"I Survived Project 2025" with Tia Levings | The New Evangelicals
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- Опубликовано: 7 фев 2025
- The New Evangelicals: Tim Whitaker talks with Tia Levings as she shares her experience growing up in Christian patriarchy and her journey to escape it.
Tia's Book | A Well-Trained Wife: My Escape from Christian Patriarchy - read.macmillan...
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The New Evangelicals exists to support those who are tired of how evangelical church has been done before and want to see an authentic faith lived out with Jesus at the center. On this channel, you'll see videos from our founder Tim Whitaker and our incredible guests as they react and respond biblically to topics such as Christian Nationalism, church hurt, terrible Christian movies, bad conservative Christian takes, and MUCH more!
We are committed to building a caring community that emulates the ways of Jesus by reclaiming the evangelical tradition and embracing values that build a better way forward. If you’ve been marginalized by your faith, you are welcome here. We’ve built an empathetic and inclusive space that encourages authentic conversations, connections and faith. Whether you consider yourself a Christian, an exvangelical, someone who's questioning your faith, or someone who's left the faith entirely, you are welcome here!
#thenewevangelicals #project2025 #christianpatriarchy
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I'm always wary of christian channels, but this channel is different; no misinformation, no malinformation,no bitterness, devoid of crazy conspiracy theories. Love for your neighbor. A breath of fresh air. I had to subscribe.
💯💯💯💯
❤
I totally agree with you.I subscribed for the same reason.
Recommendation: "The Holy Post" and "California Preachin".
He is more progressive than most! I really like his progressive, although I don’t always agree. During the political climate in the us, I find him very relatable!
Not a Christian , I’m a Buddhist but a great fan of the teachings of Jesus. So glad to hear sane, loving voices from the religious corner of the discussion. Thank you! 🙏🏽
From a Buddhist, me too
That's interesting because I'm a Christian and very interested in Buddhism teachings because they are very good.. for zen-like needs.
@@John-uq7uu AMEN, AMEN, and AMEN!!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
They exist. We actually have people that use some tenets of Buddhism like meditation. I know Catholics, Methodists Unitarians and Presbyterians and even baptists that practice mediation and mindfulness. Although the Baptist church for some reason seems to have been radicalized over the years by the radical right and Christian nationalists which is disturbing. I didn’t even know about the cult of independent baptists until a few years ago. I often wonder if my cousins are in some kind of cultic Baptist church that is teaching them to ignore climate change and other concerning issues and that wants a national abortion ban that endangers mothers and also keeps women from getting life saving medication for post Partum and severe migraines and arthritis because it “might” cause an abortion even when the sick women tell their drs they don’t plan to have any children because of their illnesses. And they are even banning kids from getting these medications that relive horrifying pain from severe arthritis. But we do have many co passionate loving followers of Christ like myself. When I see and study Christ I see the most empathetic loving being who said to the hypocrites who refused to help the sick, the poor, the elderly and so on and told them he did not know them and what they did to the least of his people they had done to him. He also loved children and had no tolerance for anyone who wanted to harm them in any way. Suffer ye not the little children. And another favorite verse is when Christ expiated he already had sympathy for us but he wanted to live in our bodies and experience our joys and sorrows so he could have empathy for us and wonderfully understand us. Thank you for your kind and loving comment. Many blessings and peace be with you. I am sure Jesus sees you and recognizes that you have love for his teachings and for the people on this earth. Stay safe, and be well my friend. ❤️🫶
Hearing what this poor woman (and other women) went through, being brain washed by radical patriarchal religious practices, is alarming. At 61, it makes me so grateful that I did not grow up in a church or a religious family of any kind, and once I became an adult, was able to find my own personal spiritual path to God. One of the biggest sins a person can commit is controlling the "Free Will" of others.
@@traceylee62
Would you mean the free will to decide if we’re going to live, righteous or unrighteous; can we trust our own decision making process? There is some thing drawing us either way and apostle Paul called a spiritual battle even he had to deal with.
@@jeanboshears6689 Yes.. we all have "Free Will" to make our own decisions in life as long as we are not hurting anyone.. and that free will includes the right to worship creator or not.
@@jeanboshears6689you dont like taking personal responsibility for your actions, do you? Because paul, not Jesus, taught you to be scared of everything, especially if yourself,cand of things you cannot see.
Read the four gospels in one week, not paul. And imagine that Jesus knows what He is talking about. Forget church. Forget paul. Forget calvin. Forget your fears.
Imagine Jesus as your theologian.
Its a head spin.
