Quote
hello
Hi Zeusor!
Please do! I think a discussion of this is long overdue. Hopefully some of the members may read this forum and recognise themselves.
Hi hello. How have you been?
I agree; this is long overdue.
Booth, Leo. Breaking the Chains: Understanding Religious Addiction and Religious Abuse. (Long Beach CA, Emmaus Publications, 1989) p. 67-68:
Symptoms of Religious Addiction:
1. Thinking only in terms of black and white-simplistic thinking.
2. Obsessive praying, going to church, attending missions or crusades, talking about God, quoting Scripture.
3. Neglecting world news, forgetting engagements and missing or avoiding family gatherings.
4. Thinking that the world and our physical bodies are evil.
5. Refusing to think, doubt, or question.
6. Belief that sex id “dirty.”
7. Excessive fasting and compulsive overeating.
8. Unrealistic financial contributions.
9. Excessive judgmental attitudes.
10. Being brainwashed and attempting to brainwash; developing mind control.
11. Isolation from others.
12. Attitudes of conflict with science/hospitals/schools.
13. Becoming physically sick (back pains, sleeplessness, headaches).
14. Receiving strange messages from God or angels.
15. Staring-going into a trance.
16. Dramatic personality changes.
17. Unrealistic fears-the “disease cycle” of guilt, remorse, and shame.
18. Family dysfunction-the breakdown of family relationships.
19. Geographical moves.
20. Cries for help; physical and mental breakdown; hospitalization.
From page 71: “Many scholars of the New Testament will tell you that the rabbinic style of teaching was to make extreme statements to provoke thought; to push a truth to an extreme in order to create a reaction. In a similar way, Jesus was confronting society, His disciples, the world. But it is an abuse, an injustice, to take His teachings and interpret them literally. He was not expecting his disciples or future generations to chop off their hands or pull out their eyes; rather, Jesus was presenting a challenging message that would easily be remembered.”
Religious texts used and manipulated to justify such behavior: Matthew 10:21, Matthew 19:29, Mark 9:43-47.