Damn lol who would've known that one of the demographics that make up Joe's audience are angry involuntary celibates? All thanks to the barker and bickering beaver for that tiny reveal. Speaking of tiny, it's time to put your lifelong curiosity to ease and accept what all the doctors have told y'all. Nothing is going to help make it bigger. Cheers, Itty and Bitty. 😁🤏
Just because she said and did things that we consider horrible, that does not mean she is a horrible person. People change and people have come out of far worse than the westboro Baptist church. She doesn't strike me as a horrible or evil person, just a person born into a situation she didn't choose and indoctrinated into a very fundamentalist form of Christianity by the people around her. She managed to get her way out of it and it seems to have been a very painful experience to leave, but it was a brave one and the correct one. Good luck Megan!
Yes completely, she was brainwashed and indoctrinated from the day she was born by her caregivers. 100% not her fault. I hope now she is healing well from the trauma of her sociopathic parents.
@LifeofBeauty K so he grew up in newport news but had a grandma who loved him so that grandma love makes his childhood desirable? and his neighborhood? i wasn’t there but i dare say we have different definitions of spoiled rotten. did vick invent dog fighting? or was it common there and he joined in?
His best interview yet! Really appreciated that there were no interruptions- made watching and listening such a pleasant experience. Have so much respect for the guest.
She’s so articulate, speaks from her heart, has so much to express now. Such a contradiction to the standoff-ish and dismissive character we saw on the Louis Theroux interview when she was still with the church. All this personal growth in .... what, 5 years? That’s a light years ahead of what the average Jo accomplished in the same amount of time.
I bet that she had reservations about her family's faith for a long time before she left. She seemed even in the documentary to be more compassionate and rational than the rest.
"Light years ahead..." oh shhh!!! She hasn't done anything that amazing! There are people who suffer horrendous abuse, addiction, severe financal hardship and manage to turn their lives around without any help at all from their families.
I use to live a block away from their compound/neighborhood. They use to protest on Gage Blvd all the time. Block the entrance to Sonic. Like FUCK PEOPLE i'm trying to get a strawberry limeade.
*This is an incredibly brave woman to leave everyone and everything she’d known for her entire life. Good for her to be able to think for herself and seeing the inconsistencies in the Westboro dogma, that takes both bravery and intelligence!* 👏🏻👏🏻
@@lewisb85 It's the saddest part of all this. He was a brilliant civil rights lawyer and his children all were highly accomplished to the point they won at the Supreme Court. They could have been one of the leading families in American law fighting injustice. And instead became this.
Very interesting to hear her story... I find it pretty amazing that she was able to leave. It must have taken an enormous amount of courage to not only question an ideology that was relentlessly drilled into you from infancy but also to leave your home and have your family disown you over it.
I remember her from the Louis Theroux documentaries on Westboro. She and her sister were both quite intense. I also watched her TED talk. She is so good at articulating all the things that she found distasteful about Westboro's theology, and the reasons why she allowed 'outsiders' to influence her thinking. She is so much more thoughtful and considered than Westboro would every have allowed her to be. A very impressive young woman :-)
I'm a bit shocked that the church actually allows their teenagers to go online and talk amongst others through social media. I think it's great because it gives them a chance to look at other views outside of their own, but I would think it also gives that threat of members seeing what they're doing is wrong and them wanting to get out of it.
Scripture reveals the importance of blood in straightforward fashion by declaring that, “the life of a creature is in the blood” (Leviticus 17:11). The Book of Leviticus is comprised of writings dating as far back as the 15th century BC and was compiled into its final form by the 6th century BC. Thus, Scripture has advised us for millennia of blood’s pivotal role in keeping our bodies healthy. Scientific acceptance of blood as a source of life: Ancient medical scholars believed that the body was made up of different liquids, including blood, that had to be balanced for a person to remain healthy. Because there is no natural way to discharge a perceived excess of blood other than through menstruation, the medical practice of bloodletting came into practice. In bloodletting, doctors use sharpened tools or leeches to drain “excess blood” from a patient in an effort to cure the patient’s illness. Bloodletting was an accepted medical procedure worldwide for 3,000 years until it was discredited as an ineffective medical practice in the late 19th century AD.
She has a sister named Lauren that also left long ago and was basically shut out from the family, and she's better, she has her own life now, she seems happy, she's in the medical field and also big into fitness, stunning girl, she did the right thing
Lauren isn't her sister, she was the daughter of Steve Drain, who initially came to WBC to film a doc to expose them but ended up becoming a part of it. Apparently he's also out now, but I doubt Lauren has anything to do with him still because he was an asshole father before they were in Westboro.
Crazy to see her gown up and rational after, all those years ago, she was on Howard Stern's hollyweird squares with her mother and her sister promoting the church's message
This is why most of the worst cults don't even allow members to talk to "outsiders" because of situations like this that changed this girl's mind. I'm so happy she's freed from such a costic hateful group, if you think they treat outsiders bad you should see how to treat eachouther. 😢
Just like Antifa and “woke culture”.... They label anyone who isn’t a Stalinist/extremist, a “f a s c I s t”. Then they claim, “I refuse to give f a s c I s t s a platform”. Effectively silencing anyone isn’t on-board with their Leftist ideology. Not only does it prevent people from leaving their flawed ideology, they create so much confusion about what is actually wrong about the stuff they criticize....
Your problem isn't with their church, you're problem is with the bible. You made this comment because you know nothing about what the bible says regarding people backsliding... you think a church is like a club you join... when in fact it's a family of the only people who are going to heaven. The rest of the world is dead. When you backslide you are leaving the living to join in with the activities of the dead.
They aren’t a cult though, they have extreme views compared to the outside society but they don’t force anyone to do anything It’s really just a large family and from my understanding they don’t recruit new members or prevent anyone from leaving.
