a thanx to placebo from zonez for the input.

It is common practice for church goers in American society to refer to their own congregation as their "church family."

Students away at college make reference to their "home church." Church people sing hymns about being part of "the family of God." Parents often employ family imagery to convey spiritual content to their children.
As behavioral scientists remind us all too often, that most basic of social institutions�the family�is increasingly subject to frailty and failure.

The label that is currently popular for unhealthy families is "dysfunctional." Unfortunately, sociologists of religion (as well as many exmembers) know that some churches are also dysfunctional, even to the point of being spiritually abusive. If truth in advertising standards could be applied to religion, some churches would be required to display a sign reading: "Warning: this church could be harmful to your spiritual and psychological health."

Farfetched? Not if my own research of the past few years has any validity at all. Sadly, spiritual and pastoral abuse is more prevalent than most people believe. Like child abuse, it often goes undetected, or else it is strongly denied. Spiritual abuse is inflicted by persons who are accorded respect and honor in society by virtue of their positions of religious authority and leadership. When such leaders violate the sacred trust they have been given, when they abuse their authority, and when they misuse their ecclesiastical office to control their congregations, the results can be catastrophic.

What are the hallmarks of unhealthy, aberrant churches? The key indicator is control oriented leadership, ministers who have a need to "lord it over the flock." Abusive leaders demand submission and unquestioning loyalty. The person who raises uncomfortable questions or does not "get with the program" is cast aside. Guilt, fear, and intimidation are used to manipulate and control vulnerable members, especially those who have been taught to believe that questioning their pastor is comparable to questioning God.

Why does a pastor or priest sometimes turn into a spiritual tyrant? I believe it is because of the human desire to control others and to exercise power over people. Each of us has been exposed to the temptation of power, whether in the role of spouse, teacher, or parent. An excessive will to power, coupled with sincere religious motives, can lead to the misuse of spiritual authority.

More than any other age group, young adults are attracted to abusive churches, their seemingly dynamic programs, and their "take charge" leaders. Such churches often target young couples during the crucial child bearing years. As a result, the energy needed by these young couples for legitimate family interaction is siphoned off into a high intensity cause. Family obligations are sacrificed, and children�s developmental needs are neglected.

How can we recognize a healthy church? In addition to matters of appropriate doctrine, a healthy church is reconciling and restorative, not adversarial and elitist. Members of healthy churches seek to deepen and strengthen their family commitments. Legitimate leaders will welcome dissent and hard questions from members without threat of reprisal. Trustworthy leaders will encourage accountability, and they will establish checks and balances.

Choose a church carefully and prayerfully. Remember, not all religion is benign, and not all church experience is beneficial.



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profanatory irreverence

what you think-is weak
what know-is useless
what your are-is both!!!

the hens are roosting but have read it anway

ahaha-brilliant.

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profanatory irreverence

what you think-is weak
what know-is useless
what your are-is both!!!

Hey I needed to chime in on this one.
Churches are the last place kids should be? due to the fact that there parents are using it as a babysitting service...............
And yeah I think the kids are more likely to grow up like little tards or clones of there parents due to the fact that there parents were probably treated the same way,but first think of this Parents treat their kids about 25%better than the way their parents treated them so imagine the HELL a mistreated kids Parents went through, I mean if they were molested then they probably don't molest their kids , but I'll bet they are up too something a little less then molestation against their children, and so will their children pass this on to theirs until its literally drawn out of the family by GENERATIONS of PAIN and MORE TO COME.................................................................................

hey man i just emailed you some disturbing shit, well it inspired us to get off our arses anyways, i think you might find it an interesting read.(about the church)

NIHIL

Frost
are you saying that if a parent is mistreated they automatically mistreat their kids?As for churches I think they have evolved TO far from their original purpose
they are to "golden" but hey gold is evil in my eyes.Almost every crime commited can be traced to finacial gain.our economis are based on what?GOLD!!the natives wer slaughterd for the quest for gold itself or some other item which would bring wealth.Almost every horrid crime throughout history against a people was done in a quest for either finacial or so called spiritual gain the latter usually was a control issue coming back to gold.The church at least catholic while preaching about greed is the largest real estate owner in the world,the basket is passed continually and while they preach the bible telling what christ did to the so called churches he found.Tell me when you have gone to a church fundraiser and not found some form of gambling?As for the safety of children and control issues of priests how many children recently have been molested by a priest?
but Im babbling so i leave you to my opinions
"reality exists only in your mind-what you believe is your truth"

rage!!! every thing you just said is 1000 percent fucken true ,man,. and if you want to see the evidence that proves this, i can send you some documentaton that will blow you the fuck away man, so let me know...mean while i have answred your post check this,

When one actually looks at the basis for the global economy, one might find something odd. For all its practicality, a system based on money, our system, has at its root a simplistic, childish, and illogical idea. That idea is man's inherent desire for a shiny or pretty object, in particular, GOLD. Gold, although valuable in human society terms, is pretty much worthless in the truer sense. It can resist decomposition and rusting, but it is somewhat malleable and not very strong, deeming it unfit for practical purposes like metallurgy, welding, and crafting of metal tools and structures. Other metals on which economies are based, such as silver, are equally useless, except perhaps for wires and experimental purposes. Therefore, the glue that holds global society together is based on a simple lust for beauty.

