How to (Not) Manage a Crisis

A brief follow-up on Peter Bell and Sons of Patriarchy

Note: This originally appeared as a thread on X. Hence the abbreviations, rough grammer, etc. It is being reposted here for safekeeping, accessibility, and ease of distribution.

It's been a few days since I released my article "From Such Turn Away!" which is (hopefully) the culmination of my investigation into Bell and SOP. ICYMI:

From Such Turn Away!

The article itself has been viewed nearly 2K times. I tagged Peter on X when I initially posted it (and more times since, both from my personal and the @OFADpodcast account). I've also replied with it in Peter's threads. He is yet to acknowledge it or any of its contents.

Meanwhile, he has spent the last few days trying to goad @haymes_joshua into letting him debate @dalepartridge on head coverings on terms under which no one looking to actually have a debate would accept (he could hijack the program with no recourse)

(link to above post)

This seems like a distraction from the serious but well-documented accusations against him as well as a chance to chase clout on conservative platforms. A good way to keep his fans from noticing my article or pushing back on last week's disastrous TNE interview.

(link to above post)

But I also think to myself, "Peter really wants to get on other people's shows all of a sudden, he probably doesn't like what I've said, I'll give him a reasonable chance to come talk to me and clear his name." This has also been ignored.

(link to above post)

Returning to the TNE interview, Peter has experienced some significant pushback on it in the form of YouTube comments (over 2-to-1 comments-to-likes). Some of SOP's fans, it seems, were not pleased with its uncritical promotion of apostasy, LGBT, etc.

UPDATE 3/17/2025: SOP deleted the TNE interview from all platforms last night after unrelated allegations surfaced of workplace abuse by TNE/Tim Whitaker. I have attached some of the most relevant clips from that interview to the footnotes of “From Such Turn Away!”

How are Peter and Co. taking this criticism? Excuses and deflection. For instance, "it's just one episode." In the same way one might say, "it's just a little poison in this gallon of water."

Peter has acknowledged that he does not agree with Tim on transgenderism. OK, better late than never, I guess. He reaffirms Tim's political views. But he doesn't address the doctrinal concerns (apostasy, deconstruction, hell, etc.) at all.

(The disclaimer has not yet appeared that I have seen, and elsewhere Peter has indicated it will in fact not be a retraction, but "developing a statement." Big Eva is never having to say you're sorry. Oh, and Peter says he's still Reformed.)

(link to above post)

To criticisms of platforming Tim at all, Peter blames this on conservatives being unwilling to appear on SOP because of an alleged fear of Doug Wilson and his supporters. Sounds a bit conspiratorial.

But let's say it's true. Is the solution then to uncritically platform heretics, apostates, and progressives? Are there no other options? Like not having episodes when there's no "good" guests available, or not relying entirely on guests for content?

Not only is Peter resorting to cop-out and conspiracy (DW is not nearly so powerful), at no point in any of the comments does Peter admit error or take responsibility. To borrow the preferred anti-abuse language, it's a lot of gaslighting and DARVO.

"I'm sorry I wasn't clear" - an admission of a minor offense or deficiency of the listener's understanding in place of a major offense.
"I'm sorry you resent me" - a non-apology that shifts blame to the listener's attitude.
"Give us some grace" without repentance.
etc.

So apparently it's OK to use all of these abusive and manipulative (or, more properly, sinful in that they are dishonest and unrepentant) tactics as long as one is pulling in some perceived anti-abuse direction? Peter's friends ought to be policing him better.

So, that's where things stand currently. Deafening silence to me, distractions and deflections elsewhere. I still hope and pray that God will grant Peter true repentance, and free any of His sheep caught in Peter's snare. But the picture, for now, remains bleak.