Religions actively employ the cycle of abuse.

[infrabenji]

I believe religious people frequently employ the cycle of abuse as a method for indoctrination and inculcating unquestioning devotion. I feel there is a strong parallel between indoctrination and the cycle of abuse. I have confidence that this practice causes emotional, physical, and psychological damage to the victim. I believe the abuse manifests in different forms such as identity loss, guilt syndrome, stygiophobia, death anxiety, sexual repression, compulsivity, self blame, and more. I believe victims often, actively and unknowingly, participate in their own abuse. I also believe these abuses have deleterious long term impacts for the victim and can be correlated to higher levels of depression, anxiety, self deception, denial, somatic concerns, dissociative patterns, etc. Do you agree or disagree that this can be the case? I’d like to hear your thoughts. Thanks in advance for everyone’s insight.

Edit: The generalization is intentional as I perceive it may be a sensitive subject for many religious people. I don’t want to isolate anyone or make any one group feel singled out.

 

[mikkel_the_dane]

I believe religious people frequently employ the cycle of abuse as a method for indoctrination and inculcating unquestioning devotion. I feel there is a strong parallel between indoctrination and the cycle of abuse. I have confidence that this practice causes emotional, physical, and psychological damage to the victim. I believe the abuse manifests in different forms such as identity loss, guilt syndrome, stygiophobia, death anxiety, sexual repression, compulsivity, self blame, and more. I believe victims often, actively and unknowingly, participate in their own abuse. I also believe these abuses have deleterious long term impacts for the victim and can be correlated to higher levels of depression, anxiety, self deception, denial, somatic concerns, dissociative patterns, etc. Do you agree or disagree that this can be the case? I’d like to hear your thoughts. Thanks in advance for everyone’s insight.

Yeah, and I believe it is not special to religion.

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

Do you agree

Not really.

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

I believe religious people frequently employ the cycle of abuse as a method for indoctrination and inculcating unquestioning devotion.

Depends on the religious group. But I think you're painting with too broad a brush.

 

[Vinayaka]

I believe religious people frequently employ the cycle of abuse as a method for indoctrination and inculcating unquestioning devotion. I feel there is a strong parallel between indoctrination and the cycle of abuse. I have confidence that this practice causes emotional, physical, and psychological damage to the victim. I believe the abuse manifests in different forms such as identity loss, guilt syndrome, stygiophobia, death anxiety, sexual repression, compulsivity, self blame, and more. I believe victims often, actively and unknowingly, participate in their own abuse. I also believe these abuses have deleterious long term impacts for the victim and can be correlated to higher levels of depression, anxiety, self deception, denial, somatic concerns, dissociative patterns, etc. Do you agree or disagree that this can be the case? I’d like to hear your thoughts. Thanks in advance for everyone’s insight.

We do? Quite the generalisation there.

 

[PureX]

 

[infrabenji]

Yeah, and I believe it is not special to religion.

I agree and believe it parallels the type of abuse found in narcissistic relationships.

 

[infrabenji]

We do? Quite the generalisation there.

The generalization is intentional as I perceive it may be a sensitive subject for many religious people. I don’t want to isolate anyone or make any one group feel singled out.

 

[infrabenji]

Depends on the religious group. But I think you're painting with too broad a brush.

The generalization is intentional as I perceive it may be a sensitive subject for many religious people. I don’t want to isolate anyone or make any one group feel singled out.

 

[infrabenji]

Not really.

Would you care to elaborate @KAT-KAT? Do you feel this is not the case because it does not apply to you or because it does not apply to anyone?

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

The generalization is intentional as I perceive it may be a sensitive subject for many religious people. I don’t want to isolate anyone or make any one group feel singled out.

That makes some sense. I was once kind of forced into a form of conversion therapy. The goal was to "make me more Christian", though. It didn't have too awfully much to do with LGBT+. Eventually I was kicked out of things by the leader trying to convert me, because I went too far, showing that I was unteachable, though without fully realizing I was a part of this "experiment" to begin with.

 

[Vinayaka]

The generalization is intentional as I perceive it may be a sensitive subject for many religious people. I don’t want to isolate anyone or make any one group feel singled out.

Being accused of doing something you didn't do does often lead to a reaction, sure. All Canadians are heartless people.

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

Would you care to elaborate @KAT-KAT? Do you feel this is not the case because it does not apply to you or because it does not apply to anyone?

