IamMichael's Posts
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 Christianity Etc › Re: Seun Osewa, The Biggest Religious Apologist And Propagandist In Nigeria- Opinion by IamMichael(op): 11:54am On Jun 06, 2020 |
kingxsamz:That's their mentality. Any simple question relating to their god automatically invokes a certain sudden nerve in them...a product of many years of religious indoctrination. 1 Like |
| Christianity Etc › Re: Seun Osewa, The Biggest Religious Apologist And Propagandist In Nigeria- Opinion by IamMichael(op): 11:51am On Jun 06, 2020 |
bigname23:There are a lot of non-religious posts without any insult ish in it bro. In fact, most if not all of them are. It's common sense that two Freethinkers/atheists will not resort to insulting each other in a thread over something that can simply be verified. This is common sense. Only christians will come to such thread's and start insulting others, calling them devil and antichrist and Satan... They even go as far as cursing the Freethinkers/atheists in details, even giving dates and making Prophecies on top of the Freethinker's/atheist's head. It's actually very funny shaa, really funny! 2 Likes |
| Christianity Etc › Re: Seun Osewa, The Biggest Religious Apologist And Propagandist In Nigeria- Opinion by IamMichael(op): 11:44am On Jun 06, 2020 |
bigname23:Try and read my post on the thread itself. |
| Christianity Etc › Re: Seun Osewa, The Biggest Religious Apologist And Propagandist In Nigeria- Opinion by IamMichael(op): 11:42am On Jun 06, 2020 |
Ghostrye:Thank you brother.  |
| Christianity Etc › Re: Seun Osewa, The Biggest Religious Apologist And Propagandist In Nigeria- Opinion by IamMichael(op): 11:41am On Jun 06, 2020 |
donjazet:Thank you brother. |
| Christianity Etc › Re: Seun Osewa, The Biggest Religious Apologist And Propagandist In Nigeria- Opinion by IamMichael(op): 11:40am On Jun 06, 2020 |
Perfecttouch:If you believe that what you are saying is the right thing, then i challenge you to prove it. If you cannot prove what you are saying is right, then it means that you don't know what you are saying. Since you don't know what you are saying, it is wrong to continue to propagate that because what you are teaching and imparting others is false information. That's the atheist/Freethinkers argument only. It's as simple as that! 3 Likes |
| Christianity Etc › Re: Seun Osewa, The Biggest Religious Apologist And Propagandist In Nigeria- Opinion by IamMichael(op): 11:35am On Jun 06, 2020 |
kingxsamz:Please loud it. |
| Christianity Etc › Re: Seun Osewa, The Biggest Religious Apologist And Propagandist In Nigeria- Opinion by IamMichael(op): 11:33am On Jun 06, 2020 |
Ghostrye:You said the simple truth which everyone knows is the case. Whenever there is any insult competition, look who started it. I don't support insults, it's the pettiest level of intellectual debasement. However, most christians resort to it very easily, you just cannot help but notice the similarity between other fellow Christians on the platform. I even opened a thread about it, they also insulted me on the thread. It's quite appalling honestly. 2 Likes |
| Christianity Etc › Re: Seun Osewa, The Biggest Religious Apologist And Propagandist In Nigeria- Opinion by IamMichael(op): 11:29am On Jun 06, 2020 |
kingxsamz:And this is always the case rather than the exception. 1 Like |
| Christianity Etc › Re: Seun Osewa, The Biggest Religious Apologist And Propagandist In Nigeria- Opinion by IamMichael(op): 11:27am On Jun 06, 2020 |
bigtt76:Here is another: Why don't the christians and Muslims stay away from the place since they know they don't want to discuss their faith online? |
| Christianity Etc › Re: Seun Osewa, The Biggest Religious Apologist And Propagandist In Nigeria- Opinion by IamMichael(op): 11:25am On Jun 06, 2020 |
OcVoice:Yeah... Maybe when he sees this headline: "Seun Osewa, the religious apologist and propagandist who forces people to become Muslims in Nigeria" all over the social media, his head will reset. Let him not think that the same nonsense sensational headlines he uses will not be used against him. Justice, equity and fairness must reign on this platform. |
| Christianity Etc › Re: Seun Osewa, The Biggest Religious Apologist And Propagandist In Nigeria- Opinion by IamMichael(op): 11:18am On Jun 06, 2020 |
feedthenation:Thank you. |
| Christianity Etc › Re: Seun Osewa, The Biggest Religious Apologist And Propagandist In Nigeria- Opinion by IamMichael(op): 11:17am On Jun 06, 2020 |
bigname23:I doubt that. I believe it's the christians that insult others unnecessarily. I even opened a thread about it. "Why does Religion pervert/twist the intellect of christians". I was insulted in the thread too by every christian that entered thread. You should see the thread for yourself in my topics and decide. |
| Christianity Etc › Re: Seun Osewa, The Biggest Religious Apologist And Propagandist In Nigeria- Opinion by IamMichael(op): 11:12am On Jun 06, 2020 |
bright007:100% |
| Christianity Etc › Re: Seun Osewa, The Biggest Religious Apologist And Propagandist In Nigeria- Opinion by IamMichael(op): 11:11am On Jun 06, 2020 |
bigtt76:That's one way of thinking it dear. Here is another. Will you stop using Facebook as a media page for your corporation/Company with its huge advantage just because they told you not to insult other brands on their platform? |
| Christianity Etc › Seun Osewa, The Biggest Religious Apologist And Propagandist In Nigeria- Opinion by IamMichael(op): 9:06am On Jun 06, 2020 |
