Stop beating the kids! Spiritual abuse of Christians

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A

Ariel82

Guest
#1
Child abuse triggers | Pannone

A 'trigger' is usually described as something that causes a victim of child abuse to remember the suffering they have endured. When a victim of child abuse experiences a trigger, it is often a disturbing memory. The typical causes of memory triggers are smell, something visual and flashbacks.
I believe that Satan has placed his demon posssessed minions among the church that abuse young Christians so that they have "triggers" that cause them remember the abuse and do a 180 whenever they hear a word or phrase.

His purpose is to divide and isolate people so that they can't be a fully functional parts of the True body of Christ. He uses this tactic to make people avoid churches because of their past negative experiences.

How do you recognize the wolves? The Bible tells us. (will post scriptures when I get a chance)

How do you heal from the abuse or help others heal?

I am not sure. Perhaps you could tell me. I only know God healed me through prayer and love of true born again believers.

I thought if we looked at how physical, emotional and mental abused survivors recover, might help us learn how we might help those who are spiritually abused also.
 
A

Ariel82

Guest
#2
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Ariel82

Guest
#3
Dear God we pray for all the people undergoing or recovering from abuse. Please lead them to safety and help heal their hearts, minds and souls with the overpiuring of your forgiveness, mercy and grace. In Jesus Holy name we pray, amen.
 
Aug 16, 2016
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#4
Joe Jackson *Michael Jacksons* father is a classic example of a parent beating their kids excessively. Unsure if there were trigger words but Michael said times he saw his father as a child he got sick to his stomach. Michael as a father said he never lays a finger on his kids because he doesn't want them to hate him as he hated his father. It's beneficial for those who have personally experienced that in their lives to help those in recovery.
 
A

Ariel82

Guest
#5
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/7-traits-of-false-teachers

Excerpts from the article:

3. Different Position—In what position will the message leave you?

The true Christian “escapes the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (1:4). Listen to how Peter describes the counterfeit Christian: “They promise . . . freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity, for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him” (2:19). The true believer is escaping corruption, while the counterfeit believer is mastered by it.

4. Different Character—What kind of people does the message produce?

The true believer pursues goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brother kindness, and love (1:5). The counterfeit Christian is marked by arrogance and slander (2:10). They are “experts in greed” and “their eyes are full of adultery” (2:14). They also “despise authority” (2:10). This is a general characteristic of a counterfeit believer.
 

MadebyHim

Senior Member
Dec 17, 2016
572
15
0
#6
An example of one trying to make one feel less than in Christ. A man asked me, what position i pray in, kneeling, prostrate, or however. i told him i usually pray laying in my bed. The man said he prayed on his knees, and i should. The man asked, would i lay in bed to talk to him? i said no, you are not God. But just saying, the man acted like the way i was praying wasn't right, because he didn't do it that way. In the day i pray sitting in chair looking out window, or walking, or about whatever i'm doing.
 
B

BeyondET

Guest
#7
Forgiveness helps many to overcome the effects of abuse...
 
Nov 22, 2015
20,436
1,430
0
#8
Child abuse triggers | Pannone



I believe that Satan has placed his demon posssessed minions among the church that abuse young Christians so that they have "triggers" that cause them remember the abuse and do a 180 whenever they hear a word or phrase.

His purpose is to divide and isolate people so that they can't be a fully functional parts of the True body of Christ. He uses this tactic to make people avoid churches because of their past negative experiences.

How do you recognize the wolves? The Bible tells us. (will post scriptures when I get a chance)

How do you heal from the abuse or help others heal?

I am not sure. Perhaps you could tell me. I only know God healed me through prayer and love of true born again believers.

I thought if we looked at how physical, emotional and mental abused survivors recover, might help us learn how we might help those who are spiritually abused also.

The abuse comes from those that have the appearance of being mature Christians but are not.

