True or False – abuse, even physical abuse, is never biblical grounds for divorce. What are they teaching in seminary these days???
via Are Pastors at Heritage Bible Chapel Re-Abusing Wives Harmed in Abusive Marriages? —
Tag: Grace Bible Fellowship of Silicon Valley Oppressive Teachings
Share the Pain
If it weren’t for the support of others I never would have gotten out of my marriage except by death. In American-eze I’m weak. In American-eze I should have been able to just do it all…
Source: Share the Pain
A Convicted Rapist at Highpoint Church: How to Understand Molestation and Deal with It Properly —The Wartburg Watch
Rape and molestation are not just sins. They are psychological disorders. Forgiveness does not make it go away.
via A Convicted Rapist at Highpoint Church: How to Understand Molestation and Deal with It Properly —
Protecting My Child from a Sexual Predator
It took five years of time and space before I resolved to write about our experiences with a now-convicted sex offender.
If ever I’ve hoped my friends would read and share a post, it’s now. It’s that important to me — and dare I suggest it should be that important to you, too?
If you leave a comment (and I always hope you will) please do so with compassion.
Thanks for visiting me here.
Stacy
Read more personal essay here.
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*Featured image via Canva
Graphic Warning: Testimonies of Sexual Abuse By a Youth Worker in a Memphis Church —The Wartburg Watch
Allegations of sex abuse by a church youth worker from surface in Memphis. Trigger warning:explicit and graphic descriptions of abuse. The abuse victims are my heroes!
via Graphic Warning: Testimonies of Sexual Abuse By a Youth Worker in a Memphis Church —
The Toxic Theology Of John Piper Bears Wicked Fruit Again. Domestic Violence Victim at Bethlehem Baptist Facing Excommunication and Shunning.
Cartoon. Used with permission by David Hayward. Canada. https://nakedpastor.com/
By Natalie Klejwa (c), used with permission. Her blog: https://emotionalabusesurvivor.com/
Update: May 2018. Happy News. Natalie’s divorce was finalized after she endured decades of an abusive marriage and flak from the abusive pastors/elders at Bethlehem Baptist Church (John Piper’s church) in Minnesota. BBC pastors/elders lied about Natalie before thousands of church members, excommunicated, and shunned her. None of it was true. Natalie reconnected with a nice man that she had known when they were both children in school. He bought a large home near her home, big enough to have all of her minor children live with them and her soap-making business. They got married. They had a simple, small church wedding ceremony followed by a dessert of pies. Natalie and her children are very happy and are treated with love and respect, no abuse of any kind. Her second husband is a great guy. Thank you Lord for answering prayers for this family. They have moved on from such a wicked, unloving church and arrogant, abusive, uncaring pastors/elders.
Last night the elders of Bethlehem Baptist shared a few blatant lies, and some half-truths spun in context of those lies. They planted a few false ideas that never came up in my case (infidelity?) as well as left out pertinent information in order to flavor their testimony against me to the congregation. They did this publically and shamelessly. They murdered me last night in the eyes of many people who will never have access to the truth. I’ve been scared to death for years of what they could do to me. How they could ruin my life. But I’m pretty sure lying about me and shaming me is the worst they can do. What they’ve indirectly done to my children is the thing that really breaks my heart and pisses me off.
Are you my friend? You scared to stand with me? The BIG D for Divorce will be on my chest soon, and I’m the one who initiated it! Sinner Woman. Jezebel. The unforgiveable sin. I’m a pariah now. An outcast. All because I couldn’t gut out the hell of being married to my Ex for another 25 years.
I’m sick to death of living in fear of destructive men and organizations who control other people by using THE BIBLE. By claiming they have the radar on God while others don’t. They say I was not emotionally abused by my Ex for 24 years. Like they know. They call my story a “biased narrative” so they can minimize and dismiss it. They say I have no right to divorce him. They dismiss the 23 years I worked my butt off trying to fix my marriage, cooperate with all the men-leaders, be respectful, be vulnerable, grovel in sorrow and repentance, and obey – and when I finally say I can’t do it anymore – my kids need me, I need to heal, to focus on God, to move forward, they call me “resistant.” I needed and asked for friendship and love. They betrayed me with a smile on their face and a Bible verse on their lips. They use spiritual abuse to control women and children and even other men. This is reprehensible, and I will spend the rest of my life exposing it wherever I see it.
Call me angry. Call me rebellious. Call me a lunatic. Call me a bitch. Call me whatever you want. Spew out your venomous lies to serve your misogynistic agendas. My Creator calls me Beloved. He calls me Daughter, and I choose to believe and obey Him. No more groveling. No more apologies. I wanted to keep this private and protect my Ex and my church. But Bethlehem is just chomping at the bit to excommunicate me publically. Fine. You want to bring this to the public square? (And don’t drivel about how it’s “private” within the church. That’s a silly notion rooted in unreality.)
I dare you to show support. And if you can’t – you’re no real friend of mine and no real friend of women and children, in general. You’re only a cog in the well-oiled system of abuse. Be gone from me.
Yes. There’s a big, fat, deep line in the sand, and it’s time to rock and roll.
Dr. Roger Nicole – Staunch Defender of Biblical Egalitarianism and Inerrancy of Scripture —The Wartburg Watch
What if those who would become known as ‘Young, Restless, and Reformed’ had followed the teachings of Roger Nicole, instead of Wayne Grudem and John Piper?
via Dr. Roger Nicole – Staunch Defender of Biblical Egalitarianism and Inerrancy of Scripture —
The Shepherding Movement by Brother Maynard – Subversive Influence blog
I’ve mentioned the Shepherding Movement a few times, and lately have had a couple of request to explain something about what this movement was all about. Rob McAlpine‘s forthcoming book, Post-Charismatic contains a good overview of the movement as well as the Latter Rain and other charismatic movements… the book should be out shortly, but I can’t just link to it yet… so here goes.
In the early 1970s, four well-known charismatic leaders responded to a moral failure among charismatics in south Florida. Bob Mumford, Derek Prince, Don Basham, and Charles Simpson felt a need for personal accountability and covenanted together for this purpose, submitting their lives and ministries to one another. Ern Baxter, who had ministered with William Branham, was later added to the group and they became known as the “Ft. Lauderdale Five.” They formed Christian Growth Ministries in 1974, and in the movement that they began, the accountability they shared became an emphasis that all believers should submit to a “shepherd” in order to be discipled in the Christian life. Their prominence helped gain wide acceptance for their teaching, which included what was felt to be correctives to the charismatic movement at the time. Other charismatic leaders began submitting to the authority of the Ft. Lauderdale Five in what was known as “covenant relationships.” A network of cell groups was formed, with members submitting to a shepherd who in turn was submitted to one of the five or a representative who was submitted to one of the five. At its height, it was estimated that some 100,000 people were involved in this network in the USA. In conjunction with this pyramidal authority structure, the movement taught that every believer needed to be under a “spiritual covering” from a leader in authority over them. Other doctrines taught by the movements included echoes of Latter Rain theology, such as restorationism.
Full article here:
http://subversiveinfluence.com/2008/02/the-shepherding-movement/
John Calvin Klein’s “Irresistible Grace For Elect Men”
Bless the wit who designed this! Great job. We’re all laughing.
This Girl’s Costume Rocks!
GBFSV SPIRITUAL ABUSE VICTIMS' RECOVERY 