I was raised to be an upright Christian girl. As far as I can remember, any independent thinking or rebellion were shut down. Disobedience was a serious offense. It was punishable by not only a lifetime of burning flesh in eternal hellfire torture (a terrifying idea for a young child) but also the withdrawal of Mom’s approval, which I had become dependent on as a substitute to the unconditional love that wasn’t on the menu.
As I saw in the documentary about Mormon fundamentalism, it was important to be sweet, pray, obey and keep your mind open to the possibility of being oppressed. According to my mother, obedience was what made me moral. I was never taught that obedience and morality have anything to do. Obedience means following orders, regardless of whether you believe they are moral. Morality is doing the right thing, even if you are being told otherwise.
My mother and church were active homophobics and anti-Semitic. Any Indigenous person who refused to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior was sent to hell along with the Jews and gays. All of this was not right for my young ears or naive heart. However, I was threatened with being put on the streets if my mother disobeyed me. I secretly disobeyed my mother and owed the line.
One of the main causes of confusion about morality was sex. Before you got married, sex was not allowed if you didn’t want to follow the mother and church’s morals. At 12 years old, I was sent to church sexual camp. The intention was to terrorize me about my body and all its desires and to indoctrinate my mind into the belief that hell would be my fate if a boy touched me “down there.” As a warning, we were forced to watch The Graduate. To prove our loyalty to the path to celibacy, we were forced to wear promise rings.
My mother didn’t have to force me into submission, unlike some other people I know. Although my will was easier than that of my sister, it was still possible to break my mother’s. However, even with my sister, neither parent used violence to get their children. So I was spared the suffering that others suffered under the oppressive teachings fundamentalism. Researchers found that Germans who kept Jews hidden from Nazi Germany had a higher chance of not being subject to corporal punishment than those who didn’t hide Jews.
I did not keep my promise ring promise. Although I had sex in college with my fiance, it was before my wedding, and I didn’t feel guilty about it. My mother suspected it too. This was not my greatest rebellion. My mother’s approval was not the most important. It happened when I was a Northwestern third-year OB/GYN resident, and I had my first abortion. My mother assured me that she would never love an abortionist, and that it would ensure my eternal damnation. I was tired of her judgement, her belief that she could control me, her threats that I would be disowned and not speak to her again if she disobeyed me, and her abusive attempts to get me to do her will by threatening to torture me in the cursed afterlife.
My mother begged me to pray on her deathbed for my soul. My mother said that she could not die until she realized I had pleaded for forgiveness for having killed little children. I told her she should go to hell, but then I instantly regretted telling her that to a dying woman. So I backpedaled and promised to pray and ask for forgiveness so she could live in peace.
Although I believed it would be more, my brief excursion into New Age spirituality was not much better. It tried to control my thinking, my behavior and how I treated others. If I didn’t keep sweet and meditate and obey, instead of the threat to hell, I would be missing the spaceship of the benevolent extraterrestrials coming to rescue me from the Pleaides. I’d then be trapped in a torture chamber here on Planet Earth with an apocalyptic end (sound familiar?
Anti-Semitic New Agers promoted a pastel Q paranoia over Jewish pedophiles who are drinking the blood of innocent kids. They also promoted the false equivalency between public health guidelines and the Nazi Holocaust.
New Agers, instead of displaying outright racism and white supremacy as many radicalized fundamentalists display, oppress BIPOC, BIPOC, and other marginalized communities with law of attraction, prosperity gospel teachings that suggests that those with such privilege are getting rewarded with more powerfully positive thoughts and manifestation superpowers. Those without such privilege are grateful for their “low vibes” and bad karma, and their soul chose to use their trauma to help them achieve a better reincarnation. Sound familiar?
New Agers slander marginalized and oppressed communities with victim blaming, “Get out your victim story” and “Don’t fight for reality” teachings. However, they cover up their racism with virtue signaling Black Lives Matter memes. This makes it harder to spot than the outright white supremacy many fundamentalist religious leaders.
