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Spiritual Abuse and Redefining Love - Redefining Love
Spiritual Abuse and Redefining Love - Redefining Love
Spiritual Abuse and Redefining Love - Redefining Love
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Change the way you love. Change your life. Change the world.
This is our fourth and final segment of the four-part series titled It’s Not
Personal. In this series, we are exploring the nature of abuse so that we can
begin to assign accountability where it truly belongs. In this post we will
discuss spiritual abuse.
People who are truly confident – truly convinced of their own goodness,
their own worthiness, their own salvation – don’t feel compelled to force
others to their point of view. Doubt of others is rooted in an individual’s
own sense of self-doubt.
Just to be clear, it isn’t a person’s faith (or lack of faith) in a higher power
that drives them to emotionally abuse others. It is their lack of faith in
themselves. Like all forms of abuse, insecurity and a sense of powerlessness
are at the center.
An example:
The best example I can think of is parenting. We might be pretty good at
letting other people be, even if that’s di!erent from ourselves, except when
it comes to our kids. Yikes, that’s a whole other ballgame, right?! Why?
Because our children are literally a part of us. So, if we don’t wholeheartedly
believe in our own worthiness, how can we possibly wholeheartedly believe
in our children’s, or vice versa?
How does this show up in our relationship with our children? It’s actually
pretty simple:
We build a life and a system of values and morality around a certain belief
system, and then try to force our children to accept this belief system
because on a subconscious level, they are us and we are them.
Of course, this doesn’t just apply to religion. It applies to the way we dress,
the way we style our hair, the piercings and tattoos we get (or don’t get),
the pets we own, the cars we drive, the houses we live in, the substances
we use, the people we marry, the schools we attend… This is the
foundational insecurity present in every single generational shame cycle
that has ever existed.
They are concerned about how their child’s religious beliefs reflect back on
themselves. How does this make them look as a parent? How does it make
them look as a disciple for their chosen faith?
Are they terrified about their child’s eternal damnation, or their own? If
their child believes something di!erent – and their child is a part of
themselves (which they are) – then on a subconscious level, this person
feels deeply conflicted. Could they be wrong?
Depending on the belief system they subscribe to, uncertainty can feel
untenable. A friend recently quoted therapist Adam Young: “Dogmatism
soothes a fragmented mind,” and it is so true.
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Predatory faith
Certain belief systems are built on the foundation of individual insecurity. If
a religious belief requires you to be insecure in who you are without the
belief, it’s pretty likely that the entire belief system relies on its adherents’
sense of worthlessness (even if that is not the message that is outwardly
expressed).
Do these individuals worry that they won’t get to spend eternity with their
loved ones? On a conscious level, perhaps they do. But let’s explore that
more deeply…
Ultimately, people who are truly confident in what they believe don’t feel
compelled to force others to do life as they do. People who truly have faith
in a higher power trust that higher power to run the show. This frees them
from carrying the burden of other people’s enlightenment or salvation on
their shoulders, and frees their loved ones from spiritual abuse.
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A profound reassurance
I confided in a friend at church recently that one of my boys is completely
disinterested in church, and the more we talk about it, the less interested
he becomes. My friend, who has adult biological children as well as multiple
young foster children, gave me this very wise advice:
“Let it go. Don’t worry about it. It will work itself out. He will find his way
back to God. It may not be in the way you and your husband relate to God,
but it will be in a way that works for him. Just give it to God.”
This was a profound moment for me. For me, she rea#rmed what I already
knew in my heart. That my son is going to be just fine. All I have to do is love
and accept him for exactly who he is. God, the universe, whatever you
choose to call it… my faith allows me to let my higher power take care of
the rest.
When our basic autonomy is attacked in the form of spiritual abuse, it feels
deeply personal. But in reality, just like all other types of abuse, it isn’t about
you. It is rooted in the abuser’s own insecurity and, in the case of spiritual
abuse, the abuser’s own lack of faith in their own worthiness.
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Grace the Redefining Love way
When we are talking about grace within the Redefining Love Framework, we
are not talking about grace in a spiritual sense. That’s not to say that a
higher power doesn’t exist (that’s for you to decide for yourself). Within
Redefining Love, the term grace refers to the unconditional love we give to
ourselves and others, regardless of our shortcomings.
But typically, as survivors begin to dig into their experiences – and realize
that there are a myriad of ways of understanding and knowing God – they
realize that their anger is actually at their parents, clergy, and other
authority figures in their faith story. Only once anger is appropriately
attributed (which is accountability) can grace begin to be applied.
It starts when we are at our most vulnerable. For those who grew
up in a spiritually domineering home, the abuse began the moment
they were born. When it begins in adulthood, survivors are actively
seeking meaning and purpose. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have sought
out spiritual connection. This seeking makes people vulnerable.
There’s nothing wrong with sharing your faith with others. Our faith is a
part of who we are! Ideally, we’d live in a world where everyone could feel
comfortable sharing who they are. There’s nothing abusive about wearing a
t-shirt from your religious summer camp or having a church logo bumper
sticker on your car.
