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theotherjudas · 7 years ago

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Remember Who You Are

I can’t tell you how many times I heard this as a kid. Mormon parents LOVE this one, don’t they? If you’re an ex-mo, I’ll bet you’ve heard it too.

Every time I left the house, my mom would call out: “Remember who you are!” Every time I’d go to hang out with friends or to a dance, “Remember who you are!” When I left for college, “Remember who you are!”

“Remember who you are.”

What a loaded phrase. Apparently straightforward. Deceptively simple.

As a teenager, I took “remember who you are” to mean, essentially, “be a good person” or, more to the point, “you’d better not get into trouble.” But as I got older, I started to unpack what was really going on.

Let’s take it piece by piece.

“REMEMBER...” Mormons, as I’m sure many of us recall, believe in a “veil of forgetfulness” that falls over the minds of our spirits when they enter mortal bodies. At birth, we “forget” everything of that existence - living with our Heavenly Father, the “war in heaven,” etc. We “forget” our true nature as sons and daughters of a loving, all-powerful god and “joint heirs with Christ” We “forget” the “Plan of Salvation.” And because we “forget” we must be taught - and that’s what the church is for - to show wayward spirits the way to eternal life.

Now, this is undeniably bullshit. Many religions make claims to earthly primacy to retroactively legitimize their “truths” of the universe and morality (ie, Catholicism claiming a direct lineage from Jesus, through the apostle Peter, to the pope today; Islam claiming to be the umbrella faith of which Judaism and Christianity are merely wayward offshoots... despite being the latest of the three middle eastern monotheistic religions to develop). Mormonism too, claims a priesthood lineage from Jesus to ol’ Joe Smith down to the prophets today. But they take it step farther(... or is is a step back?). Mormon teachings claim to tell us what happened TO US before the world even existed. The starting point of their cosmological narrative includes US.

And that puts massive pressure on TBMs. Not only are you required to live up to a strict moral code in daily life; not only do you live under intense scrutiny from your leaders and peers; BUT you must also bear the burden of your supposed spiritual legacy. To “remember who you are” means not only “you must behave the way your leaders and parents expect you to AND you must never let the “gentile world” see mormonism in a bad light through your personal actions”... it ALSO means “if you act contrary to the will of god in ANY thing, you are literally spitting in the face of your real father, god.” Do you see why family structure is so important in mormonism? Heavenly Father knows best...

In mormonism, once you “know” the truth - your spiritual origin story - the greatest sin is to deny it, to turn your back on that legacy. To become apostate. Apostasy is the worst sin a mormon can commit. Even murderers and rapists go to the lowest heaven. To deny the pre-mortal existence is to shake free of the shackles the church’s personalized self-control mechanisms. And if the church is to survive, its members cannot “forget who they are.” That is what is means to “REMEMBER.”

“...WHO YOU ARE.” Beyond selling you a narrative of your pre-earth life, mormonism also hands you a blueprint (a “script-ure,” if you will) for your mortal life. It’s all very clear, and indoctrinated into mormon kids as soon as they can talk... or rather, sing. In primary, children sing songs about getting married in the temple (creepy as fuck, toeing the line of “grooming”), about how they know the church is true (HOW???), about bishops and prophets being fathers (again, a culture of grooming, ripe for abuse to flourish), about adoring the temple, about wanting to get baptized, about having a deep testimony, about loving jesus, and on and on and on.

These are kids as young as four. How the fuck can any four-year-old understand WHAT IT MEANS to be baptized? to commit oneself to a religion they barely understand at eight, let alone at twelve or eighteen? How does a four-year-old know who jesus is, let alone what his supposed sacrifice means? How is a four-year-old supposed to have a testimony? about ANY aspect of the church’s teaching? have you read Mormon Doctrine?? it is a minefield of esoteric theology most bishops cannot parse to save their lives.

My point is that mormon children are set upon the “straight and narrow” early in life and told to never falter. And it should be easy, right? At eight, get baptized. At twelve (for young men) get the Aaronic priesthood. At eighteen, go on a mission. Return faithfully. Get married in the temple. Have a bunch of kids. Raise them in the church. Get all your temple ordinances. Pay tithing. Fulfill your callings. Endure to the end. And then you die. Easy as pie. You never have to think, never have to question - it’s all laid out for you in simple black and white.

So when mormon parens tell their kids “remember WHO YOU ARE,” what they’re really saying is “don’t do anything to jeopardize the plan.” They’re saying “remember who I WANT you to be.” Mormon parents are controlled too - I’m not saying they’re all evil (though some undoubtably are). But they literally have no conception of how to handle things if it goes off the plan. I can tell you from firsthand experience, a kid who doesn’t go on a mission can send an entire family - and entire ward! - into a frenzy.