@@Americansikkunt woke culture isn’t a cult, they’re just ready to cancel people with conservative ideology as they should. Woke culture is talking over you can stay mad 🤪💕
she is super intelligent too. its a devistating combo also as an ex cult member myself joe just lettimg her talk is so very important. how long has she gone voiceless
Pot Dragon I don't know that she's a brilliant mind, but the having the capacity to question her own deeply held beliefs doesn't point to her being a blithering idiot...
Because apparently the screaming crying families and children she scarred by protesting they're deceased military parents wasn't enough to realize the error of her ways. If we have to cancel celebrities and our favorite shows for ten year old tweets from the actors. Than I sure as hell want someone that evil canceled as well. Pull her book from shelves. Cancel her. She's done horrible things and yall are like she's smart so it's okay? STFU
More strength to her! If she can make this leap, change and keep an open mind -- then she has some great lessons for us all. Eloquent, smart and she has a compelling story to tell.
I know this is a year later, but you’re correct. To watch this unfold is a beautiful ending of one part of her life and the beginning of the rest of her life.
Thank you for spreading ❤️ LOVE. We need more Love in the World, not resentment or anger. No baby is born hating, that’s learned from our parents and society. Let’s END the cycle.
Very intelligent Lady...and very brave...must have taken a lot of courage and caused a lot of heartache to herself to make the right decision that she did. Imagine walking into hell.... basically that is what she believed she was doing leaving the church she was in. I wish Hitch was still alive to have met this intelligent beautiful Lady.
So proud of her for using her intelligence to rise her above what she was taught. Any intelligent person confronted with contradictions in what they believe will be forced to reconsider their beliefs. The biggest religious contradiction in all belief system is that god is perfect and infailable yet creates so much imperfection in "his" creations.
Hi. So true. There seems to be different interpretations among Christians what it means to be made in Gods image............ IF God is PERFECT that would mean Gods IMAGE is PERFECT. ANYTHING God creates in his PERFECT IMAGE would have to be PERFECT. So then, ALL humans are PERFECT‼️ NOW lets reverse the above and say humans are NOT PERFECT. Then Gods IMAGE they were CREATED in is NOT PERFECT and finally God himself could not be PERFECT‼️ The first option God and humans are PERFECT doesn't seem right looking at the strife and suffering in the world 🌎. The second option is God and humans are NOT perfect and so where does that get us⁉️ 😳
you dumb shit, clearly you were too dumb to see her mental prowess when as a member of the church, in theological debate with idiots, she'd tear them apart 10 different ways and skewer them logically with an encyclopedic knowledge of exactly the right verses that made her point and countered those of her opponents. She comes from a family of lawyers and she was one of their brightest stars. I am of course glad she got out and thought her way out, but if you didn't realise , even when she was a member, how intelligent articulate and attractive and knowledgeable she was then you're dumber than mud.
Sorry -- I didn't pay much attention to any of them over the years... After about 10 seconds of their pathetic vitriol , I soon switched to some more productive viewing... I didn't wish to hear anymore from their cult-like group..
@@2thePtBassTuT she wasn't stupid before but dont feel bad for thinking it. Just think people may be acting on impulse rather than intelligence. I've done things for women that make make no sense to myself even now.
@@johncrane3858 well, doing stupid things for women is a mile below the stupidity of religio, for many reasonsn. Religion aside. I think what goes wrong re stupidity dealing with women, is men think look and think "nice" and they confuse her looking nice with her being nice. And so looking heavenly with being heavenly. And they also convince themselves that she looks heavenly when she doesn't. And they can have such power. Men at an early stage are afraid of women.. then some realise that actually they wee right to fear them! (unless they can up their game high enough that women lose that power).
She was always friendly and enjoyed meeting people. And that natural part of who she is, is what helped her be interested in others… she’s also curious. And that culminated in being enough to lean her towards hearing a different way of thinking
That's exactly how I left the jehovahs witnesses. I had an argument with a guy called farkel and in no time I saw through my old cult, hope others do too .
@@gutsandblackpowderfan-y5d it's exactly what this woman said, they think they're trying to help a world destined for doom. So they think they're helping you.
One of my best friends was brought up JW after they knocked on his mothers door who was a single mother of 3, unemployed and addicted to drugs. So you know she went 1000 miles in the other direction.
@@marciomaia4020 Sorry. My bad for the ambiguity. I was referring to my friends mother when the JW's saved her. She went completely into the JW's blindly and committed a 110%.
In a way, her family disowning her is ironic considering the hate she spewed a lot of her life against gay people. That is the reality for a lot of us. Overall I wish her well and I'm happy that she was able to be brave enough to grow and pull herself out of that mindset.
What a beautiful intelligent human. We all have a past for better or worse. So happy to see her able to display her compassion and empathy, which was obviously there the whole time despite the attempts of others to suppress it.
Big shoutouts to the gentleman Jewlicious who patiently helped her see the other side of reality!!! It takes a lot of patience and pragmatism to calmly debate with someone who would otherwise hate you. Full respect to him, and to her for eventually realizing it on her own.
Her life is a testament to the dangers of early indoctrination and brainwashing. Luckily, she was rational and humble enough to over time digest the contradictions and find her way out. I’ve seen her speak a few times (online) and she is clearly intelligent, well-spoken and so much better off now that the cage is lifted. Her story is so interesting to me and also helps me see Westboro for what it is beyond the surface: deeply flawed people who think they’re saving the world by setting it afire. I hope she writes a memoir because I would love to read it. She is clearly a sensitive and insightful woman and losing her family obviously scarred her very deeply.
The very last sentence is so very compelling. They are talking about how the church backed off some horrible position.... and Joe sees some hope in that and comments “... because that is not what Christ taught.” And she responds “... yeah, but some of it IS!” She has come to realize that some hateful teachings of the church art NOT scriptural.... but beyond that, she has apparently come to recognize that she also rejects some teachings that ARE scriptural. That is one heck of a journey!
