Rape
This article is different than
what I normally post. Most deal with the reality of who we are and in our Being.
This writing will bring us back to the realm, that our Being must come back to,
in order to help those here. Where this writing leads, I know not. What it will
say, I am not sure of, only that it has been given me to place it in you. There
is a purpose to everything under heaven and only you will know if this writing
has a purpose for you. Many say that those that are so heavenly minded are no
earthly good. I say that to BE of any earthly good, one must BE heavenly
Minded.
I have had this burden, for quite some time, having begun it with
the article on Sirius and Sugia, yet even before. It's culmination will not end
with the articles, for its ending must come from you, as a reflection of your
Being, to those seeking help. If the Sons of God cannot bring this essence to
those seeking relief, who will be able to?
Let me also say that I have
no experience in the physical realm of the natural hurt, pain and affliction one
has when they experience the rape of oneself or that of a loved one. I do,
however, have great experience as to what happens in the rape of a believer in
the spiritual realm. These articles will deal with that experience, its cause,
effect and hopefully its cure. Many of you that read these writings may find
themselves back in these realms and memories. I do not wish to take you back in
time where you may have felt these hurts and pains, but many, hopefully, will be
able to uses these memories to help those in the earthly realm of pain and
sorrow. If you have been there, you will know what I am speaking of. If you have
not, bear with us that have. Let us Begin.
Spiritual Abuse/Rape
A
sentient being lays curled up under a pew, cringing in fear. His head, limp on
his wife's lap, tears flowing profusely down the side of his weary face, while
his arms and legs lack the strength the move from the posture he holds. In the
rear of the building, the voice of a woman is heard through the stillness of the
night. A shrill that pierce's the eardrum of those present, as they clasp their
hands upon the sides of their heads, trying not to hear the crying and screaming
of repentance, hell fire and damnation.
Far away, another sentient being
sits on the roof of a car praying and pondering the things spoken of in the
church service she just attended. A man from the church approaches her and asks
if he can pray with her. After a bit of persistence fro him, she reluctantly
agrees. He gathers some brothers and brings her to a vacant building, just next
to the church. There she is locked up in a restroom for 15 hours, while she is
called a Jezebel and many other things. Screams of repentance are shouted upon
her, over and over again. Oil is poured all over her new dress and shoes. She is
left in a stupor, and for three weeks or more, she is unable to recognize her
children. Nor does she remember who she is. Depression sets in and death is on
her mind. Seven brothers and one sister almost bring her to the point of
insanity.
Still in another part of a city, a young sentient being is
brought before the congregation and publicly humiliated by a member who has
temporally taken the pulpit while the pastor is away. She is described as a slut
with a deviant sexual desire for this man and all the men in the church. She has
a devil and it must be exorcized from her. The parents and congregation sit
silently while this precious child is demoralized right in front of them. They
do nothing, neither say anything but amen to it all. Later it is found out that
it is the man that has the demon and that the pastor must do the exorcizing of
it from him. No apology is ever given to this preteen child by the devil
possessed man.
DEFINITION
Abuse is defined as: to attack in a
physical way or in words, revile; to use so as to injure or damage,
maltreat.
Rape is defined as: the act of despoiling, violent seizure. A
relationship without consent and effected by force, duress, intimidation of
deception: an outrageous violation
Individuals often look at abuse as
being physical, such as beatings and the like. There is also the mental abuse
inflicted upon people, which most cannot see, but tends to come out in peoples
character change. There are safe houses and help facilities where the abused and
rape victims can go and feel safe. At least for a time. There they hope to
recover from the pain that has been inflicted upon them with the vision of
perhaps being able to return to normality. However, normality sometimes does not
return, for the scars tend to go deeper than the wounds inflicted upon the
flesh. The victim, often becomes the victimizer in later life.
But what
of another type of abuse and rape? One that is often not seen, sometimes not
detected and rarely confronted. A rape that can leave one so scared, it not only
effects their relationship with their fellow man, but with God. It is called
Spiritual Abuse/Rape.
Spiritual Abuse (SA) has been defined as the
mistreatment of a person who is in need of help, support or greater spiritual
empowerment, with the resultant effect of actually weakening, undermining and
decreasing that person's spiritual life. This, however, is a kind way of saying
how truly effectual the rape of ones Spiritual Life is.
In the Christian
Church, the Good News that should set man free, becomes the Bad News that
destroys ones inner being. Where the striving to protect the doctrines of ones
Church, turns on the very ones seeking protection and help from it.