SO. REMEMBER this instead:

YOU ARE WHOever you want to be. You are your own person, with your own identity. You don’t owe your life to ANYONE - not a parent, not a prophet.

WHO YOU ARE is up to you. Do good and you will be a good person. You are in control of your own life plan. It’s up to you to make the most of it.

REMEMBER to be true to yourself. Trust your instincts - not the “still small voice” of the church’s control - but your own sense of right and wrong.

YOU ARE WORTHY OF LOVE AND KINDNESS not because you��re following someone else’s rules, but because you are a human being. Simple as that.

Reclaim the phrase: Remember who you are. You’re you. And that’s the best thing in the universe to be.

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divinefr1 · 2 years ago

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I’m Trustless and I’m a Mormon

Hello. I’m DivineFR1, and I’m a Mormon. The bottom line is this: I no longer trust the Mormon Church. I either leave activity in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or I get excommunicated. If I were more public with my career duties, spiritual belief systems, and activism, I would eventually face the same fate in the Church as Margaret Toscano, D. Michael Quinn, Natasha Helfer Parker, John Dehlin, Sam Young, and Peter Bleakley, just to name a few. This is the story of my trust crisis and current faith transition from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I still like to believe I have a firm faith and foundation in the doctrines of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. That is kind of weird to say when I have made a major decision to not participate in the LDS Church and to not return to activity. Ultimately, I will always have “Mormon” in my identity due to my rich family heritage and personal experiences. I had every intention of remaining active for my entire life. My testimony and faith in the Restored Gospel were so strong, that they really gave me stability when none was available from other sources. I served a mission faithfully and diligently. I married in the Temple. I respected and honored my covenants. My covenants were the pillar of my faith to maintain activity. As I write this letter, I am heartbroken, tenderhearted, frustrated, and devastated. Yet, I also feel a great sense of gratitude and joy. I just hope I can convey a sense of understanding while sharing my story.

Over the last 5 years, so many of my experiences in and about the Church have led to this remarkable decision and outcome. In fact, it seems that it is an “inevitable” decision (as so many others who have made their own faith transition have put it). Contrary to what many believe, it was my personal study, commitment, and pondering of the doctrine and scripture of the Restored Gospel that led me out. It was official Church sources that led me out of activity. It is to the point that I cannot stay if I have any faith or intention of keeping any semblance of spiritual progress or health.

If someone were to tell me that I would leave the Church even two years ago, I would not have believed it was even possible. I was strong and active. Yet, I had my concerns but trusted in my faith, in my covenants, and in my Gospel Study practices enough to remain “faithful.” I was a person that so many other members leaned on for strength in their own struggles of activity. There seems to always be a “but.” I had experiences within my activity in the Church that were directly against what I know and trusted to be doctrine and essential principles of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. These were contrary actions and experiences that the leadership of the Church themselves engaged in.

When my spouse and I entered our marriage and our first family ward after being in a Young Single Adult Ward, we experienced some difficulties that could not be swept away as a leader’s “imperfections”. My mantra had always been, “The people in the Church aren’t perfect, but the Church is perfect.” Jesus Christ is the head of the Church after all, right? We seemed to be targets of ecclesiastical abuse, along with other Millennial couples and marginalized families. My Spouse and I continued to experience or witness ecclesiastical abuse from our Bishop in this Ward, even through the COVID-19 pandemic. The actions we directly experienced, heard about, and even witnessed led to us considering whether the Leadership of the Church was even practicing doctrinal counsel as laid out in the New Testament, Book of Mormon, and especially the Doctrine and Covenants.

I, along with several other members of our Ward, individually shared our troubling experiences and concerns with the Stake President. The takeaway from these meetings was that the Stake President expressed compassion and concern for our experiences. He listened and told me that he would follow up in his capacity. Yet the actions from that Bishop continued, and even escalated in serious and illegal ways over time.

