains' book recommended to be used with this Adventure Journal. The Adventure Journal argues for such things as the validity of "dysfunctional" families, both in the home and the church (Intro); "dysfunctional patterns" (not sin?) resulting from not listening to the Lord (p. 4); self-worth/self-acceptance (pp. 6, 23); Jesus' "unconditional love"/acceptance (pp. 6, 15-17, 27); that the "Blame-Shame Syndrome" attacks a family member's self-esteem (pp. 8, 19); Freudian "denial" preventing "wholeness" (pp. 12, 29-30); unconditional acceptance (good) versus "unhealthy" competition (bad) (pp. 23, 25); "dysfunctional, compulsive/addictive patterns related to the church" (p. 33); intergenerational compulsive/addictive (sin) transmission (pp. 34-35); the codependency concept of "adult children of ..." (p. 35); the dysfunctional family trait of "perfectionism" (pp. 37-38); and the Freudian "repression" of emotions (unhealthy) versus the Freudian ventilation of emotions (healthy) (pp. 41, 43).
An advertising flier listed eight books as "Helpful Resources for
Learning! ... selected to provide ... additional insights and professional
guidance on spiritual survival themes related to the 50-Day Spiritual
Adventure." Five of the books were by: (a) self-love psychologizer Josh
McDowell -- Building Your Self-Image ("will help you
overcome anxieties by liberating you from the negative feelings that hold you
back"); (b) Nancy LeSourd -- No Longer the Hero: The Personal
Pilgrimage of an Adult Child ("you'll learn how to overcome lifetime
patterns of perfectionism and build healthy family legacies"); (c)
psychiatrists Frank
Minirth and Paul Meier -- The Stress Factor: Thriving Emotionally and
Spiritually in the Turbulent '90s; (d) financial psychobabbler Larry
Burkett -- Your Finances in Changing Times; and (e) David
Mains' own book -- 8 Survival Skills for Changing Times.
The Adventure Guide "guarantee[s] you're in for substantive spiritual
growth along the way! ... It will teach you specific skills from the Scriptures
that will help you become an impact player for Christ, living purposefully
during these turbulent, changing times." The Adventure Guide argues for
such things as the daily "off-loading of stress" on God, thereby
realizing "the power of prayer" (pp. 8-9, 21, 23, 33); the name-it-and-claim-it
prosperity gospel, renamed "multiply you're resources through
give-and-take" (p. 37); self-worth/self-respect (pp. 4, 36-39); and the
financial astuteness of Larry Burkett and Ron
Blue (p. 18).
The Adventure Journal argues for such things as giving "pain over to
Christ each day" in order to heal the pain of the past -- "These
people ... cannot dream big dreams because they hurt big hurts. Memories of bad
experiences can paralyze people" (pp. 3, 6); even the apostle Paul had to
move "beyond his painful past to participate in God's dream for him"
(pp. 21-22); going on "a daily God hunt so as not to miss 'sightings' of
God's activity" (p. 8); "empower our activities with prayer" (p.
50); and ecumenical unity/becoming a "global
Christian"/"world-class" Christian/breaking down
"denominational backgrounds," all in order to realize "God's
dream" of a "worldwide fellowship of Christians ... show love for
all" (pp. 10-12, 40-43, 47). [The Mainses would have us fellowship
with liberal, apostate, environmentalist wackos, all for the purpose of helping
"God dream." Of course, the Bible never speaks of God dreaming.]
Recommended reading materials to use with the 50-day Adventure include: (a) Tim
Sledge -- Making Peace With Your Past: Help for Adult Children of
Dysfunctional Families (coursebook) ("You can learn how
to face the painful experiences of your childhood and find the inner
healing only God can provide. In this 12-unit coursebook
[units include alcoholic, drug addict, rage-aholic (short temper), work addict,
sex addict, eating disorders, spending/gambling addict, religion addict, and
others], you'll discover practical, biblically-based guidelines to help you
identify, understand, and come to terms with problems of growing up in a
dysfunctional family. You'll identify how your past affects your present,
understand that others share your pain, unearth your buried feelings to
experience healing, overcome barriers to making peace with yourself, and develop
a sense of hope for your life." Sledge's coursebook is also interlaced with
references from books by David
Seamands [citing favorably his visualization techniques for healing a
painful past], Max
Lucado, and Gary
Smalley & John Trent); (b) David Mains -- Never Too Late To Dream;
(c) Karen Mains -- Lonely No More (tells of her New Age spirit
guide); (d) Raleigh Washington & Glen Kehrein -- Breaking
Down Walls: A Model for Reconciliation in an Age of Racial Strife; (e)
Sandra Wilson -- Released from Shame; (f) Bill
Hybels -- Too Busy Not To Pray; (g) Paul Borthwick -- How
to Be a World Class Christian (a polemic for a social, globalism,
politically correct gospel); and (h) Ruth Senter -- Beyond Safe Places:
Trusting God Through Life's Risks ("... exchanged her individual
grasping after personal security for obedience to God and His dreams for her
life").
