Just found your blog after seeing a mention on CNN.com. Your courage and tenacity in the face of the adversity you’ve faced this year are awe inspiring. I’m so happy that you are receiving some recognition and hopefully some good opportunities.

I’m leaving a comment on this specific post because I was astounded to discover, as I’ve been catching up on old posts, about your past with the religious group. I belonged to a spiritual cult for 10 years in the 1990s and have spent the ensuing ten years healing from that experience. So even though I don’t know much about the specific religion that you were raised in, I know A LOT about crazy behaviour done “in God’s name”. Especially the belief that if you leave the group you leave God.

So anyway, just had to say hi and well done and good for you. You’ve certainly had your share of challenges and I’m so impressed by your strength.

Love to you and Matt and Fezz!

Freedom rocks!

Thanks for commenting! Urgh, it sucks, doesn’t it? My stomach turns over every time I unlock my P.O. box too, now. EDD finally replied to my jillionth e-mail a couple of weeks ago, saying that they had changed my address info and re-sent my claim forms, but still nothing has arrived. It boggles the mind.

Thank you so much for sharing your experiences. Hey, Marilyn! We weren’t allowed to wear pants either, except in our secular time. At the meetings and going door-to-door, women always needed to be in modest skirts or dresses (the organization was big on keeping women “in their proper Christian place”. I also relate to you about State Services turning a blind eye. A teacher in elementary school called Social Services when I showed up to class bleeding through my pants and with bruises on my face. The social worker made two visits and then dismissed the case as an “isolated incident”, just some mom getting frustrated with her 9-year-old for not understanding her long division homework, and beating her up. Whoops. Could happen to anyone, really.

I agree with you, Barb, man is not infallible. At present, I am not sure whether there is a God or not, but I would hope that if he exists, he’s slightly more secure in himself than to jealously crave every individual’s fear, slavish devotion, and enslavement to thousands of petty little rules written down by men back when they were still stoning kids for talking back to their parents (an argument my mother used to use against me as she beat me to a bruised and bloody pulp, broke umbrellas over my head, etc… it could always be worse, she could be stoning me).

In any case, I think that if there is a God, his purpose must be pretty high-functioning, and far beyond our scope. I mean, he has an entire expanse of universe to look after. It seems awfully human-like to anthropomorphize him in that way… distilling him down to just some cosmic referee between good and evil on one tiny, insignificant little rock in the middle of the entire universe… is that really so different than the ancient Greeks, giving their gods human emotions and failings and lusts and desires?

I too developed OCD at a young age and, at about age 6, I developed kleptomania (kind of funny: I began taking library books, collecting them in a huge box; of course, eventually the school found out and wanted to talk to me, but of course nothing ever was able to get through to them). I tried running away. I always felt like going away, getting out, this was how my childhood was spent. I identify with “Girls Guide to Homelessness” saying she’d perfected the art of zoning out. In the meantime, I did cry for help at every turn at school but, like Kyria, I grew up in the 80’s, and principals, teachers, State Children Services ignored every plea because it was my parents’ business to raise their kids however they wanted, and no one would interfere or even really listen?. I was not allowed to wear PANTS (nothing besides skirts & dresses) nor was I allowed to cut my hair, wear makeup, or yes…be WORLDLY, in any way. I was treated horribly by other children in school when I would continue to turn up in GYM class in SKIRT with every normal person changed into gym shorts. Anywho, just wanted to speak up and say how much I loved reading this book…what I brought back for me…what it showed me…what it helped me to understand. I could go on and on but the people who are here already pretty much know what I’d say because their stories have been so very similar. As “The Girls Guide to Homelessness” expresses, it truly is amazing to see a story like Kyria Abrahams’ making mainstream media…it’s a joyful occasion for me…now that I see it, I’m actually amazed at how few people actually have spoken up here in America about how their religions have hurt them. I believe and hope Kyria has opened up an important dialogue here by telling her story. Sorry for the long post, it’s just that I can’t describe how much this destruction this religion has caused to myself and to every single person whom I know and love. I wish the best to everyone here.