Read my latest reply before this one. I'm starting to understand your perspective a bit more, I think. Since you responded.

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

Being accused of doing something you didn't do does often lead to a reaction, sure. All Canadians are heartless people.

It's kind of a double-edged sword. Saying, all religious people do it, will sting every religious group, even the innocent. But saying, X religious group does it, may not sting everyone else, but may damage X religious group pretty badly, even in cases where many weren't involved.

 

[AlexanderG]

While I think you're painting with too broad a brush, like others have said, there are traditional theologies that do seem abusive. One of the most common forms of Christianity today (and maybe Islam, too?) is definitely abusive:

"I love you so much, now do what I say or I will hurt you and hurt you. I'm always right about everything, and you can't question me, and telling you about how right I am and letting you adore me is how I show that I love you. You're only worth anything because of how much I love you, and without me you're nothing. I'm rewarding you with my love to give you purpose and joy by obeying me. If you ever disagree though, or if you ever go against me, I'm going to hurt you, and you will deserve it because it will all be your fault. I told you the consequences and that I'm always right, and so I'm hitting you now and it's right. Won't you just obey, and stop making me hurt you? Don't question me."

The sad thing is that I hear of a lot of conservative Christian families that model their parental love (or husband-wife relationship) on this model. And they wonder why their kids leave the faith or become estranged. It's absolutely tragic.

 

[Secret Chief]

I believe religious people frequently employ the cycle of abuse as a method for indoctrination and inculcating unquestioning devotion. I feel there is a strong parallel between indoctrination and the cycle of abuse. I have confidence that this practice causes emotional, physical, and psychological damage to the victim. I believe the abuse manifests in different forms such as identity loss, guilt syndrome, stygiophobia, death anxiety, sexual repression, compulsivity, self blame, and more. I believe victims often, actively and unknowingly, participate in their own abuse. I also believe these abuses have deleterious long term impacts for the victim and can be correlated to higher levels of depression, anxiety, self deception, denial, somatic concerns, dissociative patterns, etc. Do you agree or disagree that this can be the case? I’d like to hear your thoughts. Thanks in advance for everyone’s insight.

Edit: The generalization is intentional as I perceive it may be a sensitive subject for many religious people. I don’t want to isolate anyone or make any one group feel singled out.

Proof, evidence....Everyone always asks for that

 

[Vinayaka]

It's kind of a double-edged sword. Saying, all religious people do it, will sting every religious group, even the innocent. But saying, X religious group does it, may not sting everyone else, but may damage X religious group pretty badly, even in cases where many weren't involved.

I'm fine with 'some', as i think that's fair, and realistic. But the whole topic is vague. 'Abuse' is vague, as is 'the cycle of abuse' One cycle of abuse I can think of is ... abuser abusing, creating a new abuser, etc ... over generations. Like father like son. The other cycle I can think of is within a single relationship ... goes something like this ... abuse, apologise, apology accepted, abuse again, apologise again etc.

 

[infrabenji]

Being accused of doing something you didn't do does often lead to a reaction, sure. All Canadians are heartless people.

Thanks for your input. I haven’t levied an accusation that all religious people are a specific way but that some religious people behave in a particular way that causes harm to others. Much in the same way that an abuser in a narcissistic relationship causes harm to their partner.

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

I'm fine with 'some', as i think that's fair, and realistic. But the whole topic is vague. 'Abuse' is vague, as is 'the cycle of abuse' One cycle of abuse I can think of is ... abuser abusing, creating a new abuser, etc ... over generations. Like father like son. The other cycle I can think of is within a single relationship ... goes something like this ... abuse, apologise, apology accepted, abuse again, apologise again etc.

I feel there are holes also. I'm just trying to fill in the gaps so that we can have the potential for real conversation out of this.

 

[infrabenji]

I'm fine with 'some', as i think that's fair, and realistic. But the whole topic is vague. 'Abuse' is vague, as is 'the cycle of abuse' One cycle of abuse I can think of is ... abuser abusing, creating a new abuser, etc ... over generations. Like father like son. The other cycle I can think of is within a single relationship ... goes something like this ... abuse, apologise, apology accepted, abuse again, apologise again etc.

I’m happy to be more specific on an individual basis but I don’t want to trigger anyone who has been a victim of abuse by their church or church leaders. Does that make sense? A quick google search on the cycle of abuse will give you very specific information and I believe you can easily see the parallels between indoctrination and required fealty and abuse in other types of relationships.