I often wonder if the ease with which congregants swallow the jagged pill of corrupted and compromised leaders doesn’t have something to do with each person’s coddling and permitting of the darkness within themselves.
Seeing the profound ways in which the church has fallen into the jaws of nationalism, contrasted alongside stories like the ones you are telling here, where protecting the business of the church has taken priority over protecting the sanctity of the Gospel, I can’t help but wonder if the overwhelming inertia of the church’s failings (both its corruption and its subsequent loss of cultural influence — now following cultures of corruption rather than challenging them) isn’t all slippage from the same slippery slope.
Populism. Hedonism. Celebrity. Power.
Apparently there is a lot that people would rather have than the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Thanks for your brave work, my friend. I imagine you’ll be pissing off a lot of people.
Thank you so much. The evangelical church has cancer right now and is either in denial or doesn’t want to go through the pain to remove it.
Dealing with Christian Nationalism and my mentalities around Christianity and America was a huge part of my deconstruction. I found some helpful voices, but they sure are not popular. Haha!
Most of my intense deconstruction and reconstruction I have done publicly. It got pretty heavy particularly 2014-2018. I used a blog like a journal. It wasn’t my intention, but I frustrated a lot of people. I have lost friends and family members have changed their posture towards me.
I remember writing a blog in 2018 that pushed back on Franklin Graham. I had a mob after me. I even got invited on a talk show by Joshua Feuerstein (the Starbucks hates Christmas guy and a known Christian Nationalist) to debate. I turned him down!!!
Most people that were shocked that I was open, and that I was questioning my faith and honest about the things that don’t add up, are just used to it now and don’t really attack me or verbalize their frustration anymore.
Excellent work! I’m putting together some research on the subject and I really appreciate your thoughts and the contribution you shared to the discussion regarding the issue. 👏🏼
Yes- I linked to you through the network! I was reading Safe Church by Dr. Bauman and found Rebecca’s name. I’m working on a doctoral dissertation that will ultimately be curriculum to train church leadership to recognize and respond to abuse. I would definitely love feedback as I get further down the road and look forward to reading through your networks resources.
I would love to talk more about this! I am filming for a class over the next month for a class on understanding and responding to sexual abuse. It is meant for church leaders. It is in partnership with Danielle Strickland and Aaron White. I also would love to connect you with a friend in CO, Joel Roberts, who did his Doctoral research on spiritual abuse. We also would be open to guest submissions on the Religious Trauma Network blog, if ever you want to submit there. Email me sometime at pastordruybalid@gmail.com and we can setup a Zoom meeting sometime.
Thank you so much! I’ll definitely email you. I write on Medium and on my own blog and would be interested in connecting and making a contribution to the network blog.
I often wonder if the ease with which congregants swallow the jagged pill of corrupted and compromised leaders doesn’t have something to do with each person’s coddling and permitting of the darkness within themselves.
Seeing the profound ways in which the church has fallen into the jaws of nationalism, contrasted alongside stories like the ones you are telling here, where protecting the business of the church has taken priority over protecting the sanctity of the Gospel, I can’t help but wonder if the overwhelming inertia of the church’s failings (both its corruption and its subsequent loss of cultural influence — now following cultures of corruption rather than challenging them) isn’t all slippage from the same slippery slope.
Populism. Hedonism. Celebrity. Power.
Apparently there is a lot that people would rather have than the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Thanks for your brave work, my friend. I imagine you’ll be pissing off a lot of people.
So be it.
Thank you so much. The evangelical church has cancer right now and is either in denial or doesn’t want to go through the pain to remove it.
Dealing with Christian Nationalism and my mentalities around Christianity and America was a huge part of my deconstruction. I found some helpful voices, but they sure are not popular. Haha!
Most of my intense deconstruction and reconstruction I have done publicly. It got pretty heavy particularly 2014-2018. I used a blog like a journal. It wasn’t my intention, but I frustrated a lot of people. I have lost friends and family members have changed their posture towards me.
I remember writing a blog in 2018 that pushed back on Franklin Graham. I had a mob after me. I even got invited on a talk show by Joshua Feuerstein (the Starbucks hates Christmas guy and a known Christian Nationalist) to debate. I turned him down!!!
Most people that were shocked that I was open, and that I was questioning my faith and honest about the things that don’t add up, are just used to it now and don’t really attack me or verbalize their frustration anymore.
You have done a phenomenal job of verbalizing the crux of the matter here. Thank you!
Thank you so much for reading and commenting. This means a lot!
Excellent work! I’m putting together some research on the subject and I really appreciate your thoughts and the contribution you shared to the discussion regarding the issue. 👏🏼
Thank you so much! Would love to hear more about your research. I help lead The Religious Trauma Network. https://www.religioustraumanetwork.com/
Yes- I linked to you through the network! I was reading Safe Church by Dr. Bauman and found Rebecca’s name. I’m working on a doctoral dissertation that will ultimately be curriculum to train church leadership to recognize and respond to abuse. I would definitely love feedback as I get further down the road and look forward to reading through your networks resources.
I would love to talk more about this! I am filming for a class over the next month for a class on understanding and responding to sexual abuse. It is meant for church leaders. It is in partnership with Danielle Strickland and Aaron White. I also would love to connect you with a friend in CO, Joel Roberts, who did his Doctoral research on spiritual abuse. We also would be open to guest submissions on the Religious Trauma Network blog, if ever you want to submit there. Email me sometime at pastordruybalid@gmail.com and we can setup a Zoom meeting sometime.
Thank you so much! I’ll definitely email you. I write on Medium and on my own blog and would be interested in connecting and making a contribution to the network blog.