The Spiritual Trauma Thread

Great, may the Lord bless and keep you.

smh. Do you know her personally? She asked for discussion and you try to be her therapist and go on and on and here you are again.

Of course the Bible never states forgive, right? Because God just looks the other way. I don't know what her illness is and I would not hazard a guess. If you know, cause you are trying to sound like you know, you should pm her. I do not think you are helping at all.

When someone makes a post as did the op, they are not looking to be analyzed and discussed as you are doing. So do not quit your day job and do not counsel cause it is not your forte.

And I really do not like coming into this forum because of the people who think they know what is best for everyone and try to be right and the hero of the thread.

I can identify with spiritual abuse but I won't talk about it in this thread because of people who seize every opportunity to illustrate a part of the actual problem while trying to sound like they know all about it.

whatever

This thread isn't about her illness, it's about supposed spiritual leaders who did her harm, and did so when she needed support the most. So yes I condemn their actions, and offer her encouragement. But that's what brothers and sisters in Christ are supposed to do. She can speak for herself as to whether my words have done that or not.

It's not about you either. or your opinions. The Bible offers one solution in this case and it is not wishing harm on others.

Keep insisting but I'm done with it.

Do you still go to that church, just wondering.

If they dont know much about your condition they dont have a right to judge you. Some people just make snap judgements about people which is wrong, but you must forgive them for their ignorance.

move on if they dont want to know....many people still dont understand that our bodies can be fragile and weak as they assume if they are healthy everyone else ought to be and never be sick one day. Some people have strong consitutions and resent anyone else who doesnt. Being strong in the flesh doesnt necessarily mean you are strong in the spirit though.

I never insinuated that any of it is about me.
Yes the biblical solution is repentance
Bringing people to repentance isn't about their harm.
I am glad you are done.
I will never be done, I will always be there to encourage and support my brothers and sisters, and standing against those who do them harm.

I find this very ironic that you have come against me in this way.
I remember the very first post that I read, of yours. How it was against all the arguing and fighting and attacking that goes on in this forum. How we should be supporting and encouraging each other. Now you have attacked me for supporting a sister who has been victimized by the type of devourers that you so denounced then.

I understand now how you view spiritual trauma (which is a personal matter/struggle). I understood the term differently based on different articles/anecdotes I have read (primarily of emotional abuse). I am fine with contributions which fall under various definitions of "spiritual trauma," although this tread is more about emotional trauma/hurt caused by church members/other Christians, and even doctrine.

Yes I still go to this church (have gone here for the past 7 or 8 years), and this issue happened about two years ago. However, I don't really speak to the main person who was pushing her thoughts on my issue.

well if its a busybody who's got nothing better to do, but pronounce judgements on other people best ignore it. You havent asked for her counsel so its not actually really any of her business.

If your pastor or church has people in it that have the gift of healing then maybe there is something spiritual there but if not, best thing is to ask God first about it. Church shouldnt be the cause of MORE stress.

I have actually been under heavy spiritual storms the entire year of 2020 the enemy has been attacking like never before and much harsher I could write a book about the trauma I have been through this year the biggest one was not very long ago it was one december fith and I had just lost someone to suicide I was beyond destraught I was weeping and emotionally unstable I called my sister for comfort telling her I lost someone to suicide that I had been trying to help for over a year now and she wasa with her friends high on weed and she thought I said I was going to kill myself and I tried to reason with her saying that isn't what I said but she wouldn't listen.

I always struggled with suicidal thoughts tried on a few occasions but was to much of a wimp to deal with the pain but in this mental state I was just done so I thought to myself fine I will just give them that went to the kitchen and slit my arm slit my throat several times and stabbed my stomach several times our knives were dull so my arms and throat didn't bleed to much but I got a steak knife for the stabbing my mom came out of her room with me bleeding out in the kitchen and told me we are going to the emergancy room and I was so angry and destraught tired of my family never listening to me and even in my haey state I yelled at her saying why so you can put me in the hole again they have done this before when I was severely depressed and considered suicide but called them for help before I actually did it.
Anyways I stormed off walking in the neighborhood at night I blacked out somehwere near the curb and woke up with several police men saying they are calling the ambulance for me I barely understood them blacked out again and woke up in the ambulance blacked out again and apparently I went through heavy surgery because I woke up in the emercancy center in a bed with some psychologist asking me questions I couldn't really understand and blacked out again.

For the next 8 days I was in that hospital room unable to leave not able to do anything and because my past as a kid with cancer I have always been afraid of hospitals I had three panic attacks in that place and they wouldn't listen to me about my diebetes and I alsmost went to a comma three times after eight days I was sent to a kind of prison for nut jobs again they wouldn't listen to me about my diebetes and I almost had a stroke luckily after 67 days they released me

I have or had the same issue with infertility. Technically I have a diagnosis and it's hereditary so all the women in my family have it too. We all have kids but it either takes a while or we get medical treatment (as I did).

Before I had kids I thought I did something horrible to be cursed or that my faith wasn't strong. I think that's just the emotion and not actually logical.

Now that I'm a mother I don't think God changed his mind about anything. Sin is not justice. Maybe someone in my family down the road sinned or was raped having sin cast upon. I honestly don't know but its a generational curse I guess you would say. I would love to get rid of it for our whole family though.

In my case I will say there was some good that came from it. I become very close to God, to the point I could hear his voice at night and such. I also started having lucid dreams where I would control what was happening in my dreams. From the outside no one would notice much difference, but I learned to find joy and it pulled me out of my depression. It was also unlike the reality around me and I quite enjoy it. I still have lucid dreams and hear God rarely. I typically fall asleep/pass out from the day now though. I enjoy both 🤪 but my love for God grew immensely bc he lifted me up when I was at my lowest.

