Coral Anika Theill
Author, Advocate, Speaker & Reporter
ORDER OCTOBER 2021 BONSHEÁ Making Light of the Dark by Coral Anika Theill
2022 BONSHEÁ Making Light of the Dark BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT
BONSHEÁ – Yaqui Indian – meaning ‘out of the darkness into the light’
INTRODUCTION to BONSHEA Making Light of the Dark
"The story you are about to read challenges each of us, especially those of us whose day-to-day lives are not obviously impacted by patriarchy and theocracy, to examine the role we play, perhaps unintentionally, in perpetuating the system of Christian privilege that inheres in patriarchy and theocracy." - Christophe Difo, J.D., & Sean Prophet
During my marriage I was required to be a "helpmeet" in a world like the one from Margaret Atwood's dystopian novel "The Handmaid’s Tale. My abusive husband and the PEOPLE OF PRAISE COMMUNITY leaders committed crimes against me and used coercive control, isolation and intimidation tactics to strip me of my personhood, safety and freedoms as a United States citizen. I have lived under a state address protection program from my abusive ex-husband,
Marty Warner, Independence, Oregon since 1999.
A startling memoir of one woman escaping an abusive marriage and oppressive religious cults [PEOPLE OF PRAISE] and trying to find "justice" in a failed system. Anyone concerned with issues of abuse and injustice in America should read this book. Mother of 8 Battered & Raped in the Name of 'God': OPEN LETTER to Oregon Governor Kate Brown
- Christine Pahl, MS, LPC, Oregon
I am a handmaid survivor & former member of SC Justice Amy Coney Barrett's PEOPLE OF PRAISE CULT
WATCH Coral Anika Theill's FEB. 13, 2021 INTERVIEW
Raped for God: PEOPLE OF PRAISE by Secular Radical Podcast
BONSHEÁ Making Light of the Dark
2021 INTRODUCTION by Christophe Difo, J.D., and Sean Prophet
Excerpt: “Our relationship with Coral began in September of 2020, just days after Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away. It had become clear that Amy Coney Barrett would be then President Donald J. Trump’s nominee to replace Justice Ginsberg on the bench. Coral was working fervently to derail Barrett’s confirmation, expressing publicly and passionately, the harrowing story of her time in People of Praise, and sounding the alarm that Barrett had been a prominent member of the same organization.
Coral’s experiences at the hands of her tormentors, including members of the People of Praise, are heinous enough to disturb even the most seasoned social worker. The atrocities include serial rape, kidnapping, domestic assault, involuntary servitude, ritual humiliation, denial of medical care, financial exploitation, social ostracism, psychological torture, and disinheritance. For Coral, all of that immeasurable suffering pales in comparison to the agony she has endured as a result of her court-mandated separation and emotional alienation from her eight children.
There is no language sufficient to express the extent of the physical and psychological suffering Coral has endured in the name of religion. The only thing that’s more shocking than Coral’s experience is that she survived it. We were drawn to Coral's story with both fascination and outrage. We were grateful and humbled when she accepted our invitation to appear as a guest on our show, The Radical Secular Podcast. We found her to be unbroken, unbowed, and unapologetic. She shared her story with courage and conviction and each grotesque new revelation pushed our jaws ever-closer to the floor. We launched The Radical Secular Podcast in part to explore and expose the sorts of destructive hierarchies which animate Coral’s story. Our conversations with Coral have hardened our resolve to sound the alarm about creeping theocracy, and they have reminded us to count our comparative blessings.
Our interview with Coral titled, Raped for God: The People of Praise, aired on February 15, 2021.
The frightening implications of Christian fundamentalism’s infiltration of the highest court in the land motivated Coral to publish this new edition of her memoir. Every person who begins reading this defiant chronicle of Coral’s experience under the lash of Christian fundamentalism will emerge deeply concerned for the future of justice, equality, and freedom, including religious freedom, under the United States Constitution.”
Affidavits 1976 - 2020 - Marty Warner, Independence, Oregon Abuses Wife, Children & Coworkers
I BELIEVE by CORAL ANIKA THEILL
BONSHEÁ Making Light of the Dark Facebook
I Lived the Handmaid's Tale in Corvallis, Oregon
Escaped OfMartin - Marty Warner in 1996
Coral Anika Theill IN THE NEWS 2020-2021
Last year my story as a handmaid survivor and former member of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s “People of Praise Community” received national and international attention and was featured in the AP, Guardian, Washington Post, Newsweek, Reuters, Amy Goodman: Democracy Now, Freedom from Religion Foundation with Annie Laurie Gaylor, secular and women's rights activist and a co-founder of Freedom from Religion Foundation and Andrew L. Seidel, author, constitutional and civil rights attorney, Dr. Steven Hassan, Freedom of Mind, Verdict, The Radical Secular Podcast, Inside Edition, National Catholic Reporter, Reforme – Paris, France as well as dozens of other media outlets from September 2020 – June 2021.
