Category: Dictators

ABUSE & VIOLENCE IN THE CHURCH, Authoritative Preaching, Clergy Misconduct, Crazy Things Church Leaders Say & Do, Dictators, Harvest Bible Chapel, James MacDonald, Narcissistic Pastors, Spiritual Abuse, Spiritual Bullies

Pastor James MacDonald: Video and Transcript of MacDonald Bullying a Harvest Christian Academy High School Student in Front of His Peers

Julie Anne

"I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child humanized or dehumanized."

ABUSE & VIOLENCE IN THE CHURCH, Abuse Systems and Transformation Tools, Classical Conversations, Dictators, It's All About the Image, Legalism, Misuse of Scripture, No-Talk Rule, Parenting, Personal Stories, Spiritual Bullies

Classical Conversations #7: Business or a Non-Profit; Cult or a Christian Homeschool Group?

Julie Anne

*** NOTE: This is part of a series that began with these earlier posts: Classical Conversations #1: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly Classical Conversations #2: What Led You to Join a Classical Conversations Homeschool Community? #ClassicalConvMadeKnown Classical Conversations #3: Leaders Delete Comments and Block Commenters Who Don’t Toe the Line Classical Conversations #4: A CC… Continue reading Classical Conversations #7: Business or a Non-Profit; Cult or a Christian Homeschool Group?

Abuse Systems and Transformation Tools, Authoritative Preaching, Beaverton Grace Bible Church, Chuck O'Neal, Dictators, Doctrine as Idol, Doug Wilson, Grace Community Church, Harvest Bible Chapel, James MacDonald, John MacArthur, Julie Anne's Personal Stories, Leaving the Church, Legalism, Recovery Process, Shunning, Spiritual Abuse, Spiritual Authority, Spiritual Bullies

Help! My Family Member or Close Friend is Trapped in a High-Controlling Church or Cult. How Can I Encourage Them to Leave?

Julie Anne

How to help a family member or friend leave a high-controlling church group or cult: spiritual abuse, trapped, thought reform, mind control, freedom   “Mind control is the process by which individual or collective freedom of choice and action is compromised by agents or agencies that modify or distort perception, motivation, affect, cognition and/or behavioral… Continue reading Help! My Family Member or Close Friend is Trapped in a High-Controlling Church or Cult. How Can I Encourage Them to Leave?

Biblical Counseling, Calvinism, Christian Marriage, Dictators, Doug Wilson, It's All About the Image, Leaving the Church, Mandatory Reporting, Marriages Damaged-Destroyed by Sp. Ab., Narcissistic Pastors, No-Talk Rule, Patriarchal-Complementarian Movement, Reconstructionist-Dominion Movement, Sexual Abuse/Assault and Churches, Shunning, Spiritual Abuse, Spiritual Bullies, Women and the Church

Doug Wilson Series: Introduction, Christ Church Celebrates 40 years and Background

Julie Anne

Doug Wilson, Christ Church, CREC, Greyfriars Hall, Association of Classical & Christian Schools, Canon Press, New Saint Andrews, Steven Sitler, Jamin Wight ** To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it. ~G.K. Chesterton Last night, I returned home after a 1-1/2 day trip… Continue reading Doug Wilson Series: Introduction, Christ Church Celebrates 40 years and Background

ABUSE & VIOLENCE IN THE CHURCH, Dictators, Doug Wilson, Mandatory Reporting, Marriages Damaged-Destroyed by Sp. Ab., Narcissistic Pastors, Sexual Abuse/Assault and Churches, Spiritual Abuse, Spiritual Bullies, Wives or (ex) of Pedophiles, Women and the Church

A Note to Doug Wilson and Friends and Foes of Doug Wilson

Julie Anne

** I have two things to share, first the following invitation. Some may have seen this on Twitter or Facebook, but I want to make it more public here so more eyes can see and have an opportunity to meet: ** ** Okay, now the second issue. For the last two weeks I have shared publicly… Continue reading A Note to Doug Wilson and Friends and Foes of Doug Wilson

9Marks, Chuck O'Neal, Church Bandwagon, Church Governance or Policy Issues, Dictators, Disturbing Trends, Extra-Biblical Nonsense, Julie Anne's Personal Stories, Mark Dever, Misuse of Scripture, Spiritual Bullies

Mark Dever’s New Book and Pastors Who Use Language to Control Their Members to Not Connect with Others Outside of Church-Approved Groups

Julie Anne

Mark Dever, 9Marks, and other pastors using language to control and coerce members to not engage in outside activities without church endorsement Mark Dever's parachurch organization, 9Marks, is advertising a new book written by Mark Dever and Jamie Dunlop. The book entitled, The Compelling Community: Where God's Power Makes a Church Attractive (9Marks), is due to be released… Continue reading Mark Dever’s New Book and Pastors Who Use Language to Control Their Members to Not Connect with Others Outside of Church-Approved Groups

Dictators, Spiritual Bullies

New Calvinist Procedure For Controlling Parishioners

Julie Anne

Paul Dohse of Paul’s Passing Thoughts has worked up this great flowchart depicting how many hyper-authoritarian churches control their sheep. I think many spiritual abuse survivors will be able to identify practices shown on the chart. This is excellent!

