Razing Ruth - Cliff's Notes

[0KidsAndHappy]

I came here as a lurker and then started posting around the time of the last Duggar miscarriage. I've been learning a lot about other fundie families through blogs and articles posted here. I think the thing that has interested me most that I found here is the Razing Ruth blog, but there is a lot to read. I've read a good bit of her blog, things from other sites, and things here. There is just so much and so many threads tend to go in another direction at some point. Is there a thread or site where a basic summary of her story exists? Is there too much that a summary of it all just won't do? Also, have any of her blog posts been deleted? I tried reading it from the start and it feels like there are things missing.

[Guest Anonymous]

I just read her blog through- it's not that long. Also, she is a member here, so you could just ask her about anything you are confused on.

[0KidsAndHappy]

It's not so much that I'm confused, just wanting to find something that gave more of a summary of everything ... like a Wikipedia entry.

Last night, I started reading a few things here and there and before I knew it I was reading some long thread on the previous version of this forum about a falling out between her and Vyckie Garrison ... or something along those lines.

Today is a boring Saturday, so I'll probably just end up reading her entire blog. :dance:

[sassyNoz47]

i read it through to , it took awhile with kids and such. However I still think there is alot I missed maybe posts here or such. I also joined at the m/c time when they closed the 19KAC TWOP page.

[mockingbird]

Bare bones summary: She was raised in a fundy household and her parents arranged a marriage for her/set up a courtship. The guy was potentially abusive/creepy/patriarchal and when her parents insisted she marry him, Ruth ran away to her neighbors' house and they helped her escape. Now she is in college. More recently she was dating and got engaged to a nice, non-fundy guy but they broke it off.

I read her whole blog too... it's manageable, she doesn't have TONS of entries.

[MissSeptember]

Things ARE missing. She used her blog for a long time as a tool for therapy, so she didn't update routinely with details of her day-to-day life, or when she was busy or things were going good. Only recently has she started using it as a communication tool again.

To us as readers it adds to the mystery of who she is/is she real.

[Guest Anonymous]

It's not so much that I'm confused, just wanting to find something that gave more of a summary of everything ... like a Wikipedia entry.

Last night, I started reading a few things here and there and before I knew it I was reading some long thread on the previous version of this forum about a falling out between her and Vyckie Garrison ... or something along those lines.

Today is a boring Saturday, so I'll probably just end up reading her entire blog. :dance:

She's a real live woman who writes a blog about aspects of her life. She is not particularly a public figure, so I'm not sure why anyone would have started a wiki about her. IMO, he has always been quite dignified in her responses to Vyckie and the NLQ blog; if you read Ruth's own blog she writes a bit about it there. She takes questions on her blog from time to time too, but is probably too caught up in family issues to write a wiki-style summary for you right now....

[Kitty]

Wait, what happened between RR and Vyckie?

[valsa]

Vyckie had doubts about RR's identity so pushed a person who was a member of both FJ and her website (NLQ) to come over to FJ and start questioning RR's story. IIRC, this led to RR revealing her identity to Vyckie (of course, without knowing it was Vyckie's backstage manipulation that influenced the whole thing in the first place)

[0KidsAndHappy]

She's a real live woman who writes a blog about aspects of her life. She is not particularly a public figure, so I'm not sure why anyone would have started a wiki about her.

I didn't necessarily mean on Wikipedia. Just that it would be easier for newcomers to follow her story if there was a Wikipedia style summary.

Everything I've read so far is really engrossing. I can't wait to read the article she mentioned she was being interviewed about.

[snarkykitty]

I didn't necessarily mean on Wikipedia. Just that it would be easier for newcomers to follow her story if there was a Wikipedia style summary.

Everything I've read so far is really engrossing. I can't wait to read the article she mentioned she was being interviewed about.

In the time it's taking you to keep asking the same question, you could have read a few posts and got the gist of things already. Why is it so difficult for you to go read it yourself?

[0KidsAndHappy]

In the time it's taking you to keep asking the same question, you could have read a few posts and got the gist of things already. Why is it so difficult for you to go read it yourself?