It’s written in “love & light” but New Agers police protests of the oppressed by saying “Stop Polarizing and Unify” or asking “Just accept reality” or “We Are All One” which exposes a thinly disguised anger phobia, conflict avoidance and fear of confronting oppressive people and oppressive systems that lock privilege and power, silence any dissent and maintain the status quo. Instead of getting hands dirty with sacred activism, New Agers prefer to use “non-dual” language, spiritualizing their “both-sides-are-good-and-right-isms,” the way Trump said there were fine people on both sides of the Charlottesville white supremacist march.
New Agers are not afraid to threaten hell. They say that negative thinking will cause you to manifest horrible things. This means that you must deny reality and believe in a Great Awakening. This means you must blame everyone who suffers from a senseless tragedy, their death, financial ruin, or sickness. Positive thinking is supposed create good fortune while negative thinking is supposed cause hell.
Fundamentalism is all about keeping sweet. It means total obedience and breaking your will. The New Age says “Good vibes only”, and that you should keep sweet. You will either manifest your rape by your fear of being sexually raped or your cancer by keeping sweet.
You can keep it sweet because you fear losing the approval of your oppressors. Or you can keep it sweet to avoid being beaten. Or you can keep it sweet to avoid bad luck, bad karma or poor health outcomes. But you aren’t being you if you try so hard to keep it sweet. You’ll be harshly judging people like me who give up trying to keep it sweet. We’ve been oppressed for too long, and resistance is the only way to show love and care for others.
Jeff Rediger, my partner, and I are both tired of being sweet, praying, or obeying for far too long. Both Jeff Rediger and I are standing up to the authorities to use our relative power to speak out against those who continue to be coercively controlled by New Agers or fundamentalists. This is because spiritual abuse is a serious threat to our mental and physical health.
It is possible to recover from spiritual abuse if you have been abused by a parent, cultic religion, narcissistic New Ager, abusive priest, shaman, therapist, or self-help author. However, it can be slow and difficult. These oppressive beliefs and oppressive relationships can lead to despair, joy, and even freedom.
You can start by being curious about your thoughts. Not in QAnon-type “Question all” paranoia but in a sincere inquiry about what it is possible to believe about yourself.
This doesn’t mean that I don’t believe there are sacred mysteries, holy listening to my Higher Self, or some kind of purpose or divine plan for our lives. I am not one of those dogmatic scientist-skeptics who dismiss all things mystical and think that we are all dead matter in a dead universe.
What’s the middle? Is there a baby among all the New Age or fundamentalist religion? These are the questions I will be asking in an online course that is based on a book I just wrote. Spiritual Bypassing Recovery 2.0 is the name of the class and the book is LOVE BIGGER: An Exploration Of Spirituality Without Spiritual Bypassing. If you are curious, we welcome you to join our class on March 7. The link will be posted in the comments.
What do you think about fundamentalism? The New Age, obedience and oppression?
Come join us for Spiritual Bypassing Rehabilitation 2.0
Keep Sweet, Pray & Obey – How Fundamentalism Forces Obeyence & Leads to Spiritual Abuse was first published on Lissa Rankin.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is holistic medicine’s opposite?
Holistic medicine, a method of health care, considers all aspects, including the spiritual, emotional, and environmental aspects. It recognizes that each illness must have multiple causes, and therefore requires a combination or several treatments to be most effective.
Holistic medicine doctors believe that prevention is more effective than treatment. They work closely with their patients to help them achieve optimal wellness.
They seek to identify underlying causes of disease and prevent it from recurring. Holistic physicians consider the entire body and not merely the physical organs. They often refer to the entire being as “the body.”
This means that they go beyond skin care and treat the entire body holistically. The doctor may suggest changes to diet, lifestyle, and exercise. The doctor may recommend meditation, yoga, massage, acupuncture or chiropractic treatment.
What does holistic mean?
Holistic refers to being whole-based. Holistic means seeing the whole picture and not just parts of it. This can be difficult because we have become accustomed to seeing things in their entirety.
Our default mentality is to see things in black and white. There are many shades of grey.
You should always see the project from many angles when working on it. Look at it from all sides.
It is important to see how the pieces fit together. How do the various components interact?