Now, one might have two "solutions", so to speak, for this. The economy could be based on a useful material with a regular occurrence, like steel, or to a lesser degree copper. After all, these two metals are quite helpful in matters of construction and such. And one might suggest a revival of the barter system, based on certain standards, so that exchanges of services and goods would have direct and clear cut values. The problem lies in that the current system has existed for quite some time, and in order to change it would most likely result in social upheaval and chaos. For all its underlying illogic, the system does work because we have let it do so for so long, and we will just have to deal with it.

Religion in all it forms is the basis for all wars, if there were no religion there would be no war, you only have to take a look at the Arab states or Bosnia to realize this. The Nazi regime of Germany used religion in the liquidation of Jews, the list goes on and on. The most virulent organization in the modern world today is the Catholic church and always has been especially throughout the middle ages when the leaders of the catholic church unleashed their vengenge upon tens of thousands of innocent woman by burning them at the stake. What puzzles me is that in the bible its says something to the effect that God is all forgiving also he will forgive us for our sins as we are his children and that Jesus died on the cross so our sins will be forgotten but in another passage it says that for all your sins and being a non beleiver you will be thrown into hellfire for all eternity. This is a system based upon threats and intimidation and is just one of many contradictions in the bible. Several contradictions in the bible are that Adam & Eve were the first people on earth, They had two sons Kane & Abel, Kane fucked off and found himself a wife . . Where did this wife come from ?. Noahs ark supposedly sailed out from Jerusalem or somewhere near there now he got 2 of every animal on board, Where did he get a couple of penguins or polar bears from in the middle east ?

great form there woodzy, in the info i sent you it will explain how the bible is a hoax, just like the plot of the jesus die-ing shit

all is there , enjoy mate.

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totally nihilistic

If there was no religion, there would be no war? Bullshit. That was one excuse out of many the Nazi Regime used to persecute Jews.

WW1 was not over religion, Nor was 'Nam, nor was the Korean War, nor the Persian Gulf, nor Mexican-American War, nor the War of 1812, and so on.

The last wars that were about religion were crusades and people trying to force christianity on those they deemed as uncivilized.

I'm curious to see or even hear examples of pastoral abuse. I am sure such things have happened, especially sexually, well it has happened. However I'm curious about this spiritual abuse thing.

I've doubted the Bible too, even after being a very faithful Christian and being filled with the Holy Ghost. But science just keeps proving the existence of places, people, and happenings the Bible speaks of. Even such things as the parting of the Dead Sea, the Red Sea was not parted, the Bible is mis-translated. It can be proven that a sunami was formed by a volcano, much of the water was pulled out of the Dead Sea, people crossed. They were being pursued (the Jews) as their pursuers entered the area the sunami hit. Pumice stone from the volcano that errupted can be found buried in the bottom in the same layer that would've been formed in that year. Meaning that stone made it there very quickly after the erruption, which was ~900miles away. That's just one example of many. We much data that strongly supports many events and places the Bible contains. In my opinion, not very hoax like.

instead of arguing and calling you a lamb i have sent you some evidence contray to the awareness you have choosen to base your knowledge on, enjoy, and remember i an not sending you the info becasue i like you, i am not like that i am a cunt, dont forget that.

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totally nihilistic

thank you bch.


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totally nihilistic

oh, how nihilistic of you.

*starts singing some bch's music*

do you love, do you love me?

doo.....you love...me


bwhahahahahahahahh ha

No, I don't. Neither does your mother. Unless you put a paper bag on your head...hmmm, no. It won't help.

poor disabled cunt, i was singen that to take the piss out of your music, not directly too you wimp

*adds lack of interlect to the disabled list of bch*

*then takes away his booze and prozac so he suffers by reality*



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profanatory irreverence

what you think-is weak
what know-is useless
what your are-is both!!!

you don't even know the song, dildo, and your voice, falsetto I might add (lack of balls, or Jewish ceremony gone terribly wrong?) is the sound gerbil makes when you shove it up your ass (Armageddon!!!), so, Mr. cunt, you can make fun of any song you want, I could try to care less, but hey, having an imbecile on the board such as yourself makes my day, so do the nightstick trick that bushmen taught you. Homophobe, xenophobe, who gives a shit? See you in states, sheep fucker, smile when you the blue of the steel, and the hollow point leaving with your kneecap, dipshit. Oh, and I won't hesitate, here in states, we don't fuck around, we fuck with around, so go dego, and play your untuned balalaika humming your little "Christianity is bad" song. Cocksucker. wait, I got to unzip my pants first, remember? So be patient. And swallow, don't spit, it's a new carpet.

