Spiritual Abuse: Fact or Fiction

[BrotherEastman]

Originally Posted by Rico

Sounds more like sweeping things under the rug and pretending they never happened.

So, leave things out in the open if you desire. Rico, thats funny. I have yet to see you complain about the abuse you may or may not have recieved from anyone, or even complain about it. It's one thing to give a testimony and say that you haven't allowed abuse to control your spirit, and an entirely different matter to wear your abuse like a badge.

[BrotherEastman]

Originally Posted by Subdued

I don't disagree that staying in an abusive situation (once the 'victim' realizes they are IN an abusive situation) becomes a choice. What I disagree with is that spiritual abuse DOESN'T happen. In fact, it DOES.

This is where I'm having a difficult time understanding you I think. Allowing real abuse, whether emotional or physical, to affect your spirit in such a way that it becomes "spititual". When one has a relationship with God, one doesn't allow the abuse to become so real that it would affect our relationship with the Lord. I hope I'm making better sense now.

Originally Posted by crakjak

The word of the Lord came to me: "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals. My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them."
[Ezekiel 34:1-6, NIV]

Here's some pretty good evidence, wouldn't you say?

No, I wouldn't say this is "spiritual abuse;" and I absolutely refuse to accept anything coming out of a heretical dynamic equivalence translation (it's heretical because it's dynamic equivalence).

[Rico]

Originally Posted by BrotherEastman

So, leave things out in the open if you desire. Rico, thats funny. I have yet to see you complain about the abuse you may or may not have recieved from anyone, or even complain about it. It's one thing to give a testimony and say that you haven't allowed abuse to control your spirit, and an entirely different matter to wear your abuse like a badge.

Hehehe. Brother, you just haven't been reading my posts lately. I almost got banned from here over going off on some stuff, although I never did mention any names. Also, when I first started coming to sites like this one I was trying to get over having been in a church that had a very controlling pastor and was very outspoken about it. Of course, that was before your time so you wouldn't know that.

Originally Posted by Subdued

Yes, forgiveness is imperative! A must! I think I understand what you're saying about forgetting - although, IMO, forgetting is impossible since I have a memory. Are you saying that by forgetting, you mean; never bring it up, or to not allow yourself to dwell on it if it enters your mind? If that is what you're saying, I fully agree.

Nothing is impossible with God. But, yes, I do mean never allowing yourself to dwell on it if it comes to mind or if Satan tries to bring it to mind. We are commanded to forgive the way God forgives us and part of the way He forgives us is in His choosing not to remember our sins anymore.

Forgiving and forgetting (if possible - not sure it is w/having a memory - some things pop into my mind - I recall things unintentionally; therefore, I have not forgotten); but forgiving & forgetting does not mean a person will not experience pain from the abuse (that we are assuming exists, for the sake of argument). That's all I'm saying... When a person is abused, they require time to heal (time for the pain to go away) even sometimes after they have forgiven the abuser.

Again, nothing is impossible with God. If you're still experiencing the pain of the abuse, you have not fully healed from the abuse (healing that I'd say might require divine intervention). However, that does not give you the right to harbor bitterness, anger, etc. toward the abuser (because you were supposed to forgive him) or to, as Rico seems to be doing, transfer all of those wrong feelings/attitudes onto others (like being bitter toward all pastors because one or more pastors supposedly abused him spiritually).

[BrotherEastman]

Originally Posted by Rico

Hehehe. Brother, you just haven't been reading my posts lately. I almost got banned from here over going off on some stuff, although I never did mention any names. Also, when I first started coming to sites like this one I was trying to get over having been in a church that had a very controlling pastor and was very outspoken about it. Of course, that was before your time so you wouldn't know that.

I guess i haven't read all of your posts.

[Rico]

Originally Posted by BrotherEastman

I guess i haven't read all of your posts.

Well, ya been busy getting that baby born. Besides, I don't expect people to read all my posts anyway. Is the baby home already?

[Subdued]

Originally Posted by BrotherEastman

This is where I'm having a difficult time understanding you I think. Allowing real abuse, whether emotional or physical, to affect your spirit in such a way that it becomes "spititual". When one has a relationship with God, one doesn't allow the abuse to become so real that it would affect our relationship with the Lord. I hope I'm making better sense now.

I think our definition of "spiritual abuse" differs. Emotional or physical abuse is not "spiritual abuse," although they could be perpetrated by the one DOING the spiritual abuse. (Did that make sense?)

I'm not even talking about things that affect one's relationship with Jesus. NO, I *don't* have to allow ANY abuse to affect my relationship with Jesus. Just because a person is spiritually abused does not mean their relationship with Jesus is affected.

Having said THAT, I will add that I believe a person can be taught a distorted view of Jesus which they will have to UNlearn in order to RElearn who He really is. (I believe Michlow has explained that a few times.)

[BrotherEastman]

Originally Posted by Rico

Well, ya been busy getting that baby born. Besides, I don't expect people to read all my posts anyway. Is the baby home already?

Yes sir! I have never experienced loving a child as a father, it is such a great joy that I'm glad God has allowed me to experience.

[BrotherEastman]

Originally Posted by Subdued

I think our definition of "spiritual abuse" differs. Emotional or physical abuse is not "spiritual abuse," although they could be perpetrated by the one DOING the spiritual abuse. (Did that make sense?)

I'm not even talking about things that affect one's relationship with Jesus. NO, I *don't* have to allow ANY abuse to affect my relationship with Jesus. Just because a person is spiritually abused does not mean their relationship with Jesus is affected.

Having said THAT, I will add that I believe a person can be taught a distorted view of Jesus which they will have to UNlearn in order to RElearn who He really is. (I believe Michlow has explained that a few times.)

Okay, gotcha.