The line between sharing yourself and controlling others is crossed when a
person in authority reacts to those with di!ering views or questions with
rage, superiority, intimidation, and defensiveness. An attitude that “I know
what’s best for you better than you know what’s best for yourself” is a
major red flag.
And so, if you find yourself wondering whether or not you’ve experienced
spiritual abuse, I recommend you start there – at the first thought that
perhaps the religious beliefs you’ve been taught allow room to safely ask
questions.
If not, what are you afraid might happen if you asked? When you ask
questions, how might people respond?
Yelling
Violence (throwing things, hitting you or someone else)
Laughing
Patronizing or talking down to you
Refusing to answer
Questioning your intelligence
Questioning your character – “A good person wouldn’t be asking
these questions.”
“This is just the way things are.”
What emotions do you feel when you consider asking questions about
your religion?
Fear
Guilt
Shame
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Anger
Intimidated
Unworthy
Feeling like a “bad person”
How do you feel inside your body when you consider asking
questions?
How does the other person talk about those from di!erent faiths?
What are you afraid will happen if you choose to practice a di!erent
faith or break the “rules” of your faith? Are you terrified of dire and
painful consequences, either in this life or the next if you do not
comply?
Do you believe your higher power punishes those who do not
worship them?
When you make a mistake, do you feel shame before your higher
power? Or fear that you will be punished?
All I will say is this… It is entirely possible for adults within a household and
community to be co-equals, while still maintaining a close, rewarding
relationships with God. Egalitarian power dynamics exist within every major
faith tradition.
I will also say that family and cultural hierarchies create a solid foundation
for power struggles and abuse to flourish. Ultimately, it is up to every
individual to decide what works best for them.
If you feel miserable and powerless within the current structure of your
home or community, it might be time to explore what about that structure
doesn’t sit well with you. Remember, safe religions don’t punish or shame
you for asking hard questions.
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What is the purpose of religion?
Religion should give you a sense of overwhelming peace. It should be
reassuring during challenging times of change and loss. It should provide
comfort when you are afraid, lonely, or grieving. It should be a source of
hope during hard times, and a source of joy during celebratory times. It
should count love as its primary value.
As with all aspects of Redefining Love, I encourage you to get intentional and
curious about your religious beliefs. How does your faith make you feel?
Does it give you hope, or make you afraid? Do you feel loved and accepted
unconditionally? Or do you feel shame, regret, and condemnation?
Of course, there are those who actively seek out religion as a means to
power and control over others. But in most cases, spiritual abuse is
perpetrated generationally from one unsuspecting person to the next.
Even those who have “found religion” in adulthood can be victims (and
perpetrators) of generational spiritual abuse. There are very few “new”
religions. Most have been passed down or adapted from the religions of
previous generations. For this reason, more than any other form of abuse,
we must approach spiritual abuse from a place of grace. We’re all just trying
to do life as best we can.
Healthy people listen and communicate when faced with di!ering beliefs.
Healthy families and churches do not use fear to get their way. If you are in
a relationship or a member of a congregation where values and beliefs are
mandated and enforced by emotional or physical intimidation, threats, or
manipulation, it’s normal and natural to ask questions and expect honest
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answers.
Work hard to disengage from toxic patterns. Seek out the help you need to
process your trauma in healthy ways. It won’t do any good to remove
yourself from your current circumstances if you don’t put in the internal
work to form a healthier new perspective.
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What is spiritual deconstruction?
Spiritual deconstruction is a term coined by French philosopher Jacques
Derrida, and popularized by American cartoonist and author David
Hayward. It refers to the process a person undergoes to reconsider their
own spiritual beliefs and religious culture. It typically refers specifically to
evangelical Christianity, but I’ve seen it applied to Catholicism and Latter
Day Saints as well.
A healthy religion recognizes the inherent value in you, just as you are.
Resist the urge stumble into something new. Find a supportive therapist,
and let the healing begin. Once you have confidence in yourself, and trust
that your peer group loves and accepts you just as you are, you are then
ready to explore new faith traditions that are a healthier expression of your
spirituality.
Help is available!
If you feel trapped in circumstances beyond your control, or feel physically
unsafe, in the U.S. 911 or the National Domestic Violence Hotline: (800)
799-7233. Operators will help you find resources in your area to help you
break free, once and for all.
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Learn more...
To learn more about the Redefining Love Way, I encourage you to browse
the site. Have questions? Feel free to email me at sara@sarabethwald.com,
or schedule a free discovery call.
Related Links:
What is Redefining Love?
Boundaries
Accountability
Grace
The Three Pillars
The Shame Cycle
Dealing with Anger
Toxic Relationships
Forgiveness
The Family Connection
For the sake of the kids
It feels personal, but it’s not
Physical Abuse and Redefining Love
Sexual Abuse and Redefining Love
How we get trapped in toxic circumstances
Naming, blaming, and the uncluttered subconscious
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