Waco_Branch_Davidians_FlagThis week, we sit down with our friend Kyle Dekker to discuss his experiences growing up in some creepy cult-like churches. Among other things, he was a Branch Davidian!  He even learned how to pretend to speak in tongues.  These days he’s managed to break free from that craziness and he makes internet videos like Super Academy.  We have a far reaching conversation with him and then give him a crack at our new five questions!

 

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2 Responses

  1. Some corrections from Kyle’s mother

    I am not Bipolar, never diagnosed, Kyle got that wrong. I have depression since a teen and PTSD from the church shit

    We were never Branch Davidians, they only lived in Waco, we were in Illinois. There was a guy in Waco who came to the church but no relation at all. If you look at the history of the Branch Davidians you will see what they were and did. I screamed when the compound when up in flames and all those women and children were burned in the conflagration. The FBI had no idea how to deal with people in cults or understand so many are innocents trapped with no way to get out.

    The kids were homeschooled to keep them out of a crappy elementary school. Sent to school when I got too sick with endometriosis to teach them. Yes, I tried some Christian teaching, but dropped it after a time.

    Life throws shit in people’s lives and I am really proud to have gotten past the crappy church stuff despite the toll it has taken on my and so many other people’s lives. I now talk to people about cults and domestic abuse to educate them and help them avoid abusive situations. I don’t want to see that happen to anyone else if at all possible.

    I am now one of those bleeding heart liberals who believes in the equality of everyone, that we should accept Syrian refugees, that the war in Afghanistan should be ended, and so on. Gnostic, agnostic, I am not sure. Completely the opposite of what my husband believes.

    Every parent will make mistakes, but it takes time for kids to realize how much their parents love them. It sure has with my parents.

    I hope you can correct the errors in the podcast. People I know who listen to this don’t know my past and I hate for them to think I was a Branch Davidian or Bipolar.

    According to cult researchers, they most follow the model of domestic abuse. Everything is taken away from the person, contact with family, friends, etc, life is completely controlled, you cannot question, and so on. They take away your ability to leave, no matter how much you want to. To be in a cult or abusive church is hell when you don’t want to be there, when you have no where to turn, where do you go? And then there is the stigma of having been in a “cult”. A better term for it is “spiritual or religious abuse” Look at the FLDS and what happened there. Check out this website for a better understanding of cults and perhaps read some of the extensive studies that have been done by phd’s.

    Hell, even many hippie groups were essentially cults and peace and love were the last things on their minds. Cults are not always religious.

    Thank you for reading my comments and I hope you will have a better understanding of things and realize that we love our son and never ever tried or wanted to hurt him and often never knew what happened because he didn’t tell us. I would have pulled him out and given the principal hell for hurting any of my kids. Even in public school.

    Becky Dekker flutterby1972@gmail.com

  2. I am right there with Molly about the Catholic gilt trip. I tell Kyle all the time that it is not the act of going to mass by myself that I hate, but the lack of spiritual unity. I grew up as a Italian Catholic so mass was more about bring the whole family together and maybe learn some religious stuff.

    Becky don’t take what Kyle says about you in a negative light. You managed to raise the perfect man for me and that is all that matters in the end. Plus, Kyle may have gotten a few things wrong cause he was trying to remember stuff that was 25 years ago.

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