Comments on: Signs of Spiritual Abuse & Legalism

By: Spiritual Abuse and Legalism « Pastor's Kid Diary

Spiritual Abuse and Legalism « Pastor's Kid Diary — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 20:26:05 +0000

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By: katie

katie — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 00:37:04 +0000

please read our story here….we have lost our son to this “church”. http://onemothersjourney7.blogspot.com/

By: jeff elohim

jeff elohim — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 02:12:59 +0000

I, “j.elohim”, entered the ark when I was 17.
Since then, I went to / participated in / joined for up to a decade = over 45 different chruches, prayer groups, bible studies . etc .
Through all of those and through all of that time, I was tempted often to leave the ark.
The chruches, and many jobs, and many people,
all tempted me, just like prostitutes tempt(/or try to) any one within their view.
Almost no one wants to enter the ark themselves, or is willing to leave their family, friends, chruch, group, job and so on to enter the ark.
Almost everyone wants me to leave the ark, and almost everyone wants anyone who they see in the ark to leave the ark.
Now,
as for me, and those with me, we will never leave the ark. We have eternal life, with joy, peace and righteousness abiding with the Creator Himself in Yahshua. (and problems, lots of problems, while still living on the earth). …
.
… time for one hint here – did you know that Yahshua NEVER invited someone to be His unless they had first talked with ABBA?
if you want to be His,
talk now with ABBA… He is ready and He is the Only One Who can accomplish this-no one else can.

By: lovely

lovely — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 04:02:14 +0000

Thanks for sharing this article. Hope everyone can read this for them to see the reality of life.

By: Derik Girdwood

Derik Girdwood — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 18:55:28 +0000

A good Christian suspense novel on spiritual abuse is “The Church of Jezebel, Hijacking the Gospel.”
It is available on Amazon, etc.

By: Confused

Confused — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 07:43:57 +0000

I’d just like to say that I am in an organization that I would have to answer yes to every question above. But leaving is proving to be the very hardest thing I have ever done. I don’t know quite how to do it. I pray daily for God to lead and guide and make himself so real that I will know without a shadow of a doubt I’m doing the right thing. I have a lot of responsibility there and I don’t want to discourage anyone by leaving and I don’t know if I will find something better elsewhere. I have been taught my whole life this church was the only church with the whole truth. Looking for another church is just unheard of. We have so much family there and leaving will make relationships awkward. The PK parents will go crazy praying us back and will consider us backslid. My children have been born and raised there and don’t want to leave their friends. But..there are many reason why we should leave, the main one being I am not happy there and haven’t been for 20 years. I’m so tired of being examined and found wanting by critical and judgemental people that think if you should be in church whenever the door is open and that is literally 5 times per week. My husband, raised in a PK home, was ridiculed and put down so much that it is ingrained in him that he will never be good enough to make it. When he comes to church more than his usual, he is watched by family members…looking to see if he is showing conviction no doubt. I just don’t know what to do.

By: michelle

michelle — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 02:12:50 +0000

religious abuse is one of the hardest to get free from because it is so wide spread and accepted as “biblical” by Christians. The freedom in getting out of it is so freeing. I can love my children and family so much better since I got out from under it, and most of all, I can enjoy God so much more (freedom without all the bondages).

By: Dr. Barb Orlowski

Dr. Barb Orlowski — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 05:43:16 +0000

Hi Robin,

Glad to find your post on spiritual abuse. It is important to raise the awareness about this important topic.

I thought that you might be interested in my doctoral research and book called: ‘Spiritual Abuse Recovery’.

I have information on my website: http://www.churchexiters.com.

People can contact me at: info@churchexiters.com

All the best,
Dr. Barb Orlowski

By: Jacque

Jacque — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 05:53:35 +0000

This is what struck me:
The Fruit of Legalism is pride, self-righteousness, judgmental and critical attitudes, superiority, conflict, worry, demanding compliance, aggression, extremes, manipulation, elitism, and plain ol’ nastiness.

What is frustrating is when people call themselves christians, put up the banner of grace for themselves and condemn everyone else.

That is when I have seen the above “fruit” displayed. There is no good fruit coming from these people. It is truly sad. I have had friends who used to be the sweetest, most caring people who were so cautious in how they spoke to others, always in love and meekness – the fruit of the Spirit. I wished I was like them in that regard, because they were just always thinking of others and how their words might affect them.

It is sad to see how the legalism of grace (ironic, huh?) has turned them into people who will speak their mind freely, in their grace, to the ruin of others and friendships and their own agendas. It seems weird, but their religion of grace is a lopsided grace for them alone.
It is really sad, Robin.

I pray that these people will come back to the realization of how their own abuse of grace is harming themselves and others.

By: Sisterlisa

Sisterlisa — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 13:48:52 +0000

I agree with this and have experienced that myself. It is painful, to say the last, to be in a church like that. I have also experienced friendships like this as well. They expect perfection out of the friend, monitor everything they do and are quick to correct if we make a decision they don’t agree with. They condemn any new friendships we have that they don’t agree with. That Pharisee judgmentalism becomes quite abusive and controlling. I think those people live in fear and are insecure in their relationships as well as their relationship with our Lord. If these kind of people continue to live in isolation from all people they feel are in sin then two things come to my mind. Eventually they will have no friends, because we’re all sinners to begin with, and/or they will live in their own condemnation while thinking they know it all and leave themselves completely blind. Just as Jesus said. After coming out of a legalistic church and friendships I have been able to see much clearer now and have come to an amazing understanding of what grace really is. Such freedom!