Escaping one of America's most famous extremist cults - Megan Phelps-Roper
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- Опубликовано: 20 ноя 2024
- Megan Phelps-Roper is a former member of the Westboro Baptist Church, an extremist American religious cult based in Topeka, Kansas. She was made famous by appearing in a series of documentaries made by Louis Theroux on the church.
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Megan left the church in 2012 and has since spoken and more recently written about her experience in her book: Unfollow: A Journey from Hatred to Hope, leaving the Westboro Baptist Church.
She talks to Krishnan about her fascinating story and why the whole world needs to be aware of the dangers of division.
Warning: This interview contains themes and language some may find upsetting.
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The thing that strikes me is how loving and understanding she is to her family even as they shun her. She is a light.
I hope God steps in and protects children from extension cord whippings.
You all say you believe in science and biology but yet you side with homosexuality , you’re hypocrites !!!!! For example, when a man pumps seed in another mans behind, is That SEED ( Sperm) looking for an EGG or Dung. With science , biology and reality , it’s looking for a FEMALE egg !!!!
Yes, she is.
What a healthy and mature attitude she has. She could teach the world in general a lot about how to deal with conflict.
The fact that she could break out of this toxic environment is quite amazing.
You are in a cult.
everyone is capable of change so long as they have the inner strength to challenge their own beliefs and ingrained habits
She went to school.
😅 should leave these cry babies in Pakistan for 10 years. And then see the comments from the same person.
What a Christian church??
Escaping a cult, deprogramming, leaving one’s family and friends is enormous to the human mind and soul.
I couldn't agree more
Sounds like my divorce.
One of the most difficult processes
Very, very lonely, hard with all the blame and animosity.
The way she was raised has made her a very understanding, caring, and non judgmental nor narrow-minded, well educated woman. From the documentaries I've seen, the level of generational grooming is appalling.
She is actually an incredibly calming person. Her story is just crazy, but she has somehow become a humanitarian who I really deeply respect. I love listening to her story ❤️
So if you know her story why do you say she “somehow” become a humanitarian? She was literally raised believing she’s always been helping others (if you do listen to her) It’s truly sad. Her mother raised smart, sensitive, passionate children. Unfortunately, their faith kind skewed how they deliver.
@@jeezuschrist9887 because people change. She recognised the series of fuckups that was her childhood and her upbringing, and she apologises time and time again, and she now does everything she can possibly do to reverse the effects of what she has said and done. As a bisexual man myself, I accept every single apology she has ever given and I accept her for who she is and who she has been and who she has become 🙂
@@Matt-op1zd good for you (and her), however don't expect all of their 'victims' to feel the same way. People are allowed to not forgive or not feel comfortable with or sympathetic towards someone who wanted to and did harm them. People are allowed to think that she is taking the spotlight away from the real victims and acting like she is the biggest victim here. The damage has already been done, people who were hurt will never get back the time they lost and they will be the ones who are forced to work harder than others to fix their life (that she and her family harmed) not her... That's like saying that you should just forgive your shcool bullies cause they were kids and they changed. Gee thanks, but my life is still ruined and still never get those years back. 💁 Like people are not heroes for being decent human being and doing the bare minimum of not hurting others or apologising. And the fact the she still insists that this was all done out of love is insulting, ridiculous and delusional.
@@AngelDeed Why are you even here? You don't seem open to her message. There are many videos that tell the kind of stories you want to hear.
I am in no way defending "The Phleps," but I went to high-school with Megan and Rebecca. There were signs I saw every day. Maybe I should have done more. I didn't know how to make a sound.
Louis Theroux's way of working in those documentaries of his is admirable. On the one hand he does give his own opinion and explains why he thinks the other side is wrong. On the other hand he keeps asking sincere questions as an independent outsider, without dismissing them beyond their crazy opinions, on the contrary, understanding how extremists can still sincerely love their children, for instance.
So true. Louis is a sublime journalist! I would have said God's gift to journalism, but..... not their God's ;-)
Even Hitler had some people in his life that he loved.
I was very pleased to see the way Theroux in his documentary skillfully allowed pastor Phelps to show himself up as the disgusting hate-filled human being he was. What Phelps deserved was a lifetime in jail for the damage he caused to members of his own family and the wider community, not a prime place in any god's heaven.