My Spouse and I raised our hands to oppose the sustaining of this Bishopric in the last Ward Conference we attended (February 2022). In that meeting, I implored the Stake President to keep the targeted members in that Ward safe. I told him in this meeting and one previously that there was a family who seemed to be taking much of the brunt of this Bishop’s abuse. They especially needed to be kept safe. The Stake President stated that he would continue to do what he was doing: minister to this family, and to this Bishop. Not even two months after this meeting, I found out from this dear friend that she and her son were endangered by this Bishop- to the point of this Bishop engaging in illegal actions as a practice of his ecclesiastical authority over this family. The Bishop engaged in actions contrary to the counsel laid out in the Church doctrine, and he could not be stopped until it was too late. I don’t blame the Stake President for this. He likely had his counsel from the General Authority Area Presidency. I now no longer trust that the General Leadership system of the Church can and will protect its members against ecclesiastical abuse that Priesthood leaders can and do engage in. Where is the application of leading Gospel principles when dealing with very apparent unrighteous dominion from local Church leaders (that was repeatedly reported from several members over years)? [i]

When I began to open myself up to asking questions of the systemic leadership practices of the Church, I allowed myself to delve deeper into other questions. More questions and concerns arose in late 2020 due to the disconnect of the Church’s revenue/wealth and how much members were paying into the Church. These concerns generally came to a head when we were “voluntold” to clean the church building- in the middle of a major worldwide pandemic. I had an infant. I work with a population that is particularly vulnerable to death from COVID-19 and other communicable diseases. I did not, and would not, help clean these Church buildings anymore. It is not worth the health of my family, or the people I serve in a professional capacity. I know the Church can afford to employ insured custodial agencies to clean all of their church buildings in the USA (and in the world). Hey, it’s a 100-billion-dollar corporation! Why in the world, if the Church claims to take care of their members and be concerned about their health, require and ask for them to clean the buildings?? To risk their own health and family to clean a community building??? When the Ensign Peak funds were initially leaked, I trusted the response and claims the Church put forth. Elder Causé stated in the Church’s official video response to the Ensign Peak leak a few years ago that this was essentially a savings fund for when a “rainy day” hit.[ii] Wouldn’t a pandemic be considered enough of a “rainy day” for them to use their so-called “savings” from Ensign Peak? If a global pandemic is not enough, then what is?

My “aha moment” of the Church refusing to employ insured custodial agencies, especially during a pandemic, led me to further investigate their use of wealth that I could no longer dismiss or ignore. LDS scriptures clearly state that the sole dependence on wealth is sinful and against the teachings of Christ and His Gospel.[iii] [iv] [v] Yet, the Church is engaging in actions and practices to protect their wealth with no consideration of the poor, underprivileged, needy, or marginalized. The Quorum of the Apostles earn a 6-figure allowance for their “service.” [vi] This is on top of their already accumulated wealth from their jobs before their apostolic callings, retirement funds from said affluent careers, and other investments. At least one of the Quorum of the Twelve is already valued at almost one billion US dollars of personal wealth before being called as an Apostle (I.e., Gary Stevenson). [vii] The church recently increased their monthly price for young missionaries to serve a mission (from $400 to $500/month). [viii] This is at a time when every community in the world is experiencing added financial stress and turmoil. A time when there should not be added burden from the “true church of God” to participate in missionary service. A former prophet stated that there would be a time that the Church could afford to operate without any tithing donations, and that the Church would stop asking members to donate tithes. [ix] Yet, we have a current apostle who stated that the Church doesn’t need tithing donations anymore, but members are still expected to pay (even members who earn less than $5/day for their full-time work). [x] [xi] So, a prophet’s powerful prophecy seems to be fulfilled, but ignored by his successors in Church leadership. I cannot trust an organization that repeatedly contradicts former prominent leaders. I cannot continue to trust an organization that accumulates wealth in a way the LDS church does, and does not use it to do good in the world. The church could be earning more than an estimated $13 billion annually from membership donations across the world. [xii] In 2020, the Church used less than even $30,000,000 of reported monetary spending to aid communities and people and need during the start of the pandemic worldwide. [xiii] A fraction of one single percent of their income and wealth is going towards the actual welfare of who they call the Children of God- people of the world.

Speaking of the welfare of the children of God, the events of August 2022 sealed my fate to my exit and transition from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. [xiv] It was the Church’s official responses that led me out, not any other sources (besides my own actions concerning the matter). Any leaders in an organization that would sincerely try to act in good conscience and be active in protecting the vulnerable would do the opposite of what the Church has reported. [xv] A “Perfect” church led by imperfect people would be very appalled at the violent abuse reported that occurred in a span of almost a decade. They would be doing all they could to ensure the safety and protection of that (and other) family’s children. Instead, the leaders admitted they knew about the report to the Church’s Help Line. But, all they said they did to help protect those kids was they encouraged the parents -- THE ABUSERS -- to get the kids into therapy so the psychologists would report the abuse. Talk about shirking responsibility in protecting children and the vulnerable. The admission lies in the face of how the abuse cycle works. Repeated studies and evidence show that abusers will isolate their victims. They rarely, if ever, place their victims in a situation where the victims would be helped to escape the abuse, such as mental health therapies. [xvi] How disingenuous the official response is against how to effectively protect people against violent (or any) abuse. The Church had so much power and resources to stop the abuse in its tracks. Yet, they allowed it to continue for over SEVEN YEARS because of some sort of “repentance process” for the abusers??? Sure, they didn’t “break any laws.” However, how does this response show that the Church leadership follows the counsel in the scriptures of acting on a good cause? Of not being compelled to do good in all things? [xvii] [xviii]

