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What happens when obedience becomes survival, and silence is enforced through fear of eternal damnation?

In this episode of The Angela Rose Show, I sit down with Michelle Stewart, activist, survivor, and author of JUDAS GIRL. Michelle grew up moving through a series of religious cults, including Hutterite, Bruderhof, River Brethren, Russian Orthodox, and an off-grid Amish-style commune led by a former Pathway Publishing editor. Each group claimed to hold “truth,” but used fear, shame, and religious coercion to suppress identity, voice, and thought.

🔍 We explore:

• Why Michelle used the word cult, and what actually qualifies as one
• Gender hierarchy, obedience, and early objectification in Hutterite and Bruderhof life
• The psychological toll of being called “worse than Judas” by her father at age 14
• Her struggle to reconcile faith, autonomy, and loyalty as a teenage church member
• The role purity culture played in grooming, coercion, and sexual violation
• How indoctrination prevented her from recognizing abuse, and her own worth
• The impact of untreated mental illness and betrayal within religious systems
• The life-saving power of education, language, and the right resources

Michelle’s story is one of surviving impossible choices, reclaiming power, and choosing to name the truth, even when it’s not welcome. As she says in the episode:

“You can only make choices from the mindset you know.”

📕 Her memoir JUDAS GIRL doesn’t offer a tidy ending.. It offers validation, insight, and a path toward clarity.

🛑 Trigger warning: This episode includes honest discussions of sexual abuse, spiritual manipulation, and suicide ideation. Please take care as you listen.

💬 If something in this conversation resonates with your story, comment below or message privately. You’re not alone.

📕 Get the Book

JUDAS GIRL by Michelle Stewart

Also available on Amazon and major bookseller platforms

🔗 Follow Michelle Stewart:

Instagram: @michelle_stewart_author - https://www.instagram.com/michelle_stewart_author

Facebook: @Michelle-StewartAuthor-61552318056042 - https://www.facebook.com/p/Michelle-StewartAuthor-61552318056042/

Michelle Stewart's Official Website: https://michellestewartauthor.com/

🔗 Follow Angela Rose:

Instagram: @angelarosemartin

Facebook: @angelarosemartin

TikTok: @angelaroseshow

🔖 Crisis Support Resources

If you or someone you know is in crisis, please reach out to one of the following:

• Crisis Text Line – Text TWLOHA to 741741
• Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – Call 988
• National Child Abuse Hotline – Call 800-422-4453
• National Domestic Violence Hotline – Call 800-799-7233
• RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) – Call 800-656-4673

You are not alone. Help is available.