As a fundamental aspect of true Christianity, finding your "own personal path to God" is antithetical to Scripture.
@@jeanboshears6689and Paul never tried to override God's word, take our free will and our ability to choose away from us. God does not want to be forced down everyone's throat, he wants us to choose him, to love him of our own free will and choice. If God is forced upon people it's not true love.
Oh my gosh. I had no idea that this type of world existed. I've attended small Christian churches my whole life and never experienced anything like this. I'm so grateful that my background was very focused on serving the community and modeling Jesus. This is so sick. I'm sorry for Tia and others that have been subjected to this. Please America, we can't vote for anyone in the party that wants this to be part of our national culture (project 2025). We all need to pray that it won't happen and do our part.
Yes! Important to vote Democratic Party
Honestly, I didn’t realize this kind of world existed in America.
It's insidious. I didn't grow up this way, but I grew up in church. I was convinced to start homeschooling by Focus on the Family and the many homeschool families in our church. These Gothard people are all over the internet with "helpful" websites and information. It doesn't take long before you're thinking maybe you should only wear skirts, and you should teach your kids this way of living. I had a baby my husband didn't want at 41, because I refused to use birth control. We don't regret having him, but he came at a difficult time in our lives. My husband had no interest in this lifestyle, so it was short lived in our family, but it could easily have gone the other way.
If u don't mind my ? Which denomination? Methodist was mine as a young man...very open group.. I went to a nega church a couple times...huge mistake
To JD Vance who states women should stay in domestic violence relationships for the sake of the children, is unequivocally wrong & dangerous statement.
I just recently retired from working at a domestic violence shelter where I advocated for the survivors of DV.
The women that fled the religious cultish movements were by far the most brainwashed women I have ever met.
Some had no idea that their husbands had, indeed committed a violent offense against them & could be criminally held accountable in a court of law. They were taught as a woman it was their job to de-escalate their husbands, and if their husbands did bad things, it was their fault for not being a better wife.
Domestic rape is common amongst these women. I had one woman chased around the house with a machete by her husband who threaten to cut her head off, all done in the presence of four children.
Horrific abuse all in the name of God. Please get help.
Yes
I had no idea these things happened. 😢
The average abused person will try to leave 9x's before they succeed and the most dangerous time for them is when trying to leave.
Joel WEBBON too!
I'm a Christian too so I have seen so much of what she's saying. I also was a lifelong Republican and voted for Trump in his first term. I saw my mistake not long after he took office and will never vote for him again. I also began to see things happening in my church which hurt and began questioning so much. I was "baptized in the Holy Spirit" so, yes, that's the type of Church I went to. I home schooled my 5 sons for most of their school years. I was taught from an early age that "God is LOVE" and I just don't see that in Church any more. I'm still a Christian but I've had to go back to the basics, i.e. what we teach our todlers about who God is. I love watching this chanel as well as Rev Ed Trevors. I no longer attend any other Church.
Ed Trevor's and channels like this one give me hope for Christianity.
I’m glad you came to your senses on the trmp issue, but still have to condemn you on voting for him the first time. He was not an unknown entity. He had lived a very public life since the early 70s. By the time you stepped into the voting booth his thousands of lawsuits were public knowledge. These include but are not limited to: fraud, unfair housing practices towards PoC, non-payment of contractors, stiffing employees of wages, and the rape, alongside jeffrey epstein, of a 13 year old girl. I can’t comprehend why you or anyone could have voted for him with a clear conscience. What part of his appearance or rhetoric or life appealed to you? Was it his bloviating and sneering manner of speech? Was it his frequent references to his sexual prowess and size of his “member”? Was it his overt racism that won you over? The fact that his first wife, Ivana, had claimed he had torn out a chunk of her hair prior to raping her? Did the many creepy comments he made about women and girls make you appreciate him? Like the “grab’em” comment? Did you enjoy that? Think to yourself, “hey! I want that guy to have power over the women in my life!”? Was it the simple audacity of his claim to being a teetotaler while selling his brand of champagne? Did you thrill to his sing-songy voice as he uttered lies against his opponent? Did you get off watching him stalk menacingly behind Hillary Clinton during their debate?
I repeat, good for you on getting a clue. But you and other people who voted for him don’t get my forgiveness or a pass. His setting his lardy ass in the Oval Office was a travesty that will continue to cause damage to the USA for a long time. He was obviously evil and vastly corrupt long before declaring his candidacy and those of you who helped him win should do far more than an off hand mea culpa on a YT comment .
I am grateful for the boldness of Red Letter bothers and sisters like this, courageous enough to speak up about the abuse of power, gaslighting, and indoctrination by those in these movements.
