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I Fired God: My Life Inside—and Escape from—the Secret World of the Independent Fundamental Baptist Cult
A compelling memoir and investigation into the Independent Fundamental Baptist church and its shocking history of religious abuse.
Jocelyn Zichterman was born, raised, married into, and finally, with her family, fled the Independent Fundamental Baptist church. Founded by the fiery preacher Bob Jones, with several hundred thousand, IFB members are told they must not associate with members of other Baptist denominations and evangelicals, with an emphasis on secrecy, insular marriages within the church, a subservience for women, and unusual child raising practices.
In I Fired God, Jocelyn Zichterman blows the lid off the IFB's disturbing history, exposing a cult-like atmosphere of corruption, greed, and abuse. Having been initiated into its innermost circles, Zichterman knows that the gentle demeanor America sees in the form of the Duggar clan on 19 Kids and Counting disguises the truth about the darker side of the church.
With written documentation and sources so thorough that law enforcement has used her work as a foundation for criminal prosecutions, Zichterman exposes the IFB with revelations including:
The disturbing world of abuse within the IFB and doctors and teachers who cater exclusively to church members and fail to report physical and sexual abuse
The IFB-controlled Bob Jones University, which issues worthless degrees while making vast sums of money for its founders
The way the IFB influences politics on the local, state, and national level, and protects its abusive culture under the constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion
Jocelyn Zichterman was born, raised, married into, and finally, with her family, fled the Independent Fundamental Baptist church. Founded by the fiery preacher Bob Jones, with several hundred thousand, IFB members are told they must not associate with members of other Baptist denominations and evangelicals, with an emphasis on secrecy, insular marriages within the church, a subservience for women, and unusual child raising practices.
In I Fired God, Jocelyn Zichterman blows the lid off the IFB's disturbing history, exposing a cult-like atmosphere of corruption, greed, and abuse. Having been initiated into its innermost circles, Zichterman knows that the gentle demeanor America sees in the form of the Duggar clan on 19 Kids and Counting disguises the truth about the darker side of the church.
With written documentation and sources so thorough that law enforcement has used her work as a foundation for criminal prosecutions, Zichterman exposes the IFB with revelations including:
The disturbing world of abuse within the IFB and doctors and teachers who cater exclusively to church members and fail to report physical and sexual abuse
The IFB-controlled Bob Jones University, which issues worthless degrees while making vast sums of money for its founders
The way the IFB influences politics on the local, state, and national level, and protects its abusive culture under the constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion
293 pages, Hardcover
First published March 12, 2013
163 people are currently reading
3301 people want to read
About the author
Jocelyn R. Zichterman
1 book14 followersJocelyn Zichterman is an abuse advocate and whistleblower fighting against the IFB Church. She is the author of the book I Fired God: My Life Inside---and Escape From---the Secret World of the Independent Fundamental Baptist Cult. Zichterman was a critical source and interview for the ABC News 20/20 investigative hour Shattered Faith as well as the "Ungodly Discipline" series featured on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360. She has also been a source for The New York Times and The Huffington Post, among many other publications. Jocelyn lives in Oregon with her husband and eight children.
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May 23, 2013
Being raised as a fundamentalist we were taught that we were the only ones who were right. Those who worshipped God differently, well they were just wrong. ALL of them were wrong and deceived. We were raised (particularly the females) to dress separately from "the world" in order to let our light shine. We were told others would see us and want what we have...strong emphasis on our appearance. Mainly we could only wear skirts or dresses but many pastors and churches would take it much further to restrict short hair on women, preach against logos or writing on your tee shirt if it crossed the breast area (drawing male attention to look at you there!) The list of rules was miles long.
At first glance the title of this book might be abrasive to someone if they are a Christian. However, what the author of the book is conveying is that she fired the God of her youth. The God that was ready to pounce and catch you doing something wrong. That God is not the God of love that wants to embrace you. She fired the man-made God that fundamentalism had created with all its contradictions and punishments.
It wasn't until my mid adulthood that I realized for years I had been that Pharisee of the Bible times. I had worn my robes, prayed and done many good deeds, attended church and followed the rules. I was also very judgmental.
I first "met" Jocelyn Zichterman via the Internet on her support group prior to the 20/20 special that was aired a few years ago. Her leadership in that group was extremely helpful to me in working through painful issues that result from being raised as a fundamentalist. You never are fully disconnected because you have dear family and friends who remain in this culture. But with many others today I can say, yes I AM FREE!!! Happy, well, and thriving.
At first glance the title of this book might be abrasive to someone if they are a Christian. However, what the author of the book is conveying is that she fired the God of her youth. The God that was ready to pounce and catch you doing something wrong. That God is not the God of love that wants to embrace you. She fired the man-made God that fundamentalism had created with all its contradictions and punishments.
It wasn't until my mid adulthood that I realized for years I had been that Pharisee of the Bible times. I had worn my robes, prayed and done many good deeds, attended church and followed the rules. I was also very judgmental.
I first "met" Jocelyn Zichterman via the Internet on her support group prior to the 20/20 special that was aired a few years ago. Her leadership in that group was extremely helpful to me in working through painful issues that result from being raised as a fundamentalist. You never are fully disconnected because you have dear family and friends who remain in this culture. But with many others today I can say, yes I AM FREE!!! Happy, well, and thriving.
March 13, 2014
Zichterman's book does not portray both sides of the story. Here are a few of my thoughts after reading her book (although definitely not all of them!):
I agree that abuse is horrible and should be reported to the proper authorities. However, Zichterman makes it sound as if all independent Baptist churches are full of abusive, horrible parents who always cover up abuse. I grew up in a great church with wonderful, caring teachers and pastors. I know my church is committed to reporting abuse whenever they are aware of it. My parents spanked me, but it was never "brutal," nor done out of anger, as Jocelyn describes her experiences.
I was home schooled and had an excellent education, received a degree from Bob Jones University, and had no trouble receiving a state teaching license in Arizona. Zichterman makes it sound as if all degrees from Bob Jones are worthless. I know BJU grads who received jobs with public school systems, the Mayo Clinic, and prestigious accounting firms right after graduation.
Zichterman states that "a woman's life in the IFB is one of subservience. At the age of three or four, many girls receive their first aprons and start learning to cook, sew, clean, and manage the home to perfection . . . From the time we could speak, my sisters and I learned that our place was below the boys' - and we accepted it." This is ludicrous! I can't think of one person who gave their three-year-old cooking lessons! While the women in my church do respect and honor their husbands, they are well-respected, many of them have great jobs, and I wouldn't describe any of them as living in "subservience." The men in the Baptist churches I have attended treated their wives wonderfully, and never belittled them or treated them in the way Jocelyn describes "IFB" women are treated.
When speaking of marriage, Zichterman claims "a woman has no real free will in the cult. She might be desperately in love with a man who proposes to her, but unless her father and the other men in her family consent to the union, she normally can't accept him." She talks about how women are practically forced into marriages with men they don't love because it's "God's will." I cannot think of one friend of mine who was pressured into marrying someone she did not love.
In speaking of the Home School Legal Defense Association, Zichterman writes that "HSLDA is diametrically opposed to the idea of oversight and the group seems to bend over backward to accommodate abusers." HSLDA exists to "defend and advance the constitutional right of parents to direct the education of their children and to protect family freedoms." They do not promote abuse!
The church I am apart of would be considered "independent" and "fundamental" However, it would not support Bill Gothard, Jack Hyles, or Westboro Baptist Church. Unfortunately, Zichterman lumps all these groups together as one-in-the-same.
Often, Zichterman refers tritely to people being "born-again" or "asking Jesus into their heart." She never mentions what the Gospel really is - the good news that Christ died for our sins and took the penalty of our sins upon Himself, and that we can have a personal relationship with Him through faith in Christ. At the end of the book, she says, "I know for sure that She/He/Energy/Source/The Divine is good, loving, kind, and compassionate."
Later, when speaking of her change to liberal politics and her work on the Obama campaign, Zichtmerman says, "I took a pro-choice and pro-gay marriage position and have never faltered in my political positions on either." These views are obviously anti-biblical. It is clear that Jocelyn does not have a problem with just "fundamentalism," but with Christianity as a whole.
I agree that abuse is horrible and should be reported to the proper authorities. However, Zichterman makes it sound as if all independent Baptist churches are full of abusive, horrible parents who always cover up abuse. I grew up in a great church with wonderful, caring teachers and pastors. I know my church is committed to reporting abuse whenever they are aware of it. My parents spanked me, but it was never "brutal," nor done out of anger, as Jocelyn describes her experiences.
I was home schooled and had an excellent education, received a degree from Bob Jones University, and had no trouble receiving a state teaching license in Arizona. Zichterman makes it sound as if all degrees from Bob Jones are worthless. I know BJU grads who received jobs with public school systems, the Mayo Clinic, and prestigious accounting firms right after graduation.
Zichterman states that "a woman's life in the IFB is one of subservience. At the age of three or four, many girls receive their first aprons and start learning to cook, sew, clean, and manage the home to perfection . . . From the time we could speak, my sisters and I learned that our place was below the boys' - and we accepted it." This is ludicrous! I can't think of one person who gave their three-year-old cooking lessons! While the women in my church do respect and honor their husbands, they are well-respected, many of them have great jobs, and I wouldn't describe any of them as living in "subservience." The men in the Baptist churches I have attended treated their wives wonderfully, and never belittled them or treated them in the way Jocelyn describes "IFB" women are treated.
When speaking of marriage, Zichterman claims "a woman has no real free will in the cult. She might be desperately in love with a man who proposes to her, but unless her father and the other men in her family consent to the union, she normally can't accept him." She talks about how women are practically forced into marriages with men they don't love because it's "God's will." I cannot think of one friend of mine who was pressured into marrying someone she did not love.
In speaking of the Home School Legal Defense Association, Zichterman writes that "HSLDA is diametrically opposed to the idea of oversight and the group seems to bend over backward to accommodate abusers." HSLDA exists to "defend and advance the constitutional right of parents to direct the education of their children and to protect family freedoms." They do not promote abuse!
The church I am apart of would be considered "independent" and "fundamental" However, it would not support Bill Gothard, Jack Hyles, or Westboro Baptist Church. Unfortunately, Zichterman lumps all these groups together as one-in-the-same.
Often, Zichterman refers tritely to people being "born-again" or "asking Jesus into their heart." She never mentions what the Gospel really is - the good news that Christ died for our sins and took the penalty of our sins upon Himself, and that we can have a personal relationship with Him through faith in Christ. At the end of the book, she says, "I know for sure that She/He/Energy/Source/The Divine is good, loving, kind, and compassionate."
