*** Ex-wife of pedophile shares how she and her family are dealing with their new reality after his conviction and sentencing. *** One of our own, Brenda, had a difficult week last week. You may recall, months ago, while searching the topic "wives of pedophiles" on the internet, Brenda found the article, Being Married to a Pedophile:… Continue reading Ex-Wife of Pedophile Shares Update about Court Sentencing and Her New Reality
Category: ABUSE & VIOLENCE IN THE CHURCH
Restoring What the Locust Has Eaten: Two Years of Blogging Milestone Today and Gratefulness
** Two years of blogging, two years of growth, hope for those hurt by church abuse ** ** In Joel, God talks about restoring what the locusts had eaten. Today marks exactly two years since I began blogging. As I reflect on the 2-year anniversary date of my initial blog and begin my 3rd year of… Continue reading Restoring What the Locust Has Eaten: Two Years of Blogging Milestone Today and Gratefulness
Kevin Swanson Defends Bill Gothard’s Sexual Harassment Charges While Publicly Trash Talks Blogs
* * * Kevin Swanson defends his friend, Bill Gothard against accusations of sexual harassment, while accusing Spiritual Sounding Board and Patheos.com blogs of dancing on the grave of Christian fundamentalism and Biblical Christianity. * * * Last week, I was notified by a Twitter friend/follower that… Continue reading Kevin Swanson Defends Bill Gothard’s Sexual Harassment Charges While Publicly Trash Talks Blogs
Learn to Discern: Response to the Doug Phillips Sex Abuse Scandal
* * * Learn to discern - taking a closer look at a response to the Doug Phillips sex abuse scandal * * * Not long ago, I found a comment on a public Facebook page by a man named Paul Dorr. He was responding to a… Continue reading Learn to Discern: Response to the Doug Phillips Sex Abuse Scandal
When we are spiritually abused, are we partly responsible?
*** Quick note: Last weekend, I went to the Oregon Coast to a ladies retreat. Knitting is my constant companion at retreats - - especially in case the speaker disappoints. However, I did not get one stitch of knitting done. The message was very good, convicting, refreshing, and motivating. And you cannot put a price… Continue reading When we are spiritually abused, are we partly responsible?
Guest Post: Why I Love My Church
*** It's difficult to find a safe and healthy church "system" with appropriate checks and balances. Lisa of Lisa's Leben shares what has worked well in her church and why she loves her church. *** *** Lisa has been blogging for about a month now and writes at Lisa's Leben. After getting tagged on the… Continue reading Guest Post: Why I Love My Church
A Revised 23rd Psalm: From the Eyes of Someone Harmed by a Church Shepherd
*** What does an abusive shepherd or pastor look like? How does it feel? A spiritual abuse survivor shows us using the format of the 23rd Psalm. *** *** Today I was given permission to share very personal prose. While the words of Psalm 23 and the Good Shepherd are normally very comforting, in this… Continue reading A Revised 23rd Psalm: From the Eyes of Someone Harmed by a Church Shepherd
Women in the Church: What Does the Bible Really Say?
*** What does the Bible say about women in the church? Are wives inferior to men, to be controlled and ruled over by men? Does the Bible say women cannot lead or teach? Can they teach men? *** Yesterday, I was reading an old article from Doug Wilson in which he mentioned this: The Bible… Continue reading Women in the Church: What Does the Bible Really Say?
Godly sex is not for enjoyment, but for having children! Orgasms are demonic? What’s next in Christiandom?
*** Christiandom seems to be making a mess out of something beautiful God intended for married couples to enjoy. Sex is only for procreation? Orgasms are demonic? *** There's a whole book in the Bible that seems to describe a mutually pleasurable experience of sex between husband and wife: ** As the apple tree among… Continue reading Godly sex is not for enjoyment, but for having children! Orgasms are demonic? What’s next in Christiandom?
How do you warn someone about a dangerous spiritual group? What if that person is your spouse?
*** How do you warn someone about a dangerous or spiritually abusive leader or group? What if that someone is your spouse? *** Commenter, TIA, responded to my comment with a couple of key questions that were left unanswered. I think would be helpful to discuss these important questions, especially in light of the second… Continue reading How do you warn someone about a dangerous spiritual group? What if that person is your spouse?
Patterns of Abuse: What we can learn from the death and suicide letter of GOP Senate Aide, Jesse Loskarn?