Coral Anika Theill
aka Kathryn Y. (Hall) Warner
Author, Advocate, Speaker & Military Reporter Handmaid Survivor & former member of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett's PEOPLE OF PRAISE COMMUNITY [Cult]
D.V., Rape & Ritual Abuse Victim/Survivor
Alienated & Erased Mother of 8
Memoir: BONSHEA Making Light of the Dark
Contributing Writer for Leatherneck Magazine, Short Rations for Marines
& RECLAMATION: A Survivor's Anthology
Coral's Pure Beeswax Candles & Keepsakes
Professional Model & Seasoned Resistance Fighter
FIVE STAR REVIEWS
"I recommend this book for health care providers, those in the criminal justice system, and volunteers or helpers of any kind to get insights and clarity about the complex dynamics of domestic violence and its toxic effects to individuals and society-and what needs to be done to eradicate this pandemic problem." – Barbara A. May, PhD, RN PMHP, Professor of Nursing, Linfield College, Portland, Oregon
"Every so often a book is written that touches the heart. This is such a book. BONSHEÁ is an unforgettable story that will leave an indelible mark on your psyche." – Adaline Archer, Court reporter, (Ret.) Washington
"BONSHEÁ illustrates the degree to which the legal system can also be used as a vehicle to further perpetuate abuse even after the victim has chosen to take a stand against the abuse." – John Haroldson, District Attorney, Benton County District Attorney's Office, Corvallis, Oregon
BONSHEÁ pierces through the darkness that hides the legal system's routine abuse of mothers and children. "BONSHEÁ is a work of immense courage, a true tale of heartbreak and salvation. By exposing what was done to her by the court system, by the religious authorities and by their enabling cronies as she took the moral high ground by leaving an abusive husband, the author gives readers the tremendous gift of her hard-won insight and spiritual awakening. As shocking as it may be, Coral's story resonates with the truth. I hear pleas for help from protective mothers like Coral every day, week after week, year after year--all of them pleading for their very birthright, their greatest right, which is to be a mother. She pinpoints, with heart-piercing accuracy, the historical hatred of females and of the feminine that has permeated societies, including our present one, for eons.
Her personal story of living with and divorcing an abusive "religious" man who was cheered on by the community's religious, governmental, and legal authorities mirrors the persecution of all women who, like Coral, choose to say "no" to male dominance and power. These include Middle Age "witches," midwives, mothers who protect their children from a father's abuse, mothers who dare to have careers and mothers who elect to stay home with their children. Coral also calls out for the only true cure for the dark side of human nature, and that is to live in the light.
Coral's work is a special blessing for me and for my sisters throughout this country. Not a single particle of the wisdom Coral shares misses the mark." - Maureen T. Hannah, Ph.D. Chair, Battered Mother's Custody Conference, Albany, New York,
"BONSHEÁ engaged my attention immediately, and then enraged me. The author has endured huge suffering at the hands of brutalists hiding behind the masks of pseudo-Christianity and “justice for all.” The author continues to stride toward the light in her own life-at huge personal cost-and to bring her story forward for all to consider and act upon." - Karen Goldammer, South Dakota
"I think she is very brave to write this book. Some of the abuse was so terrible it was painful to read, but it is important to hear it. There are people out there who use their religion as a way to abuse and control women. I'll be honest, I found this book through searching for news articles about the President's possible pick for a Supreme Court Nominee and found out she is a member of an extremist religious cult called 'People of Praise.' I believe this author's description of how abusive and controlling the cult is. Extremely scary." - Kayla Jones, 5 Star Review, Amazon
"I would love to discover that every judge, every minister, every person who seeks justice, would read this book! I have consulted thousands of abused women and know that the injustice Coral suffered, the loss of her children, is an all too common experience of abused women seeking to protect their children and to save themselves." - Patricia Evans, Author, The Verbally Abusive Relationship, California
