Spiritual Abuse
Spiritual abuse has been traced back to ancient times. There are examples of spiritual abuse in early Judeo/Christian traditions as well as in the Hebrew Scriptures (Purcell, 1998). Despite this long history, spiritual abuse has only become a subject of discussion in the last decade or two and still remains a barely touched on topic that has just started to receive more attention. It is also currently unacknowledged as a separate and distinct form of abuse and authorities do not have any clear guidelines on what interventions are needed or how allegations can be addressed (Oakley & Kinmond, 2014).
What is Spiritual Abuse?
Spiritual abuse, like many other forms of abuse, is not always clear cut. It has been defined as "the act of making people believe - whether by stating or merely implying - that they are going to be punished in this life and/or tormented in hell-fire forever for failure to live life good enough to please God and thus earn admission to heaven" (Purcell, 1998). It is also seen by others as the mistreatment of someone in need of support that leads to a decrease in their spiritual empowerment (Ward, 2011). It occurs when a person in a place of spiritual authority manipulates that authority and belief that others have in them for personal gain (VanVonderen, 2015).
This type of abuse can be found in any religion, not just organized religions or groups that are defined as "cults" (Ward, 2011). The abuse may come in many forms; it can by overt or covert, active or passive, as well obvious or subtle (Purcell, 1998). Not all that are guilty of spiritual abuse are bad people or intentionally hurting others. There are those who sincerely believe that they are leading others to a higher level of faith and that their personal gain in the situation is in line with the beliefs of their doctrine (Nicloy, 2006).
Spiritual abuse can be used to coerce someone to submit to BDSM or other sexual practices that they would not be willing to consent to otherwise. Spirituality is an important piece for many people and should not be used to determine what you allow someone else to do with your body. If you are interested in learning more about how spirituality can play into a BDSM relationship, try checking out Sacred Power by Raven Kalera
Learn More About Spiritual Abuse
Don't Remain Silent, Stand Up Against Spiritual Abuse
Spiritual abuse is can be difficult to address because of the ambiguous forms it can sometimes take; however, remaining silent is how perpetuators of abuse are able to continue their power over their victims. If you, or anyone you know, are a victim of spiritual abuse it is important to take the appropriate steps to resolve the situation. Unfortunately at this time there are no known resources that specialize in helping those recover from spiritual abuse. There are some support networks that have arisen to help survivors but if you feel that you have been a victim of spiritual abuse or if you want to help those who have been, you can seek the help of a registered counselor to help work through the emotional aftermath.
Article References
Fehlauer, M. (2001). Warning Signs of Spiritual Abuse, Part One. Retrieved 11 04, 2015, from Spiritual Life: http://www1.cbn.com/warning-signs-of-spiritual-abuse-part-one
Gibson, L. E. (1997, 08 23). What is Spiritual Abuse. Retrieved 11 04, 2015, from Spiritual Abuse: http://www.spiritualabuse.org/introduction.html
Henke, D. (1996). Spiritual Abuse. Retrieved 11 04, 2015, from Watchmen: http://www.watchman.org/profiles/pdf/spiritualabuseprofile.pdf
Nelson, S. (2015, 02 02). Spiritual Abuse: Unspoken Crisis. Retrieved 11 04, 2015, from Geeky Christian: http://geekychristian.com/spiritual-abuse/
Nicloy, S. (2006, 02). Spiritual Abuse. Retrieved 11 03, 2015, from Micronesian Seminar: http://www.micsem.org/pubs/counselor/frames/spiritabuse.htm
Oakley, L. R., & Kinmond, K. S. (2014). Developing safeguarding policy and practice for spiritual abuse. The Journal of Adult Protection , 87-95.
Purcell, B. C. (1998). Spiritual Abuse. The American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care .
VanVonderen, J. (2015). Spiritual Abuse. Retrieved 11 03, 2015, from Spiritual Abuse & Recovery Services: http://www.spiritualabuse.com/
Ward, D. J. (2011). The lived experience of spiritual abuse. Mental Health, Religion & Culture , 899-915.
Image References
Someone else's art deserves recognition! The images presented in this article were borrowed from the following places:
Header Image: http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--MINeZrmg--/1344903894532113224.jpg | Retrieved November 7, 2015
Image 1: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MrPBP5jNyKs/T2zrvi-7OfI/AAAAAAAAAmE/WtEGpiypB_8/s400/Obey.jpg | Retrieved November 7, 2015