Itoo drank this contemptuous koolaid of exclusivity and arrogant exceptionalism, which is so contrary to the words and teachings of Christ.
There is a special place set aside for hypocrites, vipers, and blind guides...
... those who love mammon more than God
They have their reward..
...and still they hunger for more
Hi there, same here!! Republican my whole life, voted for Trump his first term. Then, when I saw what was happening and how the evangelical church was responding, it was like a "scales falling out of my eyes" moment. Hypocrisy, pride, misogyny/patriarchy, exclusion, judgment, conspiracy theories! I had just gone back to college, too, and was taking courses in history, philosophy, and sociology. Lol It was honestly fertile ground with the real world events going on around me.
I found the Baha'i faith.. it teaches us that all of the great prophets come from the same one God.. not to rely on any religious leader but you pray directly to God we don't build big churches but meet in each other's homes.. all of these patriarchal c u l t s are not of God but they are Abominations...... I will vote against project 2025 and I pray that every American rejects project 2025❤❤❤
This is the story of many Christian women, to one degree or another. I can relate to so much of Tia’s experiences. (So thankful I finally escaped religious/Christian cults.) She is excellent at articulating in a clear, concise way this entire movement and the future of America if we do not shut this down.
I worked for several years with survivors of domestic violence and would often be helping women whose husbands sound just like Tia’s husband. The biggest difference I saw in women who were able to successfully leave their abusive partner was if they found other co-religionists who were willing to support their decision to seek a separation.
@@strongholdcc1396 Thank you for helping the women who had to go through a living breathing nightmare of hell. And yes I was a victim of this. And if someone here is going through this, please find the strength to leave.
Tim, you 100% need to have her back on to talk more about these topics.
Agreed! We need more!
@@NotBizarro what topics do you want a deeper dive on with Tia?
Agreed! I’m only 10 minutes in and there were already several words or phrases that I don’t know what they mean or have no context for. I’m going to have to go back, pause when I hear those phrases and look up what they mean.
Plus, I’m sure you can think of some more questions Tim :)
Just heard the part where Tia mentions the new book she’s working on about trauma and recovery. So many people who have survived trauma can’t talk about it without re-traumatizing themselves. It’s so frustrating-to have survived so much and to find yourself still complacent in the silence even long after you’ve been free. I think a trauma and recovery episode could also help people understand how to better cope with and speak about their experiences in and out of the Evangelical church.
The Baha'i prophet,, teaches us. Your religious leaders have betrayed you and there's a special place in hell for them.. teachers that men and women are equal in God's eye and women should be educated to teach their children. The Baha'i prophet recognizes all of the great Prophets and acknowledges their perfection.. Rejects all of these patriarchal cults.. and teaches us to pray directly to God and confess our sins directly to God not to some flawed religious leader..❤ the Baha'i faith
Wow! Tia is such a brave woman. She is so articulate and I'm grateful that she is sharing her story. We need to listen to her not only for the trauma she and her children suffered, but as a warning of what Project 2025 is planning for our country. Thank you, Tia. I wish you and your children all the happiness and love you deserve. ❤❤❤
I had four children in between 1983 and 1993. My first two husbands and I were involved in the Jesus Christian movement in the 1970s. The Bill Gothard movement, the Stephen Arterburn Every Man's Battle series, Women's Faith movements and so much more which contributed to domestic violence, infidelity, oppression, trauma, financial issues, and shunning because I was outspoken. Thank you for this podcast.
I married into one of these cults and got out after 20 yrs- I RELATE. I look at Trump as a false idol - a golden calf covered with fool’s gold
Hear, hear !!
I call him the orange calf
They so desperately want to bring about the apocalypse that they would drift someone who embodies every sin they claim to be against in the hope that they anger their god enough to return. Then they blame any misfortune until that point on those who don't believe as they do. It's a sickening but twisted behaviour better suited for a story not reality.
Thank you for this discussion. And Tia for your courage to write this book. I could write my book here too, only from the Catholic perspective. I realize there are extremists in all organized religions. I listened to Frank Schaeffer’s video about him and his father being early evangelicals along with Roman Catholic extremists org Opus Dei wanting to destroy democracy in favor of Christo fascism that goes back to Franco’s regime. And actually you could go back to Constantine. After converting to Catholicism I succumbed to the idea of patriarchy, just because of the way I was raised,in a traditional, yet secular family, where the man worked and the woman was the mother and housewife. Now add guilt, shame, obedience, that I felt in the Catholic Church. My husband went along with me for the children, and gratefully, he wasn’t sucked in to the Opus Dei sector. My last straw with the Catholic Church was the priests SA scandal and the deaths of pope John Paul 1 and 2. Im glad my 5 kids saw through the extremism of Catholic school and my religious fanaticism. We are all recovering. I believe this religious extremism is not new although it is trying to take control of our government again with the organizations behind the heritage foundation and project 2025. I pray this election will survive the assault on our democracy, and keep religion and government separate.
