How do you break out of a religious cult? What does it look like to move forward afterwards? Today’s guest (unnamed here to protect her identity) will share her experiences growing up in a fringe Christian community: The Institute of Basic Life Principles. Listen in to learn about her family life within the organization, what was expected of a girl growing up in the Institute, how she left and what she’s doing now.
Trigger Warning: Sexual and physical abuse are discussed.
Topics Discussed in This Episode
- Characteristics of the Institute of Basic Life Principles
- Her understanding of the Institute
- Wisdom booklets and other curriculum required by the Institute
- Gender role expectations in the Institute
- How the parents pick future spouses for their children
- How she separated from the church and why she left
- Whether a person could push back if they disagreed with the organization’s teachings
- How her father’s substance abuse problems were treated within the church
- How the Institute would deal with a woman with the same problems
- What things about her current life would cause trouble for her within her former church community
- How she is moving forward with her life outside the organization
- Her current relationship with her family
- The most traumatizing parts of her experience
- What has been helpful in her spiritual healing journey
- The difficulty of explaining her story to someone who hasn’t experienced it
Related Links
- The Incarcerated Christian
- The Incarcerated Christian on Instagram
- The Incarcerated Christian on TikTok
- The Incarcerated Christian on Twitter
- Recovering Grace
Annalise by Admiral Bob (c) copyright 2017 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/admiralbob77/56178 Ft: Kara Square