Tag Archives: religious abuse

The church is the body of Christ. The body is hiding— broken, bleeding, bruised and scarred. Someone who promised to care and feed her ate her instead.

Mature spirituality will never provide us with childlike answers to the incomprehensible, to the difficult questions in life, or to the social problems plaguing our country, and rightfully so. Instead, it will ask ever-larger questions of us and demand arduous actions that ultimately lead to a larger life.

How much bloodshed could have been avoided throughout the history of humankind, and how much more must be shed before religion matures beyond the childish mindset of exclusivity?

Stepping up and sharing; being one of the first to bring up a topic such as religious abuse, falls under the category of what I call being courageously fearful — being scared shitless, but still facing whatever the challenge may be.

Unquestionably, an immense obstacle to the recognition of abuse, and to providing support to someone, is their silence about the ordeal.

On May 19 Bethany Presbyterian Church will host "Recovery from Spiritual Abuse: From Hurt to Healing", a workshop designed to help those who have been harmed by authoritarian religious groups.