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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…

Religious Trauma Syndrome is now in Wikipedia!  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_trauma_syndrome

Chances are you are here because of a concern about religious harm, recovering from an authoritarian religion, or suffering from religious trauma.  You may have heard of Religious Trauma Syndrome (“RTS”), which is comparable to post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD but specifically induced by Toxic Religious Experiences.  RTS is a result of 1) toxic teachings and practices within the religion and 2) the trauma of leaving the religion. You can read more about it here.

Recovering from religious harm is multi-faceted and a relatively new field of study.  There is a range of harm done by religion, (despite the positive contributions of healthy religion) and various levels of suffering and coping, depending on individual differences.  While some people are able to walk away and most report feelings of relief and liberation, many people are deeply damaged and can carry scars for decades.  Now we have a name for this damaged condition and we need to take it seriously. (more…)

General Comments I had a fantastic experience and am so thankful to finally identify what the hell I’ve been struggling with for 35 years.  I felt loved, cared for, and listened to.  I had a very positive, helpful, and healing Read more…

I met Jesus in Golden Gate Park many years ago and he helped change my life. He sent me in a new direction – away from Christianity. I was reminded of it on Sunday, October 25, because it was the Read more…

Reclaimers1, you are the pioneers. Reclaimers discard their confining religions and free their minds from the cages made in churches. I support you, I help you, but most of all, I salute you. Because it is clear to me after Read more…

Factors in Childhood Indoctrination in Fundamentalist Christianity

From this graphic, it should be clear that a child in a fundamentalist Christian environment faces a powerful array of factors influencing indoctrination. Many of these techniques are quite deliberate, such as keeping children at home for their schooling to control what they learn and don’t learn.  The primary goal of sincere Christian parents is to pass on their faith, not help their child develop critical thinking to make a fully informed decision about religion.  Christians do not present their offspring with literature on all the religions of the world and make field trips to temples, churches and mosques to help them decide.  Yet in their theology they claim that “accepting Jesus” is a personal choice of free will and only those who reject God’s free gift of salvation will go to hell. (more…)