I am recently back from Stockholm, Sweden where the long-awaited film “Leaving Jesus” was released at last, after 6 years of both working on the film and going through a pandemic delay. This is a documentary made by the renowned Read more…
On “Good Friday,” I’m thinking about how little was good about it. The atonement is a Christian doctrine that is both absurd and horrible. The cross is a symbol of execution and represents Christianity. Iconic images of our country’s major Read more…
On the existential crisis part of religious trauma recovery Recently in our online Release & Reclaim support group (which has multiple monthly meetings over Zoom as well as a large community of deconstructing folks in our forums) we had Read more…
We can probably agree we don’t like the commercialism of Christmas, the stress, or the holiday angst. Yet at the center of it all there is a powerful image that speaks to all of us – the Child. It’s fascinating Read more…
After going through your own deconstruction of religious belief, it can feel like a challenge to reveal your change to your religious parents. You might have a lot of fear about their reaction – anger, hurt, disappointment in you, and so Read more…
I’ve been thinking a lot recently about the term “secondary wounding,” used to describe the pain – and sometimes further trauma – inflicted when someone denies or dismisses your experience. Have you ever felt worse after telling someone about the Read more…
Religious Trauma Syndrome: a Summary of a talk given May 11, 2021, at the Conference on Religious Trauma By Marlene Winell If you want to respond to this article, you can email me at journeyfree.org@gmail.com To begin, let me give Read more…
As I work with clients this week, I realize how the events in politics are affecting reclaimers. (“Reclaimers”- people who are recovering from religion and reclaiming their lives). Folks are hugely discouraged by the pervasive influence of conservative religion in political Read more…
As we heal from the religious message of being basically bad, questions arise about how we view ourselves now. One important process is to get in touch with the inner resources that we really do have – inner strength, wisdom, Read more…
One of our support group members was concerned about her children getting indoctrinated when they get exposed to religion. A concept that I came across years ago and applied to my own parenting is “mediating.” Put simply, it means discussing Read more…
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