I want to share that spiritual trauma is ever present among believers and most families of believers. I'm sorry and I don't want to offend anyone here because the way I look at it, we are brothers and sisters in Christ. I see it that way. Although, I have always felt judged among Christians. I still do.

The church (any denomination) can be a judgemental place as much as any other. Sure, it is a place where believers gather and call on the name of the Lord and listen to and contemplate His Holy Word, but it is also a place where people meet. And people are flawed. And they tend to judge a lot. I've felt this at every Church I've visited. Sure, I've meet good hearted people and some dear friends, I won't deny that. Some gems are there and God sends them to us.

The thing is, spiritual trauma or emotional trauma caused because of a Christian environment both at the place of worship and at home often goes unnoticed and unaddressed by our family, parents and the pastors and religious heads alike. I've had low self esteem because of the way I was treated in my Church and at home because of the way in which religion and God was brought to me by my mother. Father was not religious much. Anyway.

Today, I'd just say that I'm a Christian with my Bible. I know that where I'm coming from may or may not be understood by everyone here and that's okay. God understands me better than anyone, so I can live with that. And yes, trauma can be caused knowingly or unknowingly because of the way someone shares their belief in God to someone else.

Thankfully, God brought me out of that trauma I suffered because of religion. I thank God for that. Things may be impossible for us. We are human beings. Nothing is impossible for God especially when we believe in Him.

I think in many cases trauma is caused unintentionally, but sometimes I wonder if people do it intentionally and feel secretly happy/gloat about it? One of my friend's brother committed suicide, and her church told her that he went to hell. This caused her trauma for a long time; finally she had a dream where she saw her brother in Heaven and that gave her peace. Similarly, I have a friend who likes to remind me that nonbelievers go to hell (she did this shortly after a dear family member passed). I mean, I accept that is a view of Christianity. However, this friend reminded me of this THE SAME DAY my dear family member passed (when she called to comfort me)!

Life is the greatest gift God has given human beings. Whether we are rich or poor, strong or weak, sick or healthy, ashamed or proud, we have to go forward with our lives and we will find good and happy times worth living for. We have to pray to God and ask Him to give us the patience to do that and to wait for Him so that He would give us our blessings at the right time.

I think in the entire Bible, Judas Iscariot's suicide is well known and he does it because of the guilt he feels after betraying Jesus. And Jesus also prayed for him knowing he is going to be lost and will betray Jesus before it could happen.

"While I was with them, I kept them safe by the power of your name, the name you gave me. I protected them, and not one of them was lost, except the man who was bound to be lost--so that the scripture might come true." John 17:12.

So, those who know who Jesus is and knows everything about Him and has had faith in Him and goes and commits suicide betrays Jesus. Someone who loves and believes in Jesus will wait for Him to save them, no matter how hard it is. That is our call as Christians. That's what sets us apart from those who don't believe in God.

Although it is not for us as Christians to judge who goes to heaven and who goes to hell. That is entirely up to Jesus. We are called to help each other and love each other and support and build each other's faith and lives. None of us know for certain what happens after we die and how God judges us. No one can judge us body and soul except God.

When Jesus says,"Love your neighbour as yourself," He does not specify whether they are Christians, Muslims, etc. Just as Jesus loved the people around Him, we are called to follow His example without showing favouritism. Jesus gave the most impossible commandment which we are supposed to do as Christians. To love our enemies.

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your friends, hate your enemies.’ 44 But now I tell you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may become the children of your Father in heaven. For he makes his sun to shine on bad and good people alike, and gives rain to those who do good and to those who do evil. 46 Why should God reward you if you love only the people who love you? Even the tax collectors do that! 47 And if you speak only to your friends, have you done anything out of the ordinary? Even the pagans do that! 48 You must be perfect—just as your Father in heaven is perfect. - Matthew Chapter 5:43-48

So the call to be a Christian is very hard. Alas, no one is perfect. So, we cannot go judging one another. That is not our call from God. We called to love each other as Jesus loved us and serve one another. That's the call of a Christian. End of the day, what I always remind myself is that everyone is flawed. Everyone is human. We are called to forgive those who sin against us. We are called to walk the narrow path. We are called to be merciful just as God is merciful towards us. We are called to forgive. All these are the gifts of the Holy Spirit. And if we as Christians lack these gifts, we have to pray and ask for these gifts. And we have to be aware that not every Christian is as close to God as they should be. In fact, most of us aren't for we are a work in progress.

To say it in simple layman's words, it's not our job to pass judgement on anyone. Although, we are called to be aware of what is right before our God and do right by Him so that we will save our lives both in this life and the life after this life. At least that's what I believe. What I feel is right. It need not be the be all and end all for anyone else.

People seem to think its ok to judge other people in church like its some kind of christian talent show and they are the ones rating people on who is the most christian.

I say thats totally wrong, if anything, we ought to judge our own selves first as being the worst christians and chief sinners.

The other thing is, we need to learn we cant care too much of what others think of us all the time. I can think badly of other people too, but I wont necessarily tell them what I think cos I dont have all the info. Our impressions of other people are rarely accurate. God knows better than any of us whats inside.

I often come across people who get me totally wrong, and its because they have misread or misundrstood the situation. Ive been falsely accused of stuff that Ive never even done, by people who think they know me better than I know myself lol.