If you are in Nairaland and you don't know that the owner is an atheist, then you probably just joined very newly. I have been on nairaland for a long time, and the one thing i can say for certain about Nairaland is that Seun is a religious apologist, and helps propagate religious beliefs; something he should be helping people who don't know better to be free of. Why do i say that Seun is a religious apologist and propagandist? Seun has one of the biggest social media platform in Africa, not just Nigeria. He lives in a country where Religious freedom is deeply entrenched in the country's constitution, something that even allowed him follow his non-religious path of atheism. As part of attending to the Religious needs of his platforms members and guests alike, he added the Religious section to Nairaland. One would applaud such as a wonderful move because there is nothing bad with people of like/similar faith/minds congregating online to discuss and share their religious beliefs(or non-belief), convictions and practices. However, the usual pettiness that has kept Nigeria and Africa down set in. The same pettiness that has made snake threads a constant feature in the front-page. 1) First there is the swearing that you believe in Allah before you can comment on a Muslim thread. Like seriously? People are forced to comment with a silly religious tag before commenting on a free website; a reverse psychological way of making people avoid such threads since they wouldn't want to be tagged with that religious nonsense. This is because after commenting, the tag follows you everywhere else on the site like a permanent tag. I cannot comment on a Muslim thread because I am forced to accept something i don't believe in. This is tantamount to the physical religious jihad/wars in which you either convert or die. You have no right to enforce such rule on anybody Seun Osewa, as you are contravening Section 39(1) of the 1999 constitution of Nigeria as Amended: "Every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference". It doesn't matter if you own Nairaland. Nairaland is a business entity registered under the Laws of Nigeria and therefore subject to the constitution of the land. Furthermore, you are also expressly disobeying Section 42 of the constitution with this vicious discriminatory policy Viz: "S.42(1) A citizen of Nigeria of a particular community, ethnic group, place of origin, sex, religion or political opinion shall not, by reason only that he is such a person:- (a) be subjected either expressly by, or in the practical application of, any law in force in Nigeria [/b]or any executive or administrative action of the government, to disabilities or restrictions to which citizens of Nigeria of other communities, ethnic groups, places of origin, sex, religions or political opinions are not made subject; or (b) be accorded either expressly by, or in the practical application of, [b]any law in force in Nigeria or any such executive or administrative action, any privilege or advantage that is not accorded to citizens of Nigeria of other communities, ethnic groups, places of origin, sex, religions or political opinions." Note the bolded @"...any law in Nigeria..." You are forthwith adviced to fall in line with the law of the land or apply a general rule about posting in the religious section. A Muslim cannot be free to comment on a christian thread or atheist thread or any other non-muslim thread without swearing to anything, whereas other non-muslims are forced to do so on Muslim threads. That's the highest point of discrimination and suffocation of freedom of religion and expression. It is a coded religious propagation and exactly what an apologist will do; unless you are a closet atheist and a Muslim in real life. 2) Every Friday, Muslim threads are pushed to the front-page, flooding the front page of Nairaland with at least 5+ Muslim threads. Also, every Sunday, christian threads flood the front-page with at least 5+ threads. @Seun Osewa has chosen the two days to push religious beliefs to other Nairalanders face without caring about anything. However, does he accord the same privilege to other people who are not Muslims and Christians? No! @Seun Osewa, why are you afraid to push the following threads from religion section to front page? - Freethinkers thread, - Atheists threads, - Traditionalists thread, - Agnostics threads, - Humanists threads and other threads that are not Muslim or Christian related. Why do you still discriminate despite having the platform to bridge the silly discrimination that has pervaded the entire Nigeria in our physical world? You move and push religious propagation, but are afraid to push non-muslim/christian doctrines of christians and Muslims. Yet, you want us to believe you are not religious. The last time i checked, all the christian and Muslim threads contravenes Rule 8 Of Nairaland, making them unfit to even be existing to begin with. For emphasis, Rule number 8 of Nairaland Rules states: "Don't post false information on Nairaland." All muslim and christian threads on Nairaland are false threads ab initio seeing as they are not facts and have never been proved. They are all simple opinions to begin with, but they're being pushed to the front page nonetheless. You @Seun Osewa should address this issues immediately. I am not the first to complain, and i am not sure i am even the first person to call you out publicly about this. You can ban me if you want, but stop being a religious apologist and propagandist. Whatever is good for the goose is good for the gander. The same way christian and muslim threads are pushed to the front page is also the same way non-muslim/christian threads should be pushed to the front page at given days of the week. I cannot tell you not to push christian/muslim threads to the front-page because they're a big demographics for your site. However, justice, equity and fairness demands that what is good for the goose is good for the gander. Non-muslim/christian threads will hit higher demographics outside the religious section which a lot of people don't enter. But, you are deliberately restricting it because you are an apologist and religious propagandist. There are a lot of non-believers who visit Nairaland front-page daily. Such threads on the front-page will also tell them about people of similar beliefs, seeing as most people prefer to keep their non-religious beliefs and affiliation to themselves because of the society we are in. Do what is right, and prove me wrong that you are not a religious apologist and propagandist. Regards! 15 Likes 5 Shares |
| Christianity Etc › Re: A Thread For The Mental Emancipation Of Indoctrinated Religious Adherents by IamMichael(op): 7:11am On Jun 06, 2020 |
