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Woman Speaks Out About Growing Up In A Strict Cult

Woman Speaks Out About Growing Up In A Strict Cult

Elizabeth Hunter hopes to help others by sharing her experience

Amelia Ward

Amelia Ward

Imagine learning that everything you learned as a child was actually the teachings of a cult. That's exactly what happened to this woman, who has since opened up about some of her experiences. Watch her talk about it here:

Elizabeth Hunter, 27, grew up in a strict religious community, where every part of her life was controlled by her father.

Speaking to UNILAD, she said: "There was no TV in our house, we weren't allowed to watch movies or television shows.

"We weren't allowed to listen to any contemporary or non-Christian music. I was not allowed to cut my hair. I was not allowed to wear makeup."

Elizabeth was homeschooled and taught about the Bible, and essentially grew up learning how to be a good wife.

When she was 17, she was already thinking about marriage.

Unilad

She said: "I wasn't supposed to date or flirt with any guys because my dad was going to pick my husband.

"And then all of my life skills were all about things I needed to be a good wife."

Elizabeth explained that she learned how to bake bread, how to sew and how to play piano.

She recalled: "So if my husband wanted me to play piano for the church, then I could play the piano for the church."

Elizabeth grew up in Texas as part of Bill Gothard's IBLP cult, which stands for 'Institute in Basic Life Principles'.

One of the main principles of the movement is the idea that everything in life is determined by the father of the family, which is part of its 'umbrella' of authority. She was taught that to go against that would result in physical punishment from God.

She wasn't allowed to wear clothing with words on - her mother said this drew attention to her body, and she wasn't allowed to wear the colour green, as her dad didn't like it.

Unilad

Elizabeth eventually realised that what she had been through was not a normal, healthy childhood.

It was when she told a therapist about being tied to her sister with rope that she realised they had experienced child abuse, and came to understand that the religious group was actually a cult.

Elizabeth is now 27 and lives a new life away from Texas where she is happy and thriving.

Her social media raises awareness of cult lifestyles and offers help to those who have experienced similar things.

Elizabeth said: "I do see myself as a cult survivor. It kind of started as a joke, to just like, talk about some funny things my parents said to me.

"So I just started making TikToks to educate people about that.

Unilad

"And just by having my story out there and just sharing that you don't have to let that abuse define you.

"You can name it, you can tell people that it existed without covering it up.

"But it will hopefully be healing for other people too, who have gone through that, that you can recover, you can move on and you can also be a better person."

Featured Image Credit: UNILAD

Topics: Interesting