Photo: Image by Vlad Aivazovsky from Pixabay Content note: marital r*pe, coercion, assault By Amber Schultz “Ladies! Remember, when you get married — your body is now your husband’s to do with and honor as he will.” “I am so thankful that the pastor sheltered and protected his daughter’s mind and purity. When we married,ContinueContinue reading “Sorry Paul, My Body Belongs to No One”
Tag Archives: cult
Poem: Holy Hell
By Megan Benninger FreedFrom the creedI believed I’m relieved!Once devoutNow kicked outFull of doubtI’m calling outThe ploysOf your good old boysI’m making noiseWith my big fat voiceRejoiceWhen they hate youReject andBerate youIt’s shitI admitI won’t submitI’m “not a good fit”But I still won’t quitThis handmaidenNow forsakenHas awakenedAnd my classification’s Now “tool of Satan”Swell!Toll the knellI’ll cast aContinueContinue reading “Poem: Holy Hell”
It’s Not Fair: Living with Chronic Illness
Photo: Image by StockSnap from Pixabay Editorial Note: The following is reprinted with permission from Laura Launderville’s blog. It was originally published on June 25, 2023. By Laura Launderville One of the things I feel that has helped me with my own battle with facial pain is helping others. I volunteer with a nonprofit that supports patientsContinueContinue reading “It’s Not Fair: Living with Chronic Illness”
I Survived but Many Don’t: Homophobia Kills
Image: Pixabay Content note: homophobia, religious and spiritual abuse By Elora Dodd Growing up in a staunchly conservative Christian home, my parents would demand the remote the instant a gay person came on television. If I lagged a second too long, my parents would unleash an angry lecture about how dangerous it was to “normalizeContinueContinue reading “I Survived but Many Don’t: Homophobia Kills”
From Trauma to Triumph: Coming out and being expelled from Bob Jones University
Photo: Image by Michaela from Pixabay By Andrew Pledger Have you ever felt like you don’t belong in your own family? Like you are different from everyone else and no one understands you? That’s how I felt for most of my life. I always felt like an outsider, a misfit, a stranger in my ownContinueContinue reading “From Trauma to Triumph: Coming out and being expelled from Bob Jones University”
The IFB Movement and LGBTQIA Rights: A Clash with Christian Love
Photo: Image by Marybeth from Pixabay By Jonathan Grisham The Independent Fundamental Baptist (IFB) movement, with its deep roots and complex history, often stirs up debates on intolerance, hatred, and abusive practices. Notably, the IFB’s contentious relationship with the LGBTQI community is a prime example of its extremist ideologies. The History of the IFB andContinueContinue reading “The IFB Movement and LGBTQIA Rights: A Clash with Christian Love”
How Religious Abuse Harmed My Mental Health and How I Healed
Photo: Image by Pexels from Pixabay By Lydia Joy Launderville “I have mental illness” is a phrase that was very, very hard for me to say out loud to another living soul. Even acknowledging and accepting it was so hard. There were a few reasons for this. The first being that I was very traumatizedContinueContinue reading “How Religious Abuse Harmed My Mental Health and How I Healed”
An ‘Unrivaled’ Education: Educational Neglect in Adverse Spiritual Environments
Creative Commons Image by Nino Carè from Pixabay. By Evan Jones I remember staring at the young man in front of me as he chuckled while reviewing my college transcript and then quickly caught himself when he saw my face. This was a real transcript made up of four years worth of hard earned collegeContinueContinue reading “An ‘Unrivaled’ Education: Educational Neglect in Adverse Spiritual Environments”
Finding purpose in PTSD
Creative Commons image courtesy of Pixabay, geralt. By Megan Benninger I’ve experienced so much spiritual abuse in my lifetime! Seriously, I’m a spiritual abuse poster child. I was raised in a very controlling, legalistic church and Christian school. After being thoroughly primed to submit to and obey my authorities without question, I moved on toContinueContinue reading “Finding purpose in PTSD”
The Vashti Initiative 