I promised that this thread is for religious emancipation. In line with that, here are some hard questions you should ask yourself about your religion. Remember, you can lie to me with your answers, but you cannot lie to yourself. Write it down if you will, for future continuous review. Before we start: Do you accept you don't know everything? 1. What religion do you believe in? 2. When did you choose your faith? 3. What is your idea of what God/god looks like? 4. When exactly did your belief that there is a God/god start? 5. Why did you start believing in a God/god? 6. Was there any situation that played a role in your belief in a God/god? 7. Are you spiritual or Religious? 8. What’s the difference between being spiritual and being religious? 9. Do you think that you can be spiritual without being a member of any religious organizations? 10. Why do you go to church/mosque/worship centre? 11. What’s the best part of going to this Religious centre? 12. What benefits do you get from going to this worship centers? 13. Do you think is better for someone to follow religion on his or her own, or involve/force the family and friends, too? 14. List at least 5 misconceptions you harbour about your faith? 15. Do you know the real history of your religion/worship centre? If no, have you ever bothered to? 16) Do you think your religious book is figurative or literal? 17) What is the meaning of a prayer(s)? 18). What’s your favourite prayer? Why is it your favourite prayer? 19) How many of your prayers can you accurately say worked? 20) Would that thing you prayed about have worked even if you didn't pray about/for it? 21) Who do you think answered the prayers? How did you know who answered the prayers? 22. Have some/all your prayers not been answered? How do you feel when this happens? 23. What’s the best thing about your belief? 24. Does your belief system encourage blind faith in things you can't see? 25. Why do you believe in something you can’t see or hear from? 26. Do you have the habit of seeing everything through the eyes of your Religious Beliefs? 27. How does God and religion really help you get through tough times? |
| Christianity Etc › Re: A Thread For The Mental Emancipation Of Indoctrinated Religious Adherents by IamMichael(op): 12:39pm On Jun 05, 2020 |
I was locked out. I'm back, till they lock me out again. |
| Politics › Re: Nigeria May Lose 24 Local Councils To UNO, New UN State By July 10 by IamMichael(m): 8:18am On Jun 05, 2020 |
Oh |
| Education › Some Mind-blowing Facts About Babies by IamMichael(op): 8:59am On Jun 04, 2020 |
•Babies like to face right. •Newborns are short sighted. They can see clearly only about 20cm-30cm. •4 babies are born in every second. •A newborn’s stomach is only the size of a hazelnut. This is the reason why they need to be fed often. •Human babies are the only primates who smile at their parents. •Research shows that babies display consciousness and memory as early as 5 months old. •Until 7 months, a baby can breathe and swallow at the same time. •One baby’s sleeping pattern doesn't coincidence with other baby. This is because they are born without a body clock. (Body clock is the one that controls the sleep-wake cycle). •They have three times as many taste buds as adults. •Tears are not actually produced during the initial days after birth. Tears are usually produced after 1-3 months. •Babies are born without knee caps. •Your baby knows your taste in music. Babies recognise the music they hear in the womb for upto 4 months after the birth. •On an average babies laugh 300 times per day. •Your baby cries with your accent. •Babies cannot taste salt until they are 4 months old. •A new born baby’s head accounts for 25% of the entire body weight. •Babies start sitting between 7 to 9 months of age. •Most babies say simple words like “mamma” and “dadda” by the end of 12 months. •Most children usually have all of their baby teeth by the age of 3. Source: QUORA
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| Christianity Etc › Re: Does God Truly Exist? by IamMichael(m): 6:25pm On Jun 03, 2020 |
Cashsteady: You are welcome to this thread. Also feel free to ask any particular question you are contemplating in the thread, and i will take my time to answer you. https://www.nairaland.com/5780709/thread-mental-emancipation-indoctrinated-religious As to your current question, whenever posed with any question of God's existence, follow the logical explanation. Are you reading the part of the bible that says that Donkeys talk? Follow the logical explanation. Are you reading the part of the bible that says that Jesus fed 5000 people with two fish and five loaves? What does the logical explanation of this scenario tell you? Do you pray for things to happen? What do you think/do when What you prayed for didn't come to fruition? Follow the logical explanation. Are you doubting the authenticity of anything? Always follow the logical explanation of it. Everything is explanable, if you know what to look for. There is no magic to anything, just simple knowledge. If someone took a phone to 1500years ago, he will be seen as a God. You could even load pictures in it and show them that you are from outside space, and they will believe you. Add a laptop, Guns, Ship, Ultramodern vehicles, uranium and gunpowder....and you would Have been one of the most talked about ancient god's today. Whatever you cannot explain, know this: 1) There is no answer for it yet, or; 2) You are looking in the wrong place. 1 Like |
| Foreign Affairs › Re: This Tweet From Donald Trump Is The Joke Of The Internet Now by IamMichael(op): 6:04pm On Jun 03, 2020 |
NGpatriot:  |
| Foreign Affairs › This Tweet From Donald Trump Is The Joke Of The Internet Now by IamMichael(op): 2:49pm On Jun 03, 2020 |
It's in the pictures! Trump said the Chinese are doing everything they can to make him lose in the election, and the Chinese netizens go “no no no, we throw our full support behind him in the hope he can be the president for another 500 years.” 5 Likes 1 Share
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| Christianity Etc › Re: A Thread For The Mental Emancipation Of Indoctrinated Religious Adherents by IamMichael(op): 2:09pm On Jun 03, 2020 |
Konstatin: As in eh. Or "it's God's will". Or "by the grace of God". Or " God willing". Keywords for personal debasement and glorification of the alleged Religious god they each ascribe to. |
| Christianity Etc › Re: A Thread For The Mental Emancipation Of Indoctrinated Religious Adherents by IamMichael(op): 2:04pm On Jun 03, 2020 |
