823: Daniella Mestyanek Young | How to Disengage from a Lifelong Cult

Daniella Mestyanek Young (@daniellamyoung) is a survivor of the religious Children of God cult, a US Army combat veteran, an extremely advanced knitter, and the author of Uncultured: A Memoir.

What We Discuss with Daniella Mestyanek Young:

• How the seemingly wholesome Children of God • (later known by variations of "The Family") religious group centered around love, faith, and Jesus — and packaged to appeal to impressionable countercultural hippie types of the day — veered into true cult territory under the direction of its leader, David Berg. •

• How female followers of Children of God were encouraged to use their bodies and sexuality to gain converts and money • in a practice known as "flirty flashing."

• How child sexual abuse became a commonplace Children of God practice • in an effort to raise "sexually liberated" children.

• What this cult and others do to cultivate credibility • — and raise funds — among its followers and the outside world.

• The toll that life in a cult takes • on those who are lucky enough to exit.

• And much more...

Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/823

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