I found it so transparent when he returned following the death of Fred Phelps and the cult who celebrate death and disaster because it’s god will couldn’t accept gods will when it came to his death, refusing to talk about it and crying and playing victim.
Yup. I love that he showed Shirley Phelps-Roper (Megan's mum) in moments of being a sweet, caring mother with her kids, as well as when she would flip into cult-speak. She's absolutely capable of both. She is not evil, although she has certainly done evil things.
I remember seeing her on tv and in documentaries back in the day, and she was all in on the WBC stuff, She's an example that education works.
She is a wonderful example that people can grow and change
I've been watching Meghan since even before she left Westboro with fascination. Her fundamental transformation gives me so much hope for humanity. I think she has so much relevant insight into the behavoirs we are seeing in this country right now. She's amazing.
She is incredible and such an inspiration to all trapped within oppressive theology
Islamophobe
@@saxglend9439 ???
If only they had a chance to hear/meet/read/see her. But they won't....
Their Truth is so perfectly true, that everything else is a threat.
Sad! So terribly sad. And then, here comes she - and restores my faith in mankind: the good will win in the end.
Peace and love to you and yours.
This woman is proof positive that being roped into a cult doesn’t just happen to stupid people. You don’t see many people as intelligent and articulate as she is.
She was a child born into the cult
Her parents -and grandparents were highly intelligent as well-lawyers! But they were blind in their religious paradigm...
It's different parts of the brain that are used.
Many cult leaders/those who find themselves in cults tend to have high levels of education. She said her grandfather was a lawyer, were you not paying attention?. Messages like this can make people feel isolated and ashamed to seek help. And she even debunked your comment in the video. Cults can happen to anyone, protect yourselves and your loved ones. Don’t make them become isolated.
Stupidity has nothing to do with it. A lot of smart and well-edjucated people join cults.
I like her a lot. So smart, articulate, level headed, with fair judgment and a gracious heart. I love what she says about challenging the ideology while loving the people, and couldn’t agree more, as difficult a thing that is to do.
When they protest the funerals that’s the lowest.
Especially Military funerals. Those service men and women fought for their rights. Such a shame.
Yeha fought for freedoms by killing innocent people in Iraq.
Everything they do is the lowest
Such a brave woman, nothing but respect and adoration for her.
I so enjoy listening to the thoughts of a truly inquisitive mind that fears no truth.
This woman should be a lawmaker or a teacher of lawmakers. Furthermore, I think that lawmakers should be 'required' to do continuing education in, Sociology, Psychology, History, and Religious Studies. It is these that are the true movers and the shakers of the world.
I like Sociology, Psychology, History, Philosophy and Religious studies should be given more importance in schools in general. They often get dismissed as subjects but they can be so important to help people understand humanity
@@sk8ergrrl1 I couldn't agree more
I could not be happier that someone like Megan exists who understands so well the nuances of being brought up in a cult. It helped me so much
I was struck by her speaking about the love her parents and family gave her was only there if she didn't question the party line and when she did it meant she had to leave and never see her family again. I'm a Christian raised by parents who shared their faith with me and my siblings. My brother is an atheist and my parents have never treated him, his children and partner any different to myself and my sisters children and partner.
What an amazing, articulate, intelligent woman! 🙏
I've watched Megan for years. Clearly, she is a wonderfully deep, grounded person. Her book is wonderful. She has a perfect voice to read the audiobook version and intensely listenable. I also feel there is something more of her deepness of feeling and expression.She appears to have come to a humanist perspective, which I feel is very positive, engaging in dialogue with those she once protested with great humility. I wish her all possible happiness.
Her honesty was heartwarming. She is super clear on her thought processes and that's amazing. Ty
I'm so proud of her. Leaving a loving door open to her family, despite what their upbringing did to her, is so important for the younger siblings who may (I hope will) follow her.
Amazingly strong, courageous, wise young woman... so articulate. Glad she is sharing her story.
Fear, guilt and shame. She perfectly and effectively sums of the strategies in which The Westboro based their actions on.
She radiates love and peace! 🥰
She seems so happy. Whenever I see Trump people spewing vitriol in e every direction, I'm struck by how unhappy hate makes the person doing the hating. Of course, at home people were screaming at her for hours over whatever. When we center our lives around hatred, how can we pretend to be happy? Seeing her now, this is a woman who is enjoying her life, and I'm so happy for her.