Konstatin:Yeah, you have to keep it to yourself. But it's hard to do because now you know better, and you know that they're being decieved. So the question becomes how to make someone see that what he has believed all his life as true is false. As much as you are tempted, desist from engaging in religious discuss with people who are Religious around you except you can vouch that such persons will not discriminate you afterwards. As for me, mum has been talking since 2014 till now... Recently, it's now normal thing. Everyone in the family takes it as a normal thing for me, and noone cares about that aspect of my life anymore cuz i have stopped giving it fuse. The embers are totally dead. It will take a totally brainwashed dimwit to cast their child aside because they didn't believe again in same Religion as you. Deep down, people care more about how they will be treated as in their social circle if they deviate, than actually deviating itself. I don't blame them because that is the life they grew up in, and everything they do revolves solely around those circles. Honestly, it is hard and frightening to imagine loosing everything and everyone you love and are familial with. But, whenever someone navigates through this and come out irreligious, it is liberating. It is one of the best feelings anyone can ever have. It will be like your eyes just opened. Suddenly, a lot of things you used to believe stops making sense because you now have a higher perspective of things. It's like there is this new curiousity that overwhelmes you, and you start following the logical explanation, and quit dismissing ordinary explanable things. Nonetheless, if your mom is calling you devils incarnate or what have you, maybe then it has to do with your character or how you relate with her as opposed to not being a churchgoer/Religious adherent. I'm just guessing here, so i may be wrong. |
| Christianity Etc › Re: A Thread For The Mental Emancipation Of Indoctrinated Religious Adherents by IamMichael(op): 11:43am On Jun 03, 2020 |
Do you have your own stories of "from Religious person to irreligious" to share? You are welcome to share with all. You are also welcome to share your challenges, your fears, as well as the fears you still encounter afterwards. |
| Christianity Etc › Re: A Thread For The Mental Emancipation Of Indoctrinated Religious Adherents by IamMichael(op): 11:29am On Jun 03, 2020 |
TRAUMA FROM LEAVING RELIGION cont'd: Betrayal trauma theory This approach has challenged the traditional focus on fear as the primary response to trauma. PTSD has been assumed to be an anxiety disorder, requiring the individual to experience intense fear, helplessness, or horror in response to a traumatic event. Treatment has emphasized corrective emotional processing. Understanding post traumatic distress in terms of shattered assumptions and betrayal can shed light on effects not related to fear or terror. Freyd (1996) studied the impact of childhood abuse, or the betrayal of a trusted caregiver, on memory, and concluded that a low awareness of violation appears to have survival value. These theories indicate that a cognitive appraisal which raises awareness of violated assumptions can be traumatic. The concept of betrayal is important in that it changes the whole context of understanding trauma that is human caused. First of all, society is resentful of the ways in which victims of trauma shatter our illusions of safety and often engages in victim blaming in order to order to maintain basic assumptions (Van der Kolk, McFarlane, and Van der Hart, 1996). The letter to the editor printed in the previous issue shows the way society resists recognizing that religion can do any harm. Secondly, and especially in the case of Complex PTSD, which refers to ongoing, repeated abuse, it makes a huge difference to shift the focus to relational issues. As explained by DePrince and Freyd (2002), mainstream psychology has focused on fear and tended to pathologize trauma survivors’ reactions. In this approach, responsibility for the experience of fear is placed on the individual survivor, implicitly or explicitly. Cognitive-behavioral therapies are focused on treating the individual’s anxiety symptoms. When betrayal is included as an important reaction to trauma, research and treatment questions are placed in a relational and social context. The pathology is not just in the mind of the survivor. Relevant questions include who did the betraying, what was the betrayal about, the relationship to the perpetrator, and the societal response to the events. With a betrayal framework, these authors say that closer attention is paid to the relationship between the perpetrator and victim in interpersonal violence. (Regarding religious indoctrination, a case can be made for emotional and mental abuse, which is also violent with long-term effects). This framework allows for a historical context in which there may be intergenerational transmission of trauma. Betrayal may also come in the form of response the survivor receives from others following the event, such as disbelief, minimizing, or otherwise devaluing the individual’s experience. A view of trauma that recognizes the sociocultural forces at play helps us go beyond individual emotions and consider the community’s role in addressing the transgression. Recognizing interpersonal betrayal in trauma requires that we confront the reality of the harm humans can cause one another (DePrince and Freyd, 2002). Shattered faith: As an example of ‘loss of the assumptive world’, losing one’s religion is a special and potentially extreme case. A shattered belief system can be devastating and cause cognitive and affective problems, including an acute sense of betrayal. Many ex-believers have anger about the abuse of growing up in a world of lies. They feel robbed of a normal childhood, honest information, and opportunity to develop and thrive. They have bitterness for being taught they were worthless and in need of salvation, yet never able to be sure they were good enough to make it. They have anger about terrors of hell, the ‘rapture’, demons, apostasy, unforgivable sins, and the evil world. They resent not being able to ever feel good or safe. Many are angry that the same teachings are inflicted on more children continuously. They