Reddit users have helped a woman and her daughter escape from a controlling religious cult.
Posting in the relationships subreddit, the woman, adopting the username “daughterinacult,” wrote of how she wanted to leave the cult after noticing the negative impact it was having upon her 16-year-old daughter. However, as her husband is a devoted member of the cult, and with them having complete control over all of her finances, she was having difficulty with successfully escaping from them and ensuring the safety of both her and her daughter.
The woman wrote: “My husband and I have been married for 17 years. He converted me to his church (basically a cult) when I was 15, and convinced by abusive and uninvolved parents to let him marry me when I was 16. We have been under the church’s control ever since. They have complete reign over our finances, decisions, and life.
“For the past 5 years, I’ve began to notice how negatively our lifestyle has affected my daughter. I want her to be a normal teenager. I’ve been planning to leave for quite some time, but I don’t know where to go or what to do about money. My husband is still completely into the church, so there is no hope of him helping.
“He’s not abusive, so I’m worried he’ll be able to take her back. I have no access to our money. Does anyone have advice on what to do?”
An outpouring of advice and support from other members of the Reddit community eventually led her to take the plunge and leave, despite the devastating financial implications it was going to have on her.
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In an update to the initial post, she continued: “First of all I want to thank every single person that took the time to respond. We hitchhiked to Bozeman and are currently at another library (no phones, no communication outside of internet and library phone). We have a ride arranged to go to a shelter. No idea what we are doing after that.
“I was in Livingston because we have community shopping trips where we are given a specific amount of money to cover a pre-approved list of items we need. Once in Livingston we are free to separate from the group, but are to meet back at a certain time to go home. I usually go and do the shopping and send my daughter to the library to use the computers. Today we both went to the library and she told me to post here. So for those asking if she wants to leave-YES.
“The church gave us $300 for our shopping trip because I lied on our shopping list about what we needed. I think I might use that money for Greyhound tickets to New England—where I’m from. I don’t have any family that I’ve been in contact with for almost 20 years, but anything is better than what we’re leaving.
“Please know that I am eternally grateful to all of you because I would never have known about any of the resources posted in the previous message.”
However, her story is not over yet – after traveling to Bozeman, a city in Montana, Reddit users who are living in and around the area have offered to drive help her out. User Ragualith wrote: “This might be a little late, but I currently live in Bozeman. I can help you look for some jobs, housing, ect. Whatever y’all need. PM me if you want/looking for help, I’d love to help out in anyway I can.”
The woman has yet to give an update on her current situation, though it’s incredible that the support and kindness of strangers has helped her make such an incredibly difficult decision, and begin to have a new life away from the cult she was trapped in.
Bravo, Reddit.