SA
comes only from the teaching in the belief in spiritual authority and the
responsibility for SA rests souly upon the shoulders of the teachers and
preachers espousing the belief. It can occur when spirituality is used against
the believer, to make them live up to some kind of spiritual standard. It
becomes a performance based walk, where the performance dictates the closeness
to God. The standard is always measured by the one holding the measuring stick
and defining the rules to measure one by.
A young sentient being is
devastated after receiving a dear John letter in the mail. The female discloses
that she no longer wishes to get married. She feels led by God, to follow
another path. The resultant effect of this act, is the departure of the young
man from his church.
Sometimes later the young man confides in his father
and shares his heart about that time in his life. He discloses how the pressure
of trying to line up to the spiritual standard placed upon him, by the leader of
his church, was overwhelming He felt he had to perform in a certain way and
fashion, all the while struggling to keep his walk with God and falling apart
within. He shares how he just wanted to get away from the churches environment
and influence. He was being ripped apart with desires he could not understand
and feelings that condemned him in the eyes of God and the church. When the
opportunity came to remove himself from this environment, he grabbed it. Even to
the point of getting engaged to one he did not love but lived 3000 miles away
from his home. He was given the approval of both leaders of the churches and
that it was the will of God for them to marry. He believed it, but God changed
his mind.
How was the father supposed to protect the son, when the father
was in the same church and believed in the authoritative structure taught to
all? How was the father to know what was happening to his son, when the
authority taught that each must seek help from the same authority that alone
heard from God? How could the father know his son was being torn apart inside,
when the father could not even get up off the floor and lay hid under the pew in
fear? Where could the son go, but to the authority that was abusing him with
standards and fear preaching of hell and damnation? He saw no hope in his
situation.
In all spiritual abuse cases the individual is left bearing a
weight of guilt, judgment, condemnation and confusion so destructive it leaves
the abused wondering about his worth and standing with his God. Or even if God
loves him at all. Many ponder suicide just to get away from the depression and
heaviness inside, noting that death is better than the hell they are presently
living in. But the fear ingrained in them of eternal punishment compels them to
live in death and allows them to be raped of their innocence and love for their
Creator. Some, however, are not so lucky and a precious life is taken, all
because someone has abused the authority they believe was given to them by God.
It is better to obey, than sacrifice, it is said. Some willingly sacrifice
themselves on the alter of death, rather than live under the alter of
condemnation.
It has been said that it is possible to become so
determined to defend a spiritual place of authority, a doctrine or way of doing
things that you wound, abuse and kill anyone who questions , disagrees or
doesn't "behave" spiritually the way you want them to. When your words and
actions tear down, attack or weaken an others position in Christ - to gratify
yourself, your position or your beliefs - that is spiritual abuse. When your
actions destroys the innocence of the young and the weak and causes them to feel
condemned and fearful before their God, that is spiritual rape. It is innocence
that one never gets back and like the natural rape of a woman, the marks are
left for life.
When a religious system enslaves its people to that
system, its leader, or standard of performance or tries to force the people to
live under laws, rules or formulas for its spirituality so as to cause them to
be weighed down, unable to measure up, torn from within and without, you have
discovered spiritual abuse and the rape of the congregation it seeks to free.
Freedom, in these systems, comes with a price - enslavement.
The apostle
Paul writes: "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then,
and do not let yourselves be burdened again by the yoke of slavery." (Gal. 5:1
NIV)
Spiritual Abuse is a yoke of slavery placed upon the one who has
sought help in his relationship with God. The yoke is ever placed upon him
slowly, until the weight of that yoke has been on for so long that it no longer
feels like a yoke. Kill the frog slowly by bringing the temperature of the water
up in degrees. He does not notice that he is being boiled alive and dies an
agonizing death, thinking it is normal. Throw one in an already boiling pot, and
he jumps back out immediately. Spiritual abuse takes time. Time to prepare the
water and time to set the flame. The abused is unaware until it is too late. The
heat becomes the norm and his life is slowly sucked away. Should he realize that
he is in the pot, he is made aware that the flames below him are worse than the
water he is presently in.
How does spiritual abuse happen? How can a
Gospel, set up to set people free become a yoke of bondage and oppression that
sometimes kills it very people? Are there signs that identify spiritual abuse
that can help one recognize it? Is there something that one can do to help bring
believers into the true righteousness, peace and joyful freedom of Christ? I
pray so, if not for us, then for our children and grandchildren.
To Be
continued...God willing.
Namaste
Sirius 8
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