Tag Archives: spiritual abuse

Spiritual abuse is far too common, but we don’t talk about it. In fact, I had a counselor here on the Palouse once tell me she didn’t have the training to work with a spiritually abused client, and couldn’t think of a single person in the area she could refer me to. I get it. Things in the religious realm are unnerving. Some people won’t go near it. Others, though, will take advantage.

In my mid-20s, I joined a spiritually uncharitable Christian sect and became spiritually harsh myself, mostly toward my own family.

Instead of allowing others to manipulatively interpret our lives, our gods, our spirituality and our religious beliefs—interpretations that are much too small, elitist, repressive and oppressive—we must assume responsibility for interpreting them ourselves.

Only through making the meaning of our suffering a conscious agenda and summons for spiritual enlargement can we ever emerge from the underworld. In our lives, periods of wounding present rich possibilities for enlarged being—if we courageously fearfully accept the invitation.

We all hunger for significance, for signs that our personal existence is of special meaning in the universe.

Since meaning and purpose in life are no longer simply bestowed on you, you have to become more active in creating your own meaning in life.