People can be a Christian for 60 years, pastor a church for 50 years, read the original Greek/Hebrew fluently, go to church every time the door is open, pray in tongues for 7 hours a day, be able to quote 1/2 the NT...etc ( these are not bad things within themselves - they just do not prove that they are mature Christians in the Lord)

If we see people exhibiting these traits as Peter talks about below - they are still babes in the Lord despite all the "activities" they do. I wouldn't call them "wolves as such" but they are under the influence of the one that is from the origin of the nature of real wolves.

1 Peter 2:1-2 (NASB)
[SUP]1 [/SUP] Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander,

[SUP]2 [/SUP] like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,

I believe the answer to these wolves is to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and thus grow up in Him. This will stop us from "acting like wolves" and also speak words of life and grace that will protect those young ones until they too are established in Christ.
 
A

Ariel82

Guest
#9
2 Peter 2
But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.

then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries, whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord.

But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption, and will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes, carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you, having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children. They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man's voice restrained the madness of the prophet.

These are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.

For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A dog returns to his own vomit,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.”
 
A

Ariel82

Guest
#10
An example of one trying to make one feel less than in Christ. A man asked me, what position i pray in, kneeling, prostrate, or however. i told him i usually pray laying in my bed. The man said he prayed on his knees, and i should. The man asked, would i lay in bed to talk to him? i said no, you are not God. But just saying, the man acted like the way i was praying wasn't right, because he didn't do it that way. In the day i pray sitting in chair looking out window, or walking, or about whatever i'm doing.
The guy sounds legalistic...I wouldn't talk to him in bed but my kids commonly jump on my bed in the morning and give me hugs and kisses. God loves us to pray and talk to him and doesn't care if we kneel, look out the window, or lay on our beds. He loves us and that is enough.
 

1ofthem

Senior Member
Mar 30, 2016
3,729
1,912
113
#11
Not always, but abuse can become a violent cycle. Many people victims of abuse grow up to become perpetrators of abuse. A lot of times we see this with “spiritual abuse” as well. If we were taught by someone beating us with scriptures then we are more apt to do the same thing to others.

I think the only way to heal from it is forgiveness and to put our complete faith in God, and look strait to him. I’m not saying that we should shun other Christians or not fellowship with others. I’m just saying that we should not put our complete faith in them because they are just humans and makes mistakes. If we look to Jesus we can see that he teaches love and forgiveness for others. We need to be loving and forgive others, and treat everyone the way we would like to be treated. This in my opinion is the only way to heal from and break the cycle of abuse.
 
Nov 22, 2015
20,436
1,430
0
#12
I talk with the Lord everywhere I go or am doing - including sitting on the toilet. God is not religious. When you make love with your spouse - the Lord is right there with you. It is religion that tries to compartmentalize the Lord.

This too is a form of spiritual abuse. Spiritual abuse is anything that takes away from the reality of who God is and what Christ has already done for us. We are His children - deeply loved and accepted by Him.
 
A

Ariel82

Guest
#13

The abuse comes from those that have the appearance of being mature Christians but are not.

People can be a Christian for 60 years, pastor a church for 50 years, read the original Greek/Hebrew fluently, go to church every time the door is open, pray in tongues for 7 hours a day, be able to quote 1/2 the NT...etc ( these are not bad things within themselves - they just do not prove that they are mature Christians in the Lord)

If we see people exhibiting these traits as Peter talks about below - they are still babes in the Lord despite all the "activities" they do. I wouldn't call them "wolves as such" but they are under the influence of the one that is from the origin of the nature of real wolves.

1 Peter 2:1-2 (NASB)
[SUP]1 [/SUP] Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander,

[SUP]2 [/SUP] like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,

I believe the answer to these wolves is to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and thus grow up in Him. This will stop us from "acting like wolves" and also speak words of life and grace that will protect those young ones until they too are established in Christ.
malice
deceit
Hypocrisy
Envy
slander,

Strong words, yet they aren't called wolves but babes in Christ.
 
Nov 22, 2015
20,436
1,430
0
#14
malice
deceit
Hypocrisy
Envy
slander,

Strong words, yet they aren't called wolves but babes in Christ.
I agree...and yet these "traits" do have some of the same ones as the true wolves talked about. I believe we need to be careful about "who we call wolves". We can speak of the traits of wolves in order to see what they act like but to label an individual as a wolf is most likely not wise.

