Lauren Drain (formerly of WBC) did an AMA

[Seven Severn]

It happened yesterday. She's promoting a book: http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1 ... st_church/

[BravaAmica]

I notice she did not address the very first question, "Was there physical abuse going on inside the church?"

[lilwriter85]

I think physical abuse did happen, but maybe Lauren and the others who have left are trying to block out that stuff.

[BravaAmica]

I think physical abuse did happen, but maybe Lauren and the others who have left are trying to block out that stuff.

Or perhaps avoid a lawsuit.

[Fargood]

Based on the accounts of the two Phelps boys that left, there is a hella lot of physical abuse going on at WBC. But the reality is that as a victim, it's her story and it's not really the public's place to demand she tell her story in anything but her own time.

[Seven Severn]

I notice she did not address the very first question, "Was there physical abuse going on inside the church?"

She's promoting her book; she can't give away all the secrets beforehand.

[So Says I]

Thanks so much for sharing this!

LauraElle, I noticed that she dodged the abuse question also. I seem to remember that Libby Phelps also avoided that question or else she said she hadn't witnessed any abuse firsthand. I've also read interviews with Nate Phelps and another of Fred's kids who left the WBC where it was said that physical abuse was indeed rampant at least by Fred towards his children. I'm curious, too, as to why the younger generation of defectors doesn't want to speak of it. Are they hoping to reconcile with their parents, maybe?