Leaving a spiritually abusive church is one of the most difficult and stress inducing decisions a person can make. It ranks right up there with experiencing the death of a loved one. Especially if you are alone when you do it.
The difficulty is in the degree of restrictiveness of the church. The more restrictive the greater the chance of depression or even a return to what you left behind.
The penalties for misbehavior are usually not as obvious as in other types of abuse. The penalties attempt to damage your character and demean you. In some cases make you less than human. The worse part is the effects of group guilt.
Group guilt can in turn keep people in line by echoing the source of guilt so that it is reinforced time and time again. When a person recognizes this although not knowing what to call it, they stand out like a sore thumb and are now subject to ridicule from the group at large for no longer being submissive. This will either guilt them back into the group or the person will spin out of the group taking the full onslaught of damages with them.
Damages can include loss of privileges, damaged relationships, loss of job, loss of family, character assassination, disrespect, isolation, and/or depression.
More than likely the person experiencing this has no other friends he has made except those among the church. He takes a chance on stepping away from all of that and relying solely on what little faith he has.
I see more successes based on that little bit of faith than on the faith espoused by the mega churches. That little bit of faith can gain a person freedom from tyranny. Jesus already tells us that we may lose mothers father brothers for the sake of him but get it all back.
When you think about it. Wasn't Jesus himself subject to severe abuse from the perspective of his own people. From the perspective of the Jewish leaders it was discipline and order keeping. Were not some of the very people related to him supporting his crucifixion? Satan truly blinds the minds of the unbelievers by shrouding it in the subtle mental gymnastics of spiritual abuse.
To escape it, you will pay a price. It may be family, friends, or status. Jesus already said that if you give up these things for his sake you will get it all back. Above all look toward the freedom you will get for just being able to think for yourself and to now grow in knowledge the way you were supposed to.
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