Tia is incredible. Her book was gripping, stunning, and hopeful.
as an atheist i so so so support your channel and movement.
always look forward to your videos! keep it going ❤️
I'm an atheist-leaning agnostic/recovering Methodist and I second this!
After 60 years being a believer, I have now been an atheist for 11 years. This channel is a pleasant surprise. I have learned too much true history of religions (especially Judaism/Christianity) to ever go back but, this channel is a good way to reach people where they are in their religious journey. Happy enlightenment!
Echoing these comments, the internet is awash in toxic religiosity which, as a person who isn't religious myself, is extremely off-putting. This channel and conversation injected sanity back into the mix. Will be a regular listener to hear these perspectives. Thank you.
listening to her talk about keeping kids quiet and walking on eggshells is like hearing my mother as a young woman
Please vote blue!
OHH, anyone watching this most likely is and if they don't... THEY REALLY DON'T HAVE THE MESSAGE OF CHRISTIANITY IN THEIR HEARTS ANYWAYS, bcuz everyone knows that tRump is NOT EVEN A PRACTICING CHRISTIAN.. YET, HE GRIFTS BIBLES TO THE UNEDUCATED. SAD...
Im no longer a christian but i love this channel. Its so important for us to call out abuses in our own communities. Thank you. 🙏🏻
Everytime I hear someone say that they are no longer a Christian I wonder what it means . I said it myself years ago but now that Ive been hearing it more and more the last few years, I wonder what that really means to each individual.
Personally for me, I left the church but still have a deep relationship to God but I have friends who didn't just leave the church, they left Faith itself in anything and others who teeter and are searching .
@ayla4686 , I think what people mean when they say that is that they are no longer participating in a religious institution. For me, I've never abandoned my faith but have stopped being a part of the institution of religion because of the corruption I've seen within it. The church has been a staple in many horrific things such as in the oppression and slavery of people, false persecution of the innocent and genocide. Many churches have violated almost every one of the Ten Commandments.
@@ayla4686
Like many things you would need to ask each individual for their personal breakdown of what it means if they say
" I'm no longer a Christian. "
I really love her position of spiritual privacy and why that is so important and empowering to her. I haven’t heard it expressed in that way before
I'm a non-Christian, and forgive me if I misinterpret this, but didn't Jesus teach to pray in private? I always thought the point was specifically that virtue-signalling was wrong, and possibly even offensive to God. Mega-Churches really seem like the very antithesis of that.
@@Kaotiqua Yes. In the Gospels, Jesus did say that. He harshly condemned religious leaders who made a show of their religion while actively hurting other people. That is why the Great Commandment is Love. Love thy neighbor as yourself. So if loving your neighbor, for example, is not to tell them to stay in an abusive relationship, it would also be loving not to let oneself to remain in such a relationship.
I used to joke that evangelicals were using the handmaids tale as a blueprint. I stopped making that joke because it was WAY too on the nose.
I think it's the opposite, the story is based on real life.
Margaret Atwood is quite the keen observer of societies
Same until I realized how involved in the government they were!
I was in this world as a young woman in the late 90s. I can’t read/watch a handmaids tale because it’s the end goal of what I was being taught. I’m with Tia, it’s coming for us all.
Its kinda like when we say: 1984 is suppose to be a warning, not an instruction manual
My mom taught me that God loves a seeker. It’s not just ok to be searching, it’s good to be searching, seeking, and asking spiritually. Seek and you shall find. Any church that doesn’t allow this, doesn’t allow a variety of viewpoints, and people who are searching isn’t a place I feel comfortable in.
Great point.
Thank you for this conversation! Explains decades of abuse and helps ease the guilt I felt leaving, not God, but the church. 💖
Some of the most judgemental, negative and hateful people I've met claim to be Christians.
I love and follow the teachings of Jesus but cannot abide Any of the Organized Religions.
Not sure how this came up on my algorithm but Woohoo, You go girl! Going to get your book. Blessings ❤
49:46 "Curiosity is the biggest threat to high control."