Later, when speaking of her change to liberal politics and her work on the Obama campaign, Zichtmerman says, "I took a pro-choice and pro-gay marriage position and have never faltered in my political positions on either." These views are obviously anti-biblical. It is clear that Jocelyn does not have a problem with just "fundamentalism," but with Christianity as a whole.
October 19, 2016
I live ten miles up the road from Bob Jones University, and the many varieties of baptists were never as rampant until we moved to South Carolina. So it was surprising to read this book, about a woman leaving the independent fundamentalist Baptist variety of Christianity tied directly to the far-reaching empire of Bob Jones, which I requested via interlibrary loan from the library at Bob Jones. Even though it came with a disclaimer sticker, I'm still shocked they have a copy there. It is very damning of their brand of religion. Indeed, indeed.
Jocelyn Zichterman spent her childhood being emotionally and sexually abused by family members, and then emotionally abused and controlled by church leaders. Control is the name of the game. If "independent fundamentalist Baptist" doesn't immediately ring a bell, it is the author's title for the group of churches with ties to Bob Jones, who claim to be independent but instead bear out a rather cult-like existence where a central man and his friends can make or break your entire existence. The ties started to become too close to comfort when I saw the name of a Christian College my Mom and others in my church had attended, when I saw the same home-school/private-school curriculum used by my sisters (I went to public school), when I realized that all those ways that this seemed close to my upbringing might be for good reason. What if "independent Christian church" is just another name for this same animal? When you claim to be independent, if one church body suffers, the rest don't go down with it. So who holds the power?
In the end, the reason this branch of denominations is labeled a cult by the author comes down to control. How they use belief to isolate their members. I used to sing with a woman, an adult, who grew up on the BJU campus (her parents were professors), attended BJU, and now works at BJU as a professor. Who has to get permission to wear pants in public even if it is part of a musical uniform. It is often a sign of religious fundamentalism when the women start having their clothing choices dictated to them. It isn't always associated with Christianity but it is there. I remember the colleges I looked into applying to, those on the approved list, and how I took half of them off the list immediately when seeing their dress code rules. I did not go to a sanctioned bible college that my church endorsed, and I felt the stigma. I already hadn't gone to their sanctioned private school, and now I was not going to go be trained to be a minister's wife? I was doomed.
For most people, my university, a small evangelical Quaker liberal arts university (heavy on evangelical in policy making and code of conduct) would have been way too conservative. No dancing, no drinking, no R rated movies. But they taught real biology and earth science, alongside required chapel and bible classes.
Imagine my amazement when I get to the point in this story where the author has to go back to school after her husband and eight children leave the church. They discover that Bob Jones University degrees only mean something if you live in the world of Bob Jones University, and that their tales of moral uprightness that doesn't allow them to be accredited actually means that PhDs from their institution don't allow you to teach anywhere else, and MA in counseling degrees don't allow you to practice counseling outside of their landscape. So the author ends up at the same institution I went to, which apparently is a stepping stone away from fundamentalism. At the writing of the book, 2013, she is in fact still very religious. She has not fired God but she has fired fundamentalism. So the title was the equivalent of bookstore click-bait. But it might be that her journey has just begun.
ETA: Fundamentalism in the news
Jocelyn Zichterman spent her childhood being emotionally and sexually abused by family members, and then emotionally abused and controlled by church leaders. Control is the name of the game. If "independent fundamentalist Baptist" doesn't immediately ring a bell, it is the author's title for the group of churches with ties to Bob Jones, who claim to be independent but instead bear out a rather cult-like existence where a central man and his friends can make or break your entire existence. The ties started to become too close to comfort when I saw the name of a Christian College my Mom and others in my church had attended, when I saw the same home-school/private-school curriculum used by my sisters (I went to public school), when I realized that all those ways that this seemed close to my upbringing might be for good reason. What if "independent Christian church" is just another name for this same animal? When you claim to be independent, if one church body suffers, the rest don't go down with it. So who holds the power?
In the end, the reason this branch of denominations is labeled a cult by the author comes down to control. How they use belief to isolate their members. I used to sing with a woman, an adult, who grew up on the BJU campus (her parents were professors), attended BJU, and now works at BJU as a professor. Who has to get permission to wear pants in public even if it is part of a musical uniform. It is often a sign of religious fundamentalism when the women start having their clothing choices dictated to them. It isn't always associated with Christianity but it is there. I remember the colleges I looked into applying to, those on the approved list, and how I took half of them off the list immediately when seeing their dress code rules. I did not go to a sanctioned bible college that my church endorsed, and I felt the stigma. I already hadn't gone to their sanctioned private school, and now I was not going to go be trained to be a minister's wife? I was doomed.
For most people, my university, a small evangelical Quaker liberal arts university (heavy on evangelical in policy making and code of conduct) would have been way too conservative. No dancing, no drinking, no R rated movies. But they taught real biology and earth science, alongside required chapel and bible classes.
Imagine my amazement when I get to the point in this story where the author has to go back to school after her husband and eight children leave the church. They discover that Bob Jones University degrees only mean something if you live in the world of Bob Jones University, and that their tales of moral uprightness that doesn't allow them to be accredited actually means that PhDs from their institution don't allow you to teach anywhere else, and MA in counseling degrees don't allow you to practice counseling outside of their landscape. So the author ends up at the same institution I went to, which apparently is a stepping stone away from fundamentalism. At the writing of the book, 2013, she is in fact still very religious. She has not fired God but she has fired fundamentalism. So the title was the equivalent of bookstore click-bait. But it might be that her journey has just begun.
ETA: Fundamentalism in the news
July 9, 2014
So, this is a hard book to review. On one hand, it was interesting reading a book written about the cult I grew up in for the first time. It contained a lot of emotional triggers for me, bringing up some things I thought I had dealt with but that made me realize I hadn't. But on the other hand, it was not very well written. I would probably never recommend it to either someone in the IFB cult who is contemplating getting out or as an informative book to introduce someone to what the cult is about because it fails on both levels. Plus, Jocelyn is just not a likeable person, especially if you know about her shenanigans she conveniently leaves out of the book.
Her story did make me realize that for all of the abuse my family and I went through, other people have had and do have it way worse. It is nothing but a blessing that most of the abuse I experienced was only emotional and spiritual. As much as it may have hurt to be personally ridiculed, falsely accused, or condemned by name (yes, all of which happened to me multiple times) during pulpit rants by my ex-pastor, with no opportunity for me to speak up for myself, at least I wasn't the object of calculated and large-scale attempts to ruin my life. As infuriating as it was that my siblings and I got harshly spanked for even the slightest infraction, and the spankings could go on for hours in an effort to break our "sinful wills" (because a little kid being overcome with shyness when someone says "hi" to them and they don't feel like responding, or a toddler who can't stop crying because he's freezing cold and miserable on a rainy autumn camping trip are obviously calculated attempts at extreme rebellion =P), at least we were never beaten bloody or sexually molested. And as frustrating and crazy as my parents could be, at least they have never been psychopaths who require restraining orders.
But I could still relate to so, so much. The isolation, the paranoia, the obsession with conspiracy theories, the extreme Bible twisting, worship of preachers and other "heroes of the faith" instead of Jesus, the emphasis on attacking and judging any Christian who isn't IFB, the harshness and negativity, the guilt and legalism, etc. etc.
I had serious issues with the book though, as mentioned. The biggest one was her lumping Bill Gothard and ATI, the Pearls, the patriarchy and Quiverfull movements, and Vision Forum in with Fundamental Baptists. That's so far from accurate it made my head spin a little. While those groups and movements are just as dangerous and damaging, they are different fundamentalist camps entirely and have different beliefs in some areas. While there may some intermingling and admiration for each other among the different camps, they are NOT the same and to lump them in together in this book was misleading and ignorant. For instance, IFB churches will most likely never send their teens to ATI camps. For one thing, ATI doesn't exalt the same "doctrinal" issues as IFBs, and for another, IFB kids go to IFB church camps and keep the funding in the family. She also overgeneralized a lot of other things. I don't believe that every IFB church is rife with physical and/or sexual abuse, for example.
I also didn't feel Mrs. Zichterman did a very thorough and organized job explaining the key beliefs held by the IFB and how they twist the Bible in order to support them. Anyone without personal experience with the IFB would probably be confused and unsure as to how anyone would even be attracted to this movement. I'm guessing part of this is due to her abandonment of the Christian faith--it probably wasn't very important to her to show what is wrong with the way they choose to treat and interpret the Bible.
One last quibble I had: I resented her slight implication that anyone who leaves fundamentalism would naturally flow into becoming a political and/or religious liberal. Because that isn't true. I have no issue with someone believing differently from me on things, but the way she talked about her new worldview just rubbed me the wrong way.
Overall, I'm not sorry I read the book. As a memoir it is harrowing and fascinating. But my impression after finishing is that her emotions are still riding too high from her experiences to write either an excellent memoir or a withering and thorough expose on the IFB movement. My advice to her would've been to stick to one or the other, and wait a few more years.
Her story did make me realize that for all of the abuse my family and I went through, other people have had and do have it way worse. It is nothing but a blessing that most of the abuse I experienced was only emotional and spiritual. As much as it may have hurt to be personally ridiculed, falsely accused, or condemned by name (yes, all of which happened to me multiple times) during pulpit rants by my ex-pastor, with no opportunity for me to speak up for myself, at least I wasn't the object of calculated and large-scale attempts to ruin my life. As infuriating as it was that my siblings and I got harshly spanked for even the slightest infraction, and the spankings could go on for hours in an effort to break our "sinful wills" (because a little kid being overcome with shyness when someone says "hi" to them and they don't feel like responding, or a toddler who can't stop crying because he's freezing cold and miserable on a rainy autumn camping trip are obviously calculated attempts at extreme rebellion =P), at least we were never beaten bloody or sexually molested. And as frustrating and crazy as my parents could be, at least they have never been psychopaths who require restraining orders.
But I could still relate to so, so much. The isolation, the paranoia, the obsession with conspiracy theories, the extreme Bible twisting, worship of preachers and other "heroes of the faith" instead of Jesus, the emphasis on attacking and judging any Christian who isn't IFB, the harshness and negativity, the guilt and legalism, etc. etc.