The stated purpose of this Adventure (subtitled: Finding Courage When
Anxiety Grips the Heart) is to "address your church's most common
fears." The most psychologically-oriented/self-centered (so-called) fears
of the eight listed are "rejection by others," failure ("the big
'F'"), "living insignificant lives," and "an
oppressive/unhealthy fear of God Himself." The Adventure Journal argues for
such unbiblical things as "reject[ing] the spirit of rejection" (pp.
9, 73); conquering rejection by practicing acceptance (p. 9); naming fears so
you can analyze them (pp. 11, 41); God "not only loves us but likes
us and wants to spend time with us," so "break free
from the unhealthy fear of God" (pp. 12, 73) [Do modern-day professing
Christians really have a problem with fearing God too much?]; and
emotions-/feelings-oriented spirituality (p. 68).
Recommended reading materials to use with this 50-day Adventure include: (a) H.
Norman Wright -- Afraid No More ("Your people will discover
how to overcome unhealthy fears that keep them from living fully and
confidently."); (b) Joseph Stowell -- Perilous Pursuits
(supposedly gives us a Biblical rationale for self-centeredness: "explains
why the pursuit of significance apart from God is 'perilous' at
best"); (c) Carol Kent -- Tame Your Fears ("suggests ways
to tame ten of the most common fears faced by women today ... of being rejected,
of facing the past, and more"); (d) David New and Randy Petersen -- How
to Fear God Without Being Afraid of Him ("This essential book is
recommended reading for all adult and student Adventurers who want to complete
Discipline 5: Break Free from the Unhealthy Fear of God."); and (e) Jack
& Jerry Schruer -- Family Fears ("helps readers cultivate
an environment of confident love and acceptance").
The stated purpose of this Adventure (subtitled: Trusting Christ When
Life Gets Confusing) is to "... help you find personal spiritual
victories in times of confusion by tapping into the true source of hope and
courage -- our Lord, Jesus Christ!" (Your Spiritual Adventure Basic
Guide brochure). One of the chief ways of accomplishing this is to form
support groups (Adventure Journal, pp. 3, 36-39), complete with a
Prayer Partner Covenant that advocates non-judgmental unconditional acceptance
(pp. 34-35). The Adventure's recommended Five Action Steps (pp. 7-11) refer to
rote prayer babbling, to Christ as "plugging into a power source," to
playing pranks on people as one of life's joys, and to idols in one's life as
mere "spiritual clutter." The Mainses also view Satan as the direct
influence of man's sin, rather than personal responsibility (pp. 18, 27); sin is
referred as "shortcomings" (p. 59).
Of the 28 books recommended as additional reading materials to use with this
50-day Adventure, the most offensive are: (a) Carole Mayhall-- When God
Whispers; (b) Max Lucado -- He Still Moves Stones; and (c)
Bernard Bangley -- If I'm Forgiven, Why Do I Still Feel Guilty? ("Forgiving
yourself is often harder than forgiving someone else. ... you'll explore
roadblocks to guilt-free living that can include damaged self-esteem,
resentment, and legalism."). The Adventure Journal also quotes favorably
from the blasphemous Bible paraphrase, The
Message (pp. 46, 67).
Note: For an excellent analysis of the "values level" teaching used in the Adventure Journals, see Brenda Fischer's article in the 5/9/94 Christian News (pp. 12-13), "How Do You 'Feel' About the Bible?: With a Look at the 50-Day Spiritual Adventures." Fischer insightfully shows how the Mainses have incorporated feelings-centered teaching techniques that are remarkably similar to those used by Outcomes Based Education (OBE) and Values Clarification proponents --"... [they] typically promote a sort of self-centered spirituality where environmentalism and globalism are mixed with New Age and other paganism. ... [subjects] are taught through a manipulation of their feelings and emotions, religions of self." Fischer then analyzes in some detail the 1994 Adventure Journal, showing how "... values level questions are slanted to manipulate opinion or promote theology outside the study Scripture's intent."
