I grew up in a cult. It was heaven — and hell. | Lilia Tarawa | TEDxChristchurch
Translator: Thành H. Châu
Reviewer: Peter van de Ven I grew up in a valley on the West coast
of New Zealand’s South Island. Imagine the wildest,
most beautiful valley you’ve ever seen. Lush bush that merges from foothills
into fertile farmland, cut through by pristine rivers
that snake down from the alps above. And a lake that sparkles
like polished glass while the rainbows write color in the sky. I grew up in the
Gloriavale Christian Community. Five hundred men, women, and children living together and following
the doctrines of Jesus Christ. My grandfather was my hero because he brought us to this land and founded the community I loved. Purchasing the two farms
on either side of the river was a smart move for our group. We’d migrated from the East coast
and needed livelihood. I arrived at six weeks old,
strapped on my papa’s back to what would be home
for the first eighteen years of my life. My cousins and childhood friends
were like brothers and sisters to me. We did everything together. Camping was one of our favorite pastimes. We snuggled in sleeping bags
underneath the stars and cooked damper on campfire ashes. Now, earlier today we were asked to recall
our happiest childhood memory. My favorite is celebration day. Imagine the coolest party
you ever attended as a child. My cousins, my friends, and I would gorge ourselves on pink candy floss
and drink way too much sugary soda. There were clowns on stilts, back-rides behind tractors, three-legged races, and a plane that flew over
to drop lollies from the sky. The men built us a hydro slide
and a flying fox. And on these days, my granddad would decree a day off work
for the entire community. So the women stopped
working in the kitchen, and the men came,
enough to form a festival. And it was all free. We didn’t pay for it,
because we didn’t earn wages. We didn’t work for money, we worked for the lifestyle and for each other. The money we made in our businesses
was kept in a communal bank account. That bank account
built the hostels we lived in, put clothes on our back, and food in our mouths. And I knew every single person
in my community personally. Not only did I know them, but I knew their husband, their wife, their children
and their grandchildren. We lived in communal hostels. We worked together. We went to school together. We prayed together. I was constantly surrounded
by the people I loved the most. And at night, I’d skip
a couple of meters to my cousin’s room to socialize or play a deck of cards. I loved working with the other girls
in the women’s realm. I loved learning the sew,
knit, spin, and cook. Music was one of my favorite hobbies. We were taught music
in the first year of school, so by the time I was 17, I was competent
on five musical instruments. Think for a moment about a time
you achieved something really important. Remember how it felt. Remember how proud you were in the moment. That probably felt similar to the day
I received my first school report. It was the most exciting
day of my life as a six-year-old. I’d scored excellent grades and even better personal comments
from my school teacher. So you can imagine my excitement
when my grandfather took the school report and read it to the 500 members
of my community at dinner. And then he said,
“We don’t want women like you.” My stomach dropped. I turned bright red. There was air being sucked in my nostrils, but I couldn’t breathe. See, my school teacher had written
in my report a sentence that read, “Lilia demonstrates leadership skills, which could be useful
for when she’s older.” And my grandfather
humiliated me for hours. And this would become
a common theme throughout my life. Afterward, I left the dinning room
a changed six-year-old girl. And what changed was my belief I was worth anything more
than what he sees I was. And as a young girl, I spent the majority of my time
with womenfolk. And because we home-birthed big families, the sight of a pregnant belly
made me feel at home. My mum grew up
with 15 brothers and sisters. I have nine siblings. I was seven years old when I saw a newborn baby
for the first time. I took a scissors with both hands
and snipped the umbilical cord. My cousin was born blue
because the cord was strangling him. So after saving him, the midwife did a trauma
assessment with me because I was 10 years old at the time. And I held my aunt’s hand
when her next girl was delivered on a mattress in the back of a van,
on the way to the nearest hospital. Dad was the active manager
for one of the businesses. My mum was the leader of all the women and ran the entire
domestic realm of Gloriavale. I wanted to be just like her
when I grew up. Her job was demanding and because Dad was
often travelling for business, she needed help raising the children. So I changed dirty nappies, potty-trained, climbed out of bed
in the middle of the night to rock them back to sleep, cleaned up spew, knitted them warm clothes, and helped wean them off breast milk. I couldn’t wait to grow up and marry a man and have his babies. My girl cousin and I
talked about it a lot, so it was a really exciting day for me when I turned twelve and got my period. Because I could finally fulfill