I had serious issues with the book though, as mentioned. The biggest one was her lumping Bill Gothard and ATI, the Pearls, the patriarchy and Quiverfull movements, and Vision Forum in with Fundamental Baptists. That's so far from accurate it made my head spin a little. While those groups and movements are just as dangerous and damaging, they are different fundamentalist camps entirely and have different beliefs in some areas. While there may some intermingling and admiration for each other among the different camps, they are NOT the same and to lump them in together in this book was misleading and ignorant. For instance, IFB churches will most likely never send their teens to ATI camps. For one thing, ATI doesn't exalt the same "doctrinal" issues as IFBs, and for another, IFB kids go to IFB church camps and keep the funding in the family. She also overgeneralized a lot of other things. I don't believe that every IFB church is rife with physical and/or sexual abuse, for example.
I also didn't feel Mrs. Zichterman did a very thorough and organized job explaining the key beliefs held by the IFB and how they twist the Bible in order to support them. Anyone without personal experience with the IFB would probably be confused and unsure as to how anyone would even be attracted to this movement. I'm guessing part of this is due to her abandonment of the Christian faith--it probably wasn't very important to her to show what is wrong with the way they choose to treat and interpret the Bible.
One last quibble I had: I resented her slight implication that anyone who leaves fundamentalism would naturally flow into becoming a political and/or religious liberal. Because that isn't true. I have no issue with someone believing differently from me on things, but the way she talked about her new worldview just rubbed me the wrong way.
Overall, I'm not sorry I read the book. As a memoir it is harrowing and fascinating. But my impression after finishing is that her emotions are still riding too high from her experiences to write either an excellent memoir or a withering and thorough expose on the IFB movement. My advice to her would've been to stick to one or the other, and wait a few more years.
April 28, 2013
Much to my surprise, I was contacted by George Witte, Editor-in-Chief at St Martin’s Press and asked to review Jocelyn Zichterman’s new book, I FIRED GOD. After I picked myself up off the floor, I agreed to the request and soon received a review copy.
Anybody familiar with me and the work I have been doing for over a decade will appreciate that there is a certain dilemma that I face in evaluating anything by Jocelyn. I am the victim, unjustly, of a tremendous character assassination campaign that she launched against me in 2011 (http://www.jeriwho.net/jocelyn/). Readers will also know that Jocelyn’s false accusations against me and others, her trickery in getting Facebook group moderators to share passwords with her, her multiple personal accounts under fake names, and her financial mismanagement of the Tina Anderson Foundation fund finally culminated in her former allies and groupies publicly destroying her reputation in a short-lived Facebook Group called “Jocelyn Zichterman Exposed” that was so cruel that even Facebook could not permit it. It was closed down hours after it was started, and I hasten to say I had no part in it.
So there remains a tremendous problem of credibility with Jocelyn. I was aware of that as I read the book, and my review will reflect the doubts I have about anything she says. All the same, St. Martin’s Press is an extremely reputable publisher, and they employ fact checkers, and anybody who would dismiss Jocelyn’s book out of hand because of bad experiences with her should remember that St. Martin’s Press is going to do a great job of verifying as much as can be verified before they let a book go to press. Trust her or not, Jocelyn is an expert on the corruption and scandals of the Independent Fundamental Baptists (IFB). When she's motivated to stick to the facts, she is compelling and enlightening.
The book is very readable, very direct in tone, very easy to read, and a bit of a page turner, for the most part. The structure is a story arc of Jocelyn’s exit from Fundamentalism, populated with anecdotes and commentary from her past.
People who have emerged or are emerging from the IFB will certainly identify with the experiences that she narrates, whether or not the narrative of her personal life is accurate.
I do believe, by the way, that Bart Janz, Jocelyn's father, abused his kids, as Jocelyn alleges in the book. I do think Jocelyn was abused over a long period of time. I have no doubt of that. The individual details of her life that she provides, for me, fall under that umbrella of “This is Jocelyn talking, so be advised it may not be entirely accurate.” But if I look at the account from a long view, I believe it. Bart’s sermons, taken on their own, would show most normal people that he is a brute, at the very least. The book provides excerpts of some of his ranting.
The greatest value of the book, in my opinion, is that Chapters Four and Five walk the reader through most of the extremes and fads of the IFB. All of the following are chronicled in the book, most of them somewhere in Chapters Four and Five:
Absolute authority of the male
Female submission (absolute)
Breaking the will of a child as a goal of parenting
Corporal punishment as a Biblical directive for raising children
Bill Gothard’s teachings
Radical patriotism and right wing politics brought into the church
The church and its private school as a Christian necessity
Homeschooling
No television
Evils of contemporary music
Soul winning as a culture
Apocalyptic teachings/expectations
The Quiverfull movement
Women not working outside the home
Culottes and extreme dress codes
Purity Balls
Anybody who questions the stability and Biblical fidelity of Christian Fundamentalism ought to be able to look at that list, recognize that all of it has played a role in the IFB, and see that the IFB is a mishmash of radical ideas, rather than a disciplined, dedicated system of following Scripture. So I find these chapters to be very effective and inarguable as evidence of the spiritual bankruptcy of the IFB.
Jocelyn also provides an overview of the depraved culture of IFB high school Silver State Christian School (where she was a student for several years). Having chronicled the stream of lies that came from Les Heinze, pastor of Red Rocks Baptist Church, which runs the school, when the Daniel Brock case became public, I believe Jocelyn’s account entirely. Others that were quoted in the local newspapers during the Daniel Brock case also spoke of grossly overbearing and improper sexual content in language and behavior among the students at Silver State.
Finally, Jocelyn’s historical accounts of Who’s Who in Fundamentalism, and her narratives of the abuse cases: Matthew Murray (spree shooter who came from a Homeschool/Gothard background), Zach Scadden (victim), Tina Anderson (victim) and Jack Schaap (perpetrator), are all accurate, in my opinion, at least as far as they go.
Again, where I am unsure is in the details of Jocelyn’s own life. But there is enough in the book that I think is credible, so that it provides a good explanation on why you should leave the IFB and go elsewhere, whatever your beliefs are.
At the end of the book, on pages 248-250, Jocelyn narrates her Facebook history, and she definitely gives the narrative on her terms. She puts herself in the best possible light. Still, readers with a critical eye will recognize that Jocelyn is simply calling anybody who was unsure of following her way of thinking a phony. Jocelyn is her father’s daughter. She dismisses all people who disagreed with her for any reason as a plant, a saboteur, etc. It’s clear that Jocelyn has discovered tolerance, and she is not going to put up with anybody who does not share her view of tolerance. Not only does she not put up with people who disagree with her view of tolerance, she calls them enemies. She sees no irony or contradiction in calling herself tolerant.
As for her character assassination of others who posed no threat to her and were also working on behalf of victims, her trickery to get passwords, her callous use and then rejection of some of her ardent and emotionally needy followers, the Tina Anderson Foundation debacle, her claims to be working with the FBI, Jocelyn does not give these a mention. I would have been surprised if she had.
So is this book worth the price? That depends on the reader. Yes it is informative. Yes there are many credible sections in it. While disagreeing on a few minor conclusions, I think she nails the character of the IFB. So the book could well assist people in departing the IFB and could warn newcomers away to safer churches. But if you already know all of these things, and if you have already read (or experienced) enough abuse accounts so that one more cannot raise your awareness further, you may want to give it a pass. People who have been hurt by Jocelyn will either read the book or ignore it. I doubt my opinion would hold any weight either way for them. This book is going to make a lot of people who have never dealt with Jocelyn trust her, and I feel some concern about that, but if Jocelyn stays true to form, she will ruin her credibility over time. So far, she always has. I hope that nobody gets hurt along the way.
People who have never heard of the IFB may find the book a little confusing at some points, but the tight and vivid narrative of her own life will keep them reading.
Will the book work as means to deter or shrink down the IFB? I don’t know. I hope so.
Anybody familiar with me and the work I have been doing for over a decade will appreciate that there is a certain dilemma that I face in evaluating anything by Jocelyn. I am the victim, unjustly, of a tremendous character assassination campaign that she launched against me in 2011 (http://www.jeriwho.net/jocelyn/). Readers will also know that Jocelyn’s false accusations against me and others, her trickery in getting Facebook group moderators to share passwords with her, her multiple personal accounts under fake names, and her financial mismanagement of the Tina Anderson Foundation fund finally culminated in her former allies and groupies publicly destroying her reputation in a short-lived Facebook Group called “Jocelyn Zichterman Exposed” that was so cruel that even Facebook could not permit it. It was closed down hours after it was started, and I hasten to say I had no part in it.
So there remains a tremendous problem of credibility with Jocelyn. I was aware of that as I read the book, and my review will reflect the doubts I have about anything she says. All the same, St. Martin’s Press is an extremely reputable publisher, and they employ fact checkers, and anybody who would dismiss Jocelyn’s book out of hand because of bad experiences with her should remember that St. Martin’s Press is going to do a great job of verifying as much as can be verified before they let a book go to press. Trust her or not, Jocelyn is an expert on the corruption and scandals of the Independent Fundamental Baptists (IFB). When she's motivated to stick to the facts, she is compelling and enlightening.
The book is very readable, very direct in tone, very easy to read, and a bit of a page turner, for the most part. The structure is a story arc of Jocelyn’s exit from Fundamentalism, populated with anecdotes and commentary from her past.
People who have emerged or are emerging from the IFB will certainly identify with the experiences that she narrates, whether or not the narrative of her personal life is accurate.
I do believe, by the way, that Bart Janz, Jocelyn's father, abused his kids, as Jocelyn alleges in the book. I do think Jocelyn was abused over a long period of time. I have no doubt of that. The individual details of her life that she provides, for me, fall under that umbrella of “This is Jocelyn talking, so be advised it may not be entirely accurate.” But if I look at the account from a long view, I believe it. Bart’s sermons, taken on their own, would show most normal people that he is a brute, at the very least. The book provides excerpts of some of his ranting.
The greatest value of the book, in my opinion, is that Chapters Four and Five walk the reader through most of the extremes and fads of the IFB. All of the following are chronicled in the book, most of them somewhere in Chapters Four and Five:
Absolute authority of the male
Female submission (absolute)
Breaking the will of a child as a goal of parenting
Corporal punishment as a Biblical directive for raising children
Bill Gothard’s teachings
Radical patriotism and right wing politics brought into the church
The church and its private school as a Christian necessity
Homeschooling
No television
Evils of contemporary music
Soul winning as a culture
Apocalyptic teachings/expectations
The Quiverfull movement
Women not working outside the home
Culottes and extreme dress codes
Purity Balls
Anybody who questions the stability and Biblical fidelity of Christian Fundamentalism ought to be able to look at that list, recognize that all of it has played a role in the IFB, and see that the IFB is a mishmash of radical ideas, rather than a disciplined, dedicated system of following Scripture. So I find these chapters to be very effective and inarguable as evidence of the spiritual bankruptcy of the IFB.