I absolutely agree with your comment. However I do disagree with the sentiment that "some of it is". That all comes down to interpretation. I personally don't believe that any "true" teachings advocate hate. But almost anything can be spun to mean anything the "spinner" wants it to. I think that is the major crux of problems between religious "factions", having the arrogance to believe that their interpretation is the absolute correct one and everyone else that disagrees in any capacity is wrong. No-one on this planet knows for a fact what the "truth" is for certain. Hence the term faith, and faith is just someone's belief. But belief is not fact. Peace.
@@TheMisterMonkeyman Thanks for the thoughtful comments My own take on these issues is that our view of reality is inherently subjective…. At some point it would have been self apparent that lightning and plagues come from the supernatural. But, even if we do not believe in supernatural causation… we still interpret reality within the context of our experience. And, within that framework, it is quite natural for people to unconsciously spin reality to conform to their preconception of reality.. and when we do that…. Our spinning appears undifferentiated from actual reality. And so, when early christians related and passed on miraculous narratives…. They did not do so with the thought that they were lying, but it was ok. I think they thought these stories were “true enough”
@@MrArdytube Well said. The subjectivity of life seems to be where "problems" can occur, depending on one's willingness to "agree to disagree". I do agree with you that most people don't come up with or carry on with their beliefs thinking they are doing something bad or wrong. I think it is when a person, or more likely a group of people, decide that they have the only "true" absolute answer to the exclusion of anyone else's beliefs where trouble can rear it's head. Thank you for your thoughtful and interesting response, unfortunately kind of a rarity in a YT comment section. Peace.
This is the CRAZY thing about the Phelps family. Not only are they nuts...they’re intelligent, charismatic and attractive. That’s a really bad combination under certain circumstances. Luckily, their brand of crazy is pretty easily identifiable and contained. If things were different though, you can see how easily someone with a nice little talking voice and perfect teeth could lull certain elements of the public into believing some batshit insanity.
I am Buddhist. So I really don’t care if someone is an atheist, but it cracks me up that someone can look around this world and think that it’s all just an accident. :-)
Grew up a block from the church. My parents went to highschool with members and said they were all very nice and respectful people outside of the church environment.
“The church is very much against violence” Really? Because I’m old enough to remember when WBC was outside of our gates at Ft. Riley, KS. wishing death to me, my fellow soldiers and their families.
Exactly. I have military and gay members in my family. I can't forgive her just because she found Twitter. She has a long way to go to even get an eyelash worth of respect from me. In time I may be able to say I respect her journey. But at this moment now it's just too hard to look past the pure evil she was involved with, up bringing or not.
It's not easy to admit that all the core beliefs and doctrine you were raised with were false and indeed evil even. Good on her for breaking free and having the guts to speak on her experience. Her story will help others trapped in similar cults
Part of that is because in the US it seem to be somewhat socially unacceptable to be atheist. In Australia where I live no one could care less. Most people I know are atheists as I am. I certainly don’t consider myself a ‘jerk’ or do I consider the other people as jerks.
Much like the Amish when they decide to leave the church. They are shunned by their own families, she is dealing with the same thing. She is a strong and brave woman. I admire her greatly!
I feel like this is proof that when you become beautiful on the inside it will seep out onto the surface bc Megan is practically unrecognizable compared to the louis theroux documentary. She's so lovely 🥰
Megan mentioned something about ex members recieving worst treatment than outsiders. The reason why that is the case is because the current members are offended by the fact that ex members left. A lot of churches are like this.
this great interview gets cut off at the end at a very important point: Joe: "these are not the teachings of Christ" Megan: "the thing is, some of it is..."
Libby Phelps said a lot of the stuff he said resonated with her (he kept asking if she wanted to get out in the world and experience things for herself). Glad she and many other Phelps' are deciding that the WBC isnt for them.
many folks after their apostasy...still hold on to similar ideas and word usage. needing to use the word 'belief' and feel the power of believing in something is huge. and to be fair...people are amazing and they suck....these are not mutually exclusive characteristics
Joe's reactions to her family blocking her out are getting on my nerves. Every time she says something like her family blocked her on twitter he acted shocked and double checked that she said that.... If I were her I'd be yelling "what did you not understand?! It's called excommunication! Did you not believe me or need a definition?"
It's an American thing; the US is the most religious country in the developed world, and for the older generations who lived through the Cold War, atheism was seen as synonymous with communism and evil. But times are changing, every country in developed world is becoming more irreligious now, including America. Own the term, don't run from it.
“For Christ’s sake” I see what you did there 🤣 I’m Christian but would never look down upon any other person beliefs as it doesn’t effect me in anyway👍
🤣 Yeah, I am late! I have spoken with some truly kind athiests and being a Christian did not change their interaction with me! Very polite, intelligent, and kind.
Del Pietro Yes it is. I used to be a member of a strict religious group and we were always told to focus on the weak, those feeling lost or those searching for something as they were open to being swayed from logic. At the time it seemed so normal.
The Lou Theroux documentaries are great on this subject! I can remember her laughing at the idea of marriage and leaving that family , she was so convinced she would be there for life .. unmarried and unhappy . Glad she’s left that disgusting family
The member of the church that had premarital sex and had a child out of wedlock was her own mother. She still loves her mother very much and still respects her enough not to call her out in this story.
@@chloekit4861 nope. It was her mother. None of her sisters, as far as I know, have any children. If you catch the first BBC documentary on Westboro, you can see that issue being discussed.