my purpose in life. And by the time I was 14, I knew who I wanted to fulfill
that purpose with. His name was Willing. It would be a worthy marriage. I was the granddaughter
of the church founder, and he was the son of Fervent,
one of the church leaders. And one day I was sitting in class, when Fervent bowled in the door,
dragging Willing by the shoulder. Willing had been disobedient. I don’t remember what he’d done, it could have been that he
combed his hair the wrong way, spoke back to his father, listened to music
he wasn’t allowed to listen to, or read a book
he wasn’t allowed to read. That didn’t matter. The punishment was the same. Willing was ordered to bend over
and pull down his pants. And my stomach rolled when Fervent pulled out the leather belt. We were then told to watch as Fervent beat Willing with it, and I refused to look; instead, I stared down at my desk
and whispered, “Please God, make it stop.” Please make it stop. In that moment, my respect for Fervent’s leadership imploded. I knew what he was doing was wrong. They taught us so much
about the love of God that as I watched Fervent beat his son, I thought that’s not love. And it wasn’t love even though after Fervent
had finished beating his son, he hugged him and told him he loved him. That’s not love. I became suspicious of the laws
we were being taught. “Spare the rod, spoil the child,”
the leaders said. My blood boiled when one wife
brought her child to me and showed me the blue welt
on the toddler’s back. I gritted my teeth, “How can anyone
call themselves a Christian and treat a child that way?” “How can any parent
treat a child that way?” My friend Jubilant wasn’t spoiled. He was born into one of the least
privileged families in our society with no connection to leadership circles. He was the jokester of our class, always saying witty things
to make us laugh. Imagine your brother, one of your children, your nephew and niece, your daughter, the one who makes everyone laugh, the clown, that was Jubilant. And one day at soccer, Jubilant made one too many jokes. And when our teacher Nathaniel
began to punch and kick him, my stomach rolled again. The game froze, and we looked on horrified, and I thought Nathaniel would stop. But he didn’t. He forced Jubilant to walk from the soccer field
to the main building, all the while punching and kicking him. And Jubilant was sobbing, raising his hands to shield
his head from the blows. And I thought surely Nathaniel would be dismissed
as our school teacher. But the next day, he was back
in the classroom with us. And I thought, “What’s wrong with the people
running this place? I don’t want to have children here.” Not wanting children
was a sin that was forbidden. My best friend Grace
was an unwanted child. Her mother had given her up at birth, and her adoptive parents shipped her
from the U.S to our community, hoping that good influence
would set her straight. Excuse me. She was a chocolate-skinned Mexican girl who arrived in Gloriavale when she was 13, just three years older than me. I loved that girl more than life. She giggled lots and made me fell safe. So we became best friends and spent as many moments
as we could together. And Grace brought personal possessions
from the outside world: music, jewelry, makeup. These were forbidden. And seeing them for the first time made
Grace all the more special in my eyes. Her rebellious spirit inspired me. And over the years, Grace would be punished many times because she refused to be controlled. She was 20 when she came to me and told me the leaders had ordered her
marriage to a man she didn’t love. She was sobbing, trembling, tears were streaming down her cheeks. In desperation, she’d packed her bags, hidden them under a tree, called a friend on the outside
to come rescue her, but she was discovered, taken before an inquisition
of 20 men seated in a small room, condemned, forced to confess she was evil, forced to phone her outside family
and say she didn’t want to leave anymore. And I thought, “Fuck them. No one tells my best friend what to do.” So I wrapped my arms
around her and I said, “Don’t listen to them. You do what you believe is right.” Thankfully, her adoptive parents came through. They phoned Gloriavale and threatened to send in the police
if Grace wasn’t allowed to leave. The next day, she was gone. And she now lives happily in Canada. Excuse me. After the incident with Grace, I knew I had to leave too, or I would be forced
to marry a man I didn’t love. And I knew I had to take
my little sisters with me, or the same thing would happen to them. I had one foot out the door already. When I was 11, my oldest sibling ran away. When I was 13, my next oldest sibling ran away. When I was 17, my younger brother threatened to leave. I didn’t know it at the time,
but my parents were ready to leave too. But they couldn’t bear the thought
of losing another child. They were waiting for me to come around
so we could stay together. After what happened to Grace, I was ready to go. I left Gloriavale with my entire family
less than a year after Grace had. And after I left the cult, I became obsessed with learning
everything I could about human behavior because I thought, “If I can understand
myself and others better, I can protect myself, I can make sure no one ever