Usually what it can mean is : "You are a wolf because you have a different opinion on something then I do". ( Of course we never say that outright - we use our view of the bible to do that...:)
)
 
Feb 7, 2015
22,418
413
0
#15
Child abuse triggers | Pannone



I believe that Satan has placed his demon posssessed minions among the church that abuse young Christians so that they have "triggers" that cause them remember the abuse and do a 180 whenever they hear a word or phrase.

His purpose is to divide and isolate people so that they can't be a fully functional parts of the True body of Christ. He uses this tactic to make people avoid churches because of their past negative experiences.

How do you recognize the wolves? The Bible tells us. (will post scriptures when I get a chance)

How do you heal from the abuse or help others heal?

I am not sure. Perhaps you could tell me. I only know God healed me through prayer and love of true born again believers.

I thought if we looked at how physical, emotional and mental abused survivors recover, might help us learn how we might help those who are spiritually abused also.
I agree. The many Spiritual abuses I have seen over the span of a rather long lifetime, inspire me to work even harder to protect His Lambs when I see us perpetuating so many of the same Religious child abuses right here... and, sometimes, even worse than I ever experienced.
 
A

Ariel82

Guest
#16
Not always, but abuse can become a violent cycle. Many people victims of abuse grow up to become perpetrators of abuse. A lot of times we see this with “spiritual abuse” as well. If we were taught by someone beating us with scriptures then we are more apt to do the same thing to others.

I think the only way to heal from it is forgiveness and to put our complete faith in God, and look strait to him. I’m not saying that we should shun other Christians or not fellowship with others. I’m just saying that we should not put our complete faith in them because they are just humans and makes mistakes. If we look to Jesus we can see that he teaches love and forgiveness for others. We need to be loving and forgive others, and treat everyone the way we would like to be treated. This in my opinion is the only way to heal from and break the cycle of abuse.
I agree. The many Spiritual abuses I have seen over the span of a rather long lifetime, inspire me to work even harder to protect His Lambs when I see us perpetuating so many of the same Religious child abuses right here... and, sometimes, even worse than I ever experienced.
I strongly suspect that many of our members have been abused and have triggers we need to become aware of.

Perhaps with prayer and love we can help each other break the cycle of abuse?
 
Nov 22, 2015
20,436
1,430
0
#17
I strongly suspect that many of our members have been abused and have triggers we need to become aware of.

Perhaps with prayer and love we can help each other break the cycle of abuse?

Jesus said "You shall know the Truth and the knowing of that truth will set us free".

Speak the truth of what the Lord has done for us and we will have our minds renewed by the Holy Spirit and then we will be transformed and the hurt of the abuse of the past will fade from our memories like dead leaves.
 
A

Ariel82

Guest
#18
I agree...and yet these "traits" do have some of the same ones as the true wolves talked about. I believe we need to be careful about "who we call wolves". We can speak of the traits of wolves in order to see what they act like but to label an individual as a wolf is most likely not wise.

Usually what it can mean is : "You are a wolf because you have a different opinion on something then I do". ( Of course we never say that outright - we use our view of the bible to do that...:)
)
We only do that if we ourselves are immature. Hopefully as we grow, we allow God to be the judge:

Are they immature Christians or wolves?

We can't tell by words posted online, but God sees into each of our hearts and knows our motives.
 
A

Ariel82

Guest
#19

Jesus said "You shall know the Truth and the knowing of that truth will set us free".

Speak the truth of what the Lord has done for us and we will have our minds renewed by the Holy Spirit and then we will be transformed and the hurt of the abuse of the past will fade from our memories like dead leaves.
Aaah, but we go back to the trigger words. This makes speaking the truth to some people tricky because Satan has found a way to make certain words most Christians take for granted to be associated with their past abuse.
 
A

Ariel82

Guest
#20
I can name five trigger words for many on this forum:

Grace

Sin

Law

Repentence

Baptism