The Cult I Left Behind
Amanda & Kyle Briggs
Newly-ish married couple, Amanda and Kyle, discuss Amanda’s upbringing in the IBLP cult of Duggar infamy – a story Kyle learns about along with listeners. Through sometimes humorous, sometimes heartbreaking stories, Amanda and Kyle explore the cult’s ideology, the strange rules that surrounded Amanda’s childhood, and the abuse she endured before leaving the cult. Through it all, they talk about what it takes to break free from a cult and what gets left behind.
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Top 10 The Cult I Left Behind Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best The Cult I Left Behind episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to The Cult I Left Behind for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite The Cult I Left Behind episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
14 - Divorce in the Cult
The Cult I Left Behind
12/04/23 • 74 min
Resource List:
www.thehotline.org
www.nrcdv.org
www.ncadv.org/RESOURCES
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67 - A Forced Apology
The Cult I Left Behind
12/16/24 • 31 min
Amanda shares a pivotal moment from her childhood: being made to apologize to the person who raped her. She and Kyle discuss the circumstances that led to this event, the family and cult factors at play, and how the experience continues to affect Amanda today. Together, they explore the long-term implications of spiritual manipulation and abuse.
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37 - No Sex on Saturdays!
The Cult I Left Behind
05/20/24 • 54 min
Thanks to some help from a listener, Amanda and Kyle finally tackle their long-awaited topic: Bill Gothard's teachings on sex rules in marriage! To absolutely nobody's surprise, the IBLP cult has a lot to say (ahem, dictate) about how married people go about their sexual relationship -- including days they should not have sex. Amanda and Kyle also answer a listener question about how to be authentic and true to yourself as a non-Christian with many friends and family members who are devout Christians.
Links to articles mentioned in the episode:
G. Richard Fisher article
Patheos blog post
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60 - Deconstruction
The Cult I Left Behind
10/28/24 • 60 min
Amanda shares her deconstruction journey, which began a decade ago when she was a worship leader for a church. That was awkward. She talks through attending seminary after Bible college and her process of realizing there were aspects of Christianity and religion that were irreconcilable with logic, in her opinion. Kyle accidentally lands in the hot seat when revealing parts of his deconstruction experience, so more to come on this topic for sure!
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4 - The Abuse Begins
The Cult I Left Behind
09/25/23 • 66 min
Amanda begins her story of surviving childhood physical, emotional, verbal, spiritual, and sexual abuse in the IBLP cult.
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Special Halloween Message from Amanda & Kyle
The Cult I Left Behind
10/31/23 • 5 min
Here's your weather forecast for Halloween 2023. Enjoy!
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12 - Shiny Happy People Review Part 4
The Cult I Left Behind
11/20/23 • 62 min
In the final installment of their Shiny Happy People review, Amanda and Kyle have an emotional conversation about episode four of the docuseries. They discuss the correlations between Josh Dugger and Amanda’s brother, as well as the parental responses of Jim Bob and Michelle and Amanda’s bio parents. Kyle and Amanda react to Anna Duggar’s choices in the aftermath of Josh’s investigation and trial and set the stage for a conversation about the cult’s stance on divorce, which will be the subject of an episode coming in a few weeks. Amanda shares her experiences with the Joshua Generation and their goal of taking over the government, and ultimately the world, as an “elite strike force” for Christ. Kyle and Amanda talk about the hard work of deconstruction after leaving the cult and the caring community that awaits anyone who leaves behind the IBLP cult and Bill Gothard’s teachings.
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13 - Q&A with Amanda & Kyle
The Cult I Left Behind
11/27/23 • 65 min
Amanda and Kyle answer listener questions. As Kyle puts it, everyone and their mom wants to know if Amanda still believes in God. Listen to the episode to find out! And feel free to submit more questions; we’ll keep answering them.
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18 - Therapy is Sin
The Cult I Left Behind
01/08/24 • 69 min
Amanda tells Kyle all about Bill Gothard's, uh, unique approach to mental health, counseling, and especially counseling abuse survivors. We learn all about reins (send help), how everything is our own fault (especially abuse), and how to get more serotonin (according to IBLP and not medically verified). This episodes takes about as many turns as Bill's twisted approach to mental health. We laugh, we cry, Kyle experiences shock, and Amanda remembers why she's still going to therapy today.
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76 - Finding Peace in Denmark: A Journey from High-Control to True Relaxation
The Cult I Left Behind
03/17/25 • 38 min
In this episode, Amanda and Kyle share their transformative experience during a recent trip to Denmark, contrasting it with Amanda's upbringing in a high-pressure religious environment and subsequent military service. Amanda discusses how the slower pace and quieter, more relaxed culture of Denmark allowed her to feel truly relaxed and safe for the first time in her life. They explore the cultural differences they observed, including the emphasis on work-life balance and the importance of being present, which profoundly impacted Amanda. As they strive to integrate these lessons into their life back in the U.S., Amanda and Kyle also announce an upcoming live stream collaboration focused on discussing life in high-control religious environments.
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FAQ
How many episodes does The Cult I Left Behind have?
The Cult I Left Behind currently has 79 episodes available.
What topics does The Cult I Left Behind cover?
The podcast is about Society & Culture, Mental Health, Religion & Spirituality, Podcasts, Homeschool, Deconstruction and Cult.
What is the most popular episode on The Cult I Left Behind?
The episode title '2 - A Harem, a Coup, and a Ponzi Scheme' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on The Cult I Left Behind?
The average episode length on The Cult I Left Behind is 53 minutes.
How often are episodes of The Cult I Left Behind released?
Episodes of The Cult I Left Behind are typically released every 7 days.
When was the first episode of The Cult I Left Behind?
The first episode of The Cult I Left Behind was released on Sep 4, 2023.
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