I have more respect for her than I do for Lauren Drain or Libby. Those two girls have been in interviews apologizing to the public but I read Lauren's book and listened to Libby's story and both of them were kicked out and begged to be let back in. If their families allowed them to come back to the church, you can guarantee they'd be back there and continuing to picket the funerals of the family members they apologized to. Megan actually left because she felt what she was doing was wrong. She didn't beg to come back.
Sometimes it takes losing the wrong faith to find the right faith. I don't think God judges too harshly those who reject a totally fucked view of Him. This girl received something absolutely insane, maybe she will receive the right faith in the long run.
I don't think she lost her faith completely. I think she found some truth by leaving her westboro cult. I pray that someday she finds the true path to Jesus. God bless her beautiful soul.
I have lots of respect for her. She chose a very difficult path because she could no longer square that circle. I wish her all the best.
Agreed
Like the complete opposite of the prodigal son.
Now if only the dumbasses who have accepted identity politics would wake up.
@@thirdgen377 that religion is supported and propagated by mainstream news and media. It is almost impossible to shake those blinders off.
fuuuuuu@k her. she is a truly terrible human and you give her a pass??? wow....
The strength in that young woman is amazing. Kudos to Joe for just letting her do most of the talking and tell her story.
He always does that füćk you
Hahahaha fuckin simp
@@MrWickerWeaver never watched a episode when he was drinking I guess Mr FQ
Damn lol who would've known that one of the demographics that make up Joe's audience are angry involuntary celibates? All thanks to the barker and bickering beaver for that tiny reveal.
Speaking of tiny, it's time to put your lifelong curiosity to ease and accept what all the doctors have told y'all. Nothing is going to help make it bigger.
Cheers, Itty and Bitty. 😁🤏
Wooh hell yeah Nathan. I agree.
A little side note: if there's no Mrs Byrum, come slide in the DMs. 😘
Just because she said and did things that we consider horrible, that does not mean she is a horrible person. People change and people have come out of far worse than the westboro Baptist church. She doesn't strike me as a horrible or evil person, just a person born into a situation she didn't choose and indoctrinated into a very fundamentalist form of Christianity by the people around her. She managed to get her way out of it and it seems to have been a very painful experience to leave, but it was a brave one and the correct one.
Good luck Megan!
I agree 100% with your statement, and to some extent feel that way about the members of the church as well.
i used that same argument in support of michael vick. he was a product of his terrible upbringing and environment
JDela10 Mind control is a powerful thing. And she sounds very intelligent. It’s frightening.
Glad she made it out.
Yes completely, she was brainwashed and indoctrinated from the day she was born by her caregivers. 100% not her fault. I hope now she is healing well from the trauma of her sociopathic parents.
@LifeofBeauty K so he grew up in newport news but had a grandma who loved him so that grandma love makes his childhood desirable? and his neighborhood? i wasn’t there but i dare say we have different definitions of spoiled rotten. did vick invent dog fighting? or was it common there and he joined in?
Best thing about Rogan is that he doesn't pretend to understand and knows when to stay quiet and let the other person talk
Sometimes
Yes I find him to be pretty open minded actually. Some people will talk about any subject, whether they know anything about it or not.
I love that low level “whowwww” he does. It’s the best
He's awesome but I wish we didn't always have to point out every obvious thing. I'm sure he reads these comments and shit could be taken as hurtful .
so you went to the side of the bullies.
Respect to her for getting out of Westboro. It's very difficult to reject what you've been taught since childhood.
..and especially knowing once you leave you're banished there for life. But she was so much better off. She finally opened her mind.
yeah she's actually awesome, most people can't change their beliefs but she did. Takes real strength.
An open mind and some common sense.
Brain washed since childhood
I remember her from Louis Theroux' America's Most Hated Family documentaries. really glad she got out.
@lygophile Check TED Talk too
@86CJH Buddha
lygophile what did you think?
lygophile about the Louis Theroux documentary
Haha they were also on howard stern for hollyweird squares
His best interview yet! Really appreciated that there were no interruptions- made watching and listening such a pleasant experience. Have so much respect for the guest.
She’s so articulate, speaks from her heart, has so much to express now. Such a contradiction to the standoff-ish and dismissive character we saw on the Louis Theroux interview when she was still with the church.
All this personal growth in .... what, 5 years? That’s a light years ahead of what the average Jo accomplished in the same amount of time.
Just came from the Louis Theroux doc, had no idea that she had left the church.. well put and weird coincidence..
This is probably her "true self" which was unfortunately undermined by years of indoctrination and cultish rhetoric.
I bet that she had reservations about her family's faith for a long time before she left. She seemed even in the documentary to be more compassionate and rational than the rest.
"Light years ahead..." oh shhh!!! She hasn't done anything that amazing! There are people who suffer horrendous abuse, addiction, severe financal hardship and manage to turn their lives around without any help at all from their families.
@@emilyroseayres84 bring your negativity somewhere else.
I use to live a block away from their compound/neighborhood. They use to protest on Gage Blvd all the time. Block the entrance to Sonic. Like FUCK PEOPLE i'm trying to get a strawberry limeade.
Hash Jagger the popcorn chicken crazy
Hash Jagger wouldve ran them over for some popcorn chicken and an ocean water
You shoulda got out and fucked someone up
@@sirloinofbeef120 yet on your blog you talk of both your younger sister and brother using you for buggering
Hey me a foot long coney please
The fact that she got herself out of that madness is amazing. This is one brave woman🤔👍
*This is an incredibly brave woman to leave everyone and everything she’d known for her entire life. Good for her to be able to think for herself and seeing the inconsistencies in the Westboro dogma, that takes both bravery and intelligence!* 👏🏻👏🏻
All of this pain born out of one man's extreme homophobia.
He was probably gay himself
@@claytonbigsby381 I was thinking that. It seems that a lot of men that preach strong views on gays were caught in gay situations.
What I don't get though is Fred did a lot for the civil rights movement in Kansas, he actually helped. It's amazing how quickly it can all fall apart!