have rage because they dedicated their lives and gave up everything to serve God. They are angry about losing their families and their friends. They feel enormously betrayed. The following comments support the theories of trauma involving shattered assumptions and betrayal. As a child I had an awful fear of hell, and I used to fall asleep crying cause I thought I wasn't saved. Irrational fear leads to irrational decisions. Now with my career in the tank, having lost contact with friends and family over my leaving the church, I am trying to put my life back together. So now at the age of 43, I feel that my youth was wasted. I think about all the fun I lost out on, all the women I rejected, and the education I could have had. I think about all the worry, guilt and fear I've had to endure for 31 years. I've been feeling a mixture of anger, sadness, and desperation regarding my former ‘life of faith’... I spent about 20 adult years as a ‘serious Christian’… trying to live out ‘radical Biblical obedience to God’… The fact is I could NEVER totally please God. ‘He’ made impossible demands of me and it was a fantasy to think that he provided the actual resources necessary to fulfill them. RTS as Complex PTSD: The definition of Complex PTSD is interesting in light of religious indoctrination: ‘a psychological injury that results from protracted exposure to prolonged social and/or interpersonal trauma with lack or loss of control, disempowerment, and in the context of either captivity or entrapment, i.e. the lack of a viable escape route for the victim’ (Wikipedia). Small children who are subjected to toxic religious teachings and practices are trapped and dependent on their dysfunctional families. Pete Walker (2009) has developed an approach in psychotherapy that considers emotional flashbacks to be the key symptom of Complex PTSD. Because of the prolonged nature of the trauma, he says Complex PTSD can be even more virulent and pervasively damaging in its effects. (Complex PTSD has not yet been included in the DSM; nor has RTS.) This seems to be true for many who have left religion. When asked to describe my past, overwhelming emotions sap my body of positive energy...Flashbacks assault my subconscious in vicious nightmares after dredging up this damage. I remember many dark nights trying to sleep being fearful of many things in life, lying there in bed worrying while trying to sleep while considering all the nasty things that might happen to me as a sentence from god for my suggested bad/evil choice of leaving. The worry and lack of sleep made life and work that much harder to handle. I even got headaches from thinking and worrying so endlessly. A lonely trip into the unknown battling that what you have been taught, questioning over and over again that what might be true or untrue. Feelings of guilt and fear of daring to trust your own natural human instincts or reasoning. A pathway of uncharted waters, supposedly booby trapped by devils and monsters. I had a nervous breakdown as the beliefs that I was being taught were not really helping me develop as an individual. I have spent the last 5 years in and out of hospital for suicide attempts and things were gradually getting worse... Every day became a nightmare, I became immersed in a depression that had only one way out... suicide. I didn't want to kill myself, however life was so miserable that suicide seemed like a reasonable option. I have just woken up from another nightmare. My husband says I cry out in the night and cry in my sleep. I was in an empty room with no escape. Totally alone and so so scared. Why RTS is so invisible: With RTS, the social context is completely different from other trauma recovery situations. Natural disaster experiences, childhood sexual abuse or family violence are all understandable to friends and professionals who are likely to be sympathetic and supportive. In the case of religious abuse, a person is often hounded by family and church members to return, and reminded in many ways that they are condemned otherwise. In essence, they are pressured to return to the perpetrator of their abuse. Their suffering is not seen. In fact, they are made pariahs when they do not return and this social rejection is an added layer of serious injury absent from other varieties of trauma. A survivor of religious trauma is also surrounded by potential triggers, especially in more religious communities. Symbols of sexual abuse are not celebrated, but someone with RTS is expected to enjoy Christmas and Easter, or at least be quiet. Religion holds a place of privilege in society. Churches are everywhere and prayers and hymns are ubiquitous. In many communities, to not believe the prevailing religion makes one a deviant, putting one at risk of social rejection, employment problems, and more. Anger for other kinds of abuse is considered normal and acceptable, whereas ex-believers are supposed to forgive and ‘not throw the baby out with the bathwater’. They are called too sensitive or accused of taking religion the wrong way. People understand nightmares about wartime combat but not about Armageddon. Expressing feelings is usually dangerous. Too often, the result is a shaming attack rather than support, i.e., ‘blaming the victim’. From an orthodox, conservative point of view, people who have left their religion and are suffering are seen as failures - they simply haven’t done it right. A fundamentalist Christian view is that they have been ‘rebellious’ and brought about their own problems. Depression and anxiety are often considered sins or even demonic attacks. Personal misery is seen as a natural result of rejecting God; being apostate brings God’s punishment. A religious counselor will redirect a client back to the religion, typically with biblical guidelines to repent and become more devout. The client suffering with RTS is then likely to try harder to meet the impossible demands of the religion, much like returning to a situation of domestic violence. They will do this because of the authoritarian nature of such counseling, but fail again and feel hopeless or evil or crazy. No one concludes that it is the religion itself, which is at fault. (And religious counselors often have very little training in psychology while getting exempted