If you find a problem in your situation, take the time to ask why. Make sure to take into account the impact of every change you make.
Who uses alternative medicine instead of traditional medicine?
Alternative medicine is used for many reasons.
- They are keen to avoid surgery and harmful drugs.
- They believe that natural remedies work better.
- They prefer noninvasive treatments.
- They are looking to spend less.
- Natural products make them feel safer.
- They want greater control over their own healthcare decisions.
- They are willing to take responsibility and be responsible for their own health.
- They seek a more healthy environment.
- They desire less stress in their life.
- They desire greater control over their doctors and their healthcare plans.
- They want their kids to get a better education.
- They desire healthy food to feed their families.
- They are looking for safe and effective medication.
Who uses holistic medicines?
Holistic medicine is health care that treats the whole person as opposed to treating specific symptoms. Holistic medicine focuses on both mental and physical well-being.
Holistic medicine includes acupuncture, massage therapy, chiropractic treatment, nutritional counseling, yoga, and other complementary therapies.
People who practice holistic medicine include people with cancer, heart issues, diabetes and arthritis.
What are alternative medicine examples?
Alternative medicine refers to treatments other than those considered by mainstream medicine to be useful for treating disease. These include traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), homeopathy, chiropractic and acupuncture as well as nutritional therapy such like reiki.
Alternative medicine may also refer not to scientific evidence but that have been successfully used in clinical practice. Meditation, yoga, aromatherapy and reflexology are some examples.
Is holistic medicine legitimate?
The answer is both yes and no. Yes. There are many medications that have been proven to be effective against various conditions. They can’t treat all conditions. It depends on what you mean by “holistic.” If holistic means taking into account all aspects a person’s well-being, then yes. However, if it simply means that natural remedies are preferred to chemical ones, then no.
Some people believe holistic medicine dates back to ancient times. However, this is simply false. Although there were some natural remedies used by healers in ancient Egypt or Rome, these practitioners did not have scientific knowledge.
Medical practitioners started to study anatomy and physiological science in the Middle Ages. This led to the development and practice of surgery, obstetrics and pharmacology. In the 19th Century, almost all Western countries had public hospitals that could be used by trained doctors to provide medical care.
Conventional medicine is today the dominant type of healthcare. However, many still prefer to use alternative and complementary medicine. Many people find it more effective than prescription drugs.
Some people are more comfortable receiving massage therapy than taking tranquilizers. Some prefer to eat healthy food over taking prescription medication. Still, others find that regular exercise helps their bodies function at peak performance.
What is a holistic doctor?
A holistic doctor is one who treats patients holistically. They may use traditional methods such as herbs and acupuncture but integrate these into western medicine.
They are not interested in treating symptoms but rather a disease. The patient should feel better upon completion of treatment.
The doctor should not be limited to treating the disease. He or she must also work with patients to prevent future complications.
The term “holistic” means considering all aspects of a person’s life.
Statistics
- In 83% of the cases, the readers agreed. (en.wikipedia.org)
- The concept of regression toward the mean implies that an extreme result is more likely to be followed by a less extreme result. (en.wikipedia.org)
- These studies found that 38.4% concluded positive or possibly positive effects for CAM (12.4%), 4.8% concluded no effect, 0.7% concluded harmful effects, and 56.6% concluded insufficient evidence. (en.wikipedia.org)
- According to the World Health Organization, 80% of people use herbal medicine worldwide. (webmd.com)
- In the 17% in which they disagreed, a third reader agreed with one of the initial readers to set a rating. (en.wikipedia.org)
External Links
webmd.com
nccih.nih.gov
- Statistics on Complementary & Integrative Health Approaches
- Complementary, Alternative, or Integrative Health: What’s In a Name? NCCIH
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- The rise and rise of complementary and alternative medicine: a sociological perspective – PubMed
- PubMed – Holistic medicine
doi.org
How To
What should I look for when looking for a qualified holistic doctor
How can you find a qualified doctor who is skilled in holistic medicine?
Doctors who specialize in their chosen field are the best. Holistic medicine is what we are referring too. This means that doctors should be able to treat their patients holistically. It is important for them to understand how to treat the whole person, not just their symptoms. They should understand holistic health and why you want to see a holistic doctor.