Born out of religion. Its the religion that hates gays. Religion is the root of all evil
@@lewisb85 It's the saddest part of all this. He was a brilliant civil rights lawyer and his children all were highly accomplished to the point they won at the Supreme Court. They could have been one of the leading families in American law fighting injustice. And instead became this.
This girl is super cool. One of Joe's better interviews!
Very interesting to hear her story... I find it pretty amazing that she was able to leave. It must have taken an enormous amount of courage to not only question an ideology that was relentlessly drilled into you from infancy but also to leave your home and have your family disown you over it.
Louis Theroux planted the seed.
it actually was probably Howard Stern, she had her on the show in 2003
Nah, it was my man Brick Stone trolling then to perfection-he even used to make Meghan laugh
@@pope9187 she messages Louis to say how he helped.
@Blindi i knew i recognized her somewhere! fucking celebrity squares, what a different time.
Jesus was the seed he was working with.
I remember her from the Louis Theroux documentaries on Westboro. She and her sister were both quite intense. I also watched her TED talk. She is so good at articulating all the things that she found distasteful about Westboro's theology, and the reasons why she allowed 'outsiders' to influence her thinking. She is so much more thoughtful and considered than Westboro would every have allowed her to be. A very impressive young woman :-)
Very well spoken and thoughtful. Thanks for having her on
I'm a bit shocked that the church actually allows their teenagers to go online and talk amongst others through social media. I think it's great because it gives them a chance to look at other views outside of their own, but I would think it also gives that threat of members seeing what they're doing is wrong and them wanting to get out of it.
The problem with evangelizing is that the same avenues you use to get the word out can be used right back at you to broaden your perspective.
@Lewis lol fair enough.
she ran the official twitter for the church, that is why she particularly was on twitter.
Ryan Thomis thanks for clarifying. I didn’t understand how she got into social media.
Scripture reveals the importance of blood in straightforward fashion by declaring that, “the life of a creature is in the blood” (Leviticus 17:11). The Book of Leviticus is comprised of writings dating as far back as the 15th century BC and was compiled into its final form by the 6th century BC. Thus, Scripture has advised us for millennia of blood’s pivotal role in keeping our bodies healthy.
Scientific acceptance of blood as a source of life:
Ancient medical scholars believed that the body was made up of different liquids, including blood, that had to be balanced for a person to remain healthy. Because there is no natural way to discharge a perceived excess of blood other than through menstruation, the medical practice of bloodletting came into practice.
In bloodletting, doctors use sharpened tools or leeches to drain “excess blood” from a patient in an effort to cure the patient’s illness. Bloodletting was an accepted medical procedure worldwide for 3,000 years until it was discredited as an ineffective medical practice in the late 19th century AD.
She has a sister named Lauren that also left long ago and was basically shut out from the family, and she's better, she has her own life now, she seems happy, she's in the medical field and also big into fitness, stunning girl, she did the right thing
Lauren isn't her sister, she was the daughter of Steve Drain, who initially came to WBC to film a doc to expose them but ended up becoming a part of it. Apparently he's also out now, but I doubt Lauren has anything to do with him still because he was an asshole father before they were in Westboro.
THIS WOMAN IS INCREDIBLE! Seriously what a compassionate and intelligent woman, I could listen to her talk for hours.
Crazy to see her gown up and rational after, all those years ago, she was on Howard Stern's hollyweird squares with her mother and her sister promoting the church's message
Came here because I just watched Hollyweird Squares for the first time and read she was on with Joe. Amazing how someone can completely change.
BRO I KNEW IT 😂😂😂😂
Thought she looked familiar. Was she the older daughter?
This is why most of the worst cults don't even allow members to talk to "outsiders" because of situations like this that changed this girl's mind. I'm so happy she's freed from such a costic hateful group, if you think they treat outsiders bad you should see how to treat eachouther. 😢
Just like Antifa and “woke culture”....
They label anyone who isn’t a Stalinist/extremist, a “f a s c I s t”.
Then they claim, “I refuse to give f a s c I s t s a platform”.
Effectively silencing anyone isn’t on-board with their Leftist ideology. Not only does it prevent people from leaving their flawed ideology, they create so much confusion about what is actually wrong about the stuff they criticize....
Your problem isn't with their church, you're problem is with the bible. You made this comment because you know nothing about what the bible says regarding people backsliding... you think a church is like a club you join... when in fact it's a family of the only people who are going to heaven. The rest of the world is dead. When you backslide you are leaving the living to join in with the activities of the dead.
@@redpillmafia960 You don’t speak for god please be quiet. Pride and vanity are sins too and you’re exuding both quite readily.
They aren’t a cult though, they have extreme views compared to the outside society but they don’t force anyone to do anything It’s really just a large family and from my understanding they don’t recruit new members or prevent anyone from leaving.
@@Americansikkunt woke culture isn’t a cult, they’re just ready to cancel people with conservative ideology as they should. Woke culture is talking over you can stay mad 🤪💕
she is super intelligent too. its a devistating combo
also as an ex cult member myself joe just lettimg her talk is so very important. how long has she gone voiceless
psychedelic thoughts - She is a blithering idiot.
Pot Dragon I don't know that she's a brilliant mind, but the having the capacity to question her own deeply held beliefs doesn't point to her being a blithering idiot...
@@potdragon8091 she's both highly intelligent and an eloquent writer; she's a far cry from a "bothering idiot". Read her book, Unfollow.
So intelligent it took her 20 years and Twitter to realize she was an evil person.
Because apparently the screaming crying families and children she scarred by protesting they're deceased military parents wasn't enough to realize the error of her ways. If we have to cancel celebrities and our favorite shows for ten year old tweets from the actors. Than I sure as hell want someone that evil canceled as well. Pull her book from shelves. Cancel her. She's done horrible things and yall are like she's smart so it's okay? STFU
More strength to her! If she can make this leap, change and keep an open mind -- then she has some great lessons for us all. Eloquent, smart and she has a compelling story to tell.
