I Fired God.

[Cannelle]

http://www.amazon.com/Fired-God-Inside- ... zitcherman

I Fired God: My Life Inside---and Escape from---the Secret World of the Independent Fundamental Baptist Cult by

Jocelyn Zichterman

I nearly peed my pants when I saw this on the library shelf today. I've never seen an insider's look at the IFB, much less an I Left the IFB book. I'm just starting this now, but I figured I would pass the title along in case anyone else wanted to check it out. And if you've read it, I'd love to hear your thoughts. The inside flap even mentions the Duggars.

[gustava]

I like the title!

[Cannelle]

The title is totally what caught my eye. Honestly, I was expecting something on atheism or something, and I nearly fell over when I read the subtitle. I had to read the inside flap to make sure it was the same church I was thinking it was.

[ILoveJellybeans]

Oooooooohhhhhhhhhh

I need to get this. And more fundie related books.

Right after I have received and read the last four books I bought off Amazon.

[emiliawasframed]

I'm reading all I can on the Amazon preview right now, and while she tells some truly horrifying stories of abuse at the hands of her father that I in no way want to discount the impact of, there's not a lot of new general info on IFB for someone who has been reading here for awhile and is fairly familiar with the subculture. She covers the Pearls, The Duggars, Gothard, and VF, among others.

[Cannelle]

So far, everything she says is very familiar to me, but I find that happens with any fundy book I read, since it's one of my favorite subjects. Still fascinating and horrifying though. 76 pages in.

[EmiGirl]

I just bought it. Can't wait to read it.

[lilith]

Ooh, about to head to the kindle store. I too have been waiting for something like this. I hope that it's well written and gets some publicity - too many people view IFB as just another harmless Protestant denomination.

[terranova]

Thanks for the info, I might have to order that.

[ADoyle90815]

Thanks for the info. I got $125 in gift cards for Barnes and Noble for Christmas, so I now know at least one book I plan to get.

[Cannelle]

Stayed up last night and finished it. The way they followed her and her family and tried to ruin their lives was just so creepy. This is definitely worth the read. Wow.

[apple1]

Stayed up last night and finished it. The way they followed her and her family and tried to ruin their lives was just so creepy. This is definitely worth the read. Wow.

She has a compelling and sad story.

Please take some things (however) with a grain of salt. She is pretty much a narcissist who has turned on nearly everyone who has ever worked with her (on her side). She has a credibility issue, and has massively mismanaged the Tina Anderson Fund.

Just saying. (And no, I am not Jeri Massi).

[FloraKitty35]

I have it on hold from my local library.

[Mary C Doates]

Thanks for the find! I just downloaded it to my Kindle to read while snowed in/avoiding shoveling out my car :(...

[Palimpsest]

She has a compelling and sad story.

Please take some things (however) with a grain of salt. She is pretty much a narcissist who has turned on nearly everyone who has ever worked with her (on her side). She has a credibility issue, and has massively mismanaged the Tina Anderson Fund.

Just saying. (And no, I am not Jeri Massi).

I'm always willing to apply salt but could you clarify a little and give sources, especially on the bolded? Not that I don't believe you, but the term "narcissist" is bandied around way too frequently these days and exposes of QF are all too frequently attacked. I don't know who Jeri Massi is either. Also, isn't the Tina Anderson fund very new? How could it be mismanaged so massively in <2 months? Or do I have the wrong fund?

I have put in an order for this book at the library, but I'd rather not waste time on reading it if it is so very suspect.

Another book is in the pipeline to be published in March: http://www.amazon.com/Girl-End-World-Es ... m_kstore_4

It looks quite humorous as well as informative. Anyone know the author/backstory?

[apple1]

http://isupporttinaanderson.blogspot.co ... smith.html

This link is to Tina Anderson's husband's blog. He references the Tina Anderson Foundation in June 2011. That money, with the exception of a couple of small things, did not benefit the Andersons financially at all. That is the fund I am referencing. Zichterman controlled this fund. All remaining internet links to the TAF that I have uncovered pull up "internet explorer cannot display the webpage". I cannot, however, find unbiased information proving this further.

There is a completely separate (and new) fund now whose purpose is to provide for the medical care of one of Tina's kids. I am not referencing this new fund.

There is a 3rd Tina Anderson Fund belonging to a person with colon cancer, and that is unrelated to the Tina Anderson I am referencing.

I also cannot actually prove, but have personal experience with Zichterman on a couple of internet venues. I will just say that I think she continues to suffer significantly from her life experiences and I believe it strongly affects how she relates to others.

Feel free to take my comments (also) with a grain of salt.

[Cannelle]

I will just say that I think she continues to suffer significantly from her life experiences and I believe it strongly affects how she relates to others.

Which isn't at all surprising. I would think one would need a LOT of therapy, years and years and years of it, to undo the damage her parents and the IFB did to her, and to learn healthy patterns of behavior. (I'm not justifying any ill behavior she's had towards others, but just saying that sometimes, you can understand where a person's behavior comes from when you know about their past, you know? And within the confines that is the clustermess of the American mental healthcare system, along with her other life responsibilities, including caring for eight kids, I would think being able to dedicate oneself to all that it would take in order to bring about the healing she obviously needs would be a huge challenge. Anyone who can escape a fundy background and come out normal has my extreme awe, along with my sympathy. What a difficult path it is to break free.)