*** Patterns of Abuse: What we can learn from the death and suicide letter of GOP Senate Aide, Jesse Loskarn? *** Jesse Loskarn, 35, was chief of staff to GOP's Senator Lamar Alexander from Tennessee. In mid-December 2013, Loskarn was arrested for possession and distribution of child porn. Officials found child porn on Loskarn's hard… Continue reading Patterns of Abuse: What we can learn from the death and suicide letter of GOP Senate Aide, Jesse Loskarn?
Christian Patriarchy Movement Pressures Stay-at-Home Daughters to Choose Whom She Will Serve First: Daddy or God
* * * Who is benefiting by keeping grown adult daughters at home and single? A look at Christian Patriarchy espoused by Doug Phillips; Steve and Teri Maxwell and their daughter, Sarah; and Geoffrey and Victoria Botkin and their daughters, Anna Sofia and Elizabeth. * * *… Continue reading Christian Patriarchy Movement Pressures Stay-at-Home Daughters to Choose Whom She Will Serve First: Daddy or God
Christian Marriage: For Better or for Worse – No Recourse for Spouse’s Bad Behavior?
* * * What is a spouse to do in a Christian marriage when a spouse is behaving badly or even abusing? "For better or for worse" can keep a spouse captive in a very unhealthy relationship. * * * Two are better than one because… Continue reading Christian Marriage: For Better or for Worse – No Recourse for Spouse’s Bad Behavior?
Kevin Swanson Continues a Year Later with Same Womb Tomb Rhetoric
* * * Popular homeschool leader Pastor Kevin Swanson continues to give unsubstantiated claims about birth control pills being "womb tombs" despite apologizing for misunderstanding in the media storm he created last year. * * * Last year, Kevin Swanson created quite the media firestorm with his… Continue reading Kevin Swanson Continues a Year Later with Same Womb Tomb Rhetoric
A Warning to Commenters: Be Aware of Potential Blog Owner/Moderator Intrusiveness
* * * Warning to Spiritual Abuse Community regarding bloggers who may use commenters' private email in an intrusive manner. * * * An unfortunate situation with misuse of commenters’ personal email addresses has come up in the spiritual abuse survivor blogging community. It has made people… Continue reading A Warning to Commenters: Be Aware of Potential Blog Owner/Moderator Intrusiveness
The Christian Patriarchy Movement’s Dark Secret of Wife Spanking
* * * As Doug Phillips and his Vision Forum ministry is sinking, stories of abuse among Christian Patriarchy are surfacing: domestic violence, wife spanking, etc, among other well-known circles such as RC Sproul Jr., etc. * * * Warning: this is a heavy and disturbing article.… Continue reading The Christian Patriarchy Movement’s Dark Secret of Wife Spanking
Mark Driscoll’s Mars Hill Bellevue Campus to Host University Classes in Fall of 2014
* * * Mars Hill and Mark Driscoll to partner with Corban University and Western Seminary and host university classes at the Mars Hill Bellevue church campus. * * * It seems an important Mars Hill/Mark Driscoll development may have slipped through the cracks while the world… Continue reading Mark Driscoll’s Mars Hill Bellevue Campus to Host University Classes in Fall of 2014
When Your Religious Leader Falls Off the Pedestal
* * * Cindy Kunsman responds to fallen spiritual leaders and spiritual abuse after the Doug Phillips scandal. * * * Note from Julie Anne: This article, by Cindy Kunsman was originally posted at her blog, Under Much Grace, and she has given me permission to post… Continue reading When Your Religious Leader Falls Off the Pedestal
Todd Friel: Interrupts a Woman Sharing the Gospel Message with a Man so He Could Do it Instead
* * * A woman was in the midst of sharing the Gospel with a man. When the Wretched folks found out she was sharing the Gospel to a man, they ask the woman to pass the phone to Todd Friel. Why??? * * * Wretched is… Continue reading Todd Friel: Interrupts a Woman Sharing the Gospel Message with a Man so He Could Do it Instead
Does the Doug Phillips et al Brand of “Biblical Patriarchy” Groom Stay-at-Home Daughters to be Victims of Abuse?
* * * In some conservative Biblical Patriarchal circles, young ladies remain at home, sheltered, under the protection of their father. They are generally not allowed to work outside the home or attend college. This is in order to "protect" them from worldly influence. Could this practice be setting up these… Continue reading Does the Doug Phillips et al Brand of “Biblical Patriarchy” Groom Stay-at-Home Daughters to be Victims of Abuse?
Spiritual Sounding Board 