Jocelyn also provides an overview of the depraved culture of IFB high school Silver State Christian School (where she was a student for several years). Having chronicled the stream of lies that came from Les Heinze, pastor of Red Rocks Baptist Church, which runs the school, when the Daniel Brock case became public, I believe Jocelyn’s account entirely. Others that were quoted in the local newspapers during the Daniel Brock case also spoke of grossly overbearing and improper sexual content in language and behavior among the students at Silver State.
Finally, Jocelyn’s historical accounts of Who’s Who in Fundamentalism, and her narratives of the abuse cases: Matthew Murray (spree shooter who came from a Homeschool/Gothard background), Zach Scadden (victim), Tina Anderson (victim) and Jack Schaap (perpetrator), are all accurate, in my opinion, at least as far as they go.
Again, where I am unsure is in the details of Jocelyn’s own life. But there is enough in the book that I think is credible, so that it provides a good explanation on why you should leave the IFB and go elsewhere, whatever your beliefs are.
At the end of the book, on pages 248-250, Jocelyn narrates her Facebook history, and she definitely gives the narrative on her terms. She puts herself in the best possible light. Still, readers with a critical eye will recognize that Jocelyn is simply calling anybody who was unsure of following her way of thinking a phony. Jocelyn is her father’s daughter. She dismisses all people who disagreed with her for any reason as a plant, a saboteur, etc. It’s clear that Jocelyn has discovered tolerance, and she is not going to put up with anybody who does not share her view of tolerance. Not only does she not put up with people who disagree with her view of tolerance, she calls them enemies. She sees no irony or contradiction in calling herself tolerant.
As for her character assassination of others who posed no threat to her and were also working on behalf of victims, her trickery to get passwords, her callous use and then rejection of some of her ardent and emotionally needy followers, the Tina Anderson Foundation debacle, her claims to be working with the FBI, Jocelyn does not give these a mention. I would have been surprised if she had.
So is this book worth the price? That depends on the reader. Yes it is informative. Yes there are many credible sections in it. While disagreeing on a few minor conclusions, I think she nails the character of the IFB. So the book could well assist people in departing the IFB and could warn newcomers away to safer churches. But if you already know all of these things, and if you have already read (or experienced) enough abuse accounts so that one more cannot raise your awareness further, you may want to give it a pass. People who have been hurt by Jocelyn will either read the book or ignore it. I doubt my opinion would hold any weight either way for them. This book is going to make a lot of people who have never dealt with Jocelyn trust her, and I feel some concern about that, but if Jocelyn stays true to form, she will ruin her credibility over time. So far, she always has. I hope that nobody gets hurt along the way.
People who have never heard of the IFB may find the book a little confusing at some points, but the tight and vivid narrative of her own life will keep them reading.
Will the book work as means to deter or shrink down the IFB? I don’t know. I hope so.
March 19, 2018
This book resonated with me because I also escaped from the world of Independent Fundamental Baptist cults (although I call them Christian extremists). My own experience wasn't as horrific at the authors, but I could identify with so much that she went through in her childhood. Luckily, I never bought into any of the religious bullshit I was being taught and as soon as I could get away from home I did. I started thinking for myself and became an atheist (unlike the author that just moved into a more mainstream type of Christianity). I recommend this book to anyone that thinks that Christianity or religion is harmless or if you think that Islam is the only "bad" religion in the world. The truth is many religions have extremists, and in my opinion there is no good religion. I suspect that the people that need to hear that message the most are the least likely to actually read this book and absorb the message.
April 15, 2015
I should preface my "review" of this book by saying I have no use for organized religion. My experiences with it have all been bad. While I have a very strong belief in God, I will honor him and talk to him in my own way....not the way a church tells me I should, while taking my money to boot. I have a cousin, who I love dearly, who has slipped away from our family completely all due to a religious cult. Not this one, but one that is even more out there than the IFB. I found this book fascinating, even while cringing at the things Ms. Zichterman was subjected to. If you are born into these "groups" you don't have much choice, until you come of age, and they'll try everything to stop you even then. I have difficulty figuring out why grown people who weren't born into them get drawn in. Some people are like my cousin and are extremely weak willed and need some type of crutch their whole lives. So sad to me that these cults justify what they do in the name of God.
August 12, 2014
Over the last couple of days, I read I Fired God. This book is a memoir, an account of the author's life growing up in Wisc & Colorado. She recounts numerous examples of abuse of every sort: physical, emotional& sexual. In just trying to review the book, it was full of generalizations & over reaching. Was the abuse real? I don't know. To cast every church, pastor & ministry in the same light is unreasonable.
From my experience, which is the same standard that the author has used, I have never seen this sort of abuse. I've heard or read of cases which have come to light. Where the law is broken, people should go to jail. The vast majority of people that I've met are sincere, compassionate & normal people. Flawed yes. Monsters no.
From my experience, which is the same standard that the author has used, I have never seen this sort of abuse. I've heard or read of cases which have come to light. Where the law is broken, people should go to jail. The vast majority of people that I've met are sincere, compassionate & normal people. Flawed yes. Monsters no.
May 5, 2013
Jocelyn Zichterman's experience with her father was traumatic, but most of these abuses occur in a home setting or in group homes that were poorly supervised and committed by selfish individuals. JZ's caricature of the IFB is very atypical of the majority of independent Baptist churches.
There are many Baptists who have sounded the alarm against abuse but those men and churches are never mentioned in critiques against the IFB.
Sadly, Jocelyn's experience has produced a group of atheists and agnostics that have shunned God altogether (see link below)and have even led to Jocelyn abusing other victims and advocate groups that she doesn't agree with (as documented by Jeri Massi, and Gregory Easton of the Hidalgo Grain Company http://thehidalgograincompany.wordpre... )
While the IFB churches can certainly learn from the accusations against them from those who have been hurt, there is a temptation to vilify the entire denomination over the abuses of a small handful of abuse cases when compared to abuses in nursing homes, public colleges, public schools, doctor offices, public group homes, prisons, Boys Scouts, and other church denominations or religions. Jocelyn Zichterman has taken her story to the most extreme of interpretations of IFB intentions and has offered numerous examples of abuse that are not factual, or are embellished and exaggerated.
The documented cases of abuse should not be ignored or minimized, but to use those few cases to paint with such a broad brush a horrific picture of an entire group of believers that have honest and sincere intentions of serving the Lord and showing love and kindness to others is erroneous.
http://dorightchristians.wordpress.co...
There are many Baptists who have sounded the alarm against abuse but those men and churches are never mentioned in critiques against the IFB.
Sadly, Jocelyn's experience has produced a group of atheists and agnostics that have shunned God altogether (see link below)and have even led to Jocelyn abusing other victims and advocate groups that she doesn't agree with (as documented by Jeri Massi, and Gregory Easton of the Hidalgo Grain Company http://thehidalgograincompany.wordpre... )
While the IFB churches can certainly learn from the accusations against them from those who have been hurt, there is a temptation to vilify the entire denomination over the abuses of a small handful of abuse cases when compared to abuses in nursing homes, public colleges, public schools, doctor offices, public group homes, prisons, Boys Scouts, and other church denominations or religions. Jocelyn Zichterman has taken her story to the most extreme of interpretations of IFB intentions and has offered numerous examples of abuse that are not factual, or are embellished and exaggerated.
The documented cases of abuse should not be ignored or minimized, but to use those few cases to paint with such a broad brush a horrific picture of an entire group of believers that have honest and sincere intentions of serving the Lord and showing love and kindness to others is erroneous.
http://dorightchristians.wordpress.co...
November 3, 2020
Just as author Jocelyn Zichterman predicted would happen in this harrowing tale of escape from the IBF cult, the one and two star reviews are from current members trying to gaslight and/or minimize her experiences. If I had the smallest doubt as to the truth of what she wrote, the apologists convinced me otherwise.
So thanks, lol.
While I hadn't known there was religious umbrella organization made up of the far right, I'd long known of the religious homeschooling and Christian school "curriculum" that disavowed science in any form and perpetuated myths instead of actual history, which probably explains the right's utter antipathy for The 1619 Project and other narratives that don't gloss over the complex and ugly sides of the American story.
I'd heard of Bob Jones "University" when they were in the news for their retrograde, racist and NOT biblical campus rule surrounding interracial dating. This didn't happen way back when, but in 2000 - 33 years after Loving v. Virginia. According to Mrs. Zichterman, after much negative publicity, the prohibition was lifted - to a point. Apparently, the parents of the students had to sign for lack of a better word a "permission slip" for their college-aged children to date someone of another race. Of course, Bob Jones "University" is in the Bible Belt and the prohibition against interracial dating are remnants of Jim Crow.
The title I Fired God: My Life Inside—and Escape from—the Secret World of the Independent Fundamental Baptist Cult is apt. Zichterman "fired" the "god" of the IFB - Independent Baptist Fundamentalist - organization of churches, which unsurprisingly include the infamous Westboro Baptist Church. The false god of pain, suffering, anger, of men misinterpreting scripture for their own ends and excusing abuse of women and children, the tolerance and acceptance of racist doctrine (which I'm sure by now has been covered with a glossy veneer of apology) and their hatred for public school education (which according to them was filled with orgies and teachers handing out condoms like candy - damn, I missed all that in high school). Instead she found a God of love, of compassion, one that isn't hurling lightning bolts during those times one may doubt and one that certainly wouldn't tolerate the abuse of women and children.
Jocelyn's story was about as horrific as I expected and it still didn't stop me from my absolute shock as there was no one she could turn to as a child. She lived in fear of what happened to her and her siblings would happen to her own children at the hands of her own father, which was why she and her husband needed to escape. These cults, for despite protestations to the contrary, the IFB are indeed a cult, are what something as beautiful and life affirming as faith and a personal relationship with Jesus become when twisted men get hungry for temporal power and greed. When they take a few passages from the Bible and run roughshod over the rest. Even now with the election - there are supposedly "christian" men posting on social media that urge fellow men to make sure their wives vote as they're told.
Jocelyn's father was an absolute nightmare for whom the religious bullying culture of IBF was like catnip. It enabled all of his worst impulses under the guise of "godliness" and his family suffered greatly. Her memories of the beatings she and her siblings endured (and the sexual abuse that were part of that punishment) had me gritting my teeth in rage. Interestingly enough, she suffered sexual abuse at the hands of her own brothers, just as the Duggar sisters had from their own brother.