you pathetic little piss ant,

what makes you thik you can even weild a gun you wimp-lol.

since every thing you desperatly cling to for retaliation for the LIES you have said and your weakness like all the childish crap you make up -lol it make everyone piss them selfs at you, plus the fact that you plagerize all my insults and edit them, and ripp other peoples ideas off, read the last sentance for you...hahaar

and listen to a lame ass string bean band called nick cave and the bad seeds bwhahahah

il puit it to you in laymen terms,

u are a wimp,

u cant read, u are talentless,

cannot fight,
have no strengths ,

couldent hit a bullz arse with a hand full of oats-hence the gun

scared shitless(lol) to late wimp.

have been sodermied by myself to eturnaty

and will be humiliated when i post my photo of my self, and you hide your wimp ass,(the size of me compared to piss ant-lol

bwhahahahahahahahahahahahh

sorry, add prozac i am needing too.
ill be ready wimp.

---------------------------
totally ....nihilistic!!!!


[This message has been edited by sckbch "(edited 04-26-2001).]"

and bitch since you edit and plagerise my insults wimp,rip others off i will sing you a song trully written for you piss ant by your faveroate band.

by nick cave and the string beans

my sch bch is so vague she is...
almost a mirror.
and the souuuund of her nammmmme sends a periminant shiver

down my spine ya ine ya ine ya ine ya ine ine
down my spine

your pathetic wining bitch hahahahahahaahha
bwhahahahaah ,welcome to misey little man hahahaha




[This message has been edited by nihilistic (edited 04-27-2001).]

Another group that churches tend to target is the poor and kids who have just had their families torn apart.
When you think you have nothing left the words 'Jesus loves you no matter what' can be so comforting and you end up associating church with feeling happy.
Most church leaders know this very well and take advantage of it as often as they can.

Nihil,

it seems that you don't care for anyone else's opinion and that you are merely here to spread your own gospel. Reminds me of a pastor. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that anyone who agrees with you (or you agree with) you praise with the greatest glory. ie: when you told rage he was 10000% correct. There would be no problem with this if you did not sit in denial whenever anyone else had an opinion. ie: when the real made his arguement with valid points and evidence and you stated quite clearly that you did not care for anyone's opinion and that you sent him information instead of calling him a lamb??? Calling people a lamb is what you seem to do whenever someone has a clashing opinion. I'm just pointing out that you cannot learn if you believe you already know everything.

Also, in your one post here you mentioned that you think standardized currency is bullshit, which with a slightly better than average high school education you might have a different opinion - why would the currency exist if it wasn't better than caveman trade, but that you would have to live with it because there was nothing you could do about it. You directly contradicted that in another post when I told you that 'that' is what you would have to do to get along in this world. You are accepting society? Not trying to destroy it completely because it is beyond repair? What happened?

...and you call yourself nihilistic.

gb, well done make sure you check with me first like you are doing before you make your mind up from your interpretation of my irrevernce.

1. i told the real that and said that instead of arguing and calling him a lamb i would send him some evidence so he can judge for him self, as thats all i want to do, i can not respect opinions untill all the evidence is there.

okay i wont cal ppl lambs any more*for now*

2. currency i pointed out the simple value of how an elemnet of gold is compared to others and the hypocrisy from which it is built upon, the reason it exist isnt becasue it is the right way, it is simply becasue it works, like foosil fuel, their are better ways, but it is rooted in greed.

you have made me think of an idea, that all the multi nationals and vatican, are really good DISpENSORS- it is just what they are dispening that is the problem for the subjugation and planet,

so really change the peoples concioussness of what they want to receive and then the material that gets dispensed will change.

any more questions just ask.

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totally nihilistic

So, am I suppose to feel insulted, or are you just re-assuring me of your infinite stupidity?

my sch bch is sooooo vaaague she isss

allll most a mirror

aaand the ssssound of heeer name

seends a perminant shiver, dowwwwwwn

myyyyyy spine ya ine ya ine ya ine ya ine ya ine

down my spinnnnnnnne.

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thank you all nihil fans and air conditioners.

solo-

That's not nick, dear, that's your b-day party clowns singing a b-song for you. In castrated falsetto, I might add, so not to insult you. Now go blow out some candles, mommy got you a new asshole, little freckles, and long black hair wig, just like your pappa used to wear when whoring for bushmen. I guess that explains why you haven't seen them since seventeen. Took a while for aussie CPS to take control of the situation.

nah wimp,

i spend my birthday in the woods,

instead of listening to de baser by the pixes and drinking becasue sober your a boring fart.

piss ant genitic's

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bwhahahahaahahahhhah

wrong again. it's not "de baser."

who gives a toss, sorry i ment the duet with kyle monague and nick cave then.

they call me the.......

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piss!!!