I know this is a year later, but you’re correct. To watch this unfold is a beautiful ending of one part of her life and the beginning of the rest of her life.
Louis Theroux played a part in this
Thank you for spreading ❤️ LOVE. We need more Love in the World, not resentment or anger. No baby is born hating, that’s learned from our parents and society. Let’s END the cycle.
Very intelligent Lady...and very brave...must have taken a lot of courage and caused a lot of heartache to herself to make the right decision that she did. Imagine walking into hell.... basically that is what she believed she was doing leaving the church she was in. I wish Hitch was still alive to have met this intelligent beautiful Lady.
i can tell she is actually a gentle person
So proud of her for using her intelligence to rise her above what she was taught. Any intelligent person confronted with contradictions in what they believe will be forced to reconsider their beliefs. The biggest religious contradiction in all belief system is that god is perfect and infailable yet creates so much imperfection in "his" creations.
Hi. So true.
There seems to be different interpretations among Christians what it means to be made in Gods image............
IF God is PERFECT that would mean Gods IMAGE is PERFECT.
ANYTHING God creates in his PERFECT IMAGE would have to be PERFECT. So then, ALL humans are PERFECT‼️
NOW lets reverse the above and say humans are NOT PERFECT.
Then Gods IMAGE they were CREATED in is NOT PERFECT and finally God himself could not be PERFECT‼️
The first option God and humans are PERFECT doesn't seem right looking at the strife and suffering in the world 🌎.
The second option is God and humans are NOT perfect and so where does that get us⁉️ 😳
She has an amazing voice, and quite a hypnotic delivery.
Except for her (previous) religious views, she seems to be a very intelligent, articulate, attractive, knowledgeable, and warm person... who knew?
you dumb shit, clearly you were too dumb to see her mental prowess when as a member of the church, in theological debate with idiots, she'd tear them apart 10 different ways and skewer them logically with an encyclopedic knowledge of exactly the right verses that made her point and countered those of her opponents. She comes from a family of lawyers and she was one of their brightest stars. I am of course glad she got out and thought her way out, but if you didn't realise , even when she was a member, how intelligent articulate and attractive and knowledgeable she was then you're dumber than mud.
Sorry -- I didn't pay much attention to any of them over the years... After about 10 seconds of their pathetic vitriol , I soon switched to some more productive viewing... I didn't wish to hear anymore from their cult-like group..
@@boliussa sorry just cool down. A lot of people dont understand religion and or cults.
@@2thePtBassTuT she wasn't stupid before but dont feel bad for thinking it. Just think people may be acting on impulse rather than intelligence. I've done things for women that make make no sense to myself even now.
@@johncrane3858 well, doing stupid things for women is a mile below the stupidity of religio, for many reasonsn. Religion aside. I think what goes wrong re stupidity dealing with women, is men think look and think "nice" and they confuse her looking nice with her being nice. And so looking heavenly with being heavenly. And they also convince themselves that she looks heavenly when she doesn't. And they can have such power. Men at an early stage are afraid of women.. then some realise that actually they wee right to fear them! (unless they can up their game high enough that women lose that power).
I would guess her former church took away the tweets from the young members by now.
She was always friendly and enjoyed meeting people. And that natural part of who she is, is what helped her be interested in others… she’s also curious. And that culminated in being enough to lean her towards hearing a different way of thinking
The cousin who let her live with her for awhile is Libby Phelps. She's so sweet. :)
That's exactly how I left the jehovahs witnesses. I had an argument with a guy called farkel and in no time I saw through my old cult, hope others do too .
Why do they show up at my house? What are they taught to say ? I have never shown any interest.
@@gutsandblackpowderfan-y5d it's exactly what this woman said, they think they're trying to help a world destined for doom. So they think they're helping you.
One of my best friends was brought up JW after they knocked on his mothers door who was a single mother of 3, unemployed and addicted to drugs. So you know she went 1000 miles in the other direction.
@@seanriopel3132 I don't understand what you're trying to say. She went 1000 miles in the other direction? What do you mean by that?
@@marciomaia4020 Sorry. My bad for the ambiguity. I was referring to my friends mother when the JW's saved her. She went completely into the JW's blindly and committed a 110%.
The part that really got to me was when she spoke of her cousin who had left, asking Megan to live with her. That is what it is to be a Christian.
Agreed. It's called being a good person. Being religious is not synonymous with being a good person
@@evesapple well said
She's an atheist now.
In a way, her family disowning her is ironic considering the hate she spewed a lot of her life against gay people. That is the reality for a lot of us. Overall I wish her well and I'm happy that she was able to be brave enough to grow and pull herself out of that mindset.
Her voice is so angelic ❤️
I agree. I could listen to her talk for so long lol that voice 🥰
@@christopherhernandez3909 honestly 😭❤️
And she's very pretty
im so proud of her, the strength and courage it took for her to escape.
What a beautiful intelligent human. We all have a past for better or worse. So happy to see her able to display her compassion and empathy, which was obviously there the whole time despite the attempts of others to suppress it.
Big shoutouts to the gentleman Jewlicious who patiently helped her see the other side of reality!!! It takes a lot of patience and pragmatism to calmly debate with someone who would otherwise hate you. Full respect to him, and to her for eventually realizing it on her own.
What a lovely, intelligent beautiful young woman. Her voice is so pretty too 💜
Use the word Humanist, Megan, in the true meaning of it. You said it. You believe in people, you love people and there is so much hope in people.
