high-control religion – The Vashti Initiative

The Most Important Insight I Gained after Deconstructing

Photo: Image by Felix from Pixabay By Celestine Alderwood Upon leaving a lengthy, highly conservative relationship with my children in tow, I began rethinking my beliefs. This was only possible after we found safety and freedom. I remember feeling grateful to the higher power we were taught to believe in. Still, a flood of emotionsContinueContinue reading “The Most Important Insight I Gained after Deconstructing”

Too Many Tulips

Photo: Image by Pexels from Pixabay Editorial Note: The following is reprinted with permission from Ida’s blog. It was originally published on June 30, 2023. By Ida Growing up, I was introduced to Calvinism. A theological belief system within Christianity, Calvinism was founded by John Calvin, a Protestant Reformer. Calvin’s teachings can be summed up in theContinueContinue reading “Too Many Tulips”

How churches use DARVO to condemn LGBTQ people to hell without explicitly saying it

Photo: Image by Christel from Pixabay Content note: homophobia, religious and spiritual abuse By Elora Dodd As homophobia falls out of vogue in the wider culture, Christians may find themselves scrambling to preserve their sense of self as the “Light of the World,” while still condemning the more-than-ever-accepted “homosexuals.” While I was still embroiled inContinueContinue reading “How churches use DARVO to condemn LGBTQ people to hell without explicitly saying it”

Whispers of Resistance: Nothing taught me to be different the way fundamentalism did

Photo: Image by Hello Cdd20 from Pixabay By Evan Jones My entire life I’ve been told to submit. My earliest memory of singing is me belting out the OBEDIENCE song in Sunday School. As a youth and young adult, I took high school and college courses on submission and a woman’s purpose. I’ve heard demandsContinueContinue reading “Whispers of Resistance: Nothing taught me to be different the way fundamentalism did”

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”