How Life in an Abusive Cult Taught Me Gratitude

And an appreciation for the little joys of life

Mary Mahoney

--

At age 16, I became enamored with the loving group of hippies that was The Children of God. They welcomed me into their community and made me feel a part of something bigger than myself. I believed I had found my life’s vocation of serving God.

In 1973, the Children of God were a welcoming group of hippies.

As the years passed, and my isolation from the world outside the cult commune intensified, the doctrines became stranger, then frankly, horrendous. But by then, my sense of normal had morphed to only include what occurred within the cult as led by the words of our prophet, Moses, rather, David Berg.

Only Jesus is good. If there’s anything good you ever do, it’s only Jesus. Don’t accept when people praise you, say “It’s only Jesus. Thank Jesus.”—David Berg

While there is nothing wrong with humility, I spent the majority of my adult life thinking that I was evil and only Jesus was good. I believed self-sacrifice would earn me “treasures in heaven,” that putting others first and always putting myself last was how you spelled JOY — Jesus and Others and You. I worked caring for other people’s children 24/7 for years, with nary a thought for myself. I had minimal prenatal…

--

--

Mary Mahoney

Endlessly curious, a voracious reader and student of psychology, neurology, and behavior. The author of Abnormal Normal. https://amzn.to/3ciFmHO.