Doctors must be well-versed in holistic health. They should also be familiar with complementary and other therapies (CAM), like acupuncture or chiropractic care.
Holistic health professionals should be able diagnose your condition and present the various treatment options to help you make informed decisions about your treatment options.
It is also important to ask if the doctor is certified by professional organizations, such as the American Holistic Medical Association (NCBCTM) or the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCBTMB). NBOHMCA certifies in many areas such as naturopathic medicine (naturopathy), acupuncture and homeopathy, clinical nutrition (herbalalism), and aromatherapy.
Look through our directory to find a holistic doctor in your region. If there isn’t one, you may be capable of searching online for a holistic practitioner near you.
For holistic healthcare, please contact your nearest hospital or medical center.
Visit your local library to find books and resources related to holistic health.
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This blog is a source of general information and discussion on health and related topics. Information and materials on this blog, on the website, or in any of the connected materials are not intended to replace or used as a substitute for the advice of a medical professional, diagnosis, or treatment. This blog does not represent the application of any nursing, medical or other health professional advice or diagnosis. We are unable to diagnose health conditions, offer second opinions or provide specific treatment recommendations via this blog or on our website.
If you or another person is suffering from a medical issue and you are concerned, consult your doctor or seek out other medical professional treatment as soon as possible. Do not disregard medical advice from a professional or delay seeking it due to information you seen on the blog or website or in any of the linked materials. If you’re experiencing an emergency medical situation, dial 911 or seek emergency medical assistance on the closest phone immediately.
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By: Karoline
Title: Keep Sweet, Pray & Obey: How Fundamentalism Forces Obedience & Leads To Spiritual Abuse
Sourced From: lissarankin.com/keep-sweet-pray-obey-how-fundamentalism-forces-obedience-leads-to-spiritual-abuse/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=keep-sweet-pray-obey-how-fundamentalism-forces-obedience-leads-to-spiritual-abuse
Published Date: Wed, 01 Mar 2023 13:00:35 +0000
Frequently Asked Questions
What is holistic medicine’s opposite?
Holistic medicine, a method of health care, considers all aspects, including the spiritual, emotional, and environmental aspects. It recognizes that each illness must have multiple causes, and therefore requires a combination or several treatments to be most effective.
Holistic medicine doctors believe that prevention is more effective than treatment. They work closely with their patients to help them achieve optimal wellness.
They seek to identify underlying causes of disease and prevent it from recurring. Holistic physicians consider the entire body and not merely the physical organs. They often refer to the entire being as “the body.”
This means that they go beyond skin care and treat the entire body holistically. The doctor may suggest changes to diet, lifestyle, and exercise. The doctor may recommend meditation, yoga, massage, acupuncture or chiropractic treatment.
What does holistic mean?
Holistic refers to being whole-based. Holistic means seeing the whole picture and not just parts of it. This can be difficult because we have become accustomed to seeing things in their entirety.
Our default mentality is to see things in black and white. There are many shades of grey.
You should always see the project from many angles when working on it. Look at it from all sides.
It is important to see how the pieces fit together. How do the various components interact?
If you find a problem in your situation, take the time to ask why. Make sure to take into account the impact of every change you make.
Who uses alternative medicine instead of traditional medicine?
Alternative medicine is used for many reasons.
- They are keen to avoid surgery and harmful drugs.
- They believe that natural remedies work better.
- They prefer noninvasive treatments.
- They are looking to spend less.
- Natural products make them feel safer.
- They want greater control over their own healthcare decisions.
- They are willing to take responsibility and be responsible for their own health.
- They seek a more healthy environment.
- They desire less stress in their life.
- They desire greater control over their doctors and their healthcare plans.
- They want their kids to get a better education.
- They desire healthy food to feed their families.
- They are looking for safe and effective medication.
Who uses holistic medicines?
Holistic medicine is health care that treats the whole person as opposed to treating specific symptoms. Holistic medicine focuses on both mental and physical well-being.