She writes the IFB's views on women and girls is just as medieval in the worst way possible. You know, daughters of Eve and all that. Of course this is just an excuse to circumscribe the behavior of the female gender - from how they dress to dating to marriage and beyond. Rape gets excused and is viewed as the fault of the woman/girl. She talks about Purity Balls which in my view are creepy pedo-fests for fathers who think their daughters don't need or should have bodily autonomy. I wondered if there were "purity balls" for mothers and sons - there are - but not surprisingly, those aren't as popular.
It was a miracle that her husband didn't turn out to be her father version 2.0. His journey from IFB favored son to pariah and becoming the target of Jocelyn's father's wrath showed how this cult damages even decent men.
Faith, belief - these things shouldn't hurt. They should help and be a source of strength in trying times. These things should enhance a life, not destroy it from the inside. Yet the doctrine of the IFB seems hell bent on doing just that. Hers isn't the only story and many former members are telling of their own experiences, something no cult likes.
So thanks, lol.
While I hadn't known there was religious umbrella organization made up of the far right, I'd long known of the religious homeschooling and Christian school "curriculum" that disavowed science in any form and perpetuated myths instead of actual history, which probably explains the right's utter antipathy for The 1619 Project and other narratives that don't gloss over the complex and ugly sides of the American story.
I'd heard of Bob Jones "University" when they were in the news for their retrograde, racist and NOT biblical campus rule surrounding interracial dating. This didn't happen way back when, but in 2000 - 33 years after Loving v. Virginia. According to Mrs. Zichterman, after much negative publicity, the prohibition was lifted - to a point. Apparently, the parents of the students had to sign for lack of a better word a "permission slip" for their college-aged children to date someone of another race. Of course, Bob Jones "University" is in the Bible Belt and the prohibition against interracial dating are remnants of Jim Crow.
The title I Fired God: My Life Inside—and Escape from—the Secret World of the Independent Fundamental Baptist Cult is apt. Zichterman "fired" the "god" of the IFB - Independent Baptist Fundamentalist - organization of churches, which unsurprisingly include the infamous Westboro Baptist Church. The false god of pain, suffering, anger, of men misinterpreting scripture for their own ends and excusing abuse of women and children, the tolerance and acceptance of racist doctrine (which I'm sure by now has been covered with a glossy veneer of apology) and their hatred for public school education (which according to them was filled with orgies and teachers handing out condoms like candy - damn, I missed all that in high school). Instead she found a God of love, of compassion, one that isn't hurling lightning bolts during those times one may doubt and one that certainly wouldn't tolerate the abuse of women and children.
Jocelyn's story was about as horrific as I expected and it still didn't stop me from my absolute shock as there was no one she could turn to as a child. She lived in fear of what happened to her and her siblings would happen to her own children at the hands of her own father, which was why she and her husband needed to escape. These cults, for despite protestations to the contrary, the IFB are indeed a cult, are what something as beautiful and life affirming as faith and a personal relationship with Jesus become when twisted men get hungry for temporal power and greed. When they take a few passages from the Bible and run roughshod over the rest. Even now with the election - there are supposedly "christian" men posting on social media that urge fellow men to make sure their wives vote as they're told.
Jocelyn's father was an absolute nightmare for whom the religious bullying culture of IBF was like catnip. It enabled all of his worst impulses under the guise of "godliness" and his family suffered greatly. Her memories of the beatings she and her siblings endured (and the sexual abuse that were part of that punishment) had me gritting my teeth in rage. Interestingly enough, she suffered sexual abuse at the hands of her own brothers, just as the Duggar sisters had from their own brother.
She writes the IFB's views on women and girls is just as medieval in the worst way possible. You know, daughters of Eve and all that. Of course this is just an excuse to circumscribe the behavior of the female gender - from how they dress to dating to marriage and beyond. Rape gets excused and is viewed as the fault of the woman/girl. She talks about Purity Balls which in my view are creepy pedo-fests for fathers who think their daughters don't need or should have bodily autonomy. I wondered if there were "purity balls" for mothers and sons - there are - but not surprisingly, those aren't as popular.
It was a miracle that her husband didn't turn out to be her father version 2.0. His journey from IFB favored son to pariah and becoming the target of Jocelyn's father's wrath showed how this cult damages even decent men.
Faith, belief - these things shouldn't hurt. They should help and be a source of strength in trying times. These things should enhance a life, not destroy it from the inside. Yet the doctrine of the IFB seems hell bent on doing just that. Hers isn't the only story and many former members are telling of their own experiences, something no cult likes.
April 12, 2019
The writing was so-so and toward the end she transitioned from storyteller to activist. Overall a good luck at IFB from an outsider's perspective.
March 4, 2024
Good read
This is the part of the book I loved and I can relate to it SO much in my life right now:
"Joseph had changed. I realized I no longer recognized the kind and loving man I had married. And the higher up the IFB ladder he climbed, the worse things were going to get for me."
The part of the book I didn't love was when she implied that all home schoolers were religious cult people who abused their kids. That's a load of BS and pretty judgemental.
This is the part of the book I loved and I can relate to it SO much in my life right now:
"Joseph had changed. I realized I no longer recognized the kind and loving man I had married. And the higher up the IFB ladder he climbed, the worse things were going to get for me."
The part of the book I didn't love was when she implied that all home schoolers were religious cult people who abused their kids. That's a load of BS and pretty judgemental.
August 17, 2020
Seemingly written to sensationalize, not to inform.
Yes, a lot of the things in here are true/I've experienced first-hand, etc.
The hilarious thing to me is that she acts like BJU is literally the most conservative place on the planet, whereas when I went there, people from the very large, very fundamentalist church I went to as a kid WARNED me that BJU was too liberal and that BJU might sway me from my beliefs. When my pastor went to preach for chapel at BJU, my church sent a posse with him for moral support because they literally thought that my pastor would be ridiculed for his beliefs. Same with Hyles Anderson, too. There was a HUGE debate at my church about whether or not Jack Schapp should be invited to preach there because he used a hand-held microphone. I kid you not. The news of is sexual misconduct broke very soon after he came and nary a word was mentioned about that.
Another thing is that the author tells the reader how to feel about the things she's describing, instead of letting us decide for ourselves. As such, a lot of the history/context is truncated. If you weren't familiar with the people, you might not be able to connect the dots for yourself (or feel properly outraged, whatever).
The short of it is that there is a lot more to Fundamental Independent Baptists than what's in this book. It's more widespread and more nefarious than this designed-to-shock telling would lead you to believe.
Yes, a lot of the things in here are true/I've experienced first-hand, etc.
The hilarious thing to me is that she acts like BJU is literally the most conservative place on the planet, whereas when I went there, people from the very large, very fundamentalist church I went to as a kid WARNED me that BJU was too liberal and that BJU might sway me from my beliefs. When my pastor went to preach for chapel at BJU, my church sent a posse with him for moral support because they literally thought that my pastor would be ridiculed for his beliefs. Same with Hyles Anderson, too. There was a HUGE debate at my church about whether or not Jack Schapp should be invited to preach there because he used a hand-held microphone. I kid you not. The news of is sexual misconduct broke very soon after he came and nary a word was mentioned about that.
Another thing is that the author tells the reader how to feel about the things she's describing, instead of letting us decide for ourselves. As such, a lot of the history/context is truncated. If you weren't familiar with the people, you might not be able to connect the dots for yourself (or feel properly outraged, whatever).
The short of it is that there is a lot more to Fundamental Independent Baptists than what's in this book. It's more widespread and more nefarious than this designed-to-shock telling would lead you to believe.
April 15, 2016
Just to let you know, I'm an atheist, but I'm going to somehow avoid quibbling about religion in this review. Religion was not what the book was about. It was about surviving a really shitty life.
That being said, this is the best "I fled the cult" book I've read (so far.)
Zichterman gives people who have never suffered abuse a good picture of what it's like. (I am a domestic abuse survivor, so sadly I speak from experience.) She also gives a wider perspective of the IFB cult and recent abuse cases in the cult.
However, Zichterman seems to have fallen off the face of the earth since this book was published. The Facebook cult survivors' page has been inactive for over a year. There is no news of her online. Has she been whacked? I usually don’t care what’s happened to the authors I read, but in this case I actually give a damn.
WARNING: Nightmarish violence to cats and a puppy that would make Stephen King gasp.
That being said, this is the best "I fled the cult" book I've read (so far.)
Zichterman gives people who have never suffered abuse a good picture of what it's like. (I am a domestic abuse survivor, so sadly I speak from experience.) She also gives a wider perspective of the IFB cult and recent abuse cases in the cult.
However, Zichterman seems to have fallen off the face of the earth since this book was published. The Facebook cult survivors' page has been inactive for over a year. There is no news of her online. Has she been whacked? I usually don’t care what’s happened to the authors I read, but in this case I actually give a damn.
WARNING: Nightmarish violence to cats and a puppy that would make Stephen King gasp.
May 5, 2015
Quite possibly one of the worst books I have ever attempted to read. Zichterman attempts to write an sffidavit against a cult that only exists in her imagination. Her arguments are very flawed, and in some case are outright false. She insists she was forced to watch a movie as child (Left Behind) that wasn't even produced until she was nearly 30. Her claims that that particular movie was nightmarish is laughable. She insists that saying the Pledge of Allegiance and the Pledge to the Christian flag is a brainwashing tool of total submission by her former church. It is also self-evident (only to Zichterman) that the innocent children's song, "The Lord's Army," is blatant Christian militarism.
Sadly, her allegations against her church are so sensational and unbelievable upon any examination, one begins to question her stories of abuse by her father. She even publicizes very personal accounts of her siblings' childhoods that are unnecessary to prove her accusations of abuse, and must have mortified them to see them in print.
As if all Zichterman's delusion diatribe wasn't difficult enough to navigate, she chops up each piece of information in every chapter. The book reads like a detailed list rather than narrative.
In the end, the reader is left to wonder is Zichterman: a) an angry, bitter woman that suffered from an abusive father, b) a financially indebted person is desperately seeking another source of income, c) a victim of a militant, atheist psychiatrist, or d) ALL OF THE ABOVE. Shame on the publishing company for publishing such an abashed slanderous work against conservative Christians in general, with claims that could easily be disproved by a middle school student.
Save your time, and read a computer programming manual. It will be more entertaining, have complete thoughts, and truthful arguments.
Sadly, her allegations against her church are so sensational and unbelievable upon any examination, one begins to question her stories of abuse by her father. She even publicizes very personal accounts of her siblings' childhoods that are unnecessary to prove her accusations of abuse, and must have mortified them to see them in print.
As if all Zichterman's delusion diatribe wasn't difficult enough to navigate, she chops up each piece of information in every chapter. The book reads like a detailed list rather than narrative.
