TOXIC FAITH - Surviving SPIRITUAL Abuse (Part 1)

[schmiigle]

this made me feel so emotional..exactly what my church is like..

[PROPAGANDA32]

The most important thing is to love one another. All spiritual gifts are used for the sake of other people's good. They are nothing without love. Love is the factor we seek in church not the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit. God will power His Spirit, the Holy Spirit when we love one another, when we obey God's leading. We need to build up in Christ's love because surely the enemy will attack when we do the work of God. No wonder Jesus commends us to "love one another". Victor in Christ

[yahssis]

I don't know if he remembers me but years ago, back in 1996-1997 I talked to Mr Arterburn or his associate on the phone. He warned me about the church I was in. Long story short, I was excommunicated both in person and on paper. My life fell apart, I went through a lot of healing time, medications, more abuse from people, especially ministers, and finally years later I am FREE and helping OTHERS!  Praise God!

[evidenceonlythanx]

Religion in the modern world is based upon self-delusion. Religion gives self-delusion RESPECTABLILITY. Religion teaches you can believe WHAT-EVER you want to believe, simply because it suits your purposess or gives you comfort of mind. This has NOTHING to do with seeking TRUTH through rational thinking. Once a group or individual has accepted the idea you can believe whatever one wants, disregarding verifiable evidence, sickness of mind and corruption of good thinking will soon follow.

[brutus301]

Christ is in your heart. Just ask. Then be willing and ready to listen

[Wargoat6]

Although I was not in a cult, I've been a part of many churches that were "sub-cultic" in their practices: dishonest, evasive, manipulative. Not life destroying or controlling, but they sure didn't mind being coercive or using people.

[sisterberthabangers1]

RELIGION IS THE DEVIL'S DICK!!!

[usecori]

I worked with several people at a fabric store during High School/college from 1975-1979 who were members of Bennett's Community Chapel Church in Burien, WA.. I attended as a visitor once (on several co-workers' invitation, as I believe in Jesus' salvation and resurrection/ascension). I wasn't prepared for how utterly un-biblical their practices were till I saw it. The church was was a CULT. I seriously think the pastor was mentally unbalanced. There was child abuse there as well.

[usecori]

I worked with several people who went to the church that had the spiritual partner thing. I visited it once on their invitation, as I believe in Jesus' salvation and did not know of their practices. The church was in Burien, and it was a CULT. I seriously think the pastor was mentally unbalanced. 

[InsideOutKt7]

Spiritual abuse will mess with your heart, mind and relationship with God. It's very dangerous. The problem is that most being abused in this way don't know it and if they do, they are too ashamed/embarrassed to tell anyone about it. Who will understand? The things that go on in some "Bible studies" today are shocking to me!

[zorrow78]

@Neopetsfan777 That is so true! I was under an abusive leader who claimed to be an APOSTLE with a five fold ministry, among other things. They'd spend the tithe during the week on lavish living (he and his wife) and then get up on Sunday and shout at the church that they weren't tithing enough, that all those on disablity had to give their disability pension and that all unemployed had to tithe their welfare so God would find them a job SICK. I left, it was paaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnn­n

[ddamos00]

IT AMAZES MY That THIS SPEAKER HAS SO MUCH KNOWLEGDE ON FALSE MINISTRIES AND THAT WAS BACK IN 1991 we I was 5yr and had no Idea that their was even false ministries. GOOD VIDEO!

[spikewerks]

@blinkwater better not listen to Paul of tarsus...he's just a man....

[yvonnetompkins]

i grew up in a church that says women can't cut their hair. i have horrible headaches that gets worse the longer my hair is and forget about wearing my hair up. i have been made to fell that it's a sin and i know God doesn't want me to lay in bed with headaches when if i cut my hair the headaches almost go away all together, but i just can't seem to feel like it's not somehow sin. i never feel right unless i'm involved with that church, it seems to always pull us back.

[zorrow78]

@yvonnetompkins Don't let people brainwash you on non-issues. Get into the word and stick by him and be free.

[yvonnetompkins]

@zorrow78 i agree but i have to say it's easier said than done when thats all you've ever known. my mom was pregnant with me when she got into that org. and my dad grew up in it. my husband also grew up in it. we know that they are messed up but i can't imagine going to a diff kind of church.