That is a perfect insight. I grew up as a Gothard kid. Lived in tiny churches that were extremely politically active (Tia mentions "The Bread Beckers" in her book and I did a spit take because I WENT TO CHURCH WITH THEM). We had the no TV rules, no rock music, public school is out to corrupt the children, and private Christian schools are no better. All the homophobia, all the evangelical hate.
The recipe was a perfect cocktail, but it never stuck for me the way it did for so many other kids I knew, and I think part of it was that my parents didn't believe in killing curiosity. They believed in all the rest, but I was left to my own devices to be interested in things and learn things. To interpret for myself, even with scripture, so that when I said "Hey, Paul and Jesus aren't teaching the same things," I got disagreement, but not rejection or violence.
There are many more obvious points I can identify in my deconstruction, but the splinter in my mind every time I hear a story like Tia's has always been wondering what inoculated me enough that my religious fever was able to break, even if it did take another decade to begin realizing I was queer (and nearly a decade beyond that to finally come to terms with being nonbinary), and the idea of curiosity as a break to high control is one that had never crossed my mind.
I relate to this as well.
Same for me except I grew up in home church groups that considered Gothard to be a bit liberal. My mom never dampened our curiosity. She loved that we wanted to learn and read. I'm always grateful for that. She just recently left the church after becoming more curious about origin of scripture herself.
PLEASE… I am begging you to contact Frank Schaefer…. He was part of this movement with his father. He is desperately trying to get this same message out …. It would be AMAZING to hear you two speak!!!!
100% AGREE!!
Yes!!
YES!! Absolutely critical to spread his message wide and far.
The terrifying stuff we are now hearing on social media? Half of this woman's LIFE?
This is the thing WE ARE NOT GOING BACK TO.
I have been crying with relief through this whole episode it’s such a relief to hear patriarchy in Christianity discussed in such an authentic, no sugar coated, yet compassionate way with a survivor who has done so much work to put unspeakable things in to words. Thank you Tia for sharing your story. I am so looking forward to reading your book.
Makes me happy that I'm not denominational, I'm simply a Jesus follower & love what he spoke & taught. Easy peasy I also know & take to heart what he said especially about wolves in sheep clothing, discernment & wiping my feet as I leave. Happy she found really freedom
This beautiful soul is a messenger of Spirit. I am not Christian or religious but l recognize a strong woman with a deeply loving heart for herself. Bravo to her courage. Spirit comes from love and her journey, profound healing, and ability to articulate it will help so many women and men move through the darkness and shine the light of self awareness and self Love. Thank you for interviewing her! ❤
who falls for this. - - - -
thanks for sharing yall
*handmaids tale was removed from my former HS library. conservative takeover of the school board and the students even advocated to keep the books. but no. im not sure the whole list but that was one for sure.
They don't want people reading that, and recognizing it for the horrific nightmare it is.
We MUST fight conservatives takeovers and book bans and the restriction of education
Awesome book. I myself have read it four times💕👍
Censorship and mindcontrol, attempts at taking over public schooling. What a nightmare.
Got the book and just finished it. It was well written, easy to read and definitely keeps one’s attention. Tia was raw and vulnerable opening up to the reader in ways that is so often never heard. Thank you Tia, the book means so much to me.
Tia’s experience was worse than mine, but all the grooming I went through was similar and, yes, I also groomed my own children for an abusive life including contributing to the abuse. How do you not only heal from your own abuse but the shame of having perpetuated it as well? I’m still working on this. There needs to be a space for women who were so caught up in the teachings that they also abused in addition to taking abuse. Because we feel a special kind of pain knowing now what we did then. And the terrible pain it creates for our children. And we need to navigate how to create repairs with our children.
I’m looking forward to your next book, Tia. And thank you so much for bringing Tia on for this discussion.
You articulated my experience as well. May my children forgive me.
Tia changed my life. I cannot say enough good things about her.
I felt the same feelings of how I allowed the church to groom my daughter. I questioned the purity culture but stayed in that church. I did not realize until my daughter was older, and she shared with me, how much it affected her. It deeply grieves me.
38:18 "Those are the children of the movement... They were conceived in order to fight this war, and they were raised to be the weapons against the West."
I got chills at this statement. I was raised in a less extreme but still very conservative part of this movement and there was constant talk of raising the next generation of leaders and taking a stand against the world. It's scary to think that this has been going on for so long that there actually are people who have grown into that mindset.
@@HopefulHeretic I was raised in similar mindset as you, but to me taking a stand against the world means doing what Jesus commanded, and not forcing the world to follow those commands. Jesus was not political, and no where in the Bible does it tell Christians to rise up and force people who don’t believe as followers of Christ to legislate our morals, and values on others!