In the end, the reader is left to wonder is Zichterman: a) an angry, bitter woman that suffered from an abusive father, b) a financially indebted person is desperately seeking another source of income, c) a victim of a militant, atheist psychiatrist, or d) ALL OF THE ABOVE. Shame on the publishing company for publishing such an abashed slanderous work against conservative Christians in general, with claims that could easily be disproved by a middle school student.
Save your time, and read a computer programming manual. It will be more entertaining, have complete thoughts, and truthful arguments.
August 10, 2018
I’ve been reading a lot of books by cult survivors lately: FLDS, Children of God, Scientology, etc. I saw this book, I Fired God, at work (I work at a library) and thought “independent fundamental baptist...I’m not familiar with that one!” Ironically the book about a cult I “wasn’t familiar with” is the one that triggered an extreme fight-or-flight adrenaline fueled anxiety. My heart was racing. I could feel my blood pressure rising. When I stopped after the first 4-5 chapters I had a complete breakdown, dissolving into tears. This is hitting a little too close to home. Take away the physical, sexual, and verbal abuse and this is very similar to my childhood. My family was NOT in the IFB but a lot of the ideology put forth by them are things I was raised with. The anti-government mentality, the end of the world beliefs, the homeschooling, the “umbrella of protection,” etc. It was very hard reading this book but I felt compelled to finish it. I felt validated that some of the things I felt and thought, deep down, growing up weren’t some crazy made-up thought, and that yes, XYZ is wrong. Also, the more I read Jocelyn’s story, the more I wondered about people I knew growing up and if they were in fact in the IFB.
Ugh. Just....ugh. I’m glad I read this—even though it stirred up a lot of emotions—because knowledge is power.
Ugh. Just....ugh. I’m glad I read this—even though it stirred up a lot of emotions—because knowledge is power.
October 4, 2020
I don’t know.
Very interesting book. I was intrigued the entire time until she started bashing republicans saying they were the cause of every problem in the country at the end. I am not a religious person and I believe to each their own but not all Democrats are good and not all Republicans are bad.
Very interesting book. I was intrigued the entire time until she started bashing republicans saying they were the cause of every problem in the country at the end. I am not a religious person and I believe to each their own but not all Democrats are good and not all Republicans are bad.
August 24, 2022
It's well-written, but I had to DNF for personal reasons. I grew up in a similar religion, and the animal cruelty in this book was far too difficult to deal with. As I said, it's a well-written account, just be prepared for some very difficult passages (child abuse, animal cruelty, SA, etc)
November 7, 2020
This was an eye opening book. The behavior of the fundamentalist baptists is appalling. 3.5 stars.
June 17, 2013
Some of the most heroic people in history have also been those whom no one would have ever expected to become heroes. Jocelyn Zichterman is, in my opinion, one of those heroic people.
Based on her photograph on the book’s back flap, she does not immediately strike an imposing figure or one that screams “hero”. She looks more like the petite, friendly, conservative suburban housewife that she is. She is, however, also a courageous whistleblower who has risked her marriage, her family, and her life to help blow the lid off the controversial Independent Fundamental Baptist (IFB) Church, a cult that advocates “biblically-mandated” marital rape, wife beating, and child abuse.
Her horrific personal story and the first-hand reportage of life within the cult is the basis of her memoir “I Fired God: My Life Inside---And Escape From---The Secret World of the Independent Fundamental Baptist Cult”.
She and her four siblings spent their childhoods under the bullying iron fist of their father, Bart Janz, a vicious man who believed that his wife’s and children’s only purpose---one given to them by God as it is written in Scripture---was to serve their father. Disobedience was not allowed, and the most minor of infractions was dealt with by the most severe of punishments.
Her heart-rending and disturbing story of abuse at her father’s hands was bad enough, and if she had been born in any “normal” religion, her abuse story would still be just as compelling. Unfortunately, she did not grow up in a “normal” religious household (although to her and her siblings, it was a normal childhood, for all intents and purposes) but one that considered such regular abuse as not only normal but divinely mandated. Vicious beatings with dowel rods upon naked skin were normal, from as young as she could remember to her late teens. She had numerous vivid memories of her father gleefully torturing and killing neighborhood pets and other animals. She also had many uncomfortable memories of her father’s many attempts to rub himself on her in a blatantly sexual way. Later in life, she was troubled with sudden horrific memories of her father sneaking into her bedroom at night to engage in painful dry-humping episodes. Church members told her she was being possessed by demons. It was only until she saw a non-IFB counselor that she learned that she was recalling repressed memories.
Amazingly, she and her husband were finally able to flee the cult, but only after many years of further abuse at the hands of church leaders who sided with Bart and considered Jocelyn a vicious liar. Her husband Joseph, a professor at Bob Jones University (an IFB-founded college that has absolutely no accreditations whatsoever and is not considered a legitimate college by anyone outside of the IFB), lost his job and his good reputation after given an ultimatum to leave his wife or face the consequences. To his credit, Joseph chose to face the consequences. Jocelyn lost her friends and some of her family members in the final break with the cult. (Her younger sister, Melissa, had escaped several years before and was integral in Jocelyn’s breaking away.)
Sadly, years after escaping the IFB, Jocelyn and her husband realized the many unforeseen lasting drawbacks of spending a life in the IFB. For one, neither of them could find a job as their degrees from BJU were useless in the real world. Indeed, their entire knowledge of the world and science were based on the IFB-created home-schooling curricula they were raised on (and which literally thousands of other home-schooled children are still being raised on today), which, among many other ludicrous teachings, claims that humans and dinosaurs were created at the same time and lived together in the past---after all, it says so in the Book of Genesis. They quickly had to relearn everything.
Worst of all was the completely unexpected and horrifying repressed memories that were revealed by the Zichterman’s daughters of sexual abuse perpetrated by their grandfather. In a disgusting twist, Bart Janz filed a libel suit against Jocelyn and Joseph. It was, however, dropped by him when he learned that they were ready to file a countersuit, one which would most likely have revealed enough damning evidence to put him in jail.
If the IFB and its perverse tenets sounds somewhat familiar, it’s because you may have heard brief references to it in the news and on TV shows. TLC’s popular series about the Duggers and their numerous offspring (I think it was 20 at last count) is a show that brings the IFB into TV viewers homes every week. The Duggers are morally reprehensible people, in my opinion, and it boggles my mind how they are so well-loved, but TV does that to assholes. Look at the Kardashians.
Thankfully, Jocelyn and her husband continue to fight the good fight about revealing the horrors of the IFB. Many critics claim that she is turning people away from Christianity and religion in general by sharing her personal horror story. While I personally don’t have a problem with that (I myself am pretty disgusted by the hypocrisy and intolerance within ALL religions), I don’t agree with the critics. Jocelyn and Joseph are still devout, church-going Christians. They still believe. They just don’t believe in the crap spewed by the IFB. There’s a difference. Critics who lambaste the Zichtermans for promoting atheism clearly aren’t getting the point of what they are trying to do.
Based on her photograph on the book’s back flap, she does not immediately strike an imposing figure or one that screams “hero”. She looks more like the petite, friendly, conservative suburban housewife that she is. She is, however, also a courageous whistleblower who has risked her marriage, her family, and her life to help blow the lid off the controversial Independent Fundamental Baptist (IFB) Church, a cult that advocates “biblically-mandated” marital rape, wife beating, and child abuse.
Her horrific personal story and the first-hand reportage of life within the cult is the basis of her memoir “I Fired God: My Life Inside---And Escape From---The Secret World of the Independent Fundamental Baptist Cult”.
She and her four siblings spent their childhoods under the bullying iron fist of their father, Bart Janz, a vicious man who believed that his wife’s and children’s only purpose---one given to them by God as it is written in Scripture---was to serve their father. Disobedience was not allowed, and the most minor of infractions was dealt with by the most severe of punishments.
Her heart-rending and disturbing story of abuse at her father’s hands was bad enough, and if she had been born in any “normal” religion, her abuse story would still be just as compelling. Unfortunately, she did not grow up in a “normal” religious household (although to her and her siblings, it was a normal childhood, for all intents and purposes) but one that considered such regular abuse as not only normal but divinely mandated. Vicious beatings with dowel rods upon naked skin were normal, from as young as she could remember to her late teens. She had numerous vivid memories of her father gleefully torturing and killing neighborhood pets and other animals. She also had many uncomfortable memories of her father’s many attempts to rub himself on her in a blatantly sexual way. Later in life, she was troubled with sudden horrific memories of her father sneaking into her bedroom at night to engage in painful dry-humping episodes. Church members told her she was being possessed by demons. It was only until she saw a non-IFB counselor that she learned that she was recalling repressed memories.
Amazingly, she and her husband were finally able to flee the cult, but only after many years of further abuse at the hands of church leaders who sided with Bart and considered Jocelyn a vicious liar. Her husband Joseph, a professor at Bob Jones University (an IFB-founded college that has absolutely no accreditations whatsoever and is not considered a legitimate college by anyone outside of the IFB), lost his job and his good reputation after given an ultimatum to leave his wife or face the consequences. To his credit, Joseph chose to face the consequences. Jocelyn lost her friends and some of her family members in the final break with the cult. (Her younger sister, Melissa, had escaped several years before and was integral in Jocelyn’s breaking away.)
Sadly, years after escaping the IFB, Jocelyn and her husband realized the many unforeseen lasting drawbacks of spending a life in the IFB. For one, neither of them could find a job as their degrees from BJU were useless in the real world. Indeed, their entire knowledge of the world and science were based on the IFB-created home-schooling curricula they were raised on (and which literally thousands of other home-schooled children are still being raised on today), which, among many other ludicrous teachings, claims that humans and dinosaurs were created at the same time and lived together in the past---after all, it says so in the Book of Genesis. They quickly had to relearn everything.
Worst of all was the completely unexpected and horrifying repressed memories that were revealed by the Zichterman’s daughters of sexual abuse perpetrated by their grandfather. In a disgusting twist, Bart Janz filed a libel suit against Jocelyn and Joseph. It was, however, dropped by him when he learned that they were ready to file a countersuit, one which would most likely have revealed enough damning evidence to put him in jail.
If the IFB and its perverse tenets sounds somewhat familiar, it’s because you may have heard brief references to it in the news and on TV shows. TLC’s popular series about the Duggers and their numerous offspring (I think it was 20 at last count) is a show that brings the IFB into TV viewers homes every week. The Duggers are morally reprehensible people, in my opinion, and it boggles my mind how they are so well-loved, but TV does that to assholes. Look at the Kardashians.