Her life is a testament to the dangers of early indoctrination and brainwashing. Luckily, she was rational and humble enough to over time digest the contradictions and find her way out. I’ve seen her speak a few times (online) and she is clearly intelligent, well-spoken and so much better off now that the cage is lifted. Her story is so interesting to me and also helps me see Westboro for what it is beyond the surface: deeply flawed people who think they’re saving the world by setting it afire. I hope she writes a memoir because I would love to read it. She is clearly a sensitive and insightful woman and losing her family obviously scarred her very deeply.
The very last sentence is so very compelling. They are talking about how the church backed off some horrible position.... and Joe sees some hope in that and comments “... because that is not what Christ taught.” And she responds “... yeah, but some of it IS!” She has come to realize that some hateful teachings of the church art NOT scriptural.... but beyond that, she has apparently come to recognize that she also rejects some teachings that ARE scriptural. That is one heck of a journey!
I absolutely agree with your comment. However I do disagree with the sentiment that "some of it is". That all comes down to interpretation. I personally don't believe that any "true" teachings advocate hate. But almost anything can be spun to mean anything the "spinner" wants it to. I think that is the major crux of problems between religious "factions", having the arrogance to believe that their interpretation is the absolute correct one and everyone else that disagrees in any capacity is wrong. No-one on this planet knows for a fact what the "truth" is for certain. Hence the term faith, and faith is just someone's belief. But belief is not fact. Peace.
@@TheMisterMonkeyman
Thanks for the thoughtful comments
My own take on these issues is that our view of reality is inherently subjective…. At some point it would have been self apparent that lightning and plagues come from the supernatural. But, even if we do not believe in supernatural causation… we still interpret reality within the context of our experience. And, within that framework, it is quite natural for people to unconsciously spin reality to conform to their preconception of reality.. and when we do that…. Our spinning appears undifferentiated from actual reality. And so, when early christians related and passed on miraculous narratives…. They did not do so with the thought that they were lying, but it was ok. I think they thought these stories were “true enough”
@@MrArdytube Well said. The subjectivity of life seems to be where "problems" can occur, depending on one's willingness to "agree to disagree". I do agree with you that most people don't come up with or carry on with their beliefs thinking they are doing something bad or wrong. I think it is when a person, or more likely a group of people, decide that they have the only "true" absolute answer to the exclusion of anyone else's beliefs where trouble can rear it's head. Thank you for your thoughtful and interesting response, unfortunately kind of a rarity in a YT comment section. Peace.
Hey Joe, you should get her on again, I think you would get a lot more people watching the video now.
I got alot of respect for this woman's ability to change.
Her mum will regret not having this amazing woman in her life
She is very eloquent, and a Warrior. One of my favorite interviews.
I live here in Topeka where the Church is and it is amazing Seeing these people all the time
Amazing how someone so adorable and smart can come out of such hatred.
Not really. It's human. It would simply have been another path for her to stay in the church. She chose to leave and lead a different life.
she discovered dip brow as soon as she left
What is dip brow?
Brinky Brinkz dip brow is a method of doing your eyebrows. You take a brush and you dip it into some powder and you draw on your brows
She has a hard time raising her eyebrows too lol
@Copenhagen why
And cleavage lol :)
Great interview, she’s a really good story teller
You can hear how traumatized she is being in that cult almost all her life.
This is the CRAZY thing about the Phelps family. Not only are they nuts...they’re intelligent, charismatic and attractive. That’s a really bad combination under certain circumstances. Luckily, their brand of crazy is pretty easily identifiable and contained. If things were different though, you can see how easily someone with a nice little talking voice and perfect teeth could lull certain elements of the public into believing some batshit insanity.
I am Buddhist. So I really don’t care if someone is an atheist, but it cracks me up that someone can look around this world and think that it’s all just an accident. :-)
So strange how the ones that left got really beautiful on the outside (Lauren and Megan)
Grew up a block from the church. My parents went to highschool with members and said they were all very nice and respectful people outside of the church environment.
her voice is... unique.
Yes! She could work as a narrator for Audible books or a DJ on NPR.
Joe should have her and her sister on again, its fascinating listening to their stories.
“The church is very much against violence”
Really? Because I’m old enough to remember when WBC was outside of our gates at
Ft. Riley, KS. wishing death to me, my fellow soldiers and their families.
Exactly. I have military and gay members in my family. I can't forgive her just because she found Twitter. She has a long way to go to even get an eyelash worth of respect from me. In time I may be able to say I respect her journey. But at this moment now it's just too hard to look past the pure evil she was involved with, up bringing or not.
There's a big difference between wishing it and actually carrying it out, which is what she's describing.
@@normie2716 Yeah, because James Hodgkinsn don’t act on his feeling either, right?
I remember that ! Lived in Topeka for a while and KC when tried to picked there. It didn’t go well. Lol
Considering where and how she lived for so long, she's surprisingly eloquent and thoughtful and perceptive and brave..!
It's not easy to admit that all the core beliefs and doctrine you were raised with were false and indeed evil even. Good on her for breaking free and having the guts to speak on her experience. Her story will help others trapped in similar cults
Nothing but absolute respect for her. Would love to meet her
Censorship and cancel culture would have made all of the positive changes and eventual light bulb moment impossible..
Excellent point!
I don't know what her current state of beliefs are but at the time of this interview she was not an atheist. She was agnostic.
Those terms are not mutually exclusive. You can be both. She was an atheist. If she doesn't claim to know there isnt, she was agnostic as well.
Part of that is because in the US it seem to be somewhat socially unacceptable to be atheist. In Australia where I live no one could care less. Most people I know are atheists as I am. I certainly don’t consider myself a ‘jerk’ or do I consider the other people as jerks.
Much like the Amish when they decide to leave the church. They are shunned by their own families, she is dealing with the same thing. She is a strong and brave woman. I admire her greatly!
