Betrayal Trauma Recovery - BTR.ORG

If you grew up in a fundamentalist Christian home, you may be all-too familiar with the patriarchal structure that not only excuses abuse, but often encourages it. 
Emily Elizabeth Anderson is on the BTR.ORG podcast, sharing her experiences with the fundamentalist ATI cult. Recognizing and then escaping the abusiveness of her upbringing has led her to supporting other victims - including the BTR.ORG community. Read the full transcript below and listen to the BTR.ORG podcast for more. H
Fundamentalism & Patriarchy Are Intertwined

"Every fundamentalist teaching I've ever come across also goes hand-in-hand with patriarchy. It looks like men doing the teaching, the interpreting of scripture. Women are told again and again that they are easily deceived like Eve was. You have to have male authority over you for your protection, for your safety, for your provision, for interpretation of scripture. Women are considered to be beneath men. They are the property of men. Women must have some kind of male headship and authority rather than God being their direct authority."
Emily Elizabeth Anderson

You can't have fundamentalist teachings without patriarchy lurking, ominously. Patriarchy is simply disguised misogyny and misogyny is at the root of abuse.
Using Religion to Excuse & Enable Abuse
Fundamentalist religious communities use patriarchal (misogynistic) doctrines to excuse and enable abuse:

"Patriarchy is a very nice package for abuse and power and control. So a lot of abusers like to use it and like to claim that it is of God - and it is not. And they like to feed to women that this is what God wants of you. And it is not. Patriarchy is used as a way to excuse abusive behavior."
Emily Elizabeth Anderson

BTR.ORG Is Here For You
Whether you've recently begun to wonder if there are abusive patterns in your faith community, or you've been nuanced for quite some time, the BTR.ORG Group Sessions are a safe place for you to process your trauma and find a community of women who will never judge you on your journey. We love you, we believe you. 
Full Transcript: 
Anne (00:00):Welcome to BTR.ORG. This is Anne. If you're new to the BTR podcast, you may wanna consider starting with the oldest episode first and then making your way forward chronologically. If you do that, you'll take the journey with me as I learn more and more. You'll hear a change in my voice as I grow in confidence and skills. It'll be like a friend holding your hand as you make your own way to peace. No matter what time of year it is, no matter what you're going through right now, no matter if you thought things were under control or you had hope that things would get better, but you realize you're back to square one if you find yourself needing support, we're here.
(02:33):I am so honored to have Emily Elizabeth Anderson on today's episode. She's a Christian blogger and a trauma recovery advocate for people who have experienced abuse within a Christian environment. After growing up in a fundamentalist cult for 23 years and experiencing childhood domestic violence, Emily began her journey to recovery in 2015 and eventually found Jesus to be her ultimate healer. She soon turned her passion for writing into a blog, and her story has since been featured on several media outlets, including NPR. She married her best friend Joshua in 2020, and together they are passionate about educating on the realities of trauma, survival, and recovery, as well as supporting survivors they meet through their online community.