I am employed on professional work teams to ensure that abuse from others against a vulnerable population is prevented and reported when it does occur. How can I continue to participate in an organization that says that abuse is abhorrent and unacceptable, but engages in actions that fosters and allows long-term abuse? How can I continue to participate in a religious organization that says one thing about honesty and goodness, but does the opposite? I am angry, heartbroken, and devastated. I spent my entire memory of life in this church, thinking, searching, and believing that this Church (my Church) was one of the greatest sources for good. That it is active in helping bring the marginalized out of marginalization. That this church aims to help protect against and prevent abuse of all kinds. That the Church uses the money donated by its members to be a force of great relief for those in dire need across the world. That it uses the great talents and input from others to make a better world. It is clear to me now it truly does none of those things effectively.

I do not sustain or support the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and the Quorums of the 70s. I do not trust them to have interest in my or others’ full well-being. I am by nature an intellectual with a spiritual side, thanks in large part to my upbringing in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is because of that spiritual intellectualism that I started to consider and delve deeper into “Church-approved” sources than ever before in the last year. The deeper I got, the farther I ran away from my trust in the General Leaders of the Church. The farther I went, the farther I knew I could not and do not trust the Church or its leadership systems. I cannot walk the line of my God-given talents to support the needy while maintaining active membership in the Church. I will not. I cannot walk the line of advocacy for the vulnerable and marginalized while maintaining active membership in the Church. I will not. I cannot remain active in this Church. I will not continue my life as an active Mormon, because I am ultimately trustless and Mormon.

Endnotes:

[i] Doctrine and Covenants 121:36-37, 41-42. “The rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness. That they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man. … No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile.”

[ii] https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/church-of-jesus-christ-finances

[iii] Matthew 19:16-24 (KJV). And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wild enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell all that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

[iv] 1 Timothy 6:10 (KJV). For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

[v] Jacob 2:18-19. 18 But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God. And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to ado good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted.

[vi] https://faq.churchofjesuschrist.org/do-general-authorities-get-paid

[vii] https://www.hjnews.com/news/local/debut-stock-offering-by-logan-based-ifit-could-make-latter-day-saint-apostle-almost-a/article_98990e5c-9afa-5dff-bbfb-3460db886744.html

[viii] https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/church/news/first-presidency-announces-increase-in-monthly-missionary-contribution?lang=eng

[ix] Joseph F. Smith, April 5th, 1907, General Conference Address, Page 7. “Furthermore, I want to say to you, we may not be able to reach it right away, but we expect to see the day when we will not have to ask you for one dollar of donation for any purpose, except that which you volunteer to give of your own accord, because we will have tithes sufficient in the storehouse of the Lord to pay everything that is needful for the advancement of the kingdom of God. I want to live to see that day, if the Lord will spare my life. It does not make any difference, though, so far as that is concerned, whether I live or not. That is the true policy, the true purpose of the Lord in the management of the affairs of His Church.”

[x] David A Bednar. National Press Club conference, May 26, 2022. Live feed 51:22. “The Church doesn’t need their money, but those people need the blessings that come from obeying God’s commandments.” (Emphasis added)

[xi] https://www.paylab.com/top-salaries/rankings/top-20-countries-lowest-salary?lang=en

[xii] Since the LDS Church is not public about their finances worldwide, I had to make some rough estimations as follows:

Roughly 6.8 Mil LDS members in US.

Average wage index in US: $60,575. (https://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/AWI.html)

Estimate average tithe donors: 30% of church members

30% x 6.8mil = 2.04mil tithe donors

10% x $60,575 = $6,575 tithing donation for each average US wage.

2.04mil x $6,575 = $13,413,000,000

Estimated Tithing income from US based on average wage index: $13,413,000,000

United Kingdom tithing income from 2021: $34,408,000. (Based on government-mandated financial reports)

Australia donation income from 2021: Estimated $35mil (Based on government-mandated financial reports)

Canada donation income from 2020: Estimated $179mil (Based on government-mandated financial reports)

[xiii] https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/latter-day-saint-charities-boosts-global-efforts-2020

[xiv] https://apnews.com/article/Mormon-church-sexual-abuse-investigation-e0e39cf9aa4fbe0d8c1442033b894660

https://apnews.com/article/Mormon-church-sexual-abuse-takeaways-f01fba7521ddddffa89622668b54ac10

[xv] https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/church-offers-statement-help-line-abuse

https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/church-provides-further-details-about-arizona-abuse-case

[xvi] https://www.kgfamilylaw.com/the-role-of-isolation-in-domestic-violence

[xvii] Alma 32:16. “Therefore, blessed are they who humble themselves without being compelled to be humble…”

[xviii] LDS Doctrine and Covenants 58:26. “For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward.”

