For those who want to know...RULES at my church!

Originally Posted by The Mrs

Sarge...I'm so glad you joined us here.

I'm sure you can offer much to those who read and are in need of peace and healing in their lives.

And bring understanding to those among us who think they aren't being affected by it.

Thanks, The Mrs. I see familiar faces, so to speak, in this thread.

It can be difficult discussing a sensitive issue like this in an open forum. You've seen what can happen.

Understand that my responses are slowed down right now until I am removed from moderated status.

The most difficult aspect of spiritual abuse is when the person leaves God, a point that was touched on in this thread. Everyone handles an unhealthy church environment somewhat differently, though there are basic things that occur. To have someone exposed to this and then give up with God is one extreme that can occur.

I have always felt for those who cannot seem to separate the false understanding of God from how God really is. If I could, I'd wipe that away from everyone it affects. There are even cases where the person realizes that God isn't how they perceived Him to be due to the unhealthy teachings, but they cannot seem to totally break from that and yet are concerned God may be that way.

What I am speaking of is the view of God as a harsh taskmaster- never really pleased with us, maybe even anxiously awaiting for us to mess up somehow so He can do away with us or have the rapture take place so we'd be left behind. People give up because they feel they can never measure up, not realizing the expectations are not God's, but man's.

You have people right on this board who are presently in this state and have stopped pursuing much of a walk with God because their view is so distorted. Or, they are yet in the unhealthy church and regularly become fearful that they aren't right with God because he expects so much and sometimes even changes the rules along the way (their perception).

There is help for either state. One doesn't have to remain there.

There's soooo many aspects of this subject. If you've been hurt in this way, you don't have to remain negatively affected. If you are angry or bitter, you can get past there. If you are confused as to what God wants, you can know. If you are having trouble differentiating between man's rules and God's, you can have clarity. If Bible passages trigger times where the scriptures were used against you, you can overcome that and read the Bible again with proper understanding.

There is always hope for anyone who has been touched by spiritual abuse. There is no case that is too difficult or hurtful to overcome with the help of God. One doesn't have to remain where they are, no matter how difficult the road ahead may be.