#religiousabuse

[nakedpastor]

Who here relates?

Maybe you could add a belief that still frightens you.

[joyfulapostate]

Deconstructing the "god-shaped hole"

No one is born with a god-shaped hole.

It is created by harmful ideology.

I was told that I would never be enough without the Christian god and that I would experience inescapable longing until I could finally be in his presence. I was told that my connection with him was the most important of my life, that no other connection could possibly compare. I was told if I tried to fill the “god-shaped hole” with anything else I would remain hollow.

But I wasn’t born with a god-shaped hole. I was born full of curiosity and longing for a full life. Then I was systematically discouraged from seeking a fulfilling life outside of his reach.

After I stopped reinforcing the "god-shaped hole" on a daily basis, I began to heal. It was a wound created to keep me hurt and unable to leave. And leaving was hard, but oh so worth it!

[davidwfloydart]

Religion… #religionhurts #religiontraumasyndrome #traumahealing #traumasurvivor #religioustrauma #religiouspersecution #religiousabuse #churchandstate #seperationofchurchandstate (at Catalina Foothills, Arizona) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmR5C25vfDWasUx8Iqb9GwkYVBzA7GZMftZ5P40/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[ex-cogtfi]

Have you ever felt like you had a chance to be reborn, to see the world with fresh eyes? Verity Teri Carter, a second-generation survivor of the COG-TFI cult, describes the intense emotional rollercoaster she experienced after escaping the cult.

Although she had to contend with many struggles after starting her life over, the challenges did not diminish the sheer joy of having the freedom to make her own choices and forge her own way, in contrast with the coercive control of the cult infrastructure. Finding freedom is not without its cost, but it is worth it!

Please read, share, and take a moment to sign the petition (in bio) to bring current leader of 'The Family International' (formerly known as 'The Children of God') to justice.

[seacretsea]

Black sheep 🐑

I am the black sheep. As I reflect upon my current relationship with myself there is one thing for certain: I have much respect for being the black sheep! 🐑

Over the last ten years I experienced challenging assignments. You might ask, what do you mean by "assignments"?.

In my viewing Mother Earth is a planetary school with many lessons facilitated in her space. She makes available particular "studies" within her own world.

Here is my attempt to acknowledge one particular lesson: Spirituality.

A majority of the last ten years was a familiar ground of chaos and conflict while simultaneously, a perfect healing ground.

Much of my own sense of self was very limited. I can relate this to a pair of foggy glasses. Because I couldn't see myself clearly, I made a lot of mistakes. Within those mistakes held a lot of opportunities to learn.

Now my glasses are much clearer, 🤓 and I can relate better to the version of my past self. He (and she) is quite resilient and will not give up! I thank him (and her) for his (and her) continued quest for self love! (Truly I believe there is both a little girl and boy within me!)

(Preface) In 2006 I discovered the book "The Power of Now", at a very unusual place 🤔. I could not stop reading because it all made sense to me. No wonder I found that book in an unusual place 😁

Spirituality

There was a deeply significant wound within spirituality. This wound facilitated many ideas of fear related to God. This is in part because of the teaching I received as a child that was "programmed" into my psyche.

This programming is a very interesting topic to me. I will not get into that now but it's very important to make available to the public one day.

However, the mind is a very interesting thing. And I believe it can create many mysterious and fantastical ideas and beliefs.

And, I used to really believe I was cursed.

This core belief has since been eliminated!

What I will say is that spirituality is now at the "Center" of my relationship with myself. Each day I wake up and thank God, whom I see as Mother Earth. I thank the Creator for this life.

This particular lesson teaches me about "birthing pains". I knew how much I was hurt. And I knew I wanted a way out of this suffering. It's like childbirth, it is a painful process but then it opens the gateway to new life.

It wasn't that I knew what I was doing to heal. But my intentions have always been to heal and to find that place of love and light.

So going back again I discovered beautiful things about my inner child.

