This blog is a resource for those who have been bruised by legalism, spiritual abuse and Christian patriarchy, and are finding their way to freedom and healing.
If you have been burned by Christian fundamentalism, you may feel disillusioned. The foundations of your whole belief system may be crumbling.
You might feel like you want nothing to do with any form of organised religion again.
You might feel like you do not want to give up on Jesus and the Bible - but surely, surely, he is not really like the "teachers of the law" say he is?
You might be in a state of mind where you feel 'allergic' to the Bible. Or can't listen to what used to be your favourite worship music. What you're going through is not unusual. It could be you are experiencing a form of PTSD and these things are triggering you.
You may be in a place in which your hurt and yearning for freedom is leading you to question the doctrines you have been taught, but there is still a part of you wondering, "Is it me? Maybe I do have an 'independent spirit'. Maybe I am rebellious. Perhaps I am a 'Jezebel'."
Wherever you are at, you are welcome here. This is a safe place. You can say what you really think, how you really feel. I am posting anonymously, and you can too, if you wish. You can share, or not share, your story and gain encouragement and validation from others.
Thousands of people in the USA are fleeing the doctrine of 'Biblical Patriarchy' being widely taught in parts of the country. This doctrine has filtered through to Australia and New Zealand and impacted churches here. There are a host of sites in the USA popping up to support those exiting extreme doctrines there. This blog is particularly (but not exclusively) for people Down Under, in Australia and New Zealand, who have been affected by the far-reaching effects of the various forms of this doctrine.
When I am ready, I'll share my story. When you are ready, you can, too.
I hope that whatever kind of faith or ideology you've come from, that you feel welcome here. I have kept a relationship with Jesus despite what I've been through, and that is where I am at now. (Like Hillary at Quivering Daughters).But if your conclusion is, (like Vickie from No Longer Quivering), that you no longer believe, I hope you will also feel welcome here and feel like you can say whatever you want to say without fear of judgement or (worse yet) being "loved" into changing your mind *vomit*. There won't be any of that here.
ReplyDeleteThank you for writing this.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't have anything to do with anything christian or religious for ages. I really believed that no way could there possibly be a church out there that wouldn't be sexist. I thought I'd rather just not go than end up in another "God's chain of command" church. I felt allergic. Not to minimize real PTSD but it was a bit like that. I would get triggered by anything remotely religious. It took years, but we eventually found a vineyard church that actually wasn't sexist. women and men on the pastoral team, women and men elders, women and men singing and preaching and sharing and just doing stuff. of course, not without issues, not group of humans ever is, but a safe place for us to recover from legalism and fundamentalism. Not suggesting to anyone else they should do that. I still have a bunch of freinds who left my old church like scalded cats and have never retruned to orghanized chrusitan religion.
ReplyDeleteWow such a powerful story but heart breaking also that women living the Christian life with Christian husbands are still being oppressed as if they were living 200 yrs ago. So proud of you and the stand you took when confronted by the husbands of these women.
ReplyDeleteI found your account of your experiences with that pentecostal church so sad but unfortunately only too familiar as my own personal experience with this church is a tragic and shameful story also, i never understood why decisions that should have been left for me and my parents to make was taken away from us by the senior pastor who claimed he knew best. This resulted in much sweeping under the carpet of something that should have been exposed and then dealt with appropriately. Instead I've had to deal with his decision for my entire life and the repercussions still resonate painfully in me.
Thank for a well written and honest blog.
What a terrific website.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great opportunity for people to:
(1) learn and maybe re-frame their thinking and
(2) debrief and get encouraged by others' stories: they are not alone.
May God bless and encourage all who read this site, and may people who are escaping from the narrow straight-jacket of fundamentalism, not lose their faith, but rather find it again, renewed and stronger and sitting on a different set of assumptions about what the Bible is and how it should be used.
When I get some spare moments I might venture a comment or two more....
Jim Reiher
When our family was at L'Abri for a semester in 1998, one of the workers there made a comment that a number of people had come through their doors that were so messed up by the legalism of Bill Gothard's teachings. I didn't realize y'all were affected by this too. As a new Christian in the early 80s, I latched on to it for a while, attending one of the Basic Youth Institute seminars...glad somehow I eventually got away from it! Karyn.
ReplyDeleteI am grateful for this site!
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