#pimo #exmormon #exmo #mormon #former mormon #ex lds

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eve-ate-the-right-fruit · 4 years ago

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stop labeling organizations, label behaviors instead

In all my blogging about being a queer member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I’ve never given my opinion on whether the church is a cult or not, mostly because I think there’s more nuance to the topic than that. In my experience with the church, where I’ve been encouraged to learn and figure things out for myself, where I’m out and proud to my local congregation, where I openly say I don’t agree with church leaders on quite a few issues, I can’t honestly describe it as cultish.

BUT, my experience is only one out of many, and there are others who’ve left the church following ecclesiastical abuse. If you have survived this kind of abuse, and it helps you to label your harmful experience as cultish, then you absolutely should.

We all should know how to identify abusive behaviors from anyone, whether done as part of a religious institution or not. Even if I don’t consider my overall experience in the church cultish, there are toxic aspects of the church that I make a point of pushing back against, where I have to say, “This is the kind of behavior that makes people think we’re a cult.” And I keep finding church members who agree with me. We want to make our spiritual home as safe as we can for as many as possible, because caring for each other is the best way to practice our religion.

#queerstake #the church of jesus christ of latter day saints #cult

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samwisethewitch · 4 years ago

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Coping with religious trauma

CONTENT WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS DISCUSSIONS OF MENTAL ILLNESS, TRAUMA RECOVERY, AND HOMOPHOBIA. The advice in this post is intended for an adult audience, not for those who are legal minors.

A lot of people find their way to paganism after having traumatic experiences with organized religion, especially in countries like the United States, where 65% of the population identifies as Christian. (This number is actually at an all-time low — historically, the percentage has been much higher.) Paganism, which is necessarily less dogmatic and hierarchical than Christianity, offers a chance to experience religion without having to fit a certain mold. This can be extremely liberating for people who have felt hurt, abused, or ignored by mainstream religion.

To avoid making generalizations that might offend people, I’ll share my own story as an example.

My family joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, better known as the Mormons, when I was nine years old. The Mormons are an extremely conservative sect of evangelical Christianity that places a heavy emphasis on maintaining a strong community that upholds their religious values. The problem with that is that Mormon values are inherently racist, sexist, homophobic, and transphobic. As a teenager in the Mormon Church, I was told that as a woman, my only purpose in life was to marry a (Mormon) man and raise (Mormon) children. I was discouraged from pursuing a college education if it meant delaying marriage. I was not allowed to participate in the full extent of religious ritual because I was not a man. I was not allowed to express myself in ways that went against Mormon culture, and I kept my bisexuality secret for fear I would be ostracized. I didn’t have any sort of support system outside the Church, which inevitably made the mental health issues that come with being a queer woman in a conservative Christian setting much, much worse.

I left the Mormons when I was seventeen, and by that time I had some major issues stemming from my time in the Church. I had been extremely depressed and anxious for most of my teen years. I struggled with internalized misogyny and homophobia. I had very low self-esteem. I had anxiety around sex and sexuality that would take years of therapy and self-work to overcome. I wanted to form a connection with the divine, but I wasn’t sure if I was worthy of such a connection.

I was attracted to paganism, specifically Wicca, because it seemed like everything Mormonism wasn’t. Wicca teaches equality between men and women, with a heavy focus on the Goddess in worship. It places an emphasis on doing what is right for you, as long as it doesn’t harm anyone else. It encourages sexuality and healthy sexual expression. Learning about Wicca, and later other types of paganism, helped me develop the kind of healthy spirituality I’d never experienced as a Mormon. Although Wicca is no longer the backbone of my religious practice, it was a necessary and deeply healing step on my spiritual journey.

I’m not sharing my story to gain sympathy or to make anyone feel bad — I’m sharing it because my situation is not an uncommon one in pagan circles. The vast majority of pagans are converts, meaning they didn’t grow up pagan. Some had healthy upbringings in other faiths, or no faith at all, and simply found that paganism was a better fit for them. Others, like myself, had deeply traumatic experiences with organized religion and are attracted to paganism because of the freedom, autonomy, and empowerment it offers.