Thankfully, Jocelyn and her husband continue to fight the good fight about revealing the horrors of the IFB. Many critics claim that she is turning people away from Christianity and religion in general by sharing her personal horror story. While I personally don’t have a problem with that (I myself am pretty disgusted by the hypocrisy and intolerance within ALL religions), I don’t agree with the critics. Jocelyn and Joseph are still devout, church-going Christians. They still believe. They just don’t believe in the crap spewed by the IFB. There’s a difference. Critics who lambaste the Zichtermans for promoting atheism clearly aren’t getting the point of what they are trying to do.
January 9, 2021
A must-read if you grew up in the evangelical world. I didn't suffer the physical or sexual abuse, but I know many who did. I've spent years and lots of money on therapy trying to reconcile the culture of fear and judgement that I was born into with a loving God. This book helped explain a lot and even helped me realize a few things that will save me some therapy dollars.
March 27, 2020
Well written, very important book about the power religious organizations can wield over their members. Has some scenes that will be forever burned into your memory: depictions of animal torture, child abuse, and other horrifying activities the "godly folks" of the IFB engage in. Gets very "political" towards the end, but Zichterman is a capable political philosopher, so those chapters are worth reading as well, even though they deviate from the narrative structure of the preceding chapters. Excellent book about a problem that just doesn't seem to go away, no matter how many whistleblowers emerge to tell their stories.
December 21, 2015
This memoir details Zichterman's childhood in an abusive IFB home, her marriage to an IFM man, and their eventual escape from the cult, along with details of Zichterman's mission to help rescue those who have been abused within the IFB.
As a person who also grew up in the IFB, attending camp at the Wilds of the Rockies, at Northland Baptist Bible College (now the defunct Northland International University); spending six years earning two "degrees" from Bob Jones University, and leaving the world of the IFB behind after six additional years teaching at an IFB school, I can attest that Zichterman details accurately the life within the IFB. To be sure, her home life was more extremely abusive than may be typical, but the church politics, the breaking of a child's will, the focus on women staying home to serve their men - all of this is seen throughout various sub-cultures of the overall IFB culture as a whole.
I myself have interacted with many of the people Zichterman mentions in her book and was not remotely surprised at the character abuse she endured upon her escape, along with multiple pleas to return to "the truth that she knew." I myself was chastised for not tithing exactly ten percent of my paycheck, which was easily discoverable at my church since one of the deacons was also the school principal. I, too, was chastised for being female and wanting to think or learn or have opinions. I, too, experience flashbacks to childhood abuse and was told the most important thing was to forgive my abuser and ask for forgiveness for any sin I may have committed while having the flashbacks to being raped as a 6-year old child. I also left the IFB behind, discovered my "degrees" from Bob Jones University were worthless, and was forced to start over again, working multiple jobs while I put myself through an accredited university education so I could get a new position outside of fundamentalism.
This book isn't an easy one to read, and I'm certain it wasn't an easy story for Zichterman to tell. But it is the truth, and it behooves us to remember that there are many of these churches scattered throughout the country where children are growing up uneducated, abused, and virtually trapped because they cannot imagine a way out and have no support system in place should they choose to leave. Recommended
Recommended for: adults, those who wish to learn more about the IFB or Bob Jones University, etc.
Red Flags: lots of descriptions of abuse, language
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars
As a person who also grew up in the IFB, attending camp at the Wilds of the Rockies, at Northland Baptist Bible College (now the defunct Northland International University); spending six years earning two "degrees" from Bob Jones University, and leaving the world of the IFB behind after six additional years teaching at an IFB school, I can attest that Zichterman details accurately the life within the IFB. To be sure, her home life was more extremely abusive than may be typical, but the church politics, the breaking of a child's will, the focus on women staying home to serve their men - all of this is seen throughout various sub-cultures of the overall IFB culture as a whole.
I myself have interacted with many of the people Zichterman mentions in her book and was not remotely surprised at the character abuse she endured upon her escape, along with multiple pleas to return to "the truth that she knew." I myself was chastised for not tithing exactly ten percent of my paycheck, which was easily discoverable at my church since one of the deacons was also the school principal. I, too, was chastised for being female and wanting to think or learn or have opinions. I, too, experience flashbacks to childhood abuse and was told the most important thing was to forgive my abuser and ask for forgiveness for any sin I may have committed while having the flashbacks to being raped as a 6-year old child. I also left the IFB behind, discovered my "degrees" from Bob Jones University were worthless, and was forced to start over again, working multiple jobs while I put myself through an accredited university education so I could get a new position outside of fundamentalism.
This book isn't an easy one to read, and I'm certain it wasn't an easy story for Zichterman to tell. But it is the truth, and it behooves us to remember that there are many of these churches scattered throughout the country where children are growing up uneducated, abused, and virtually trapped because they cannot imagine a way out and have no support system in place should they choose to leave. Recommended
Recommended for: adults, those who wish to learn more about the IFB or Bob Jones University, etc.
Red Flags: lots of descriptions of abuse, language
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars
January 12, 2015
I enjoyed this as a memoir, although there were places where it was repetitive and occasionally it would jump back and forth in time, which could get confusing. I enjoyed the information about these independent churches and their cult-like aspects, although I found myself wishing there was a more in-depth analysis of the various churches and leaders out there. This, though, was a memoir from someone who lived within this community, so it wouldn't be fair to expect a more encyclopedic or scholarly analysis of all of the independent Baptist or Christian sects and how they differ and came into existence. (It was interesting, though, to see that many in these groups hate other Christians just as much as they hate any other outsiders.)
One thing I found myself wondering about was the author's husband -- I was curious to learn more about his transformation. That is, I was interested to know more about how he evolved in his thinking and came around to support Jocelyn, as that is not typically what happens. I was also curious to know more about how he got involved with the Church and Bob Jones, as the author states that he did not enter this group until he was about 13. So both his entry into, his deep involvement and acceptance within , and his escape from the cult would make for interesting reading, although I realize this is her memoir, not his.
Some criticism of this book seems to stem from people who are close to this community, yet did not experience the same level of abuse that the author did. While I understand that, the author's father is a sadistic psychopath, and it is easy to see how this sector of Christianity not only allows that type of person to flourish, but to be rewarded for their behavior. So, it's not surprising to learn that there would be a much higher percentage of abuse within this community, although the extreme abuse obviously does not occur in every single family.
I was also curious about how the family's escape was financed, particularly given that the husband needed to go back to school, which was extremely expensive. And with eight children, finances must have been an issue.
All in all, this was a valuable piece of reading to understand some of the Christian Fundamentalist movement.
One thing I found myself wondering about was the author's husband -- I was curious to learn more about his transformation. That is, I was interested to know more about how he evolved in his thinking and came around to support Jocelyn, as that is not typically what happens. I was also curious to know more about how he got involved with the Church and Bob Jones, as the author states that he did not enter this group until he was about 13. So both his entry into, his deep involvement and acceptance within , and his escape from the cult would make for interesting reading, although I realize this is her memoir, not his.
Some criticism of this book seems to stem from people who are close to this community, yet did not experience the same level of abuse that the author did. While I understand that, the author's father is a sadistic psychopath, and it is easy to see how this sector of Christianity not only allows that type of person to flourish, but to be rewarded for their behavior. So, it's not surprising to learn that there would be a much higher percentage of abuse within this community, although the extreme abuse obviously does not occur in every single family.
I was also curious about how the family's escape was financed, particularly given that the husband needed to go back to school, which was extremely expensive. And with eight children, finances must have been an issue.
All in all, this was a valuable piece of reading to understand some of the Christian Fundamentalist movement.
February 26, 2015
Let me get the bad stuff out of the way first.
This book is poorly written, at times reading like a series of blog posts strung together in need of editorial tightening. The author plays loose with chronology, such as mentioning DVDs in the early 90s. Her excellent point about the proliferation of honorary "doctorates" in IFB churches and schools is played out when every single name has "Dr" in quotes next to it. These and a few other things (such as a major spelling error in a chapter title) detract from the book.
However...
This book is real. This book summarizes so much of my childhood growing up in the IFB. I know personally or have met nearly every major name or player mentioned in this book. Her background history into IFB is a little loose at times, especially her strenuous connections with BJU (it's a very important school, but there are others equally as important). She captures the mindset and demonic theology perfectly, and shows how utterly independent these churches really are.
I waited a day to write this review, and I'm glad my thoughts aren't as fresh as they were. This book, and so much more, really drives the final nail home for me with fundamentalism. By and large, it's made up of some good people, but overall it's a cult. It's not Biblical. It doesn't have any clue what Christianity is. It rejected the God revealed through Jesus decades ago and propped up some false god in it's place.
I should be angry writing this and reading this book. Angry at the injustice, the lies, the false theologies, the manipulations, the bullshit. But I'm not. It's all burnt out by now. Hello, agnosticism.
I reject fundamentalism, it's siblings evangelicalism, Pentecostalism, charismatism, and the rest. There is no truth there. There is no life. There is certainly no Jesus. There is nothing more than death, destroying people's lives, including my own. There is life, joy, and happiness away from it.
I've got nothing else to say. It's not a perfect book, but it's a true book.
This book is poorly written, at times reading like a series of blog posts strung together in need of editorial tightening. The author plays loose with chronology, such as mentioning DVDs in the early 90s. Her excellent point about the proliferation of honorary "doctorates" in IFB churches and schools is played out when every single name has "Dr" in quotes next to it. These and a few other things (such as a major spelling error in a chapter title) detract from the book.
However...
This book is real. This book summarizes so much of my childhood growing up in the IFB. I know personally or have met nearly every major name or player mentioned in this book. Her background history into IFB is a little loose at times, especially her strenuous connections with BJU (it's a very important school, but there are others equally as important). She captures the mindset and demonic theology perfectly, and shows how utterly independent these churches really are.
I waited a day to write this review, and I'm glad my thoughts aren't as fresh as they were. This book, and so much more, really drives the final nail home for me with fundamentalism. By and large, it's made up of some good people, but overall it's a cult. It's not Biblical. It doesn't have any clue what Christianity is. It rejected the God revealed through Jesus decades ago and propped up some false god in it's place.
I should be angry writing this and reading this book. Angry at the injustice, the lies, the false theologies, the manipulations, the bullshit. But I'm not. It's all burnt out by now. Hello, agnosticism.
I reject fundamentalism, it's siblings evangelicalism, Pentecostalism, charismatism, and the rest. There is no truth there. There is no life. There is certainly no Jesus. There is nothing more than death, destroying people's lives, including my own. There is life, joy, and happiness away from it.
I've got nothing else to say. It's not a perfect book, but it's a true book.