from standard licensing requirements.) In many seemingly secular settings, religious views are still considered ‘normal’ and even advocated in aggressive ways. In medicine and in treatment for drugs and alcohol, professionals assume that pushing religion is acceptable. Yet people struggling with RTS-related substance abuse simply cannot stomach the religious tone of Alcoholics Anonymous, for example, and get very little sympathy. In one case, a client of mine who was in a psychiatric ward because of panic attacks due to RTS told me that a doctor told her she needed to get right with God. Imagine giving parallel advice with some other kind of abuse. I also had a call from a veteran who was searching for an alternative because his counselor at the VA said he preferred working with people who believed in hell because he could get them to behave. In many ways, a person with RTS can be retraumatized again and again through minimizing and denial. This can cause regression to an earlier state of fear by triggering the phobia indoctrination. One person wrote about the unequal social status of religious abuse: If I were to say that Christianity took my childhood, filled me with fear, paralyzed me with anxiety, annihilated my Self, robbed my body of feeling, stole my future, gave me an unequal marriage role, and cost me thousands of dollars, Christians would dismiss it with ‘You were in the wrong church, you take things too seriously, or you made your choices based on your own free will’. It is no better when I talk to those raised outside of Christianity. They gently suggest that I’m over sensitive or making a big deal out of nothing or that I don’t understand who Jesus really was or that it couldn’t have been all that bad since I turned out to be such a nice person. Why is it so hard for people to understand that Christianity completely messed up my life?!?!?! If I had been discriminated against, beaten, sexually abused, traumatized by an act of violence, or raped, I would be heard. I would receive sympathy. I would be given psychological care. I would have legal recourse and protection. However, I am a trauma victim that society does not hear. RTS victims feel very alone because, except on certain online forums, there is virtually no public discourse in our society about trauma or emotional abuse due to religion. This gap was noticed by a young man who wrote to me about his YouTube deconversion series: I've been working on the 4th part, focused on trauma, for better than a month now and having a hard time with it. I've been reading a lot about trauma and finding myself amazed by how closely what we attribute to trauma and PTSD align with my experience of deconversion. No one talks about religion and trauma. Not in the scientific journals, not on trauma resources... I thought maybe I would be the only one to address it. Child Protective Services will aggressively rescue children who are physically or sexually abused, but the deep wounding and mental damage cause by religion, which can last a lifetime, does not get attention. The institutions of religion in our culture are still given a privileged place in many ways. Criticism is very difficult. Parents are given undue authority to treat their children as they wish, even though the authoritarian and patriarchal attitudes of religion, along with too much respect for the Fourth Commandment to obey parents, has resulted in harsh and violent parenting methods. Even the sexual misdeeds of the Catholic clergy have been amazingly difficult to confront. Children are treated like the property of parents or parish, and too much goes on behind closed doors. Multiple issues Space considerations prevent a full description of all the challenges a person faces over a lifetime of recovering from religious indoctrination and living in a religious environment. Cognitive problems can be serious because decision-making for oneself is difficult and critical thinking skills are undeveloped. A person healing and recovering needs to unlearn many dysfunctional ways of thinking and behaving and then rebuild. They are faced with reconstructing reality, in essence. The old assumptive world is gone and a new one must be built. A new sense of self has to be developed, and personal responsibility for life has to be accepted. The existential crisis can be enormous when one feels entirely groundless and must start over. One of my biggest problems has been the inability to trust my own intellect. I strained everyday to get rid of the old beliefs, but they never seemed to go away. I guess ultimately I’ve made my peace intellectually. I’ve been reading and learning religious history, philosophy, etc for almost a decade. But I wonder...emotionally I can’t convince myself I’m not going to hell for every little thing. Does it ever get easier? Does 20 years of intimidation, coercion, fear mongering and bigotry take just as long to disappear? Adding to the challenge is the all-too-common rejection from family and friends. For most people from a religious family, they must also reconstruct an entire social structure, while learning to view other people and the world in completely new terms. This can even require new employment. Marriages suffer when only one leaves the faith, and divorce is not uncommon. I left the church and told my family almost two years ago; they are sure I am going to hell and taking my 3 small children with me. All friends were Christians and are no longer around. My community is deeply religious, and I feel isolated and afraid. I think I need counselling, but don't know where to turn. I have been associated with the religion of my parents since birth. I am now in my fifties. If I leave openly I will be disfellowshipped and WILL lose all my family and friends. I suffer from OCD and severe depression. What should I do?...if I go, my wife will stay – I foresee nothing but grief ahead for me. In conclusion, I believe it cannot be overstated that mental health professionals need to recognize the seriousness of Religious Trauma Syndrome. Religion can and does cause great personal suffering, fractured families, and social breakdown. There are many individuals needing and deserving recognition and treatment from informed professionals. We need to let go of making religion a special case in which criticism is taboo. It is our ethical responsibility to be aware and our human obligation to be compassionate. References Beder, J (2004-2005) ‘Loss of the assumptive world – How we deal with death and loss’, Omega, 50(4), 255-265 DePrince, A.P. & Freyd, J.J. (2002) ‘The harm of trauma: Pathological fear, shattered assumptions, or betrayal?’ in J. Kauffman (Ed.) Loss of the Assumptive World (pp. 71-82), New York: Brunner-Routledge Janoff-Bulman, R. (1992) Shattered Assumptions: Towards a new psychology of trauma, New York: Free Press Kauffman, J. (2002) ‘Safety and the assumptive world’ in J. Kauffman (Ed.), Loss of the Assumptive World (pp. 205-211), New York: Brunner-Routledge Shermer, M. (2011) The Believing Brain, New York: Times Books Van der Kolk, B. A., McFarlane, A. C., and Van der Hart, O. (1996) ‘A general approach to treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder’ in B. Van der Kolk, A. C. McFarlane, & L. Weisaeth (Eds.), Traumatic stress: The effects of overwhelming experience on mind, body, and society (pp. 417-440), New York: Guilford. Walker, Pete. (2009) ‘Emotional flashback management in the treatment of Complex PTSD’, Psychotherapy.net |
| Christianity Etc › Re: A Thread For The Mental Emancipation Of Indoctrinated Religious Adherents by IamMichael(op): 11:28am On Jun 03, 2020 |
Trauma from Leaving Religion RELIGIOUS TRAUMA SYNDROME Article 3 of 3 by Dr Marlene Winell Understanding Religious Trauma Syndrome: Trauma from Leaving Religion Religious Trauma Syndrome (RTS) is a function of both the chronic abuses of harmful religion and the impact of severing one’s connection with one’s faith and faith community. It can be compared to a combination of PTSD and Complex PTSD (C-PTSD). In the last article of this series, I explained some of the toxic aspects of authoritarian religions that cause long-term psychological damage (Bible-based ones in particular). In this writing, I will address the trauma of breaking away from this kind of religion. With PTSD, a traumatic event is one in which a person experiences or witnesses actual or threatened death or serious injury, or a threat to the physical integrity of self or others. Losing one’s faith, or leaving one’s religion, is an analogous event because it essentially means the death of one’s previous life – the end of reality as it was understood. It is a huge shock to the system, and one that needs to be recognized as trauma. What it means to leave: Breaking out of a restrictive, mind-controlling religion is understandably a liberating experience. People report huge relief and some excitement about their new possibilities. Certain problems are over, such as trying to twist one’s thinking to believe irrational religious doctrines, handling enormous cognitive dissonance in order to get by in the ‘real world’ as well, and conforming to repressive codes of behavior. Finally leaving a restrictive religion can be a major personal accomplishment after trying to [b]make it work and going through many cycles of guilt and confusion. However, the challenges of leaving are daunting. For most people, the religious environment was a one-stop-shop for meeting all their major needs – social support, a coherent worldview, meaning and direction in life, structured activities, and emotional/spiritual satisfaction. Leaving the fold means multiple losses, including the loss of friends and family support at a crucial time of personal transition. Consequently, it is a very lonely ‘stressful life event’ – more so than others described on Axis IV in the DSM. [/b]For some people, depending on their personality and the details of their religious past, it may be possible to simply stop participating in religious services and activities and move on with life. But for many, leaving their religion means debilitating anxiety, depression, grief, and anger. Usually people begin with intellectually letting go of their religious beliefs and then struggle with the emotional aspects. The cognitive part is difficult enough and often requires a period of study and struggle before giving up one’s familiar and perhaps cherished worldview. But the emotional letting go is much more difficult since the beliefs are bound with deep-seated needs and fears, and usually inculcated at a young age. Problems with self-worth and fear of terrible punishment continue. Virtually all controlling religions teach fear about the evil in ‘the world’ and the danger of being alone without the group. Ordinary setbacks can cause panic attacks, especially when one feels like a small child in a very foreign world. [/i]Coming out of a sheltered, repressed environment can result in a lack of coping skills and personal maturity. The phobia indoctrination makes it difficult to avoid the stabbing thought, even many years after leaving, that one has made a terrible mistake, thinking ‘what if they’re right?’ It is truly amazing the pain I went through due to what was inputted into my mind… All I know is it took such a toll on me that I did not care if I died and went to hell to escape the hell I was in and the immense fear it put into my life. Depression, anxiety, fatigue, insomnia, etc... you name it. It sucks. Probably from years of guilt being a Christian and a sinner, and thinking people I love are in hell. Making the break is for many the most disruptive, difficult upheaval they have ever gone through in life. To understand this fully, one must appreciate the totality of a religious worldview that defines and controls reality in the way that fundamentalist groups do. Everything about the world - past, present, and future – is explained, the meaning of life is laid out, morality is already decided, and individuals must find their place in the cosmic scheme in order to be worthwhile. The promises for conformity and obedience are great and the threats for disobedience are dire, both for the present life and the hereafter. Controlling religions tend to limit information about the world and alternative views so members easily conclude that their religious worldview is the only one possible. Anything outside of their world is considered dangerous and evil at worst and terribly misguided at best. So leaving this sheltered environment is bursting a bubble. Everything a