Well damm that sounds just like ISIS!
Its interesting the attrition rate so many ppl leave in their late teens early 20s
46:37 "I'm spiritually private now" That's powerful and empowering! I hadn't thought about how much I want NOT to answer questions like that. I'm glad you said it.
Raised under a patriarchy. I've been working on getting deprogrammed for years. Somehow I found myself back in the church and it's mind blowing that I even attempted to walk back in there.
Great talk and information.
The information sounds spot on. I fear for the future of our country as a place of rights and freedom for all.
GOD BLESS YOU SISTER!!
BIG HUG FROM CROATIA,
Ivana
❤💪💪💪 Stay strong!!
Before I watched Bad Faith, I never really saw how far back this goes. I hope we all wake up before it’s too late.
The foreboding is palpable. I can hear even Mother Earth gasping for air.
A preclude of The Handmaid's Tale is definitely more scary than anything, ANYTHING.
PLEASE VOTE THE AWAY!!! 💙 💙
Them. Vote them away.
Vote them back to the pits of hell where these ideas were spawned. 💙
I am so grateful to have found your podcast. For a long time, I thought I was the only person disillusioned with and questioning so many aspects of the evangelical culture. It began with its support for Trump and culminated during COVID, when anti vax and masking resistance gained momentum. I also was increasingly concerned about attitudes towards the lgbtq+ community. All my inner conflict was made more difficult by the fact that I loved my church family. I know my story is not unique, but it’s been a tough journey; that’s why I am so grateful to have found you. Keep up the good work. Truly, it’s a gift from God.
Tia is as riveting a guest as she is endearing! Would love to see her back again, especially to expound on the heightening of politicizing the youth in the church.
Brilliant work as ever, TNE. Mahalo to you, Tia, for sharing a sliver of how Clara’s story galvanized you on your journey.
Finished the book on Sunday morning. It is a book I will be thinking about for a long time. So glad this channel had Tia on to share a bit about it!
I don’t understand how I happened to stumble across this podcast- as i was not raised in evangelism ( thank goodness) but I have a a family member that started homeschooling her kids several years ago and has become increasingly radicalized through that and some fundamentalist churches they are now attending. They just announced that their daughter is attending New St Andrew’s University this year. I did some research and I am
Completely horrified by this church and Doug Wilson. I will be buying your book!
I am really happy to see Tia on your channel!!!! I currently reading my SIGNED book!!!! SO happy to see a couple of my favorite people come together.
I love the term private spiritual belief. It really should be private. ❤
Faith is an INTIMATE relationship between one and God.
I don’t know how I stumbled upon this, but it has been so enlightening! Tying all the pieces together.
Yay Tia!! I read her book last week and it was incredible, phenomenal, so moving and meaningful. I really think this is an extremely important memoir for understanding how these systems work. She’s so strong and her writing is genuinely beautiful. Congratulations on your book, Tia!
Wow, this is such a beautiful and powerful story. I, too, have found that grief is a potent teacher. Keep up the amazing, empathetic work. Cannot wait to read her book and see where her journey goes 💚 This channel is a breath of fresh air.
This is very good, ESPECIALLY THIS ELECTION CYCLE!!
What is so horrifying about these movements amongst many other things is how they don’t see children and human beings. They see them as a means to an end. It is so unbelievably dehumanizing.
Tia is such a joy ❤ love following her
I'm so glad Tia is speaking out and not be silent. She's 100% right about how silence creates more harm. To be silent about those experiences and history itself is very dangerous.
This was absolutely fascinating! I clicked on this cause I was curious which direction this was going from a "christian" stand point and it did not disappoint. Tia, thank you, thank you for being so transparent and how articulate you are so that those of us who are not involved in a this world can have a more clear understanding.
I had a big ah-ha! Moment while listening to this about my own dating of and marriage to my narcissistic soon to be ex. And how the church I went to helped get me in the mess I've been in for the past 30 years. I also love the concept of private spirituality that removes the pressure to convert everyone. Thank you so much for sharing. Xx
Thank you both for the great interview
A Well-Trained Wife is such an amazing book. Thank you, Tia, for sharing your experience.
I was introduced to IBLP and Bill Gothard teachings in the 70's, as a teenager. It was called Basic Youth Conflicts in those days. It lead to years of guilt, and constant feelings of failure in my Christian journey. I could not come to terms with the roles and restrictions IBLP placed on women, yet (falsely) believed it was the will of God.