I've been reading her blog and other posts, as I've mentioned. I was simply wondering, as stated, if there was a more of a summary of who she was (not her identity) and how she was raised beyond what is out there. Like I said, when you start reading threads of 30+ pages about her blog, those can go off the rails. Plus there are others, like the one about Vyckie, where you can't be sure what is factual.

[Guest Anonymous]

You can't be sure what is factual from any summary that is given either.

I'll spell it out to you from my perspective: Ruth is a real person, facing real struggles and she is also a member of this board. IMO, she is not a person deserving of snark and so I have no wish to write a wiki-style entry for your consumption. Her blog is neither long nor onerous to read. I managed it. So, probably, can you.

Everything I've read so far is really engrossing.

So why keep going on about wanting a summary.... do you usually get half ay through a good book and think, "this is so fab, I must stop now and see if anyone has written an online summary of the ending ..."

[sassyNoz47]

Her story would make a interresting read in a book some day!

[Didi]

To be fair to the original poster - I have been reading RR's stuff since she started writing on NLQ and I find it VERY hard to wade through her blog. I still only have a marginal understanding of her story. I have often wished someone would write a clear "this is ruth's story"...

[Rosa]

someone with the energy should do an Encyclopedia Dramatica style wiki of all the various fundie bloggers & how they relate to each other and various public figures.

But Ruth wouldn't really be on it unless there was a survivors/escapees page, because she mostly doesn't stir up drama and she never names names (except that her family is ATI.)

[razingruth]

A Cliff Notes summary of me?

I was the first girl in a family of eleven kids (though, one was born after I left home). My father was involved in Bill Gothard's original youth conflicts ministry, which evolved into what is now known as ATI or IBLP. I was homeschooled by my mother using the ATI curriculum. We were, I guess you could say, a pilot/test family. As has been mentioned, I was "courted" by a young man I didn't love, or particularly care for, and I left my family. I journaled most of this in a serial style chronical for NLQ. I am now in university studying Library Science and Literature. Recently, my sister got pregnant and left my father's home. I'll try to answer any questions you have but please know that I remain anonymous for my own reasons and I may not answer every question you ask. :)

[Lainey]

Well, since you're here... :mrgreen:

I wanna know what went down! Now that Rachel's safe with you, can you tell us what the heck happened? What were Isaiah's parents and your dad trying to do? Also, and I'm sorry but I need to know this if possible, how did Rachel and Isaiah find a place to get privacy at an ATI convention, considering ATI kids seem to require a chaperone if they're out of their parents' sight?

[razingruth]

Well, since you're here... :mrgreen:

I wanna know what went down! Now that Rachel's safe with you, can you tell us what the heck happened? What were Isaiah's parents and your dad trying to do? Also, and I'm sorry but I need to know this if possible, how did Rachel and Isaiah find a place to get privacy at an ATI convention, considering ATI kids seem to require a chaperone if they're out of their parents' sight?

The most I can say is that Rachel was given a series of very unkind and scary ultimatums from my father. His "solution" included secluding my sister under the guise of protecting her and then my father wanted to have a private adoption with a "deserving ATI family" who was having fertility problems. There's more but it's Rachel's to share. As for "where they got the opportunity", that's something that's also Rachel's to share. It doesn't take very long for a hot-and-bothered guy to impregnate a girl- from what I understand it wasn't at all romantic but I think it's also important to note that it wasn't rape.

I flew to get her and we drove back together. We had a great deal of help from a woman's shelter in NW Arkansas who I hope to put a link to on my blog very soon. They were amazing in helping Rachel.

[0KidsAndHappy]

To be fair to the original poster - I have been reading RR's stuff since she started writing on NLQ and I find it VERY hard to wade through her blog. I still only have a marginal understanding of her story. I have often wished someone would write a clear "this is ruth's story"...

Thanks. That was basically my point. I've read a lot of it and read through forums and it was a lot to take in over the short period since I found it.