[zorrow78]

@yvonnetompkins It may seem hard but I came to recognised I needed to ignore everything I'd ever heard, (put it behind me...and keep putting it behind me) and refreshing myself in the word and just crying out to Jesus for help and it's gotten easier, I am now a more confident Christian than ever. Just leave it behind :)

[yvonnetompkins]

@zorrow78 great advice thats what im trying to do daily :) feels alittle like confirmation.

[thelo15]

My issue with respect to his arguments is that he is denouncing some cults but is still preaching his own "god." There is no evidence to prove the existence of god, so his arguments are flawed. All "faith" in an unsubstantiated being is wrong!

[pingnak]

Possibly it's making the message more understandable for deeply religious people who are stuck in abusive religions. If you don't acknowledge their god repeatedly, they won't hear any message. They'll turn it off for being anti-religious.

[earnestlyseeking]

I'm glad to have found this clip today. How could I have missed it for so long? What he describes in this video is exactly what I've experienced in life. I'm one of the outcast he mentions. What's really bad about being an outcast is when all your family treat you like one along with all your former friends. I go to wal-mart and see people I've known and been friends with who avoid me and won't even acknowledge me. Why? Because I accept Christ as savior and not their Religion. Praise God,I'm out

[LadyVader33]

God bless this man. I've known too many individuals from ministry families who've grown up detesting their parents AND God because of constant emotional abuse stemming from skewed scripture.

It helps to look back to WWJD?

[dp6224]

I read the book. It absolutely brought freedom into my mind, and showed me things that I was caught up into that had changed my life and way of thinking. I was sucked into a church that "demonstrated" the power of god. Real things happened (healings, salvation, etc.), and the pastor was really called by God. The problem came when the pastor went astray and became involved with control, then secret adultry, then abuse that included guilt, and outcasting. I was so taken in untill I read the book!!

[CultFree]

awesome!

[dp6224]

Thank you, thank you, thank you....And I thank God for you!!!!!! I have recomended your book to many people in the same situation. I now have such a close relationship with the lord. He's full of love, forgiveness and grace.

[CultFree]

Yep...or they'll resort to calling you names, such as "rebellious"..."jezebel spirit"..."not submissive to leadership", etc.

[zorrow78]

I run from anyone who starts talking abotu spirits of this and spirits of that. Don't get me wrong, I believe there are evil spirits and people can have them, just not the way some Christians go on about it, as if every thing that happens or any feeling you have or even if you have a bad day is some kind of a spirit. Its to make you do what they want pure and simple. It's saying "you are unclean and you need to come to me to be delivered from demons " (spiritual submission). RUN FROM IT

[VVAUGHN06]

@zorrow78 I know what you mean. Glad there are others who went through this.

[smkm68]

AMEN.

[busyBof3]

I read the book Toxic Faith after becoming an outcast. This book changed my view of God, and brought me to a deeper understanding of His grace, mercy and love for me! I look forward to reading More Jesus, Less Religion :o)

[buddybleau]

Let's face it, bad people will do bad things and good people will do good things. But only with religion will good people do evil things.

[aslanmaskadov]

What's the music on the intro??

[hollywoodartchick]

My old roommate was sucked into a cult church (a very successful one), and she wound up in a mental hospital after days of sleep deprivation, isolation, and brainwashing. Yes, there are abusive churches, and the people in them often do not want to believe it because their whole focus is on being the "good Christian" and obeying what they are told.

[earthygreen]

Sounds like scientology.

[goldsmithstudent]

Religion is for people who dont want to go to hell spiritualy is for people who have been there

[MauricioPerez1969]

Good point.

Both extremes r wrong.

There seems to be a lot of abuse in the curch these days. Jesus said it would happen, so that changed my attitude about this issue.

I used to get angry and sad now i today feel the same way, but there is also joy that God is under control of his church not us.

God bless u.

[crownjewel3]

Thank you so much for this teaching!!! Very revealational and healing!!! I have been exposed as has my friends to alot of spirtual abuse and some extreme. God BLESS!!! Linda L

[gwynnheather777]

interesting...

[bishopbrjackson]

keep doing what you do and God Bless you and all who work with you . Thank you