A family cowers in fear in the corner because a man threatens them with a vicious dog called "DOGMA".
SPIRITUAL ABUSE IN A PICTURE
I believe this sums up spiritual abuse pretty succinctly.
Spiritual abuse is when spiritual leaders abuse their power and spiritual ideas to create a toxic culture of shame and control to fulfill their own desires.
It is both of these: abuse of power AND the self-serving use of spiritual ideas.
Both of these are fueled by theology or dogma.
How many here know they've been victims of this?
Or how many here are just realizing it?