Hannah Watkins continues her story of how she gradually created distance from a life written for her by a rigid interpretation of scripture. She spent her first 18 years in a popular Baptist sect known as 'the Move' of God.
The group, led by Sam Fife, became popular in the late ’60s when Sam evangelized himself as a prophet. Luckily, Hannah’s experience was not physically invasive, but all the same damaging to her emotionally. After physically leaving the group, there were still several years spent shaking off a residue of spiritual guilt.
In the time since Hannah has left, she has learned to value the sense of family and community she was raised in while also seeing how dangerous extreme adherence can be. She has become an advocate against restrictive religious beliefs and for awareness of their effects, especially on young women.
Stay tuned, Before You Go: How do you find the positive side of being ostracized for something beyond your control? When you're singled out because of someone else's bias, it can seem that you've lost everything. Rachel reminds listeners that it's actually the other way around!
You can find out more about the exorcisms used by Sam Fife and The Move in this Investigation Discovery episode:
https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/tv-shows/people-magazine-investigates-cults/full-episodes/the-movement-of-god
Patreon subscribers have access to more written accounts collected from a forum of survivors of The Move.