person has believed to be true is shattered. My foundation has truly dropped out from under me. Despite being told I am courageous, tenacious, and this is rugged work, I consistently find wave after wave of grief that overwhelms me. I can hardly believe how upended it has made my life. My whole sense of purpose, value, and meaning was wrapped tightly around my Christian faith...I kept my doubts buried and crucified, and I tried hard not to think about the troubling things of faith...A year ago, I abandoned evangelicalism...the pain I feel is deep and raw. The impact can create problems with day-to-day functioning. The amount of inner turmoil during this time was overwhelming. It affected my daily life and many days I didn’t want to get out of bed. I was depressed and anxious at the same time. Being in college was difficult. I could hardly focus on class. I am utterly confused and at the moment my whole life is ruined as I don't know what to think. I've been off work a month with anxiety. I have - for about three years - been dependent on drinking alcohol every night for a very long time. Shattered assumption framework In the study of trauma, certain developments are highly relevant to understanding RTS. One is the shattered assumption framework, or ‘loss of the assumptive world’ (Kauffman, 2002). It has been used to understand traumatic loss such as death of a loved one, but can easily be applied to loss of faith. According to Beder (2004), ‘The assumptive world concept refers to the assumptions or beliefs that ground, secure, stabilize, and orient people. They are our core beliefs. In the face of death and trauma, these beliefs are shattered and disorientation and even panic can enter the lives of those affected.’ The most damaging traumas are those that are human-caused and involve interpersonal violence and violation (DePrince and Freyd, 2002). (In my opinion, this would describe indoctrinating children in fear-based religion.) This approach names three basic assumptions held about the world that are shattered with these traumas: the world is benevolent, the world is meaningful, and the self is worthy (Janoff-Bulman, 1992). A fourth is sometimes included which says that others are trustworthy (Roth and Newman, 1991). This model applies well to religion if one thinks of the ‘world’ as that created and maintained by the religious group. The religious version of ‘self is worthy’ is usually a paradoxical view of the self which is both sinful and special. That is, an individual has nothing intrinsic to be proud of but can have great purpose, and can play a role in a cosmic, spiritual drama. These researchers explored the way schemas and other cognitive factors lead to humans’ cognitive conservatism and resistance to changing basic assumptions. Another line of research indicates negative responses in the brain when a person is confronted with information that conflicts with strongly-held beliefs (Shermer, 2011). Traumatic experiences shatter basic assumptions and beliefs. Conversely, a shattering of beliefs is traumatic. Coping and healing from trauma requires an individual to reconcile their old set of assumptions with new, modified assumptions (DePrince & Freyd, 2002). The trauma is understood to have both affective and cognitive components. Loss of faith or leaving one’s religion viewed through this lens helps to explain the intensity of the trauma. A religion contains a large and complex set of assumptions held to be true by the group. Rejecting the ‘meme complex’ that has been passed on through generations is a major cognitive disruption as well as a risk of social rejection. Panic about being helpless in a meaningless world can result. Never have I experienced such confusion, pain, grief, loss fear, anxiety, depression, paralysis. All because of religion, faith, God. It is noteworthy that all of the most controlling, authoritarian religions make sweeping, ultimate promises along with demands for devotion. Individuals who were most sincere, devout, and dedicated seem to be the ones most traumatized when their religious assumptive world crumbles. This would make sense from Kauffman’s (2002) perspective that shattered assumptions cause the self to fragment into pieces. As he puts it, ‘The assumptive world order is the set of illusions that shelter the human soul.’ Some days are better than others of course but most days are blighted by some form of dark cloud. The real tragedy for me is that I love life - in all of its hues, shades, problems and challenges - I just can't see life through a prescribed formula any more. [i] I feel in total crisis, panicked, and terrified of facing a future alone. No confidence in my own decision making if it isn’t in line with Christianity, and inability to find fulfillment from within. For many people who leave their faith, it is like a death or divorce. Their ‘relationship’ with God was a central assumption, such that giving it up feels like a genuine loss to be grieved. It can be like losing a lover, a parent, or best friend who has always been there. It is like a death in the family as my god Jesus finally died and no amount of belief could resurrect him. It is an absolutely dreadful and pull-rightening experience and dark night of the soul. When I left, it felt like I was losing a friend or even a spouse - was definitely ‘traumatic’. Now, as an outsider, I see how crazy-making and damaging it was to me. 1 Like |
| TV/Movies › Re: DC EXTENDED UNIVERSE (FILM) by IamMichael(m): 8:47pm On Jun 02, 2020 |
Minemrys: Go and read the history of Alfred Di Stefano and David Beckham transfer saga's that involved Barca and Real Madrid. |
| TV/Movies › Re: DC EXTENDED UNIVERSE (FILM) by IamMichael(m): 7:07pm On Jun 02, 2020 |
Minemrys: Lol. Did El Classico stop being popular and quit being the biggest club football match because FcBarcelona has won the last 7 Laliga trophies out of 10? |
| TV/Movies › Re: DC EXTENDED UNIVERSE (FILM) by IamMichael(m): 4:11pm On Jun 02, 2020 |
Minemrys: I think you should use Google yourself so that you don't keep arguing from a misinformed point of view. Google FC Barcelona v Real Madrid rivalry! |
). Compared to most religious threads that threaten, insult and even throw curses around at others who do not have the same opinion as them.