Thank you brave girl. We so appreciate you speaking out and have so much respect for you. Going through family experiences and speaking out against it takes great courage. I wish you every success in your life.
Her grandfather was a closeted homosexual. He admitted it himself. His absurd rage against the gays is his rage against himself. It is classic projection.
Because of the obsessive hatred for gay rights in the 1990s, I have often wandered who was most insecure about their heterosexuality, her grandfather?
👍👍👍👍👍👍
@@astroemerald3175 Thank you for your many thumbs up, notification of which caused me to revisit this page. I may have wandered many times, but wondered was what was meant above. That's what comes from not checking the spelling.
Boom boom I totally agree
Articulate, educated, intelligent, calm and composed.... a testament to the miracle of freedom
Great interview. She was allowed to speak without constant interruption.
The damage that 2000 year old fairy tale still does in the modern world is truly sickening.
This is my hometown I grew up seeing those signs before I could read them. I wanted to know what they said and my mom wouldn't tell me. I think their signs and picketing actually affected a lot of people negatively.
This woman is so intelligent and comes from a place of understanding of why her family believes what they believe. I think that's what gives her voice so mich power. She knows better than anyone what how beliefs matter and that is what ultimately influences behaviors. What made her come around and realize her beliefs weren't warranted, says more about the kind of person she is than anything she could ever say. She was honest with herself about the difficult questions she was getting and that's not an easy thing for anyone to face. Cheers to you, you are an amazing woman with an amazing message.
I appreciate her speaking out a lot more than Lauren or Libby. They try to sound like they also broke free but according to their books, they were kicked out and begged to come back so if that hadn't happened, they would still be in the church, whereas Megan is truly an amazing person who saw the error of the church's ways
Libby actually left on her own....
Her story is pretty much identical to my story growing up as a Jehovah’s Witness. Sadly the Jehovah’s Witnesses are a worldwide organization with eight million plus members so multiply her story by 8million and even more sadly is that they are such an insulated group that most people that know about them don’t know all the abuse and things that go on behind the scenes.
It’s a very destructive cult. I’m still recovering after having left more than 20 years ago. :-(
me too I was raised jehovah's witness even though I've been out of it for 16 years the pain and brain washing will never leave me
Totally know what you mean!
A very thoughtful, thought-provoking discussion! Thank you! It's so easy to treat the extreme groups that are polar opposite of our own beliefs, as an enemy, to deride and shame them, etc! That's how polarization and entrenchment occurs, extremists can become more extreme in their views as a self-defence! We need to find a common ground somehow, remember they are human, too!
She’s so smart and eloquent.
I'm so glad Megan left and found peace! She speaks very well and seems very remorseful
She is very articulate.
"Epistemological Humility" Yes, indeed. I believe she is correct about how different the world would/could be if we all took on that quality. She's a tremendously inspiring person with a worthy mission. Thanks Channel 4 for making this available.
This was great to hear. She gave me hope! I am the only one in my family who has left the faith. Its tough.
I think Megan is a really impressive lady: she sees the world and other people in a compassionate, generous and insightful way, and she is really eloquent at expressing it. Quite the opposite of a black and white thinker.
She's so wise and a lovely human being. I've relearnt an important lesson from listening to her interview.
This guy is one of the best interviewers I have seen, and she was so easy to interview 👍🏻
Having dated a girl who was a raised a Jehovah and left when she was 14. I can tell you these groups are twisted and f'd up. She was out of touch with her mother for 5 years and had just started to talk with her again at the time we started dating. They spied on us, stalked us, it was a nightmare. Finally backed off when a lawyer for my family contacted them threatening a restraining order. Her mother let them kick her out at 14, never said a damn thing, then decided when she was 19, that she was her mother again and could control her life. It was friggin nuts. I till thisday firmly believe they broke into her apartment and stole phone numbers, because I got threatening calls, as well as a number of her friends as well. We could never prove anything, though. We eventually broke up, but have remained very close friends for years.
I escaped from a cult.
Really? Which one? How?
You are brave! I am happy you got out!
That's amazing. I hope you will come back and tell is about it.
I remember her, I’m so glad she found the strength to leave!
Love that lobster tie.
yoo hearing her say.. she was preemptively prepared for what she would "see and hear" when she sees things "in the world" was exactly how i was raised..
Is this a recent interview? Also, I ran into Megan"s family when they picketed the 2020 Grammys in Los Angeles. It was noisy outside, but I yelled Megan's name at them and was ignored. Interesting!
