Recommended Resources for Abuse
Abuse
Last updated 07/17/2024
We at the Bible Uncut and Unfiltered believe it is a holy pursuit to expose all forms of abuse (not just physical or sexual) and to educate the public on abuse, manipulation, and narcissism. Below are some other sites that exist for the purpose of educating the average person and assisting those in abusive situations. If you suspect a situation of being abusive, reach out to someone experienced in dealing with abuse. Please note that most church leaders are not experienced or qualified enough to help. While many good-natured people want to assist, abusive situations are delicate matters that require skill and training to navigate well. A wrong action can make the situation much worse, and the best resolution may not be the one most obvious to you.
Trigger Warning for discussion of abuse due to the nature of the sites.
Articles:
Coming Out to Your Parents as Non-Religious | Journey Free | Excellent advice for anyone striving to set healthy boundaries with family members who don't understand or agree with you
Best Books For Christian Women in Bad Marriages | Flying Free | An extensive book list for people who have experienced various forms of abuse, though the title is perhaps too narrow; many of the books are helpful even for people who are not "Christian women in bad marriages"
Enough is Enough: Why the Church Needs to Stop Enabling Abusive Men | Gary Thomas | A case that leaving is sometimes the best form of loving. [Note: Dr. Thomas speaks positively of couples counseling in a potentially abusive situation in this article. We do not endorse or advise anyone's partaking in couples counseling if the situation is abusive. That is almost always counter-productive.]
Secondary Wounding | Journey Free | An explanation of why people who should care can sometimes add more hurt and suggestions on how to find safe methods of expressing hurts
Spiritual Harm and Abuse Scale | Dan Koch | "A 27-item self-report inventory capturing both exposure to potentially spiritually abusive experiences in Christian church or group settings and common internal responses to such experiences"
Why Emotional and Spiritual Abuse Cause C-PTSD | Flying Free | An explanation of the connection between abusive churches and complex post traumatic stress disorder
Podcast Episodes:
I Don't Believe in That God: Joy Vetterlein (#230) | You Have Permission | The personal story of a former worship director's experience with spiritual abuse and how it affects people in church leadership
When Religion Hurts You (#229) | You Have Permission | An introduction to the concepts of spiritual abuse and religious trauma
Websites:
Courage 365 "empowers survivors of abuse to live with courage, every day."
Dare to Doubt has an abundance of resources for people "detaching from harmful belief systems."
Domestic Shelters offers education about domestic abuse and helps identify local shelters if needed.
Give Her Wings exists to help women in abusive marriages and to train laymen about domestic violence. The course offered is worthwhile for anyone who wants to better understand the issue and be a help to women in those situations.
Helping Survivors works with RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) to "help heal, educate, and empower people who have been impacted by sexual assault and abuse... regarding their legal, financial, and healthcare options."
Jimmy Hinton educates people about deception, manipulation, and abuse within relationships and churches.
Journey Free offers excellent resources for people recovering from Religious Trauma Syndrome.
One Mom's Battle is full of resources for women experiencing abusive marriages. It is especially geared toward those in the process of divorcing a narcissistic spouse.
Videos:
Let Us Prey: A Ministry of Scandals | Max | This is a four-part documentary exposing the many forms of abuse rampant in Independent Fundamental Baptist churches connected to Jack Hyles. (Subscription required)
Religious Trauma and the Nervous System | Religious Trauma Institute | RTI hosts a webinar on the long-lasting effects of adverse religious experiences. (Free account required to access)
Shiny Happy People | Amazon Prime | This is a four-part documentary exposing the abuses of the Bill Gothard cult tied to the reality tv family from 19 Kids and Counting. (Subscription required)