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Gunman railed against home-school Christian curriculum

By Berny Morson, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published December 12, 2007 at 4:48 p.m.
Updated December 12, 2007 at 4:48 p.m.

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Matthew Murray's rambling diatribes in online postings included at two derogatory references to a home-school curriculum by a Christian institute.

But Bill Gothard, president of the Illinois-based Institute in Basic Life Principles, said Murray's killing spree was not a bad reaction to the curriculum.

Gothard said Murray and his family used the Institute materials for several years as part of a home-school program but stopped in 2003.

"Our curriculum is all built around the Sermon on the Mount. There are 54 verses in the sermon, and each one talks about how to love your neighbor as Christ loved us," Gothard said.

IBLP, based in Oak Brook, offers a variety of programs and seminars covering subjects ranging from health care to anger management to success in marriage.

The materials the Murrays used focus on character development. The curriculum is contained in 54 "wisdom booklets," one for each verse in the sermon.

Unlike other curriculums, which are aimed only at children, the Institute's booklets are intended to be discussed by the entire family. The books include worksheets for the kids.

Homeschoolers usually combine the curriculum with other materials that teach the standard subjects, such as math and science.

Glenn Ogg, 50, of Arvada, said he and his wife have been using the curriculum for 18 years. They have eight children.

Ogg, a materials engineer who attends a non-denominational Christian church, said he was surprised to see Gothard linked to Murray in news accounts. Ogg has gone through all 54 wisdom booklets — more than 3,000 pages — several times.

"There's nothing in there that would cause that kind of reaction," Ogg said. He described Gothard's interpretation of the sermon as "very mainline."

Gothard said Murray's problem was that he rejected the curriculum. He cited other postings by Murray referring to his love of rock music, especially Marilyn Manson.

"The music we listen to is a powerful force, either for positive or negative," Gothard said.

He said spelling champs and at least one Heisman trophy winner have been raised on his curriculum.

About 2,000 families are using the curricuum, Gothard said. Some 20,000 have used it over the years for various lengths of time.

Comments

  • December 12, 2007

    9:49 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    me2 writes:

    Christians, he was your product, you raised him. Now don`t try to pawn this off on Marilyn Manson again. This baby is yours.

  • December 12, 2007

    10:21 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    drschplatt writes:

    I'm sorry, claiming this is the product of Christianity just doesn't hold water. The two greatest commandments in the Bible are "Love the Lord your God" and "Love your neighbor as yourself". Christianity also teaches "You shall not murder" and "Greater love has no man than to lay down his life for his friend".

    Let's look at a few lines from Marilyn Manson songs over the years.

    "You stir me into ****, I hate therefore I am"

    "I will step on you on my way up
    And I will step on you on my way down
    I will step on you on my way up
    And I will step on you on my way down"

    "And I Hate you more than life itself. I even hate you more than i hate myself. I hate, therefor I am. I am, therefor I hate."

    Although I wouldn't blame what he did completely on Marilyn Manson I could give you over 50 different ways the Bible and Christianity would encourage someone to show nothing but respect for life, love, and goodwill towards men. Someone please tell me how listening to Marilyn Manson helped keep this guy from killing people?

  • December 12, 2007

    10:43 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    me2 writes:

    He was a mentally ill man who had Christianity forced down his throat by his parents. How come you are not quoting what HE had to say about his life.

    I listen to MM and don`t kill people. He was paranoid and forced religion pushed him over the edge.

    In the past, every time one of these men go awry, we have to hear how society did it. Well this time he was part, and for a long time a part, of the Christian society. Can`t just blame society when it is convenient.

    Forced religion and home schooling, yep, just what this kid needed.

  • December 13, 2007

    6:47 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    drschplatt writes:

    Please help me make sure I understand. You believe that being taught "Love your neighbor as yourself" made this boy kill people. Is that correct? Because that is what Christianity teaches.

    I pointed out in my comment before that I am not blaming "MM" for what happened. I was pointing out that nowhere in Christianity can you find anything that would encourage hate towards people, yet in his music you can find it quite often. It makes no sense to blame Christianity for this.

    I would lean towards the idea that the boy had a bad relationship with his family, and didn't have anyone who could successfully teach him the difference between right and wrong. The boy never had anyone who could help him with his problems.

    Perhaps his parents did take Christianity and attempt to force it on him. Christianity can't be forced on anyone, it's a free will choice just as every other religious choice is. If the stress of the pressure brought on him by his parents led him to this point, the fault is with his parents. Not the religion. His parents could have done the same thing with Taoism or the Muslim faith.

    The problem was with the boy and those who raised him. Not a religion.

  • December 13, 2007

    6:30 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    JacquesDemien writes:

    I know people who were raised according to Bill Gothard's evil principles. I would not blame all Christians, just "Christians" of the Bill Gothard variety. That said, clearly Murray was responsible for his own actions; but his parents and Bill Gothard are certainly not blameless.

  • December 14, 2007

    2:51 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    drschplatt writes:

    Bill Gothard's evil principles...such as

    "Understanding the specific purposes for which God created each person, object, and relationship in my life and living in harmony with them."

    "Honoring the responsibilities of parents, church leaders, government, and other authorities and learning how God works through them to provide direction and protection."

    "Realizing I am accountable to God for every thought, word, action, and motive. Asking forgiveness of those I offend"

    "Allowing the hurts from offenders to reveal “blind spots” in my own life, and then seeing how I can benefit their lives. Fully forgiving offenders"

    "Understanding that everything I have has been entrusted to me by God, and wisely using it for His purposes. Yielding my rights to God"

    "Enjoying the desire and power to do what is right, rather than claiming the privilege to do what I want."

    "Discovering God’s purpose for my life by engrafting Scripture in my heart and mind, and using it to “think God’s thoughts” and make wise decisions."

    Those are the "7 Basic Principles" How do you feel those 7 things encouraged a situation where in Murry would kill people?

    I was raised using this program, I have hundreds of friends who were raised using this program and we didn't end up all screwed up, going postal. Bill Gothard (who like every human in the world can be both right and wrong) didn't cause him to do anything. A messed up family life with parents who never built a healthy relationship in order to teach Murry some morals about right and wrong is what caused this.

  • February 27, 2008

    6:17 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    DrDean writes:

    One of the character qualities I learned at IBL was the proper use of English grammar. what a novel concept