"A must-read for anyone impacted by abuse, marriage, divorce/family court to prepare to fight for your children’s lives in the current family court system. Advocates, attorneys, judges, and other professionals working in family court must read this account to understand the lengths abusers will go to continue to control and torture their abuse victims. I applaud Coral Theill for the courage she shows making light of the dark secrets within the fundamental churches and the collusion of the family court system." - Debra Wingfield, Trainer, Author, and Case Consultant, North Carolina
"You stand TALL amongst many. We're all wounded but some choose to heal so that they can heal others. Continue your incredible work. Even here in Africa, we tell your story....God bless you for this gift to all womenfolk. Look at what it's doing for all of us in the world. It's reaching beyond the sea and cultural divides. I'm at a loss for words. Thank you, Coral, for your light." - Nana Ngobese-Nxumala, Director, Woman Forward Political Party, South Africa
"Your memoir, BONSHEÁ Making Light of the Dark, is an amazing revelation of the corrupt underbelly of our government. Abusers thrive with the help of the institutions that are supposed to protect. Your survival is even more amazing and a testimony to the power of our inner selves." - Donna Buiso, Author, Nothing But My Voice
Coral Anika Theill was a victim of MARITAL RAPE while married to her abusive husband,
Marty Warner, Independence Oregon. Coral's story of survival was published March 1, 2018 in
RECLAMATION: A Survivor's Anthology
by the NYC Alliance Against Sexual Assault & Survivor's Magazine
WINGS OF LOVE HALF-WAY HOUSE, Killingsworth, Portland, Oregon
During the period of my collapse and post-partum depression in the spring of 1994, my husband,
Marty Warner, and his Christians & AME Baptist pastors left me at the "Wing's of Love" half-way house on Killingsworth in Portland, Oregon, to punish and "break me" to the will of God.
The house was a shelter for ex-cons, street people and prostitutes.
It was filthy and infested with rats and lice.
My husband's estate at this time, was over a quarter-of-a million dollars.
Read more about SPIRITUAL ABUSE HERE
Coral Anika Theill & U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley
Washington D.C.
(DALLAS, OR) Coral Theill's case history in Oregon courts has been documented by physicians and advocates, including her counselor and mentor of 18 years, Barbara A. May, PhD, RN PMHP, Professor Emerita of Nursing, Linfield College, Portland, Oregon, as one of Oregon's most violent and obscene rape and domestic violence cases. Ms. Theill has lived under a “state address protection program” from her ex-husband, Marty Warner, Independence, Oregon, since 1999. In honor of Mother’s Day 2014, The Pixel Project featured Coral Anika Theill's Interview in the Survivor Stories Blog Interview Project. August 13, 2014, Ms. Theill submitted a request for a hearing with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and on August 1, 2015, August 1, 2016 and January 31, 2017 Coral Theill's Oregon case history was filed with the Claim Submitted to the United Nations on Modern Day Human Rights Crisis. On January 5, 2016, Ms. Theill's Polk County Oregon case history was submitted to the United States District Court as a 'Declaration of Support' in Adkins v Adkins #15-754 addressing the due process violations in family courts across the United States. Coral also participated in YOKO ONO'S ARISING PROJECT in Iceland, October 2016. On October 9, 2020 Coral Anika Theill sent her LETTER TO THE SENATE & Judiciary Committee.
BIO: Coral Anika Theill's published works address abuse and trauma recovery and most recently, wounded Marines and Montford Point Marines. Her writings have encouraged and inspired numerous trauma victims and wounded Marines and service members recovering from PTS and TBI. Coral's positive insights as a survivor have also earned the respect of clinical therapists, advocates, professors and authors. BONSHEÁ has been used as a college text for nursing students at Linfield College, Portland, Oregon. In July 2011 Coral received the Lester Granger Award from the National Montford Point Marine Association and serves on the Board of the Montford Point Marines of America, Inc. In 2002 she received a Writer's Award from iUniverse Publishing Co. She is also a contributing writer for Short Rations for Marines. Her October 2011 Leatherneck Magazine article, "Invisible Battle Scars: Confronting the Stigma Associated with PTS & TBI," is used as a college text for the Marine Corps University, Quantico, Virginia and is cited in the U.S. Army War College "Psychological Health Notes." Coral Anika Theill's story of surviving marital rape was published March 1, 2018 in RECLAMATION: A Survivor's Anthology by the NYC Alliance Against Sexual Assault & Survivor's Magazine.
“Fathers who battered the mother are twice as likely to seek sole custody of their children as are non-violent fathers.”
