Introduction: When Faith Isn't the Refuge
In the landscape of trauma, faith is often portrayed as a steadfast refuge—a source of comfort, strength, and ultimate meaning. But what happens when faith isn't the refuge, but the cage? What happens when doctrine is weaponized to justify abuse and seal a child into a false reality? In her memoir, Sealed to My Abductor, Dawn McCarty explores this terrifying paradox and reveals an unexpected truth: for her, survival depended not on clinging to the faith she was given, but on forging a new one in the fires of her own truth.
1. Faith as a Weapon: The Architecture of Control
In Dawn's story, the Mormon faith was not a passive backdrop; it was an active tool of her abuse. The sacred temple sealing, an ordinance meant to bind families for eternity, was co-opted to give her abduction a stamp of divine approval. This turned a criminal act into a holy covenant and a traumatic childhood into a "divine destiny."
This weaponization of belief is a cornerstone of psychological abuse. It:
- Isolates the Survivor: Questioning the abuse becomes tantamount to questioning God, effectively silencing the victim and isolating them from any community support that might challenge the abuser's narrative.
- Invalidates the Victim's Reality: By framing abuse as part of a divine plan, it tells the child that their pain, fear, and confusion are not only wrong but spiritually disobedient.
- Creates an Unbreakable Prison: The promise of an eternal sealing makes the situation feel inescapable. It's not just a legal or physical trap, but a spiritual one that extends beyond a lifetime.
2. The Unexpected Faith: A Different Kind of Belief
This is where the unexpected connection emerges. While the imposed religious doctrine was a tool of her oppression, Dawn’s survival was fueled by a different, quieter, and more resilient kind of faith—one that had nothing to do with organized religion.
This was a faith in three fundamental things:
- Faith in Her Own Story: The ultimate act of faith was believing that her own experiences were valid and that her story deserved to be told. The very creation of Sealed to My Abductor is an exercise in this faith—a belief that her voice could break cycles and bring light to hidden darkness.
- Faith in an Inner Truth: A persistent, deep-seated knowledge that something was fundamentally wrong. It was the small, unwavering voice of her own spirit that could not be completely extinguished by years of gaslighting and indoctrination.
- Faith in Justice: An unshakeable belief that the truth mattered and that the fraudulent adoption and the erasure of her father were injustices that could, and should, be fought. This was a forward-looking faith in the possibility of restoration.
Conclusion: From Imposed Doctrine to Authentic Belief
Dawn McCarty’s journey teaches us that the relationship between faith and survival is profoundly complex. Faith, when weaponized, can be one of the most powerful tools of psychological abuse. But the human spirit's innate "faith", in its own perception, in the existence of truth, and in the power of its own voice, is the ultimate tool of liberation.
Sealed to My Abductor is not a story about losing faith. It is a story about the courageous, painful, and necessary process of "deculting", dismantling an imposed and harmful belief system to uncover the authentic, unshakeable faith that lies within.
About the Abductor
Dawn McCarty is a #1 international best-selling author and award-winning cybersecurity expert who applies the rigorous principles of threat detection and risk management to the complex landscape of childhood trauma. An abduction survivor turned global advocate, her work in promoting systemic reform earned her the Catalyst for Change Award for advancing SDG #10 – Reduced Inequalities.
Dawn’s personal story—marked by abduction, grooming, and the weaponization of the Mormon religion within a dynamic of pathogenic and cult-like parenting, is the driving force behind her life's work. This lived experience, combined with over 25 years in cybersecurity and a background in cyberpsychology, gives her a rare, 360-degree understanding of both technological and human threats. She uniquely compares the breach of a child's safety to a critical security breach in a system, providing innovative strategies for threat detection, risk mitigation, and building resilience.
This synthesis of survivor insight and expert analysis is the foundation of her upcoming Unsealed Trilogy. The series begins with her gripping memoir, Sealed to My Abductor; continues with the analytical framework, Doctrine of One: The Cult of Two; and culminates in the groundbreaking clinical dissection, Anatomy of a Psychological Mind-F*ck. She is also the creator of the Digital Defense series, which equips families against cyber and AI-related threats.
Her multidisciplinary expertise is grounded in extensive academic training, with degrees in Criminal Justice (B.S. in Psychology of Victimology, M.S. in Crime Scene and Evidence Management), B.S. in Computer Science, and an MBA in Cybersecurity. As the founder of the Thrivers Speak® and Securing Everything, and co-founder of the Nothing About Us, Without Us (NAUWOU™) conference, Dawn leads the charge to protect children from online predators and toxic family dynamics—particularly those involving severe Child Psychological Abuse (CPA) linked to undue influence, child predators, pathogenic parenting, alienation, and abduction.
Through her writing, speaking, and advocacy, Dawn provides a roadmap for deconstructing trauma and creating safe, informed environments for the next generation.
Read more at the Unsealed Press
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