UnBoxing Project: Ashley’s story

Eleanor Skelton blogs at eleanorskelton.com, is the news editor of the UCCS student newspaper, and is majoring in English and Chemistry. The following was originally published on Eleanor’s blog on March 9, 2015, and is reprinted with permission.  < Part Five This is Ashley’s story. Content warning: victim-blaming, religious manipulation. Do you know what it’s like when You’re scared to see yourself?

UnBoxing Project: Defecting from a cult

Eleanor Skelton blogs at eleanorskelton.com, is the news editor of the UCCS student newspaper, and is majoring in English and Chemistry. The following was originally published on Eleanor’s blog on March 8, 2015, and is reprinted with permission.  < Part Four Liz helped our network assist Racquel and Ashley. Here is her perspective. Nearly two years ago, I received text messages from

UnBoxing Project: Racquel’s story

Eleanor Skelton blogs at eleanorskelton.com, is the news editor of the UCCS student newspaper, and is majoring in English and Chemistry. The following was originally published on Eleanor’s blog on March 7, 2015, and is reprinted with permission.  < Part Three This is Racquel’s story. Content warning: forced starvation, religious manipulation. Somehow I never imagined the inner peace and joy I felt

Why the name The UnBoxing Project?

Eleanor Skelton blogs at eleanorskelton.com, is the news editor of the UCCS student newspaper, and is majoring in English and Chemistry. The following was originally published on Eleanor’s blog on March 6, 2015, and is reprinted with permission.  < Part Two Why did you informally call yourselves the UnBoxing Project? Right after I moved out, several others came to me, and I’d

UnBoxing Project: The trouble with freeing people

Eleanor Skelton blogs at eleanorskelton.com, is the news editor of the UCCS student newspaper, and is majoring in English and Chemistry. The following was originally published as “The Underground Railroad: Intro” on Eleanor’s blog on March 5, 2015, and is reprinted with permission.  < Part One Continued from Being an angel with a shotgun. “Eleanor, does your church teach the doctrine of

UnBoxing Project: Being an Angel with a Shotgun

Eleanor Skelton blogs at eleanorskelton.com, is the news editor of the UCCS student newspaper, and is majoring in English and Chemistry. The following was originally published on Eleanor’s blog on March 4, 2015, and is reprinted with permission.  Get out your guns, battle’s begun, are you a saint, or a sinner? If love’s a fight, then I shall die, with my heart

#WhyILeft Fundamentalism, Part 6: Why My Parents Aren’t Villains

“If I don’t recognize their human complexity, then I am refusing to see the raw reality.”

#WhyILeft Fundamentalism, Part 5: Why Fundamentalism?

“The biggest question that surfaced during this week’s series was: ‘What do you mean when you say you left fundamentalism?'”

#WhyILeft Fundamentalism, Part 4

“The fight was worth it. Now I am free.”

#WhyILeft Fundamentalism, Part 3

“My growing independence unsettled my parents.”