takes advantage of me ever again.” And as I wrote the story of my life
in a religious cult, I realized the leaders of Gloriavale used cruel tactics
to control and manipulate me. They began by using shame to degrade me in front of
the people I loved. It started with my grandfather
publicly disgracing me for my six-year-old report card. His action sends a clear message
of who’s in charge. We all knew what would happen
to people who dared Christian authority. But it didn’t end there, they began using guilt
to degrade my self-worth. When I was a child, they told me every day I was a worthless sinner. It was my fault. I was evil. I was the one to blame. When people treated me badly
I thought I deserved it. I struggled to think correct for myself because I was always second-guessing: What if it is my fault? What if I am to blame? Now, they may have beaten me down, but they messed up
when they mistreated the people I loved. My fury towards the injustices
suffered by Grace, Jubilant, and Willing gave me the strength
I hadn’t been able to muster for myself. I couldn’t stand by and watch
someone I loved wrongly suffer. Love for others broke
the chains that shackled me. But why was I willing
to love them and not myself? Eventually, I realized that if … I could learn to love myself the way I loved Willing, the way I love Jubilant and Grace, the way I love my little sisters, then I wouldn’t take anyone’s bullshit. So I asked, What does it mean to love myself? What does it mean to love myself so fully that if anyone ever tries
to shame me again, I am the first to stand up for myself. I don’t have all the answers,
but I’ve come a long way. And I’ve come to realize that my six-year-old
report card was bang-on. (Laughter) (Applause) And my grandfather
was terrified of strong women. (Laughter) I’m a strong woman. I’m a leader. Today I know my leadership skills are priceless. I used them to leave the church and find my own way
in the world that, honestly, still scares the living hell out of me. I used them when I was 23
to run a business and to write a book
that teaches others what’s possible. Now at 27 years old, I’m using them to stand here
with you today. I use them every day
to remind my six-year-old self she can do anything she wants to do and to never let anyone
tell her otherwise. Thank you. (Applause) (Cheers)
she seems like a zombie or like she's acting
Youtube is recommending the wildest TED talks to me lately. I dig it.
As a Christian, and as a professional in the mental health field, I know that spiritual abuse is very real, insidious, and can be tremendously traumatizing. The most repugnant things are often done in the name of God, and satan is delighted when we group cults in with sound Christian doctrine.
I'm glad to see she overcame the trauma. When reading her website, I'm sad to see her referring to "the universe" as a cosmic, guiding force, instead of God. I also see her mentioning looking to Deepak Chopra for guidance. It appears that satan has had a victory – turning her from Christ. I hope this is an ostensible, or at the very least a temporary, outcome.
what does beating children even accomplish to these people?
Nothing I love more than a chocolate skinned Mexican girl.
Yep, this is how a cult is. A roller coaster whose agenda is to keep you guessing.
'Christian'…are you sure it is a CHRISTIAN church?!! This church seems joyful and peaceful, but only ppl who experienced the life know the pain.
Wow I so enjoyed that
Abuse and discipline are often confused.
My father far from being Christian was very abusive.
Christ himself taught The children were to be cherished above all things!
He said it would be better for someone to tie a millstone around their neck and drown themselves in the depths of the sea if they offend one of these little ones!
There needs to be discipline without abuse, Training without Tyranny!
Omg her voice 😍
I grew up in a cult in Calif and it greatly affected my family, the book that helped me the most to gain clarity is "The Mind of the Bible Believer" by Edmund Cohen who got 'saved' at a Calvary Chapel in CA and describes his brainwashing and eventual recovery..
SHE IS AMAZING!
I was feeling great until 5:00. Then the tears started rolling. Was not expecting to cry on Youtube today. This speech was powerful.
I don't know if they still have corporal punishment in New Zealand. But they have it right across America in Christian schools. In 2019!!!
Belt is nothing my dad beat me with a poker, 4 years later , when I was 15, I broke my dad's arm with the poker, my mother screamed shes calling police . she didn't. I said next time, dad is going in the ground, i kept the poker. I said dont eat any of my dinners again
Christianity is a cult. Galatians 3:13 curses jesus, while 2 corinthians 4:4 says satan in god.
Stay away from christianity, jesus didnt preach it. Jesus was circumsized, and kept the sabbath, why would he preach a new testement that he physically didn't embody?? Paul says circumsision isnt needed while book of genesis says it is an eternal symbol of the covenent that should not be broken. Its sad to see people only read parts of scripture that suit their lifestyle. The Christians i speak to don't even know that paul curses jesus because their priests won't show them tbose passages.