I just hope her mother Shirley realises she can have both her family and her faith!
I remember talking to Megan when she was a member of westboro still and after and her cousin jael
I saw Jael in Los Angeles in 2020. Her and her family picketed the Grammys.
What a strong inspiring and amazing adult she has turned out to be.
A true child of God. Forgiving and understanding.
I hope all parties, and people extend the hand of friendship to her. She has put herself out there and is fabulously courageous.
What an articulate and amazing woman she us much love to her and her little girl xoxoxo
My goodness, she's a great speaker! Always thought she was too smart to be part of that nonsense her family were perpetuating in the Louis Theroux docs!
Her mother and grandfather are appallingly despicable.
I just love Megan Phelps. She talks and lives her humility.
One thing that’s always bothered me about this is that people will often openly and gladly take offence at them protesting military funerals and diminish their rampant homophobia in general as if both aren’t abhorrent acts
She was brilliant in her interview...great job
Good on you for leaving! So very brave!! ❤️
Perhaps the method was wrong, but, God's word DOES say that homosexuality is a sin. That being said, we are all sinners in need of forgiveness.
Phenomenon!!! Articulate! Powerful. Compassionate. Legend.
My sister saw some WBC’s at her college today. I will keep them in my prayers.
"Ideas are bad, not the people who believe them." Good words in today's day and age. Godspeed.
What is amazing here is that she is following in her Family Footsteps. She is doing the same thing as her Family . She has gathered followers to believe the way that she does.
When and where does it ever stop ?
She talks with such eloquence and effortless flow; no anger interestingly...
Wow she's inspirational
I find her brilliant. Full of grace. She gives me hope.
I suspect the trauma Megan and grace experienced has made it difficult for them to re forge a relationship outside of the church. They love each other from a distance perhaps
A highly intelligent person!
Imagine if there was a god, he came back to Earth, slapped Shirley Phelps on the face and exclaimed : "Idiot, that's not what I said." Imagine the look on her face ! 🤣
I went to school with the Phelps and Phelps ropers. Megan too. It was interesting. They only touched on beliefs like a couple times. And it was definitely uncomfortable
Brave woman.
Dr. Hugh Ross' Channel is a great place to find spiritual truths .He is a Scientist and a Born Again Christian . I believe members of Scientology, LDS and Jehovah Witness as well as all like cults would benefit deeply from Hugh Ross' astonishing discoveries.
I used to phone prank these guys relentlessly back in the day.
She was the only one who laughed ✌️
A true hero.
Megan Phelps you did the right thing by leaving Megan Phelps is a smart and decent woman. She didn't let her Mom brainwash her God bless you Megan Phelps.
Why all the adults in this cult are not prosecuted for perpetuating CHILD ABUSE is beyond me! They're disgusting individuals.
Police protection for the spewing of hatred. That is amazing and not in a good way. I hope more of her family leave.
Please pray for my faith in God and His Word to be restored. I left an abusive cult in Dec of 2020 and although I am so happy to finally be free after almost a decade, the doctrines and abuses of the cult leader has left me terribly scarred. I lost everything (literally everything, even my child and family for many many years with as no contact was allowed. I was alps forced to dry fast 3 days a week for many years, and was only allowed vegan food outside of that) but praise God He has restored it all.
I pray for justice to come down on Kindle who leads a cult called "The Last Call of YHWH in the UK". Adultery, fornication, abuse, and all kinds of evil in the name of "God's perfect will/exceptions for His inner circle" goes on behind the scenes in that cult and many dear friends are still brainwashed and involved. They have been convinced that we who have escaped are being possessed by fallen angels. Lord, please vindicate us and bring vengeance!! I beg for justice!!!