Paul's Passing Thoughts

control-chart-2

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Dictators, Spiritual Abuse, Spiritual Bullies

Pastors Who Behave Like They Are Your Boss

Julie Anne

So many of us who have gone through spiritual abuse came from a church where a pastor or church leader acted like a bully in our spiritual or personal lives.  Pastor Wade Burleson recently posted an article and it is so contrary to what I have experienced in churches.  Here is a portion of the… Continue reading Pastors Who Behave Like They Are Your Boss

ABUSIVE FAITH & PRACTICE, BGBC Lawsuit, BGBCSurvivors Imposter Blog, Dictators, Disturbing Trends, Extra-Biblical Nonsense, It's All About the Image, Legalism, Narcissistic Pastors, Shunning, Spiritual Abuse, Spiritual Bullies

Music and Madness

Julie Anne

'Tis the season and my kids and I have been playing a lot of this:    and singing in Christmas programs.  There are two final music events this week.  Music is so wonderfully healing and was certainly a nice distraction from some heavier subjects. But hey, did you happen to read about Westboro Baptist Church's website getting hacked… Continue reading Music and Madness

11 Hours of Meetings, ABUSERS & THEIR TACTICS, BGBC Google Reviews, BGBC Lawsuit, Crazy Things Church Leaders Say & Do, Dictators, It's All About the Image, Meetings with the Pastor, Narcissistic Pastors, No-Talk Rule, Shunning, Spiritual Abuse, Spiritual Bullies

Creepy Pastors and Churches Using Creepy Stalking Control Tactics

Julie Anne

*     *     * There have been a few stories of spiritual abuse in the news lately.  A kind reader sent me this article from The Christian Post:   Spiritual Abuse: Shepherds – or Fleecers – of God's Flock?   This article starts by discussing the abuse of gaining members' funds through… Continue reading Creepy Pastors and Churches Using Creepy Stalking Control Tactics

BGBC Lawsuit, Crazy Things Church Leaders Say & Do, Dictators, It's All About the Image, Leaving the Church, Meetings with the Pastor, Narcissistic Pastors, No-Talk Rule, Shunning, Spiritual Abuse, Spiritual Bullies

"Justice" Responds

Julie Anne

*     *     *      FrederickaMay 17, 2012 11:07 AM I must confess myself mystified as to the nature of 'Justice's' complaint, which seems to be lacking in a certain, shall we say, precision. What exactly is it that he or she is alleging was done to him or her? AnonymousMay… Continue reading "Justice" Responds

ABUSE & VIOLENCE IN THE CHURCH, Authoritative Preaching, Dictators, Julie Anne's Personal Stories, Meetings with the Pastor, Misuse of Scripture, Resident Artist Drawings, Spiritual Abuse, Spiritual Bullies

The Bully Pulpit

Julie Anne

*     *     * "Pulpit", from the eyes of my 9-yr old son *     *     * According to Wikipedia.org, a bully pulpit is:  "An older term within the U.S. Government, a bully pulpit is a public office or other position of authority of sufficiently high rank that provides… Continue reading The Bully Pulpit

Dictators, Spiritual Abuse

Comparing the Two, Part 3

Julie Anne

This is the final post of a 3-part series comparing the characteristics of dictators with people who spiritually abuse.  The other two parts can be found here: Comparing the Two, Part 1 Comparing the Two, Part 2 "Anonymous" posted this comment on Part 1: The last sentence really made my head spin.  I had been thinking of… Continue reading Comparing the Two, Part 3

Dictators, Spiritual Abuse

Comparing the Two, Part 2

Julie Anne

This post is continued from Comparing the Two, Part 1. Some might ask how one can begin to compare the atrocities of physical starvation and beatings at the hands of a dictator to the emotional/spiritual abuse by pastor/elders of a church.   They seem worlds different.  I understand that question.    The physical abuse mentioned in the… Continue reading Comparing the Two, Part 2

Dictators, Spiritual Abuse

Comparing the Two, Part 1

Julie Anne

I read a heart-wrenching story on CNN.com yesterday (In North Korea, a brutal choice) about North Korean defectors and what they have to go through to survive and get to freedom.  It was very difficult to read.  Some of the paragraphs grabbed my attention because of the similarities in leadership tactics between dictators and authoritarian… Continue reading Comparing the Two, Part 1