@nuff sed I'm sorry to hear that buddy I hope you are ok love from Scotland
This is why I believe we should never cast people out because of their beliefs or something they say.
There is hope. They can see the light.
That church is crazy
AmericanValor They all are
All religions are. The fact people still buy into fairytales in 2021 is saddening
Thanks of you for speaking out! And your ok human being too Joe😄
I'm glad she got away from that toxic environment.
19:10 so glad this laugh is still on UA-cam... what an interesting and pretty person in just a really wholesome eay
She's so different from when she was a WBC member.
This is just sad. So much pain, for all involved. Religion has the ability to turn kindness into pure coldness.
Her story is very interesting and she is very lucid and intelligent but I cannot stop thinking about how beautiful and charming she is.
Her TEDtalk is even better .
I feel like this is proof that when you become beautiful on the inside it will seep out onto the surface bc Megan is practically unrecognizable compared to the louis theroux documentary. She's so lovely 🥰
She is very valuable. She can advise on how to leave cults.
This woman is brilliant. This is absolutely fascinating how incredibly smart people can use their own intelligence to blind themselves.
Joe, you have the best guests and the best content! Thanks!
Rogan: since when has anything good come from twitter
Her: I actually met my husband on Twitter
Lol got his ass
Her story resonates with me a lot. Went through similar feelings, experiences as a j-dub.
So happy to be seeing other people like me in this comment section. How long ago did you leave if you don’t mind me asking?
I think that the USA should send her to the Middle East to negotiate peace there.
Megan mentioned something about ex members recieving worst treatment than outsiders. The reason why that is the case is because the current members are offended by the fact that ex members left. A lot of churches are like this.
As the late, and superbly great, Christopher Hitchens proclaimed many times, "Religion poisons everything.!
I used to prank call them back in the day. Good times
this great interview gets cut off at the end at a very important point: Joe: "these are not the teachings of Christ" Megan: "the thing is, some of it is..."
You don’t know the teachings of Christ
Respect this young lady who was raised into this ideology, she has broken away from, I wish her the happiest life.
I wonder if Louis Theroux's direct questions influenced any of them to leave?
Libby Phelps said a lot of the stuff he said resonated with her (he kept asking if she wanted to get out in the world and experience things for herself). Glad she and many other Phelps' are deciding that the WBC isnt for them.
She has acknowledged Louis
Wow this is possibly the best thing that has ever happened on twitter
She believes in people... That'll be the next idea she'll grow out of.
People suck
The Pleblian speak for yourself buddy
Oh boo hoo. Who pissed in your cheerios?
2edgy4me
many folks after their apostasy...still hold on to similar ideas and word usage. needing to use the word 'belief' and feel the power of believing in something is huge. and to be fair...people are amazing and they suck....these are not mutually exclusive characteristics
lowlowseesee - I agree, people are awesome and suck at the time.
Although, "Pull up then" pretty much sucks all day long.
It's honestly amazing she got out
Is it better to be born good or overcome evil nature?
Joe's reactions to her family blocking her out are getting on my nerves. Every time she says something like her family blocked her on twitter he acted shocked and double checked that she said that.... If I were her I'd be yelling "what did you not understand?! It's called excommunication! Did you not believe me or need a definition?"
Agreed
Excommunication to normal folk is abhorrent. I would be the exact same.
I'm an athiest and I hold doors open for christs sake, and people think I'm a jerk?
It's an American thing; the US is the most religious country in the developed world, and for the older generations who lived through the Cold War, atheism was seen as synonymous with communism and evil. But times are changing, every country in developed world is becoming more irreligious now, including America. Own the term, don't run from it.
“For Christ’s sake” I see what you did there 🤣
I’m Christian but would never look down upon any other person beliefs as it doesn’t effect me in anyway👍
🤣 Yeah, I am late!
I have spoken with some truly kind athiests and being a Christian did not change their interaction with me! Very polite, intelligent, and kind.
You hold doors open for the sake of Christ? That’s awesome.
"some of it is", whoa
It’s incredibly easy to hijack the human mind. Especially in tribal situations.
Del Pietro Yes it is. I used to be a member of a strict religious group and we were always told to focus on the weak, those feeling lost or those searching for something as they were open to being swayed from logic. At the time it seemed so normal.
It’s terrifying
The Lou Theroux documentaries are great on this subject! I can remember her laughing at the idea of marriage and leaving that family , she was so convinced she would be there for life .. unmarried and unhappy . Glad she’s left that disgusting family
The member of the church that had premarital sex and had a child out of wedlock was her own mother.
She still loves her mother very much and still respects her enough not to call her out in this story.
Notthefather huh? I thought I was her sister
Seriously? Damn
@@chloekit4861 nope. It was her mother. None of her sisters, as far as I know, have any children.
If you catch the first BBC documentary on Westboro, you can see that issue being discussed.
@@AaronEllisOfficial yes..her mother has 11 children, the oldest being the son she had out of wedlock. Only 10 are by her husband.
@@notthefather3919 wow
I have more respect for her than I do for Lauren Drain or Libby. Those two girls have been in interviews apologizing to the public but I read Lauren's book and listened to Libby's story and both of them were kicked out and begged to be let back in. If their families allowed them to come back to the church, you can guarantee they'd be back there and continuing to picket the funerals of the family members they apologized to. Megan actually left because she felt what she was doing was wrong. She didn't beg to come back.
I'm Catholic. I believe in Christ. I have faith. Mad respect for this young lady. Sorry she lost her faith.
Sometimes it takes losing the wrong faith to find the right faith. I don't think God judges too harshly those who reject a totally fucked view of Him. This girl received something absolutely insane, maybe she will receive the right faith in the long run.
I don't think she lost her faith completely. I think she found some truth by leaving her westboro cult. I pray that someday she finds the true path to Jesus. God bless her beautiful soul.