Shiny Happy People w/ Tia Levings

Aug 16, 2023

Tia Levings, a survivor of a high control group, shares her story of resilience and survival under oppressive religious teachings. The podcast explores the patriarchal teachings of Gothard and the potential dangers of spousal courtship. It discusses the infiltration of religious groups in American culture, the troubling presence of a female Supreme Court justice, and the glorification of suffering within religious groups. It also addresses the importance of breaking the secrecy surrounding abuse and the impact of escaping from an abusive marriage and high control cult.

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Introduction

00:00 • 3min

Personal Experiences and Advocacy in Religious Trauma

03:01 • 2min

The Comprehensive Infiltration of a Group in American Lifestyle and Culture

04:50 • 4min

The Troubling Presence of a Female Supreme Court Justice

08:49 • 3min

Breaking the Secrecy: Stories of Abuse and the Christian Patriarchy

11:21 • 25min

Escaping Abuse and High Control Religion

35:57 • 26min

The Glorification of Suffering and Unquestioning Belief in Religious Groups

01:02:11 • 4min

Safety, Deserving, and the Danger of Blind Faith

01:06:16 • 4min

Tia Levings grew up in a Southern Baptist megachurch, was recruited into fundamentalism by mentors following Bill Gothard's IBLP (Institute of Basic Life Principles), and eventually landed in a high control group (cult) that taught Federalist Marriage: the idea that husbands are responsible for their wives before God, and so are accountable to lead and discipline them as children. She was excommunicated and formally shunned in 2007 and narrowly escaped that violent marriage with her 4 children later that year. She started trauma therapy for CPTSD in 2008. Today she's an author & advocate who supports survivors of religious trauma and educates them on the abuses of Christian Fundamentalism. Tia believes that how the fundamentalists run their homes is how they want to run the country ––and that's why it's vital to understand what it's really like to live that way. In this emotional and poignant discussion, Tia shares her powerful story of resilience and survival under the oppressive control of the IBLP's "Umbrella of Authority".Throughout the conversation, Rachel and Tia unpack the patriarchal teachings of Gothard explaining how they enable and protect abusers. Before You Go: Rachel points out the insidious nature of the IBLP idea of "god's choice" with regard to spousal courtship, explaining how this manipulation can potentially lead to dangerous outcomes. All of Rachel's free informational PDF documents are available here: www.rachelbernsteintherapy.com/pdf.html All of Rachel's video lectures are available for purchase here: www.rachelbernsteintherapy.com/webinar.html To help support the show monthly and get bonus episodes, shirts, and tote bags, please visit: www.patreon.com/indoctrination Prefer to support the IndoctriNation show with a one-time donation? Use this link: www.paypal.me/indoctrination Connect with us on Social Media: Twitter: twitter.com/_indoctrination Facebook: www.facebook.com/indoctrinationpodcast Tik Tok: www.tiktok.com/@indoctrinationpodcast Instagram: www.instagram.com/indoctrinationpodcast/ YouTube: www.youtube.com/rachelbernsteinlmft You can always help the show for free by leaving a rating on Spotify or a review on Apple/ iTunes. It really helps the visibility of the show!

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