June 10, 2013
Jocelyn exposes the blatant lies and deception of the cult. She clearly expresses how extreme forms of discipline such as brutal "spankings" are used as power trips for the adults and can lead to sexual molestation.
Her book does a great job of explaining how hard it is for a family to get out of the IFB cult. The manipulation, use of illegitimate "Dr" entitlements, and the strategy of blinding the eyes of its members keep people in the dark to services such as law enforcement, Child Protective Services, and other government organizations. Many people that are "high ranking" in the IFB community are nothing short of pedophiles, abusers, and crooks. Women are rampantly degraded and abused.
There are so many organizations she brings into the broad picture of the IFB. Bill Gothard, Bob Jones and his "university", Pensacola Christian College, Quiverfull, and many more are mentioned and exposed. I am a member of several Facebook and Google+ groups that try to help those who have been exposed to these blasphemous groups, people and organizations. Please message me if you would be interested in getting involved with any of these groups.
The only reason I could not give this book 5 stars, is I do not agree with the author's personal outcomes of belief. While I cannot fault her reasoning for them, I do not support them 100%. I would definitely give her book a 4.5 star rating! The content was exceptionally well put together and presented. I want to thank Jocelyn for her courage and ability to rise above the fundamentalism and the hardships it brings to expose to the world the mentality and bondage of Satan himself.
I am an avidly outspoken person for the exposure of the IFB and company (most specifically against Bill Gothard, ATI, and IBLP). On the same token I also believe in grace and forgiveness. Much I have left behind and forgiven, yet there is much out there that needs to be battled and exposed. That is where I feel posts like this are necessary.
Her book does a great job of explaining how hard it is for a family to get out of the IFB cult. The manipulation, use of illegitimate "Dr" entitlements, and the strategy of blinding the eyes of its members keep people in the dark to services such as law enforcement, Child Protective Services, and other government organizations. Many people that are "high ranking" in the IFB community are nothing short of pedophiles, abusers, and crooks. Women are rampantly degraded and abused.
There are so many organizations she brings into the broad picture of the IFB. Bill Gothard, Bob Jones and his "university", Pensacola Christian College, Quiverfull, and many more are mentioned and exposed. I am a member of several Facebook and Google+ groups that try to help those who have been exposed to these blasphemous groups, people and organizations. Please message me if you would be interested in getting involved with any of these groups.
The only reason I could not give this book 5 stars, is I do not agree with the author's personal outcomes of belief. While I cannot fault her reasoning for them, I do not support them 100%. I would definitely give her book a 4.5 star rating! The content was exceptionally well put together and presented. I want to thank Jocelyn for her courage and ability to rise above the fundamentalism and the hardships it brings to expose to the world the mentality and bondage of Satan himself.
I am an avidly outspoken person for the exposure of the IFB and company (most specifically against Bill Gothard, ATI, and IBLP). On the same token I also believe in grace and forgiveness. Much I have left behind and forgiven, yet there is much out there that needs to be battled and exposed. That is where I feel posts like this are necessary.
May 1, 2013
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-re...
KIRKUS REVIEW
A damning memoir of life under the thumb of the Independent Fundamental Baptist Church, from former member Zichterman.
Although it appears that the author’s father is a seriously disturbed individual in his own right, the teachings of the IFB leave little to the imagination regarding the place of women in their worldview, where submission is their due—and they pay for even the smallest infraction with bloody lashings. Not that the boys went unbeaten, and Zichterman would sing quietly to her doll as her brothers got the rod. Under the guise of godly discipline, the IFB nurtured paranoia, “a clandestine subculture that breeds fear and suspicion,” in which the members “have no idea that charitable organizations and government authorities exist that could offer them counseling and protection.” So they remain silent, and the girls remain silent before the physical and sexual abuse. It is unnerving—even infuriating—to read of Zichterman’s ordeal—all the fear, depression, guilt and pain, in a tone that is not so much unvarnished as vulnerable, the thrum of something evil playing right under the surface as she would curl up and weep at another episode of her father’s wrath. When she was 18, her father was still whipping her, ordering her to remove her clothes before administration, in a grotesque sexual sadism. But Zichterman’s story is more than a grisly tale of abuse. It is a glimpse into what is potentially happening in thousands of families caught in the IFB orbit. She eventually broke from the church, an act of heroism that it is difficult to imagine given such obvious brainwashing.
An incendiary piece of work that will hopefully encourage other victims to escape the IFB’s web.
KIRKUS REVIEW
A damning memoir of life under the thumb of the Independent Fundamental Baptist Church, from former member Zichterman.
Although it appears that the author’s father is a seriously disturbed individual in his own right, the teachings of the IFB leave little to the imagination regarding the place of women in their worldview, where submission is their due—and they pay for even the smallest infraction with bloody lashings. Not that the boys went unbeaten, and Zichterman would sing quietly to her doll as her brothers got the rod. Under the guise of godly discipline, the IFB nurtured paranoia, “a clandestine subculture that breeds fear and suspicion,” in which the members “have no idea that charitable organizations and government authorities exist that could offer them counseling and protection.” So they remain silent, and the girls remain silent before the physical and sexual abuse. It is unnerving—even infuriating—to read of Zichterman’s ordeal—all the fear, depression, guilt and pain, in a tone that is not so much unvarnished as vulnerable, the thrum of something evil playing right under the surface as she would curl up and weep at another episode of her father’s wrath. When she was 18, her father was still whipping her, ordering her to remove her clothes before administration, in a grotesque sexual sadism. But Zichterman’s story is more than a grisly tale of abuse. It is a glimpse into what is potentially happening in thousands of families caught in the IFB orbit. She eventually broke from the church, an act of heroism that it is difficult to imagine given such obvious brainwashing.
An incendiary piece of work that will hopefully encourage other victims to escape the IFB’s web.
August 1, 2013
Still processing this one, but I would definitely recommend it. The power and control the IFB (and similar groups) maintain over their people
is paralyzing. From suppressing abuses on every level to issuing degrees from unaccredited colleges that are not recognized outside of their widespread group, Bob Jones University and it's affiliated churches have created and maintain a cult of miseducated families who appear polished on the outside, but face utter destruction if they question the system. (Anyone seen the Duggar family on TLC?...)
Subservience and a demand for immediate obedience are instilled in women and children to the point where women don't defend their children and children are destroyed....
"Breaking the will of the child, while maintaining their spirit."
Though I've heard that phrase many times, now I will forever associate it with beating a child until they surrender to your expectations. So very sad...
So many parts of this story brought forth different emotions in me, I don't know where to start really.
The abuse of our tax dollars supporting these "universities" and providing federal funding for unaccredited schools angers me. The variety of abuses by authority figures and cover ups by doctors, loyal IFB law enforcement agents and medical professionals enrages me. The brainwashing concepts the cult promotes leave me questioning why our government hasn't put in monitoring procedures for these groups and "escape procedures" for those strong enough to question their leaders.
Really glad the title caught my attention... And it is explained midway through the book and its less blasphemous than it sounds.
is paralyzing. From suppressing abuses on every level to issuing degrees from unaccredited colleges that are not recognized outside of their widespread group, Bob Jones University and it's affiliated churches have created and maintain a cult of miseducated families who appear polished on the outside, but face utter destruction if they question the system. (Anyone seen the Duggar family on TLC?...)
Subservience and a demand for immediate obedience are instilled in women and children to the point where women don't defend their children and children are destroyed....
"Breaking the will of the child, while maintaining their spirit."
Though I've heard that phrase many times, now I will forever associate it with beating a child until they surrender to your expectations. So very sad...
So many parts of this story brought forth different emotions in me, I don't know where to start really.
The abuse of our tax dollars supporting these "universities" and providing federal funding for unaccredited schools angers me. The variety of abuses by authority figures and cover ups by doctors, loyal IFB law enforcement agents and medical professionals enrages me. The brainwashing concepts the cult promotes leave me questioning why our government hasn't put in monitoring procedures for these groups and "escape procedures" for those strong enough to question their leaders.
Really glad the title caught my attention... And it is explained midway through the book and its less blasphemous than it sounds.
October 18, 2020
This is a difficult book to review.
The writing jumps around quite a bit.
It was interesting to hear her perspective growing up in the IFB church and heartbreaking to read of the horrible abuse that was forced upon her by people who were supposed to love & protect her. I literally felt sick to my stomach reading her account of growing up with an evil father and a mother who didn’t intervene (along with other adults she tried to confide in) & her dysfunctional siblings-who were also victims.
I have a hard time believing, however, that EVERY IFB church/family was full of abuse. Zichterman definitely has an agenda to bring down Bob Jones University, homeschooling/private Christian school, and everything IFB (& perhaps everything Christian). I just don’t know how I feel about some of the things that were written. I’m sad she lost her faith in God. She, in the mist of her hurt, cursed Him openly in the book. I know she was greatly traumatized by her upbringing. 😞Zichterman went from living extremely conservative, to being very liberal once she breaks free of the IFB church.
I disagree with a lot of her agendas, beliefs and politics, but was definitely thought-provoking!
The writing jumps around quite a bit.
It was interesting to hear her perspective growing up in the IFB church and heartbreaking to read of the horrible abuse that was forced upon her by people who were supposed to love & protect her. I literally felt sick to my stomach reading her account of growing up with an evil father and a mother who didn’t intervene (along with other adults she tried to confide in) & her dysfunctional siblings-who were also victims.
I have a hard time believing, however, that EVERY IFB church/family was full of abuse. Zichterman definitely has an agenda to bring down Bob Jones University, homeschooling/private Christian school, and everything IFB (& perhaps everything Christian). I just don’t know how I feel about some of the things that were written. I’m sad she lost her faith in God. She, in the mist of her hurt, cursed Him openly in the book. I know she was greatly traumatized by her upbringing. 😞Zichterman went from living extremely conservative, to being very liberal once she breaks free of the IFB church.
I disagree with a lot of her agendas, beliefs and politics, but was definitely thought-provoking!
July 6, 2015
Long before her introduction to the church, the author suffered at the hands of an abusive parent. A situation made worse by a church organization that was truly corrupt. Her story is tragic. I do feel that in her zeal to make sure that this never happens again, she is indicting not only the man and the organization that abused her, and turning her wrath on any organization she feels might lead to the same end. Unfortunately this only alienates folks with no malicious intent, who have never, and will never allow this behavior in their midst. I have to give her a wide berth though, look what she went endured. While I disagree with some of her conclusions about other groups, I can understand where her caution and feelings come from. Also, her experiences with such a fundamentalist group that seeks to exert total control over the lives of it's members is a must read, so that we can help others avoid the same fate.
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