If you fall into this latter category, this post is for you. Untangling the threads of religious trauma can be an extremely difficult and overwhelming task. In this post, I lay out six steps to recovery based on my own experiences and those of other people, both pagan and non-pagan, who have lived through religious trauma.

While following these steps will help jumpstart your spiritual healing, it’s important to remember that healing is not a linear process — especially healing from emotional, mental, and spiritual trauma. You may have relapses, you may feel like you’re moving in circles, and you may still have bad days in five or ten years. That’s okay. That’s part of the healing process. Go easy on yourself, and let your journey unfold naturally.

Step One: Cut all ties with the group that caused your trauma

Or, at least, cut as many ties as reasonably possible.

Obviously, if you’re still participating in a religious organization that has caused you pain, the first step is to leave! But before you do, make sure you have an exit plan to help you disengage safely and gracefully.

To make your exit plan, start by asking yourself what the best, worst, and most likely case scenarios are, and be honest in your answers. Obviously, the best case scenario is that you leave, everyone accepts it, and all is well. The worst case scenario is that someone tries to prevent you from leaving — you may be harassed by missionaries or concerned churchgoers, for example. But what is the most likely case scenario? That depends on the religious community, their beliefs, and how involved you were in the first place. When making your exit plan, prepare for the most likely scenario, but have a backup plan in case the worst case scenario happens.

Once you’ve prepared yourself for the best, worst, and most likely outcomes, choose a friend, significant other, or family member who can help you make your exit. Ideally, this person is not a member of the group you are trying to leave. Their role is mainly to provide emotional support, although they may also need to be willing to run off any well-meaning missionaries who come calling. This person can also help you transition after you leave. For example, you might make a plan to get coffee with them every week during the time your old religious community holds worship services.

Finally, make your strategy for leaving. Choose a date and don’t put it off! If you have any responsibilities within the group, send in a letter of resignation. Figure out who you’ll need to have conversations with about your leaving — this will likely include any family members or close friends who are still part of the group. Schedule those conversations. Make sure to have them in public places, where people will be less likely to make a scene.

If you feel it is necessary, you may want to request that your name be removed from the group’s membership records so you don’t get emails, phone calls, or friendly visits from them in the future. You may not feel the need to do this, but if contact with the group triggers a mental health crisis, this extra step will help keep you safe.

Of course, it’s not always possible to completely cut ties with a group after leaving. You may have family members, a significant other, or close friends who are still members. If this is the case, you’ll need to establish some clear boundaries. Politely but firmly tell them that, although you’re glad their faith adds value to their lives, you are not willing to be involved in their religious activities. Let them know that this is what is best for your mental and emotional health and that you still value your relationship with them.

Try to make compromises that allow you to preserve the relationship without exposing you to a traumatic religious environment. For example, if your family is Christian and always spends all day on Christmas at church, offer to celebrate with them the day after, once their religious commitments are over.

Hopefully, your loved ones can respect these boundaries. If not, you may need to distance yourself or walk away altogether. If they are knowingly undermining your attempts to take care of yourself, they don’t deserve to be in your life.

During this time, you may find it helpful to read other people’s exit stories online or in books. One of my personal favorites is the book Girl at the End of the World by Elizabeth Esther. Hearing other people’s stories can help you remember that other people have been through similar situations and made it out on the other side. You will too.

Step Two: Seek professional help

I cannot overstate the importance of professional counseling when dealing with trauma of any kind, including religious trauma. Therapists and counselors have the benefit of professional training. They are able to be objective, since they’re approaching the situation from the outside. They can keep you from getting bogged down in your own thoughts and feelings.

I understand that not everyone has access to therapy. I am very lucky to have insurance that covers mental health counseling, but I know not everyone has that privilege. However, there are some options that make therapy more affordable.

There may be an organization in your area that offers free or low-cost therapy — if you live in the U.S., you can find information about these services by checking the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) HelpLine or visiting mentalhealth.gov. You can also look for therapists who use a sliding scale for payment, which means they determine an hourly rate based on the client’s income.

If none of those options work for you, the next best option is to join a support group. Support groups allow you to connect with other people whose experiences are similar to yours and, unlike therapy, they allow you to get advice and feedback from multiple people. These groups are often free, although some charge a small fee.

Finding the right group for you is important. You’re unlikely to find a group for people recovering from religious trauma but, depending on the nature of your trauma, you may fit right in with a grief and loss group, an addiction recovery group, or a group for adult survivors of child abuse. If you’re a member of the LGBTQ+ community, you may be able to find a queer support group. (The LGBTQ+ club at my college was an invaluable resource in my recovery!) Depending on your area, you may also be able to find groups for specific mental and emotional issues like depression or anxiety.

