Exit Wounds represents the psyche of survivors of religious abuse. My wife and I were raised in a doomsday cult, indoctrinated to believe the “evil world” was soon to be destroyed by the hand of God at the battle of Armageddon. Naturally all cult members would be spared since they were the chosen few in possession of absolute religious truth. In my late 30s we woke up to the lies and abuse of the cult and made our way to freedom, but it was not without exit wounds. Shunned by former friends and family who no longer spoke to or associated with us because we had “joined with Satan”, we made our way into the world like babes learning to take our first steps, only without the protection of loving parents. We were alone, no longer accepted by our former social network but also without much understanding of the world we now inhabited. As all children do, we fell often, nursing injuries and wondering if we’d ever be able to truly walk along this path. As the 5th anniversary of our exit approaches, our legs are strong and the wounds have healed, but the scars remain, an ever-present reminder of the price of freedom.