I don't think it really compares to reading a book that I find enjoyable and then wanting a summary of the end. A blog like hers is a living book, so to say. There really is no end to her story, so it's not a summary of the end that I wanted.

A Cliff Notes summary of me?

I was the first girl in a family of eleven kids (though, one was born after I left home). My father was involved in Bill Gothard's original youth conflicts ministry, which evolved into what is now known as ATI or IBLP. I was homeschooled by my mother using the ATI curriculum. We were, I guess you could say, a pilot/test family. As has been mentioned, I was "courted" by a young man I didn't love, or particularly care for, and I left my family. I journaled most of this in a serial style chronical for NLQ. I am now in university studying Library Science and Literature. Recently, my sister got pregnant and left my father's home. I'll try to answer any questions you have but please know that I remain anonymous for my own reasons and I may not answer every question you ask. :)

Thanks! I meant Cliff's Notes a bit sarcastically. The reason I thought there might be a description of it, or something along the lines, is because of how long you had been writing it and how many others have been reading it over that period of time. I wasn't sure if there were older blogs posted that detail anything further that has since been deleted or if there were other places where you might post other stories. On top of that, there are forums where people discuss your story and it's very easy to get lost in the assumptions and speculation that people tend to post. When you read so much in such a short period of time, it can be easy to confuse where you read it. I thought this would be the best place to ask about any other information since you mention this forum often.

[auntjuliedoc]

Ruth I think you were the poster at NLQ that wrote part of your story using the 49 character traits but had to stop at 23 or so bec someone from Gothard got upset abt it. I loved going to the NLQ site a couple of years ago and reading your story. Then something happened and you stopped posting, Vicki changed her site and stopped writing her story bec she was writing a book. I don't think the book has ever been published though. I've ofter wondered what happened to Warren. Did he remarry, how is he making a living, etc.

[PokaDot]

A Cliff Notes summary of me?

I was the first girl in a family of eleven kids (though, one was born after I left home). My father was involved in Bill Gothard's original youth conflicts ministry, which evolved into what is now known as ATI or IBLP. I was homeschooled by my mother using the ATI curriculum. We were, I guess you could say, a pilot/test family. As has been mentioned, I was "courted" by a young man I didn't love, or particularly care for, and I left my family. I journaled most of this in a serial style chronical for NLQ. I am now in university studying Library Science and Literature. Recently, my sister got pregnant and left my father's home. I'll try to answer any questions you have but please know that I remain anonymous for my own reasons and I may not answer every question you ask. :)

My (first) roommate in college did her masters in Library Science! Another good friend did it as her undergrad. How cool!

Anyways, I think I would say that it may be unwise to link to the women's shelter...because people would probably call it and try to figure out your (and Rachel's) identity.

[DarkAnts]

The most I can say is that Rachel was given a series of very unkind and scary ultimatums from my father. His "solution" included secluding my sister under the guise of protecting her and then my father wanted to have a private adoption with a "deserving ATI family" who was having fertility problems. There's more but it's Rachel's to share. As for "where they got the opportunity", that's something that's also Rachel's to share. It doesn't take very long for a hot-and-bothered guy to impregnate a girl- from what I understand it wasn't at all romantic but I think it's also important to note that it wasn't rape.

I flew to get her and we drove back together. We had a great deal of help from a woman's shelter in NW Arkansas who I hope to put a link to on my blog very soon. They were amazing in helping Rachel.

I love the response. It is Rachels story. She may or may not share it. We will support her either way. The most important thing right now is to keep her safe. You are not obligated to say more then you have said. Perhaps you should give the women's shelter support in an anonymous way on your blog. It would keep Isaiah's family and your family from trying to contact them and bully them. They get enough of that as it is.

[apple1]

... His "solution" included secluding my sister under the guise of protecting her and then my father wanted to have a private adoption with a "deserving ATI family" who was having fertility problems...

That was what I had feared she might be forced into doing. I mentioned that a couple of times in my FJ posts.

I'm so glad she and the baby are in a safer place now.