Damn, this was hard to watch…
She creepy
To be honest, i am so sad about the fact that the happy things about this place was crushed due to the abuse. What she describes, having a comunity, working for the lifestyle and eachother, and living so close to nature seems amazing! Why do all these cults that start off like this end up beeing so ruined by toxic beliefs? Has no one ever been able to start a comunity where people actually onlh have love to spread and not abuse??
Reminds me of the movie ‘Midsommar’
i saw the title and said that was me! i hear her story and so it wasn't me–it was worse. but I know others in the cult i grew up in (Jehovah's witnesses) weren't so lucky they were beaten and molested. I just refused to stay where you had to think like everyone else. unfortunately I can't leave this world as it has become think like me or you aren't loving. SORRY that isn't how it works. you can live and think how you want, but I HAVE THE SAME RIGHT TO BELIEVE the total opposite if i choose to!
Did this girl do an AMA? I recently read something like this, they seem similar.
Always question authority? Even if the authority claims to be righteous! Never stop questioning! If they can't answer your questions reasonably, then you question yourself on why you are so weak to put up with their authority.
Well, she gets on my nerves. I don't like her over dramatization. She is too emotional, You would think that she would have gotten over her experiences and behave more maturely. Now, she thinks she could be a leader to us all. No thanks! Seriously, she is just too much for me.
I saw the title and thought it was a talk about feminism.
How can she keep going without crying? I can’t finish a sentence without sobbing
Welcome to religion
@4:20 I got sad🥺
Let people think that their will is the will as a "creator of the universe" and this is just one example of the kind of horrible things they'll do to others. If you believe your opinions are that of a 'god', what won't you do? My heart goes out to her, a victim of people with that very mindset.
Sounds like the Jehovah’s Witnesses
Satan’s organization on earth
Yeah, I'm 3 minutes in and I can see this is going to be good..I mean bad!
Her cult.. is present all around the globe. It's just that people don't realize it.
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At first i thought she was a dude with that visible broad shoulders.
So many similarities in cults… all about power imbalance, shame tactics, humiliation, emotional and/or physical abuse, control, and manipulation. Some of what she spoke about reminded me of The Handmaid's Tale. It reminded me of the Pentecostal cult that I also grew up in.
Who else is rewatching?
That crying is so fake it's unwatchable. This girl does not feel what she pretends to feel.
14:20 bottom left
LOOK AT THAT PERSON WITH A TISSUE! MY HEART- 💓💓💓
I'm so sorry you went through that you didn't deserve any of it. The messages they sent you were false and abusive. God loves you so much and the way they treat you wasn't at all godly or representative of the love Christ truly has for you , I'm glad you managed to escape that awful cultist society and find happiness. I hope you have a long and happy life , God bless you and your family.
Good actress!
Wait. I’m on board until she mentioned Willem’s father whipping him. It’s said she doesn’t know why so we have to ask the question, why? As parents we have to make on the fly decisions and those who see the outcome and don’t see the why, like here, can’t possibly decide the punishment. I’m not for abusing children but a parents reasoning cannot be superseded by an audience! Love isn’t always pleasant. As a parent I was only able to learn what it means. On the cult side, it’s a no brainer obviously! When did ted talks become usual media?
And these jackass bastards call themselves christians? They don't know anything about christianity. I hope their cult is shattered completely and as many as possible learn the errors of the system they live under.
All potential Cult leaders require an audience. Think about it.
sounds like another anti christian trope
notice how she plays the victim. the whole way. she never mentions God, or Jesus. very suspicious. she seems like she could be a writer or a great actor/actress
hmmm, that's it? a belt? and a hug after? She probably doesn't know about China
Damn this sounds kinda like my life lol, people leaving and beating and stuff lol. I feel fine though. lol ….
he got belted that is normal do the wrong thing you get smacked hit I was flogged every single day with a belt a huge wooden spoon cord a knife a branch there was times I could not go too school cos of the marks discipline is good for you from my father or mother
👏🏼
Her instantaneous emotion switches are priceless too.
