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Author Topic: An interesting article on Religious Trauma Syndrome  (Read 5142 times)
FeministRebel
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« on: March 26, 2013, 02:31:49 pm »

"Religious Trauma Syndrome: How Some Organized Religion Leads to Mental Health Problems" --

http://www.alternet.org/belief/religious-trauma-syndrome-how-some-organized-religion-leads-mental-health-problems?akid=10240.92191.HREX79&rd=1&src=newsletter814863&t=3&paging=off
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araignee19
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« Reply #1 on: March 26, 2013, 06:15:00 pm »

Aren’t these just people who would be depressed, anxious, or obsessive anyways?

Winell: Not at all. If my observation is correct, these are people who are intense and involved and caring. They hang on to the religion longer than those who simply “walk away” because they try to make it work even when they have doubts. Sometime this is out of fear, but often it is out of devotion. These are people for whom ethics, integrity and compassion matter a great deal. I find that when they get better and rebuild their lives, they are wonderfully creative and energetic about new things.


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FeministRebel
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« Reply #2 on: March 26, 2013, 07:10:52 pm »

Definitely... we often speak of spiritual abuse in this forum, and the many roads believers have had to take to find their own sanity again, and find healing after leaving GCx, and the article really reminded me of it. I know I tried to make GCx work for a long time... before I eventually just up and walked away.

One of the things that helped me realize I wasn't alone, or a failure in my walking away, was that people formed a center to help victims of spiritual abuse, and in need of deprogramming, BECAUSE of GCx. That was very validating -- as well as many others who have shared their personal experiences with me. Some who believe diametrically different things than I do, and I still consider them friends.

Great quote. Smiley 
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LewisClark
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« Reply #3 on: June 24, 2013, 11:59:39 pm »

This article is really very interesting and very informative. It portraits where we can be mislead and should be alert.
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Janet Easson Martin
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« Reply #4 on: January 13, 2022, 11:02:18 pm »


Growing Up in Legalism


As I read the accounts of some children raised in GCx who were abusively spanked (not referring to necessary and limited non-traumatizing spanking) and regularly shamed rather than built-up and encouraged, I sympathize with their rejection of religion. Legalism is religion of rules and laws without grace. But Jesus is relationship full of grace and truth. Jesus himself says that “religion” KILLS.

I came across these excerpts from the article via the link below. The author has some profound conclusions about the cultish legalistic church she grew up in.


I was raised in a legalistic church with cult-like tendencies. The ongoing narrative was that this church “gathers the way God intends Christians to meet.” ... Other churches were criticized openly and regularly. It was a system that worshiped itself and its rules, not Jesus. I lived with a pseudo sense of community but in isolation from authentic Christian fellowship. ...
 
The God of legalism is austere and so is his church. My relationship with God was transactional and lacked authentic worship. If I was good then he would bless me. When anything went wrong in my life, the pendulum would swing to shame because I must have done something wrong.
 
It was performance-based Christianity and I never performed the way they wanted me to so I wasn’t worthy of their time or love.  ...



Isolation in Legalism
https://rise.cc/blogs/greta-ninas-story



« Last Edit: January 14, 2022, 08:30:24 pm by Janet Easson Martin » Logged

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