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Coming Out of A Cult: The Honest Truth

by | Mar 3, 2019 | Cult, Fundamentalism, Patriarchalism, The Year of Gratitude

Some people ask me what it’s like coming out of a cult. Well, here’s the honest truth:

One day you feel completely empowered. You are cruising down the highway with your freedom songs blasting away, singing your heart out, and feeling invincible.

The next morning you are crumpled in a heap on your bedroom floor, gasping for breath, desperately wondering how you’re going to make it even one more day.

That’s what my life has been like.

But I’ll tell you what I’ve also learned:

Even the worst day in freedom is better than the best day in bondage. Freedom often terrifying, when your place of bondage appears so much more secure.

Embrace your freedom in Christ, your freedom in life. Embrace the tears, the laughter, the joy and the grief. You don’t have to hold on to Jesus, because He’s holding on to you. You don’t have to fight for your freedom, for He’s the one fighting for you.

Rest, dear friend.

Rest in His sanctuary. Rest in His hope. Rest in His peace.

Rest in being enough.

~Em

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About the Author

Emily Elizabeth Anderson is a Christian blogger and rising activist for people who have experienced abuse within a Christian environment.

After growing up in a fundamentalist cult for 23 years and experiencing childhood domestic violence, Emily began her journey to recovery in 2015 and eventually found Jesus to be her ultimate healer. She soon turned her passion for writing into a blog and her story has since been featured on several media outlets including NPR.

She married her best friend, Joshua, in 2020 and together they are passionate about educating on the realities of trauma survival and recovery, as well as supporting survivors they meet through their online community.

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