fbpx
47 F
Spokane
Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeCommentaryToxic Teachings that Disempower and Scar Spirituality Part 2

Toxic Teachings that Disempower and Scar Spirituality Part 2

Date:

Related stories

My Journey through Homelessness Part Five: Learning to Live Outside the Box

The value of my homeless experience lies not so much in having learned how to live outside — at least not in the geographical sense. The value of my homeless experience lies in having learned how to live outside the box.

Lost in Translation: Isn’t It Time We Moved Beyond a Fear-Based Repentance?

When I hear the kingdom is at hand, followed immediately by the command to repent, the good news is overshadowed by the fear that I’m not good enough to be part of the kingdom of God.

Inspiring Others: How Our Marriage Turned 50

As we prepare to celebrate 50 years there are so many thoughts and memories going through my head. I have joked about how I don't know how you've put up with me for this long, which is really true in a sense with my Irish enthusiasm and temper.

Taking the Road ‘Less Traveled by’ Has Made ‘All the Difference’

Pete Haug remembers hearing Robert Frost read his poem "The Road not Taken" 65 years ago. It reminded him of his spiritual journey out of the Christianity of his youth into choosing the Baha'i faith as an adult.

Ask an EOC: Can You Confess in Private to God but not in Church Confession and be Forgiven?

Concerning the sacrament of Confession, Christ directly gave the authority to his Church to remit or retain the sins of the penitent. 

Our Sponsors

spot_img
spot_img

By Brien Pittman

Read part one

Eternal Punishment: The key doctrine is eternal damnation (or annihilation) for all unbelievers and especially for those who leave the religion. This is the terrifying backdrop for the salvation message presented to all newcomers and all children born into the faith. Whether it is a horrifying picture of hell as a lake of fire, a fire of eternal torture impossible to quench despite any pleading; or the Mormons’ “outer darkness” that is cold and just as terrifying; or the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ dying forever at “Armageddon” and missing out on “paradise,” the result is the same — fear.

Small children can obviously visualize these terrible things while not having the capacity to evaluate the message. Moreover, the powerful social context makes rejecting or questioning these abusive teachings impossible. Children are completely at the mercy of religious adults.

Of course, each religion has their version of the salvation formula to offer as a solution, but for many sincere believers it is not enough to ward off anxiety. How does one really know? And what about losing one’s salvation? Many adults remember trying to get “saved” multiple times, even hundreds of times, because of unrelenting fear.

“I feel like much of my life was lived in fear. I am reading all I can to continue to find peace from what I’ve been taught. I still fear hell and I am 65.” —Carl

“I feel little hope, because I don’t know how it is remotely possible for me to ever let go of my fear of hell. If I give up my belief system, I’ll go to hell. Even though my whole life has been so unhappy in the church—it has brought me nothing but turmoil and heartbreak and disappointment and unanswered questions and dissatisfaction.” —Kerrie

Left Behind Terror: Another horrible fear is missing the “rapture,” when Jesus returns. In the Left Behind book series and movies, the world degenerates into a bloodbath without the stabilizing presence of believers. I have heard many people recount memories of going into sheer panic about being left alone in an evil world. Given that abandonment is a primary human fear, this experience can be unforgettably terrifying. Some report that, as children, this was a recurring trauma every time they couldn’t find a parent right away.

“During my freshman year in college, I started having nightmares. In my dreams, the rapture would happen and I would be left behind, or worse, sent to hell. Several times I woke up just before I was tossed into the flames, my mouth open, ready to scream.  My mind was crying out, “Please, Jesus! Forgive me! I’m sorry I wasn’t good enough! I’m sorry!” —Andy

“After 27 years of trying to live a perfect life, I failed . . . I was ashamed of myself all day long. My mind battled with itself with no relief . . . I always believed everything that I was taught but I thought that God did not approve of me. I thought that basically I, too, would die at Armageddon.” —Rex

Do either of these teachings of fear sound like the teachings associated with mature spirituality? Do these teachings even remotely seem like they would come from a loving God?

Each of the 50 English versions of the Bible has very different interpretations concerning the divine judgment doctrine. Many versions correctly use the Hebrew word “sheol,” which when interpreted from Hebrew to English means death. This has improved the English translations of the New American Standard and the New International Version, and the word hell doesn’t appear in the Old Testament of either.

Interestingly, the Hebrew word “sheol” is translated 31 times as “grave,” 31 times as “hell” and three times as “pit” in the KJV. This of course means they translated “sheol” according to their theology and not according to the Hebrew language.

All sincere Christians should examine the archeological and historical evidence behind the origins of the hellfire and divine judgment doctrines: how they came into existence due to the influence of Platonism on Christianity, and how the apostles and early church leaders Clement, Ignatius, Hermas and Polycarp didn’t believe in or teach the hell doctrine.

This explains why there seems to be two very different Gods in the Bible: one a loving, compassionate heavenly father; the other a vengeful, patriarchal totalitarian. This also explains why so many sincere Christians experience conflict regarding the subject of divine judgment and other doctrines.

The importance of educating the public and our religious community regarding the identification of religions and religious leaders that teach a false, oppressive and abusive dogma of fear is obvious to everyone psychologically and emotionally rational.

Many who have managed to break free from these diminishing religions and unhealthy forms of spirituality, in favor of a spirituality that resonates deeply within their souls and is validated and confirmed by their instinctual and personal experiences, have delighted in finding a spirituality that in no way diminishes their commitment and discipleship to Jesus, but rather matures, enlarges and enriches their discipleship in ways never before possible.

Brien Pittman
Brien Pittman
Brien’s articles for FāVS generally revolve around ideas and beliefs that create unhealthy deadlock divisions between groups. He has received (minor) writing awards for his short stories and poetry from the cities of Portland, Oregon and the city of (good beer) Sapporo, Japan. In 2010 he was asked to present several articles for the California Senate Committee “Task Force for Suicide Prevention” and has been published by online magazines and a couple national poetry anthologies in print form.

Our Sponsors

spot_img
spot_img
spot_img

1 COMMENT

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
1 Comment
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Jan Shannon
8 years ago

” This is the terrifying backdrop for the salvation message presented to all newcomers and all children born into the faith.”

Which faith?

spot_img
1
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x