Religious Trauma Syndrome, Tony Beck, Marlene Winell, Part 1

Presentation at Texas Freethought Convention, Oct. 8, 2010. Dr. Marlene Winell describes a mental health condition called RTS, based on her clinical work with clients recovering from harmful forms of religious involvement. In Part 1, Winell is introduced and Tony Beck gives his "testimony" of deconversion, his struggles with RTS, and his recovery work. Dr. Winell is the author of "Leaving the Fold: A Guide for Former Fundamentalists and Others Leaving Their Religion," and can be reached at marlenewinell.net

Category:

Education

Tags:

• fundamentalism
• exfundamentalism
• christianity
• deconversion
• recovery from religion
• religious trauma syndrome
• religious abuse
• religious recovery
• Texas Freethought Convention
• Marlene Winell
• recovery retreats
• RTS
• religious PTSD

[LoopQuantumGravity1]

Thank you, Dr Winell! I too am a "recovering Christian".  i was raised in a religious home (Pentacostal). It's been a struggle to overcome it. I wish I had someone like you earlier.

[shelynn2]

He's not a speaker, but he certainly is sincere!

[sharpjwe]

@BarleyBatlin i would agree. before it was needed now it is not . but man is not intelligent they have gone for the god is the solution , sad humanity

[BarleyBatlin]

@VapidZero It can be hard to go back and talk to people who still have the same faith that one has discovered to be invalid. Don't be too hard on your friend--they probably just would prefer to not offend you rather than the opposite.

[BarleyBatlin]

@TheButterflyMage I can't speak for every religion, but a few years ago in the Living Church of God (a splinter group of Worldwide Church of God, post-Armstrong) there was a murder-suicide in a Wisconsin congregation. So, I'm sure that's not an isolated incident.

[BarleyBatlin]

@sharpjwe That's part of it, but some social scientists point out that religion well have been based on a tribal necessity, to have a certain totem or deity that each tribe would worship, because it set them apart from the other tribes. I think as people have evolved, our culture and religions (and functions of them) have altered too, and not for the better.

[sharpjwe]

man made religion to control humans ,that is the wicked part of it all

other wise religions are all stories full of lies

as there are no gods heavens of hell

[TheButterflyMage]

I wonder how many suicides are attributable to Christianity? I imagine quite a few. Christianity is a religion that explicitly states that humanity is worthless and that God hates them. Why do people believe this crap? It's much better to be either an atheist or to believe that God does actually love you.

[macgeek2004]

But holy shit, wow...religion is truly fucking evil. SERIOUSLY.

[macgeek2004]

@VapidZero

Yeah, when he said that, and ESP. when he chucked up afterward, that's when the full gravity of it rly started to sink in for me. I got out of religion when I grew out of santa and the tooth fairy, so IDK what it's like to come out of it when you're in your *'30's*! (Not to mention I'm only 22...lol)

[Drostie]

I was really expecting Marlene to talk and was staring at the clip with a "why are you still talking?" vibe. :< Heartfelt story though.

[VapidZero]

A friend for 27 years, just plain refuses to talk, just because he is now an atheist.

What a sad world we have.