Under the Banner of Heaven: Standing Up Against Abuse

I know I’m not the only one who finds the stories of faith deconstruction, of surviving cults and high-control groups to be healing. Memoirs, documentaries, blogs, films—no matter the format, I think telling our stories is invaluable in our collective effort to move away from harmful communities and relationships and toward healing.

I recently watched the limited series Under the Banner of Heaven on Hulu—almost all of it in one sitting because it resonated with me so very much I simply couldn’t do anything else. And there’s this moment in the last episode that I can’t stop thinking about…

ReviewCait WestSeptember 30, 2022spiritual abuse, religious trauma, mormonism, under the banner of heaven, exfundamentalist, fundamentalism, churchtooComment

Silent No More

Sometimes I write because I want to talk back to the patriarchy, the fundamentalists, the Vision Forum thought leaders who spoke into my life so much, with so much damage. Who put law above love. I want to be authentic with who I am and what I have experienced, speaking after so long of being unable to use my voice. . . .

JournalCait WestOctober 29, 2020silence, patriarchy, feminism, misogyny, survivor, abuse, spiritual abuse, emotional abuse, church abuse, churchtoo, trauma, fundamentalism, vision forumComment