When I was a child I felt the sadness of my family and I could even feel the pain of the generations before me. I chose to take the responsibility to heal myself and my family.

I recognize now my parents and generations before didn't have the awareness or resources to heal. So maybe they didn't know how to heal and that's okay.

Silently, this was my best kept secret. I will heal for everyone. This will be my purpose!

So, thank you part of me that became the black sheep. You are so important to me.

[cultvault]

Ep. 236 out now - River Road Fellowship. @thesurvivorexperience talks about her life growing up in Victor Barnard’s “River Road Fellowship”. When Victor Barnard believed he could run his own ministry better, he left The Way International to set up his own church. Finally, he settled his group in a place that would become known as the River Road Fellowship. It was within this community that Barnard would exploit his religious position, his access to vulnerable women and children and his status as leader of the group. Barnard was sentenced to 30 years in prison on charges including sexual abuse after several women came forward to tell their stories of abuse and coercion. Listen to Christa tell the story of River Road, Victor Barnard, her family’s involvement and how she was able to escape. Pic 1 - Christa pictured with Barnard Pic 2 - Christa in conversation with Barnard Pic 3 - Barnard with a group of “Maiden’s” Pic 4 - Barnard leading a sermon #cult #cults #cultleader #theway #thewayinternational #riverroad #riverroadfellowship #victorbarnard #culteducation #cultabuse #cultsurvivors #cultsurvivor #religiousabuse #religiousabusesurvivor #spiritualabuse #spiritualtrauma #truecrime #truecrimecommunity #truecrimepodcast #truecrimestories #cultpodcast #podcastinterview #podcasthost https://www.instagram.com/p/CppckyhI-W6/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[johnnythehobbyartist]

www.rayfreemanpsychotherapy.com narcissisticabuseawareness #narcissisticabuserecovery #narcissisticabusesurvivor #narcissisticabuse #narcissist #narcissisticpersonalitydisorder #npdawareness #toxicrelationships #abusiverelationship #emotionalabuse #covertabuse #hiddenabuse #covertnarcissist #religiousabuse #spiritualabuse #nocontact #healing #traumabonding #toxicrelationshiptraumabonding traumabonding traumabonding https://www.instagram.com/p/CUvV4W7l8yB/?utm_medium=tumblr

[mymystiquemind]

God’s Name in Vain?

I grew up my whole life as a preacher’s kid and God was used to keep me in submission. God is a control tactic.  If God is real, then he is no good just sitting back while weak men terrorize their victims for their inferior gain.  IF God is is real, perhaps he is the actual devil and the real satanism is hidden in christianity and all of it’s various sections.  

I can see now how the bible has been the foundation of sexist brainwashing in our society.  The veil is lifting more and more.  

[novauniversetumbles]

The next chapter features another wonderful piece of art by @maia-beans :) Check it out. 

Morning Stars - Chapter 46 (on Wattpad) https://www.wattpad.com/1022923146-morning-stars-chapter-46?utm_source=web&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_content=share_reading&wp_uname=KamarieK&wp_originator=nm0xjY3kmnvsg8pIMXtJcB9s8Zl6fJAdXdobl%2BlSGrWhW6AmdJtVUT3jMMQNancXIkJyMysNXXUsDhvstmQjOCOxPvtmLM6YmBTGVUhcuNjPiiPcDQ8J3heOYUyDHFGR *Updates every Thursday* [#1 in queerfiction on 12/31/20] Harvette "Harvie" Coin makes her living as a part of a hauler crew, transporting and selling valuables across a galaxy divided by rivaling ideals and aggressive government policing. When a run ends badly, she's left injured and in the hands of law enforcement. Forced to make a deal to act as a guide for an eccentric philanthropist in return for her freedom, Harvie begins to uncover dark secrets and mysterious disappearances throughout the Milky Way. She finds unlikely friendship in Teela, a housekeeper in hiding after escaping from a religious cult. Harvie and Teela, used to being a nobodies, are mistakenly thrust into the middle of the galaxy's churning politics and must find a way to protect those closest to them. Content notes: This novel contains references to previous sexual, emotional and spiritual abuse throughout as well as science fiction typical violence.