What a brave, amazing woman! xxx
I think this type of thing is far more common than most people realize. I was raised by the sanctified brethren, and I'm not sure you could find a group that's more insular than they are. All outsiders are seen as sinful and "worldly". There is a huge distrust of anyone that isn't part of the church, and not just part of the church, but to be fully included you must be forgiven and "sanctified" by god. That's the only way to be fully integrated into their group. I've seen a lot of people that have the same kind of experience growing up. I see it as a form of child abuse. I don't think that anyone can do anything to stop people from raising children to think that way. The only hope to stop it would be to raise people's awareness of the world around them, but I'm not sure that's really a viable idea. In my case, what they created is a firm and committed Satanist. Not like Anton LaVey or Crowley, but I've read the bible. Beginning to end, many, many times, and through being made to do that, I, as a thinking and logical person, saw god's lies and inconsistency. I don't believe in lying, cheating, stealing, treating people badly, or the myriad other things people wrongly attribute to Lucifer. Even most people who claim to be Satanists have no idea of the truth of what they're claiming. The real thing is not portrayed in any movie. It's not a bunch of silly graffiti painted in some abandoned building. It's far different from what anything most people associate with Satanism. Even longer story short, I think that a lot of people find themselves raised by religious groups that try to separate themselves from society. It's good to see others that have managed to break free from from them also.
Maybe God redeemed ALL mankind, despite what they believe about God or themselves. Maybe many religious groups have gotten the wrong message when Jesus said He did not come to condemn the world, but to save it. Jesus seemed to.mostly go after religion and the religious leaders. Be careful of jumping from the frying pan into the fire. I believe God has unconditional love for ALL people, especially the sinners, LOL.
@@princessmargaretuncommonwe7209 That's an established branch of Christianity, google "Universalism"
Catchy tie!
Also left a cult and I’m also the 3rd of 13x
Very cool and articulate person. Looks like her mom though. That sucks
It's kind of ridiculous that she still thinks her grandfather was logical and intelligent, which is patently absurd given he based his entire worldview on a mistranslated line from Leviticus. And it wasn't done out of love, that's just what conmen say to dupe naive people.
No one is all good and no one is all bad. We are all flawed with strengths. I think it's very mature of her to still talk highly of toxic people who hurt her and others. Continuing to spread hate after being abused is a big problem for most families.
A lot of the ex-WBC people are lovely and actively trying to do better. Been following Nathan Phelps for a while, and he's been a very vocal atheist and LGBT rights activist. He's one of Fred Phelps' oldest children and an early defector.
Ex JW. So many believe they have the truth.., and all they know is complete nonsense. So glad what I believed for a long time was another lie., thank God!
Sounds similar doesn't it... I think Tony Tight pants would love this though 😂
Everyone please hate me for this, but I find the WBC song parodies really funny and enjoy listening to them.
Great interviewer!
why the lobster tie????
Peterson would be proud of that!!!!
🦞
@@n-code-r secret peterson fan
Why not a lobster tie?
She's really quite an amazing young lady, she should do some Ted Talks, she's a very intelligent articulate lady.
What a lovely person
Do devils become angels...????
I went to school with her and her sister. No kindness was ever shown to me, and I’m strait.
Oh yeah because nothing says love like physical and mental abuse. She doesn't seem as sincere as her cousin
She’s a very bright young woman. Being raised in that bs environment was not her fault. I’m glad her and several others escaped and have a normal life now..
I wish he asked why her grandpa lost his law license
I wanted to know that too!
Read her book! It's covered in detail. He lost his state and federal licenses seperately. State from an incident of unprofessionally treating a court reporter, federal several years later after multiple other lawyers and judges called him (and his kids who worked at his family firm) out on unprofessional behavior. The settlement was that he lost his license and his kids kept theirs.
I don't know what annoys me more - the fact this group was actually following the word if God which of course means plenty of bigotry and judgement, or christians who claim they are not anti LGBTQ but only because they are picking parts of the bible they want to follow.
It's all crazy!
So I guess you'd rather live your way then Jesus' way? Did he tell everyone "yes, please throw stones at everyone?". You can't follow your god, but expect everyone else to?
to some extent, she comes off like she is defending the church more than she is actually speaking out against it.
Megan, I think you are on the right road, and I can feel the love you have for all the members of your former church as well as any other people caught up in a more extreme ideology. Your family does have good intentions at heart. And you are quite right not to go along with getting the state involved in removing children AT RISK. The state has a very bad track record at assessing what is truly at risk or not, and their intervention would prove to have other unintended consequences that could very well be much worse. I think the people that criticize your family fail to recognize how they themselves may be currently quite caught up themselves in extreme ideologies - with completely good intentions. There are quite a range of extreme/ not so extreme ideas to choose from currently. Or at the very least, not recognize their own vulnerability to these ideologies. We are all indeed very human, and quite arrogant in our belief that nothing like this could EVER happen to us. I really enjoyed listening to your interview and wish you all the best.