What a touching story, I hope she's doing well
I was bullied at school for 11 years for bring a girl. Girls weren't allowed to be expressive. They wanted us to be like a robot. Some did turn into fake robots at the end, but I didn't want to be fake. I got into alot of troubles with the teachers, students and the principle. They even considered using violence as a way to control us. I was a target because I wanted to know the reason behind their rules.
wow she is stunning, I could listen to her all day
Proper Parenting is at the end of a Belt.
i feel like shane dawson needs to give her a series
Woman on the right side of the screen was REJECTED 14:19
What a sad misrepresentation of the name of Jesus Christ
salutes u mam n feel proud to hear such a gr8 person like u😘🤗
"Not wanting a child is sin and cannot be forgiven"?!
Where did the Bible say that?
She doesn't look like the girl in the thumbnail
I don't know why, but she reminds me of jacob collier 😮
Dorky girl
Ridiculous
This is hard to listen to. The severe swings in mood are disconcerting.
Brave on you…
It makes me violently sick and angry to know that people treat children this way.
Sounded like mormonism across the pond.
Can you please give subtitles with this video
IM SO HAPPY FOR HER
She should have reported all this child abuse to the police, and work hard to get this horrid, abusive dictatorship shut down!
I am heartbroken by this story but I am encouraged that this beautiful lady was able to get away.
Cults ARE NOT Christian
Cults ARE NOT biblical
Christ teaches love, compassion and grace. This story proves and evidences the bible's warning about FALSE TEACHERS who distort the truth for power and personal gain.
PROSTITUTES AND DRUGS AND PRISON
Truly the most brilliant practical business idea ever invented – to carry on business with ZERO investment. Truly fantastic. Of course thanks to God's free gift.
With some training in the craft of writing – God's online posts are the easiest and best teaching – could write exciting authentic erotic bestsellers from genuine first hand experience. An even better option is to write short books and articles on how to have terrific s. (I am not being Sarcastic. Can't I write anything for God's sake without being suspected of Sarcasm?)
I have heard that taking drugs like LSD etc. can make one have out of world experiences such as the feeling of floating in the air (as related to Me many years ago by a cousin brother who used to take ganja as a young college student).
G
What's wrong with being in prison? Free food. No rent to pay. Protection. Having new friends. It's all about how you look at things. Half empty – or half full?!! – G
Making a mountain out of a mole hill. What on earth does that mean?
All are pr. – overtly or covertly – actually or virtually. No big deal. – G
"Please for God's sake what on earth are these stunning words overtly and covertly and what on earth is virtually – no pr. has her room full of big dictionaries please. Pr. use v. – pr. can do without any dictionary."
Esoteric words are sometimes used by One to avoid being Rude and Blunt.
"Esoteric." Gosh.
G
I recommend changing the speed of this to 1.5
Often hear stories about people from certain religion or cult whatever you wanna call it. (It’s almost the same just lower numbers of followers) like if types of events only occurs in places like this but the true is that the whole world is plagued with the horrors of humanity
This is why I think religion is a plague that should be ended because it allows people to do horrible things to others and justify it with their so called “higher power”
What an act
Go girl
Always love watching an Empath. You could tell she feels things deeply and that shows in the way she tells her stories. All those emotions on her face!
This video is awkwardly beautiful
I was thinking about how nice her grandad seemed until I wasn’t anymore…
grow up in Amstrongism and you wuy will a cult
A lot of people have worse childhoods than this.
Bless her. That God gave her the strength to talk about her struggles ❤️
Guys… dont mess with this one… shes got crazy in her eyes….
daddy issues cult club, jeez!
that woman willing to give her a napkin at 14:18 sweet:)
Has she filmed a skincare routine anywhere
I like these talks but please give these speakers a bottle of water so they aren't talking with semi-moist dry mouth the entire time. I'll send you 3 bucks if you hand her a bottle of water.
It sounds like communism
Choclutte Skeen Meatxican girl
People clam to be many things that they are NOT. I hope that didn't shock you.
These people are not Christians. Please don't base Christianity on what you went through. I'm so sorry that was your experience. I hope you won't throw away investigating a relationship with Jesus. I'm so glad you made it out of there. ❤️
She grew up near a LIKE in the WEEST of NZ.
What kind of accent is that of hers?
Bro she got legs bro
So are the hutterites a cult too
Wow this description of her cult seems eerily similar to these "socialist utopians" I always hear spoused by leftist wack jobs
Not gonna lie she's giving me crazy lady vibes
Keep on beautiful spirit!!! Speak! Silence kills the spirit. Blessings to you.
She has bitterness behind her act… i mean she hasnt gotten out of the abuse in this video..
An abuse becomes abuser.. unless they work on it