[nakedpastor]

Many people think I hate the church, so I constantly criticize and make fun of her.

Not true!

I don't hate the church at all.

In fact, I owe her a lot. I consider her my spiritual mother in many ways.

But like some mothers, she was too controlling and sometimes even abusive for me to live with her.

I will continue challenging her to be her best self, and to be a safe place for people like me and you.

She needs to give up her need for control, and the use of abuse to maintain it.

That's all.

Would you encourage a woman to stay with a man who assaulted her once in a while, even though he provides a roof over her head, food, and financial security?

No!

We'd help her figure out a way to escape to make a happy life of her own beyond his control and abuse.

In a way it's complicated because we did receive a lot of good from her, but we simply can't put up with what we sacrificed for it.

Do you relate?

[joyfulapostate]

Christian ideology creates the "god-shaped hole" to keep people dependent on God.

Fundamentalist Christianity is at its core an apocalyptic, anti-social religion that demands isolation and dependence from its practitioners. When I reread verses that tell me to hate my family, give up on this world, and seek only God; it breaks my heart. Assuming that the connection with God is incomparable encourages followers to limit their real relationships.

What an awful thing, to demand that people starve themselves of connection so that any perceived affection from God seems like a feast, no matter how underwhelming.

[davidwfloydart]

☠️☠️☠️ #hostagesituation #hostages #religiouspersecution #religioustrauma #religiousabuse #religiousextremism #politicsasusual #judicialcorruption (at Catalina Foothills, Arizona) https://www.instagram.com/p/CgMsuCqLojXYPqmnqUlxkJPLg8HTeK-U2IGVLI0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[ex-cogtfi]

Mary Mahoney, a first-generation survivor of the COG-TFI cult, describes the emotional devastation of coming to terms with spending much of her adult life in a cult. Coupled with guilt and regret for the decades devoted to an exploitative organization was the struggle of unlearning years of propaganda and manipulation. Over time, Mary has found healing and is grateful for each day now spent in freedom.

Read more of Mary’s writings on Medium https://mary-mahoney.medium.com/

and on her blog, where she shares her journey: https://comingtogripswith.blogspot.com/. Read about her experiences in COG-TFI in her memoir, Abnormal Normal: My Life in the Children of God.

[girlreclaimed]

The story must be told.

Hello. I’d like to use this space to share my story. I invite you along to bare witness. I’ve wrestled with how to do this so hang with me as I’m using this forum experimentally.  

Our stories are sacred.The way in which we share our stories matter. Stories have power. And with this story, in particular, I feel a sense of responsibility in how this story is told because this story has power. Power to destroy and power to heal. We need both but in precise ways.

It’s my hope that sharing my story will help others who have perhaps experienced their own version of having something taken from them or having been manipulated, particularly in God’s name, and thus lost their own sense of divine identity. I hope that in examining our stories we’ll uncover the threads that lead to abuse of power. I hope we’ll uncover strategies that help build resilience so instead of continuing to pass down the hurt to future generations we pass down strength and safety.

So I invite you, reader, on this journey with me. I don’t know where it will lead but I’m going to bravely follow the urging to use my voice and share my story.

[cultvault]

An excellent interview and an even better memoir. @peterbyoung’s “Stop the Tall Man, Save the Tiger” is ON SALE for only 0.99$!! Grab yourself a copy right now. I promise you won’t regret it! Check this out! https://amzn.eu/d/iNcpbNm #memoir #memoirwriting #religiousabuse #spiritualabuse #familycult #cults #cult #cultleader #truecrimepodcast #cultpodcast #truecrimecommunity https://www.instagram.com/p/CppLzjeIDRy/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=