Make sure to do your research before attending a meeting. Find out what, if anything, the group charges, who can join, and whether they use a curriculum or have unstructured sessions. See if you can find a statement about their values and philosophy. Make a note of where meetings are held and of who is running the group. Some support groups meet in churches and may or may not have a religious element to their curriculum. It’s best to avoid religious groups — the last thing you need right now is to be preached to.

Getting other people involved in your recovery will make you feel less alone and prevent you from getting stuck in your own head. A good therapist, counselor, or support group can help you realize what you need to work on and give you ideas for how to approach it.

Step Three: Deprogramming

“Deprogramming” refers to the practice of undoing brainwashing and reintroducing healthy thought patterns. This term is normally used in the context of cult survivors and their recovery, but deprogramming techniques can also be helpful for people recovering from a lifetime of toxic religious rhetoric.

To begin the process of deprogramming, familiarize yourself with the way organizations use thought control to shape the behavior of their members. I recommend starting with the work of Steven Hassan — his BITE model is a handy way to classify types of thought control.

The BITE model lays out four types of control. There’s Behavior Control, which controls what members do and how they spend their free time. (For example, requiring members to attend multiple hours-long meetings each week.) There’s Information Control, which restricts members’ access to information. (For example, denying certain aspects of the group’s history.) There’s Thought Control, which shapes the way members think. (For example, classifying certain thoughts as sinful or dirty.) And finally there’s Emotional Control, which manipulates members’ emotions. (For example, instilling fear of damnation or punishment.)

Here’s a simple exercise to get you started with your deprogramming. Divide a blank sheet of paper into four equal sections. Label one section “Behavior,” one “Information,” one “Thought,” and one “Emotions.” Now, in each section, make a list of the ways your old religious group controlled — and maybe still controls — that area of your life. Once you’ve completed your lists, choose a single item from one of your lists to work on undoing.

For example, let’s say that in your “Information” column, you’ve written that you were discouraged from reading certain books because they contained “evil” ideas. (For me, this was The Golden Compass.) Pick up one of those books, and read it or listen to it as an audiobook. Once you’ve read it, write down your thoughts. Did you enjoy it? Why or why not? Why do you think your group banned it? What was in this book that they didn’t want you to know about? Write it down.

Once you’ve worked on the first thing, choose something else. Keep going until you’ve undone all the items on your lists.

If you want to go further with deprogramming, I recommend the book Recovering Agency by Luna Lindsey. Although this book is specifically written for former Mormons, I genuinely believe it would be helpful to former members of other controlling religious groups as well. Lindsey does an excellent job of explaining how thought control works and of connecting it to real world examples, as well as deconstructing those ideas. Her book has been a huge help in my recovery process, and I highly recommend it.

Step Four: Replace toxic beliefs and practices with healthy ones

This goes hand-in-hand with step three, and if you’re already working on deprogramming then you’ll already have started replacing your unhealthy beliefs. This is the turning point in the recovery process. You’re no longer just undoing what others have done to you — now you get an opportunity to decide what you want to believe and do going forward. This is the time to let go of things like denial of your desires, fear of divine punishment, and holding yourself to unattainable standards. Get used to living in a way that makes you happy, without guilt.

Notice how each step builds on the previous steps. Therapy and deprogramming can help you identify what beliefs and behaviors need to be adjusted or replaced. Your therapist, support group, and/or emotional support person can help you make these changes and follow through on them.

These new beliefs and practices don’t have to be religious — in fact, it’s better if they aren’t. If you can live a healthy, happy, balanced life without religion, you’ll be in a better position to choose a religion that is the right fit for you, if that is something you want.

Your new healthy, non-religious practices may include: mindfulness meditation, nature walks, journaling, reading, exercise, energy work, learning a hobby or craft, or spending time with loves ones — or it might include none of these things, and that’s okay too. Now is the time to find what brings you joy and start doing it every day.

Step Five: Ritual healing

This is an optional step, but it’s one that has been deeply healing for me. You may find it helpful to design and perform a ritual to mark your recovery.

Note that when I say “ritual,” I don’t necessarily mean magic. Rituals serve a psychological purpose as well as a spiritual one. They can act as powerful symbolic events that mark a turning point in our lives or reinforce what we already know and believe. Even if you don’t believe in magic, even if you’re the least spiritual person you know, you can still benefit from ritual.