Holistic medicine includes acupuncture, massage therapy, chiropractic treatment, nutritional counseling, yoga, and other complementary therapies.
People who practice holistic medicine include people with cancer, heart issues, diabetes and arthritis.
What are alternative medicine examples?
Alternative medicine refers to treatments other than those considered by mainstream medicine to be useful for treating disease. These include traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), homeopathy, chiropractic and acupuncture as well as nutritional therapy such like reiki.
Alternative medicine may also refer not to scientific evidence but that have been successfully used in clinical practice. Meditation, yoga, aromatherapy and reflexology are some examples.
Is holistic medicine legitimate?
The answer is both yes and no. Yes. There are many medications that have been proven to be effective against various conditions. They can’t treat all conditions. It depends on what you mean by “holistic.” If holistic means taking into account all aspects a person’s well-being, then yes. However, if it simply means that natural remedies are preferred to chemical ones, then no.
Some people believe holistic medicine dates back to ancient times. However, this is simply false. Although there were some natural remedies used by healers in ancient Egypt or Rome, these practitioners did not have scientific knowledge.
Medical practitioners started to study anatomy and physiological science in the Middle Ages. This led to the development and practice of surgery, obstetrics and pharmacology. In the 19th Century, almost all Western countries had public hospitals that could be used by trained doctors to provide medical care.
Conventional medicine is today the dominant type of healthcare. However, many still prefer to use alternative and complementary medicine. Many people find it more effective than prescription drugs.
Some people are more comfortable receiving massage therapy than taking tranquilizers. Some prefer to eat healthy food over taking prescription medication. Still, others find that regular exercise helps their bodies function at peak performance.
What is a holistic doctor?
A holistic doctor is one who treats patients holistically. They may use traditional methods such as herbs and acupuncture but integrate these into western medicine.
They are not interested in treating symptoms but rather a disease. The patient should feel better upon completion of treatment.
The doctor should not be limited to treating the disease. He or she must also work with patients to prevent future complications.
The term “holistic” means considering all aspects of a person’s life.
Statistics
- In 83% of the cases, the readers agreed. (en.wikipedia.org)
- The concept of regression toward the mean implies that an extreme result is more likely to be followed by a less extreme result. (en.wikipedia.org)
- These studies found that 38.4% concluded positive or possibly positive effects for CAM (12.4%), 4.8% concluded no effect, 0.7% concluded harmful effects, and 56.6% concluded insufficient evidence. (en.wikipedia.org)
- According to the World Health Organization, 80% of people use herbal medicine worldwide. (webmd.com)
- In the 17% in which they disagreed, a third reader agreed with one of the initial readers to set a rating. (en.wikipedia.org)
External Links
webmd.com
nccih.nih.gov
- Statistics on Complementary & Integrative Health Approaches
- Complementary, Alternative, or Integrative Health: What’s In a Name? NCCIH
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- The rise and rise of complementary and alternative medicine: a sociological perspective – PubMed
- PubMed – Holistic medicine
doi.org
How To
What should I look for when looking for a qualified holistic doctor
How can you find a qualified doctor who is skilled in holistic medicine?
Doctors who specialize in their chosen field are the best. Holistic medicine is what we are referring too. This means that doctors should be able to treat their patients holistically. It is important for them to understand how to treat the whole person, not just their symptoms. They should understand holistic health and why you want to see a holistic doctor.
Doctors must be well-versed in holistic health. They should also be familiar with complementary and other therapies (CAM), like acupuncture or chiropractic care.
Holistic health professionals should be able diagnose your condition and present the various treatment options to help you make informed decisions about your treatment options.
It is also important to ask if the doctor is certified by professional organizations, such as the American Holistic Medical Association (NCBCTM) or the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCBTMB). NBOHMCA certifies in many areas such as naturopathic medicine (naturopathy), acupuncture and homeopathy, clinical nutrition (herbalalism), and aromatherapy.
Look through our directory to find a holistic doctor in your region. If there isn’t one, you may be capable of searching online for a holistic practitioner near you.
For holistic healthcare, please contact your nearest hospital or medical center.
Visit your local library to find books and resources related to holistic health.
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