At the very least, I hope she and her husband have gotten or are getting regular marital counseling in order to learn to develop healthy relationship skills, because we all know that that's not taught or modeled in the land of Wifely Submission, and I hope they're giving their marriage a fighting chance with better tools, now that they've left.

[FJSharkJump]

Who is Tina Anderson?

[Palimpsest]

http://isupporttinaanderson.blogspot.com/2011/06/letter-to-ken-smith.html

This link is to Tina Anderson's husband's blog. He references the Tina Anderson Foundation in June 2011. That money, with the exception of a couple of small things, did not benefit the Andersons financially at all. That is the fund I am referencing. Zichterman controlled this fund. All remaining internet links to the TAF that I have uncovered pull up "internet explorer cannot display the webpage". I cannot, however, find unbiased information proving this further.

There is a completely separate (and new) fund now whose purpose is to provide for the medical care of one of Tina's kids. I am not referencing this new fund.

There is a 3rd Tina Anderson Fund belonging to a person with colon cancer, and that is unrelated to the Tina Anderson I am referencing.

I also cannot actually prove, but have personal experience with Zichterman on a couple of internet venues. I will just say that I think she continues to suffer significantly from her life experiences and I believe it strongly affects how she relates to others.

Feel free to take my comments (also) with a grain of salt.

Ah, many thanks. I had a brain fart and had the wrong Tina Anderson. I should have remembered the right one because she is fairly local to me and I do remember the story from a couple of years ago.:embarrassed:

Probably Zichterman's childhood experiences and abuse contributed to who she is today, mental health problems included. Abuse is a contributing factor in developing NPD (or whatever DSM wants us to call it these days) and her present behaviors do not necessarily completely negate many possible truths in her story.

I'll read the book, salt shaker in hand. Thanks again.

[Palimpsest]

Who is Tina Anderson?

One article here: http://abcnews.go.com/2020/new-hampshir ... d=13702833

There are links to the 20/20 interview in the article.

ETA: Oh, and the link is not broken because it is a major news source not a potentially flouncing fundie. Helpmeets do I have to keep typing that? :lol:

[PurpleSheepleEater]

She has a compelling and sad story.

Please take some things (however) with a grain of salt. She is pretty much a narcissist who has turned on nearly everyone who has ever worked with her (on her side). She has a credibility issue, and has massively mismanaged the Tina Anderson Fund.

Just saying. (And no, I am not Jeri Massi).

She is a rabidly passionate person about whatever is her pet issue at the moment, isn't she? She has done a lot to bring light to the bad of the IFB but she's also done a lot to shame and excommunicate from her crowd of survivors those who disagree with her in the tiniest little bit. Not a good conversationalist for sure.

[Curious]

ETA: Oh, and the link is not broken because it is a major news source not a potentially flouncing fundie. Helpmeets do I have to keep typing that? :lol:

No one really has to justify why they aren't breaking a link. We can pretty much tell at a glance whether it's a link that needs to be broken or not and will do so if it's necessary.

There are reasons beyond flouncing that we break links for (which are more important than a fundie mommy blogger shutting down, IMO), so occasionally a link may be broken that seems unnecessary.

[anniebgood]

You'd think that the LA County Library system would have it, but no. So I went to Kindle and bought it. I'll read it tomorrow during the Ice Bowl in Green Bay. Will keep my mind alert…...

[freehannie]

I read it last night and have to say, despite a lot of time spent researching conservative Christian homeschoolers, I was really surprised by the level of control that the IFB leaders had over every aspect of their lives. It hadn't occurred to me that doctors within the community would hide abuse, that people would travel across country in an attempt to punish or bring back those who left, and how they were discouraged from getting any outside resources like food stamps despite the fact that they needed them. I guess I had assumed that all the anti-government stuff was primarily directed at middle class people who didn't need the services and therefore resented their tax dollars going to help others. But it seemed more like it was yet another way to keep people from finding any other means besides their religious community to make ends meet which might weaken the control of those in power. I was also impressed by some of her recommendations particularly that schools which receive federal money should have to have licensed counselors and need to be accredited. It also seems like some of the mandatory reporters within the community who have looked the other way need to be prosecuted for doing so.

I saw a lot of parallels to the Vision Forum/NCFIC situtation where a few tyrants with a large amount of social status could keep everyone on their toes at all times. If you have no other way of obtaining employment, getting an education, getting married, etc without their approval and support which is accomplished by eliminating all other avenues for this, it gives these tyrants a tremendous amount of control. Scary!!!!

[mrs]

I'm always willing to apply salt but could you clarify a little and give sources, especially on the bolded? Not that I don't believe you, but the term "narcissist" is bandied around way too frequently these days and exposes of QF are all too frequently attacked. I don't know who Jeri Massi is either. Also, isn't the Tina Anderson fund very new? How could it be mismanaged so massively in <2 months? Or do I have the wrong fund?

I have put in an order for this book at the library, but I'd rather not waste time on reading it if it is so very suspect.

Another book is in the pipeline to be published in March: http://www.amazon.com/Girl-End-World-Es ... m_kstore_4

It looks quite humorous as well as informative. Anyone know the author/backstory?

I will most likely purchase Esthers book. She has been interviewed on the cable news channels, Fox and CNN.