If you have an abuse history, can you tell me how it affected your attitude towards faith and God? Especially if the abuser claimed to be a Christian?
I have a sexual abuse history, from a stepfather, and that produced some heavy life struggles in general for me, even after I became an adult. But the person who abused me never claimed to be a Christian, and hated that I was because it took away a lot of his control. Abuse drove me TO faith, but I can see how being hurt (esp. by church members) can drive someone away, or at least to confusion.
Please tell how it affected you?
2007-03-19 06:43:17 · 4 answers · asked by peacetimewarror 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Im 18, and i was abuse mentally and physically when i was younger by my stepfather... The only escape i had was to go hide in my room and cry or pray.....Eventually the Lord brought me through everything and im ok....
2007-03-19 07:00:53 · answer #1 · answered by matt b 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I can see how being abused by a Christian can cause conflict for the abused person. Personally I believe the abuse is the same if a person is Christian as apposed to an non believer. Abuse is a sin just like cheating on your wife or telling a lie. Yes, for the abused one sin is more damaging than the other but the fact is we all sin and God See's all sin as evil.
However the conflict caused by an abuser claiming to be Christian can be devastating or something that brings the abused closer to the Father.
I guess it all depends on the person who has been abused and how it effects them.
The abuse I have experienced is all in the past and I leave it there, that is where it belongs. I could only leave it in it's place through the Lord. I could never have done that myself. I can say that I have been abused by both Christian and non Christian. It made no difference to me what they were other than abusive. By leaving it in the past the abuse and my abusers have NO power over me.
2007-03-19 07:01:32 · answer #2 · answered by hiscinders 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sorry that you suffered, and I can truly identify with you. In order to escape my abuser I jumped out of the frying pan into the fire. I went and married someone who was worse. While I was married, I became a Christian and hoped that my husband would get saved and become a new man. Instead, I was driven to the brink of suicide. The Lord however, prevented me from doing that and gave me an escape but still, I had many issues that had to be dealt with. I always ended up dating abusers, losers and users. There seemed to be a pattern in my life. I became aware of this pattern and these issues through God and as I faced each one, I was delivered from it's bonds. I was able to forgive my abusers and go on with life. The most important thing I've learned is to face the truth and to forgive. Jesus came to heal the broken-hearted and to set the captives free. Many Christians have not come to know the issues in their hearts and are still making decisions based on feelings and old safe methods that kept the pain away. But the Lord wants people to be safe as well as free, so that we can grow. Letting go of the pain to Jesus is the way to get past the past and on in the abundant life that He has promised.
2007-03-19 07:16:41 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I was never abused (I'm sorry to those who were) and the reason I was never Christian had nothing to do with who was terrible or nice to me, but the fact that the religion had no appeal for me.
However, I genuinely believe the idea that you are all scum inherant in the Christian concept of "we're all sinners" enables this type of abuse to happen (it does not condone or excuse it, but enable it) by teaching that even children are essentially worthless.
So many former Christians I know turned to their churches after abuse but just got more of it.
2007-03-19 06:55:57 · answer #4 · answered by LabGrrl 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