Finally in my university days, I benefitted from the ministry IVCF (Canada). Love, acceptance, grace and peace. I am so grateful that my walk with God has been filled with joy for the last 50 years. 🙂
That must be like AFES in Australia. We non American evangelicals are shielded from this loony American stuff, but I think Pentecostals in my country have a lot of this teaching which is why so many children leave pentecostal and fundamentalist churches.
This is the most spiritually powerful woman I’ve ever seen
A New Heroine of mine ✊🏾🙏🏾❤️
Tia I am sorry for what you have been through but I thank you for what you are doing now to shed light into the darkness.
Thank you so much. It is amazing, and frightening what people go through to be a "good Christian"
Thank you Tia and Tim - one of the most important interviews I've ever heard. Perfect timing! Hope to hear more!
Thank you so much for exposing this threat! I am a Christian and belong to a church that believes that marriage is an equal partnership. The men are told to never dominate or treat their wives as subservient. The man is never to make a decision for the family without the agreement of his wife. They are also not to yell or belittle her. He's also supposed to help around the house and with the kids. As for having children we are to take into consideration financial, emotional, physical, mental wellbeing of the mom/dad. Spousal and child abuse is not put up with and we can go to our leaders and they will 'talk' to the husband. I was married for 19yrs. He decided to have multiple affairs and I decided that I deserved better. When I told him I was divorcing him he started being destructive like kicking the fence down and punching a hole in the wall. He also refused to buy food for us. I had had surgery so was unable to work during this time. I went to my bishop. He called my husband in and told him he had to buy food and repair the house so we could sell it, and if he didn't they would call the police and have him removed from the house. The church would then care for me and the kids, and repair the house. He did what he was told to do and the divorce went more smoothly. I was raised with a dad who doted on my mom. He absolutely loved her. He was very busy with his job so he wasn't home to help around the house much. When he was home he did everything mom asked him to. He told my sisters and I that we should get a good education and work, develop skills so we could take care of ourselves since we would never know if we would always have a husband who could be financially responsible for the family. That was great advice! I could never live in the situation you were in! It would be a nightmare! I hope you have healed!
Tim, thank you so much for having Tia on the podcast. Just listening to her tell her story is difficult but needed.
I believe this is of my most favored podcasts of TNE so far.
Tia, thank you for speaking light into such a difficult situation that’s happening today. It’s eye opening that things can turn this way for many if we are not paying attention. Please keep turning the lights on to this.
I want to read your book I know it is heavy. I will get to it sometime soon.
Loved this interview. Will be checking the book out for sure.
YES! YES! YES! I could never explain this to others. Thank you so much!
I really appreciated the "spiritually private" comment. Very helpful to me, too. Thank you for sharing.
Tia, I am proud of you for finding your way to liberate yourself. May you find peace and joy. ❤ And may we all be loved.
What a fantastic answer, to be spiritually private. This entire conversation has been well worth watching. I'll give this podcast a chance and listen to other conversations before I subscribe. Curiosity is the biggest threat to fundamentalist control. Love this.
Tia is amazing. Thank you for having her on. Tia thank you for sharing your story! ❤
It makes me absolutely sick to my stomach that she was so sure of the danger to herself and her baby that she actively sought help from an elder in the church on how to keep a newborn quiet at night (not possible) and the woman’s dismissive advice was to triple down on baby-making. Zero regard for the danger this woman was in. Zero insight on how to mitigate angry daddy. The longer I think about it the more clear it becomes it’s like saying “oh darling it doesn’t matter what happens to you, make as many babies as you can before that violent, eventual day comes”
Listened to this podcast and immediately bought the book. Thank you for this guest!!
I became involved with a fundamental Pentecostal church in Georgia, I didn’t know what I was getting into but after 6 months of being in the church I knew something was off, I had to escape because of how extreme things can get in churches like those she described, it took me a year to understand that I was groomed and made to believe certain things but if you believe you are doing the best you can while being there for you your brother’s and sister’s you will find salvation
I find it interesting that women use the word “escape” over simply “leaving” - that’s an extremely strong indicator of an oppressive cult - NOT simply a place of worship.
Congratulations on getting out and sharing your story! So many people need to hear it. You go get viral. Ain't no one who wants to live under that darkness.
A lot of people would have slinked quietly away from this kind of nightmare. This is absolutely fascinating. You've got to love truth -tellers -- and ones with this much courage to boot.
I am so grateful for your channel, which I just stumbled upon. I grew up Christian but now am just open. This is beautiful support for a religion that is truly beautiful at its core. Understanding how a wrongness can have developed from such beauty isn't easy to present. Thank you so much for the work you are doing!❤
LOVED her book. Heartbreaking, eye-opening, and absolutely inspiring. So glad to see her on your channel!
