The Naked Journal
Thoughts, musings, and meanings behind NakedPastor Art.
The Naked Journal
Spiritual Abuse and Can Theology Hurt People?
Can Theology Hurt people? Yes theology can hurt people. It is a vicious circle. Anything... even something good... can be used as a weapon. Including theology. I call this cartoon Theology Restrained. Here are a list of other blog posts I've written on Spiritual Abuse. 10 Reasons Why The Church Is The Perfect Culture For Abuse5 Steps to Recover from Spiritual Abuse10 Questions You Can Ask A Church To See If It's Spiritually Abusive
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10 Signs That The Church Is Narcissistic
Browsing the internet convinces me now more than ever that the church is showing signs of being narcissistic. Not all churches, but the church in general. So I imagined this cartoon. (Click on image to get a digital download of it, or click HERE!) Comparing the Church To A Person: Signs of Narcissistic Behavior They have a grandiose sense of self-importance. They are preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success. They believe that they are special or unique. They require constant admiration. They have a very strong sense of entitlement. They exploit others and don't respect boundaries. They lack empathy. They are envious of others or think others are envious of them. They regularly display arrogant attitudes and behaviors. They react to criticism or contrary viewpoints with condescension and anger. Treatment For Narcissism The treatment for narcissism is always described as long term because often the root of narcissism is a severe lack of self-worth that lie in serious difficulties with the person's pathological development. It requires the patient to: Admit they are narcissistic. Seek professional help. Commit to the long-term for healing. What steps can the church take? I think it needs to begin with local leadership and percolate throughout the rest of the local community. What are your thoughts? Related Blog Posts Understanding Narcissistic PastorsWhat is Spiritual Abuse? And how to recognize when it is happening to you.
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Why It's Important To Heal From Spiritual Abuse
I care about the victims of abuse. Especially church and spiritual abuse. This is what I do. Too often I see people treat such victims with bandages rather than with the serious interior work that's required. Even after the victim is removed from the abusive situation.Even after the victim is recompensed for his or her pain and suffering.Even after the perpetrator is punished.Even after the victim is advised about new skills to move on.Even after the trauma is over and done and history. The victim must be given the opportunity and any available resources to heal the damage, the wounds, the trauma, the hurt, the pain, that is within. This is my "Still Not Healed" cartoon. They must be given voice. They must be heard. They must be understood. They must be believed. They must be supported and encouraged and empowered in every possible way so that they can assume their free, independent, and sovereign authority over their own lives and resume their lives in healthy ways. I look forward to the day when churches stop using the bandage effect to cover up the symptoms of abuse and begin to deal with the real problem, and that's their propensity for abuse. Bandages don't cure. They just cover. Churches need to be healed within. And people do too. Related Blog Posts on Spiritual Abuse What is Spiritual Abuse? And how to recognize when it is happening to you.10 Reasons Why The Church Is The Perfect Culture For Abuse
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The Church Should be the Safest Place for Question
Last night 7 people representing the LGBTQ community from New Direction with Wendy VanderWal Gritter came to my house, and along with some local friends we had over 20 people stuffed into my living room. We had wine and ordered in pizza. They arrived at 5:30pm and I expected them to stay only a few hours but it was almost 11pm by the time they left. It was an amazing evening full of deep discussion, tears and laughter. The love and sense of community was so thick you could cut it with a knife. The one issue that prevailed in our discussion was community. They had a lot of questions about our online community The Lasting Supper. All of them have experienced this cartoon. (Click on the cartoon Questions Changed for a digital download!) There are a lot of questions, but living in the question with questions is generally not a welcomed posture to take in the church. We all hunger for the kind of community where we can just be ourselves without being judged, segregated, separated or alienated. All we want is a safe space where we can learn to be who we authentically are and where we can learn to give that same respect and space to others. The philosopher Slavoj Žižek suggests that the purpose of philosophy is to ask the right questions. I believe that is the purpose of theology, and church ought to be the safest place to do that. But no. Rather, the church has become the most dangerous and even most fatal place to do it. Everyone in my home last night can attest to that. I personally am committed to providing safe spaces for questioners to thrive.
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