—American Psychological Association
Two hundred years ago a system of legal slavery allowed for the ownership of human beings as if they were livestock. Children were ripped away from their mothers with as little consideration as separating a calf from a cow. In this country today, extreme forms of paternalistic religion promote an institutional form of slavery where a woman must be totally obedient to a husband who has absolute control of her life. The wife’s lot is to obey and bear children. If she rebels and chooses to save herself by escaping from this life, the father—supported by the church community and often by the court system, can forcibly strip a child away from the mother.
I have concluded by my present circumstances, that the judicial and religious organizations and people who have aided my former husband, Marty Warner, all embrace the same views regarding women and children. They believe male power is absolute over women and great harm will come to those who question and/or defy that power. I believe this is the mentality that causes and perpetuates abuse.
(Learn more about the danger of Dominionist Christian ideology and practices.)
Upper L to R: My youngest son of eight children, Zachary David Warner, 2013, Coral Theill and Zachary 1995, Independence, Oregon
Lower L to R: Judge Paula Brownhill, Astoria, Oregon, Judge Albin Norblad, Coral Theill's memoir cover, BONSHEA Making Light of the Dark
Many mothers who seek safety from abuse are routinely prohibited from having even the most basic contact with their own children, not because they were unfit parents, but because they were outspent, out represented, and out-maneuvered in a court atmosphere that seems to favor those who inflict domestic violence.
Women trapped in relationships with abusers come to expect horrendous misbehavior and violence from their partners. What they cannot fathom is the maddening reinforcement commonly provided to abusive men by the justice system, the religious community and the public at large. Tragically, the key abuse collaborator is the custody judge. Of all the bad actors in a battered woman's life, none wield more power over a mother and her children. It is beyond infuriating when women discover that their custody judges either lack understanding of domestic violence or intentionally collude with abusers to take away women's financial resources and, even worse, their children.
Photo: Coral at The Battered Mother's Custody Conference, The George Washington Law School, Washington D.C., 1996 Coral with her son, Zachary Warner
I have the greatest respect for women who stand up to tyranny and oppression and fight for freedom and justice. Often they battle alone, with children in tow, and with the enemy entrenched in their home, in their minds, and sleeping in their beds. These are the extreme and painful conditions under which I, and women all over the world, set out to make their escapes from domestic violence and terror. And even so, right up until today, the bravery of women's struggles for freedom is still too often met with the cruelty of questions like "Why don't you just get up and leave," instead of being given the admiration their struggles deserve.
"As I watch the news today, I see all sorts of other cases pretty similar to Coral Theill's. The thing that I just do not understand about our "system" is why or how can we allow what happened to Coral (and is still happening) to happen. Some are held against their will, raped, battered, abused and then glorified as are the three ladies from Ohio. Guys are considered "heroes" as a result of being the person to make a phone call to the authorities about it.
"Then we have those in the same situation (and maybe even worse) who are blamed, ostracized from society, stripped not only of their children but of their dignity, ridiculed, and even forced into hiding and receive absolutely no support from anyone in the justice system who by the way are supposed to be by the people, of the people and for the people." - Excerpt of letter from Sergeant Major Brian K. Jackson, USMC (Ret) to Mr. Joel Corcoran, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley's assistant, May 9, 2013
Read Coral Theill's Letter & Document presented to
On March 10, 1996, I was forced, by an Order of the Court, and by my ex-husband, Marty Warner, his attorney, his family and religious supporters, to do something that raged against my good conscience, my common sense and against all my motherly instincts. After a temporary custody hearing, a Court Order signed by Judge Albin Norblad forcibly removed my nursing baby and two youngest children from me. I obeyed the Court Order and gave my children over to my ex-husband. I drove to the hospital, rented a breast-pump and later collapsed and went into shock. I could not understand what had happened and why. I have not yet recovered from the shock; perhaps I never will....
When I sought safety for my children and myself in January 1996, the Court allowed me to live in hiding with my young children prior to the court hearings, due to the testimony and affidavits of numerous witnesses. I retained an attorney and reported the crimes that had been committed against my children and me.
The price for my own safety and freedom in 1996 was an imposed, unnatural and unwanted separation from my eight children, including my nursing infant. The injustice committed against me is not just the physical separation from my children, but the willful desecration of the mother-child relationship and bond, a sacred spiritual and emotional entity.
Forcibly taking a mother's children and then controlling her emotionally by withholding contact must be publicly recognized as one of the greatest forms of 'mis-use' of the American justice system and one of the greatest hidden vehicles for wide-spread socially approved physical and emotional abuse and control.
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