You know, I call my old church a cult. My parents were the first ones to notice that something was DREADFULLY wrong and encourage me to get out. They didn't prohibit me from going, although I suspect that if I continued to become immersed and going in the direction I was going, that was next. As it was, I listened to their concerns about the church and observed for myself.
My spirituality took a deep wound due to that cult. This happened only over the course of about a year and a half, and it took me close to a decade to find my spiritual true north again.
And yet, this is peanuts compared to what you were subjected to. No one should be spiritually terrorized like that, and that's exactly what it it- spiritual terrorism.
That term is probably as good as any I've heard *yet* for the experience of being raised in an abusive religious group--"spiritual terrorism". Thanks--I like that term--it fits so well (especially in that it fits in very well with RL terrorist orgs often having close links to abusive religious groups--including Talibanist Wahhabi stuff re Al Quaida, clinic and nightclub bombings with dominionist "pro-life" groups and the Army of God, racist terror and Christian Identity, and so on).
"The Pit" is mostly a metaphor I've used for that experience--I'd have compared it to the experience of being raised by wolves, but in general wolf packs *do* tend to care about their members and aren't frankly abusive (the "fighting" one sees in wolf packs is actually quite ritualised, to be honest). Being raised in a pit full of zombies is probably the closest I can think of re the experience of being raised dominionist (partly from the isolation, partly from the terror within, partly from how friggin' hard it is to climb out with little or no assistance).
If I have any sourcing, I'd say it's probably subconsciously if anything.
I had a ... disturbingly psychotic upbringing, most of which I can access only through external records. It's not like your disturbingly psychotic upbringing in the particulars, really, but that particular bit of terminology was very similar.
this has been quite the read. (i had to stop a few times and ground myself but desperately needed to finish reading your entry).
i wanted to thank you for your kind words to me in dark christian. i feel quite exposed saying what little i did and receiving a kind comment helped immensely.
Eh, it's okay *hugs* I went through about ten years of people doubting that "things could really be so bad" until more awareness of dominionism--and more specifically, the "Joel's Army" crap and the concept that "Yes, Virginia, this IS a friggin' cult"--came to the public.
I figure if I educate people about this crap, maybe we can make it where the bastards don't win. That's my hope, anyways. (This also serves as a bit of therapy for me at times.)
Comments 8
My spirituality took a deep wound due to that cult. This happened only over the course of about a year and a half, and it took me close to a decade to find my spiritual true north again.
And yet, this is peanuts compared to what you were subjected to. No one should be spiritually terrorized like that, and that's exactly what it it- spiritual terrorism.
*hugs*
Reply
Reply
Not entirely idly - where'd you get that label for it? Do you know?
Reply
If I have any sourcing, I'd say it's probably subconsciously if anything.
Reply
I had a ... disturbingly psychotic upbringing, most of which I can access only through external records. It's not like your disturbingly psychotic upbringing in the particulars, really, but that particular bit of terminology was very similar.
Thanks.
Reply
i wanted to thank you for your kind words to me in dark christian. i feel quite exposed saying what little i did and receiving a kind comment helped immensely.
Reply
I figure if I educate people about this crap, maybe we can make it where the bastards don't win. That's my hope, anyways. (This also serves as a bit of therapy for me at times.)
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment