My kid is 18 same as all these kids of my internet connections I feel I know. All these seniors and Freshman launching. And the weight of motherhood and mental health is so heavy and as we peek out the other side of it, us Gen xers we wonder “what the fuck?” I imagine having a past in a cult intensifies it that much more. Let’s all just keep telling the truth and hoping we don’t stumble to much as we feel our ways forward. Thank you as always for your words. ❤️
I keep thinking about this comment. You casually wrote "I imagine having a past in a cult intensifies it that much more" and I couldn't stop thinking about it. That word. All it implies. Because, at the outset, I would never say I was raised in a cult, you know? It would feel like an exaggeration. A cult is Heaven's Gate or Branch Davidians, not this religion. I can envision the thousands of church members I grew up with shaking their heads no way. We're not in a cult, they'd say. Warren Jeffs and those fundamentalist polygamists maybe, but not us! (Interestingly, the difference in the religious beliefs of modern LDS members and the fundamentalists is almost negligible) but it was a cult. It IS a cult. I survived and then made it out of a cult. Thank you for that validation.
I didn’t grow up with any religion at all so it all sounds like science fiction to me. I sometimes forget to give the reverence to religion that our society prefers and ruffle the feathers of my Catholic in-laws. I can only imagine how often I would put my foot in my mouth if I married into LDS family!
Religion is so damaging to women. My family was Episcopalian (Catholic Light, Church of England) and our priest was an ex-Hippy, so it was a pretty lefty place to worship. I went to Catholic School for a couple of years in grade school, and it always bothered me how the roles of women in the biblical stories were just supporting characters, unless you're the Virgin Mary... which was a total bullshit story that I didn't believe starting at the age of 7.
I don't know a lot about Mormonism.... I learned most of what I know through South Park... but I can tell it takes patriarchal authority to a new low and basically sees women as birthing chattel. I can't imagine being so undervalued as a child growing up in this and having this kind of dogma rammed down your throat.
I'm sorry you went through this. It's trauma. And? You deserved better.
My kid is 18 same as all these kids of my internet connections I feel I know. All these seniors and Freshman launching. And the weight of motherhood and mental health is so heavy and as we peek out the other side of it, us Gen xers we wonder “what the fuck?” I imagine having a past in a cult intensifies it that much more. Let’s all just keep telling the truth and hoping we don’t stumble to much as we feel our ways forward. Thank you as always for your words. ❤️
The older I get the more I understand the importance of mental health. It informs everything. Thank you for YOUR words!
I keep thinking about this comment. You casually wrote "I imagine having a past in a cult intensifies it that much more" and I couldn't stop thinking about it. That word. All it implies. Because, at the outset, I would never say I was raised in a cult, you know? It would feel like an exaggeration. A cult is Heaven's Gate or Branch Davidians, not this religion. I can envision the thousands of church members I grew up with shaking their heads no way. We're not in a cult, they'd say. Warren Jeffs and those fundamentalist polygamists maybe, but not us! (Interestingly, the difference in the religious beliefs of modern LDS members and the fundamentalists is almost negligible) but it was a cult. It IS a cult. I survived and then made it out of a cult. Thank you for that validation.
I didn’t grow up with any religion at all so it all sounds like science fiction to me. I sometimes forget to give the reverence to religion that our society prefers and ruffle the feathers of my Catholic in-laws. I can only imagine how often I would put my foot in my mouth if I married into LDS family!
I applaud your irreverence! I feel allergic to reverence now. To me it's a patriarchal trick to keep people submissive.
I love you. And every word, here. You inspire me endlessly and I’m so glad you survived and are thriving in a world that needs your voice.
Religion is so damaging to women. My family was Episcopalian (Catholic Light, Church of England) and our priest was an ex-Hippy, so it was a pretty lefty place to worship. I went to Catholic School for a couple of years in grade school, and it always bothered me how the roles of women in the biblical stories were just supporting characters, unless you're the Virgin Mary... which was a total bullshit story that I didn't believe starting at the age of 7.
I don't know a lot about Mormonism.... I learned most of what I know through South Park... but I can tell it takes patriarchal authority to a new low and basically sees women as birthing chattel. I can't imagine being so undervalued as a child growing up in this and having this kind of dogma rammed down your throat.
I'm sorry you went through this. It's trauma. And? You deserved better.