Verticality, Sameness, and the World of The Giver

CC image courtesy of Flickr, Lars Plougmann. Editorial note: The following is reprinted with permission from Eleanor Skelton’s blog. It was originally published as a guest post in a series on March 3, 2016. J.B., the writer of this post, blogs at Finding Normalcy: Insights in a Noisy World. Jonas wasn’t interested, just then, in wisdom. It was the colors that fascinated him.

Do You Love God More than You Love Your Children?

CC image courtesy of Flickr, Jon Grainger. Editorial note: The following is reprinted with permission from Libby Anne’s blog. It was originally published on March 30, 2016. I’ve written a lot about the evangelicalism I grew up in. I’ve written about patriarchal ideas about male leadership and female submission, and about what it was like to believe demons were literal beings I might encounter.

Living with Cognitive Dissonance: Sonia’s Story

So, after a few years when I started noticing things weren’t adding up, I asked more questions and assumed, logically, that if my parents could bend the rules and pick and choose where they saw fit, I could too as long as I had a logical, reasonable explanation for wanting to do so.

Lightbulb. Obviously, we all know this wasn’t true, but I didn’t know that at the time, so I was very confused. This is where I ran into trouble.

On Feeling Betrayed, Validated, and Brave: Jeri Lofland’s Thoughts

“Last week a shocking new series of revelations appeared on the Internet, exposing Bill Gothard, our cult leader of days long past, for the pathological fraud he was (and is). Reading the story as it dribbles out in serial form has been surreal. With each installment, I can picture my bedroom in Oak Brook, picture window facing Gothard’s office across the driveway.”

Finding Freedom from My Demons: Nicholas Ducote’s Story, Part Three

“Because my parents still conceptualize our relationship as that of a parent-child, when I assert myself, it creates conflict. They seem to believe this conflict is the result of my sinful lifestyle. As long as they cannot even understand why what they do is so hurtful, they have no positive impact on my life.”

The Good Girl: Atarah’s Story

“Their excitement was palpable, and I still remember it, as a four year old. As a child you are unaware of how your parent’s decisions affect you. You just go with it. You trust, and you know nothing else. Thus begins my journey through Gothardism that spanned over 20 years.”

Finding Freedom from My Demons: Nicholas Ducote’s Story, Part Two

“My parents were convinced that Gothardism held the solution to my issues. If religious options and doctrines were a grocery store, my parents plopped down on the Gothard Aisle and expected me to also enjoy their strict diet of Gothardism. Instead, the doctrines on spiritual warfare, the Umbrella of Authority, and Strongholds increased my anxieties – sending me into a state of hyper-vigilance at night as I waited for the demons.”