As a QUEER person my Mom abd Step Dad forced me to go to an EVANGELICAL church. When my step dad would catch me looking at boy's he'd beat my Ass. This was back in late 60s early 70s when it was acceptable for parents to do that unless you left bruises where visible. I was SA by an Evangelical Youth Preacher for 20 years I blamed myself. That is the absurdity of this. I've worked through it so grateful for Therapist who've either experienced same or similar experiences.
Becky speaking here. Growing up, my grandmother and I read a few chapters of the Bible every night before bed. We started at the beginning and read to the end just as you would a novel. I can`t quote scriptures. I do know what is there in the story it tells. We read and re-read it many times from my first memories to the age of 15 when she passed away. The words of Jesus are precisely the reason liberal policies have aligned with my faith.
This woman is brave and a blessing. Sharing her story is what so many women who are suffering.
Fascinating and insightful interview; Ms. Levings is so good at communicating. I definitely wish there were far fewer interruptions ; I had to keep going back to hear what she had just said.
Still, I think it would be great for EVERYONE in the U.S. to listen to this interview or read her book to know what we’re up against, likely continuously, in our future.
"Spiritually private"... wow, that's resonant! Thanks for putting that into those words for all us who are in that place.
This was a wonderful interview. Thank you. All of this needs to be talked about SO much more.
And as we come into this election season, so few have any understanding of what Project 2025 really means.
Please can we find ways to get it more talked about and understood. Thank you again.
If you are seeking info about high control religions and cults the best channel is Cults to Consciousness. The host has her own story but she does not share during the guest’s talks,no um’s, and no interruptions. If she asks a question it is short and on point. I have learned so much from her wonderful channel.
As a progressive, I have been unable to comprehend what is going on with many conservative Christians. For the first time, I can understand. Thanks for this.
Thank you so much for sharing your story, for your courage, and enlightenment. ❤
Thanks!
Everybody, PLEASE buy and read her book! It’s incredible. Hard to read at many times … but essential!
Im an Atheist but i love kind Christians & yall fit the bill❤❤ TY (PS: A friend of mine is still in this situation - shes not in my life anymore cos her spouse said i was a bad influence💔)...
Wow! What a well spoken powerful women!!!! Thank you Tia
This has been my favorite interview. It is obvious Tia has done the hard word of recovery. Her articulation is relatable to so many of us.
I just ordered her book on Audible, however I think you should have her on again as she is amazing! 💙💙
Agreed!!
All these fundamental attitudes and lifestyles, though not called the same things, were also happening in the 1970s and 80s. I know this from experience, and have written my own memoir: Accidental Jesus Freak: One woman’s journey from fundamentalism to freedom. Very similar in substance (though of course our particular experiences were different) to Tia’s experience with patriarchal religion.
Spiritual sovereignty is how to navigate thru it. A “church” (structure-hierarchy) is not needed for us to connect to the Divine (God,Goddess,Big Bunny,whatever). It is within (inside realm of thoughts/emotions) that we connect to the Divine. It is the wisdom of the feminine (hence the subjugation of women) to use our intuition and ability to discern the inner connection to the Divine. Literally, we are the temple! We are spiritual beings first and secondly manifested human beings. ❤❤❤
Watching from Australia. Your stories are mind blowing, I'm so pleased you and children are safe. Religion doesn't play the same type of life down here. I guess that's why Hillsong went to the US because it didn't take off here. I saw the heading on my RUclips feed which drew me to your story. All the best to you, and cheering for Kamala and Tim.
Thank you so.much for sharing your experience, these are surely remarkable times for change in human history for the search for our relationship with our great creator.
Your experience is a worthy guide 🌄
Thank yo TIA, yo are my hero. God blessed you with intelligence, articulation better than many. I am so glad you found yourself. Go with LOVE> Happiness and meaninng shall fil your heart.
Self subjugate and self gaslight to win the affirmation and love of others, Wow so true 😢😮. Healing is possible 😅
My first time here and completely relate to your journey. I left several churches insisting that they are the only true church. My journey through evangelical, fundamental, assembly of God, Four Square churches gave me a better understanding.....when we seek we will find out that we have the Holy Spirit teaching us all things. Ask, Seek and Knock. Thank you for sharing your story. We are Love.
I am so grateful that this is being brought to people's attention I too grew Up in this exact denomination. only in California And I got married at 19 and have children Cause that's what I was raised to do. It's been out Of all that now For 7
years.