You might choose to perform a ritual to finalize your healing, or to symbolically throw off the chains of your old religion. It can be elaborate or simple, long or short, joyful or solemn. It might include lighting a candle and saying a few words. It might include ecstatic dance. It might include drawing or painting a representation of all the negative emotions associated with your old religion, then ritually destroying it. The possibilities are literally endless. (If you’re looking for ritual ideas, I recommend the book Light Magic for Dark Times by Lisa Marie Basile.)

One type of ritual that some people find very empowering is unbaptism. An unbaptism is exactly what it sounds like — the opposite of a baptism. The idea is that, if a baptism makes a Christian, an unbaptism makes someone un-Christian, no longer part of that lineage. It is a ritual rejection of Christianity. (Obviously, this only applies if you’re a former Christian, though some of the following suggestions could be adjusted to fit a rejection of other religions.)

If you’re interested in unbaptism, here are some ideas for how it could be done:

A classic method of unbaptism is to recite the Lord’s Prayer backwards under a full moon. (For a non-Christian version, use a significant prayer from whatever religion you have left.)

Run a bath. Add a tiny pinch of sulfur (a.k.a. brimstone) to the water. Get into the bath and say, “By water I was baptized, and by water my baptism is rejected.” Submerge your entire body under the water for several seconds. When you come back up, your unbaptism is complete. (You may want to shower after this one. Sulfur does not smell good.)

The Detroit Satanic Temple has a delightfully dramatic unbaptism ritual. For a DIY version, you will need holy water or some other relic from the faith you were baptized in, a fireproof dish, a black candle, and an apple or other sweet fruit. Light the candle and place it in your fireproof dish. Toss some holy water onto the flame (not enough to extinguish it) and say, “I cast my chains into the dust of hell.” Take a bite of the apple and say, “I savor the fruit of knowledge and disobedience.” Finally, declare proudly, “I am unbaptized.” You can add “in the name of Satan” at the end or leave it out, depending on your comfort level.

Personally, I’ve never felt the need to unbaptize myself. I’ve ritually rejected my Mormon upbringing in other ways. Maybe someday I’ll decide to go for the unbaptism, but I’ve never really felt like I needed it. Likewise, you’ll need to decide for yourself what ritual(s) will work for you.

Step Six: Honor your recovery

Our first reaction to trauma is to hide it away and never speak of it again. When we do this, we do ourselves a disservice. Your recovery is a part of your life story. You had the strength to walk away from a situation that was hurting you, and that deserves to be celebrated! Be proud of yourself for how far you’ve come!

You may choose to honor your recovery by celebrating an important date every year, like the day you decided to leave the group, the date of the last meeting you attended, or the date you were removed from the membership records. Keep this celebration fun and light — get drinks with friends, bake a cake for yourself, or just take a few moments to silently acknowledge your journey.

If you feel like having a party is a bit much, you can also honor your recovery by talking to other people about your experiences. Share your story with others. If you’re feeling shy, try sharing your story anonymously online. (Reddit has several forums specifically for anonymous stories.) You’ll be amazed by how validating it can be to tell people what you’ve been through. `

Another way to honor your recovery is to work for personal and religious freedom for all people. Protest laws with religious motivations. Donate to organizations that campaign for the separation of church and state. Educate people about how to recognize an unhealthy religious organization. Let your own story motivate you to help others who are in similar situations.

And most of all, take joy in your journey. Be proud of yourself for how far you’ve come, but know that your recovery is a lifelong journey. Be gentle and understanding with yourself. You are doing what is right for you, and no god or spirit worthy of worship could ever be upset by that.

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pashterlengkap · 3 years ago

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Protestors demand end to law that allows Mormon Church to not report child abuse

Mormon leaders and sex abuse survivors are protesting Utah state legislators to change a law that allows church officials not to report any admissions of child sexual abuse that occur during a religious confession. The protests have occurred amidst an investigative report by the AP which accused the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (the Mormon Church) of misusing an internal reporting helpline “to divert abuse accusations against church members away from law enforcement and instead to church attorneys, who may bury the problem, leaving victims in harm’s way.” The AP’s report examined child sex abuse lawsuits against the church. One such lawsuit, brought by the molested children of convicted sex abuser Paul Douglas Adams, accused the church of allowing their molestation to continue even after Adams’ admitted the abuse to church Bishop John Herrod. The bishop followed church policy and contacted the Mormon Abuse Helpline. The helpline is staffed by social workers who refer reports of abuse to church attorneys in Salt Lake City. The church says all helpline calls are protected by attorney-client privilege. The line’s workers also destroy all call records on a daily basis, leaving them unavailable to prosecutors or victims’ attorneys. The church attorneys said that because Adams’ admission to the crime occurred during a confession, Bishop Herrod and his fellow Bishop Robert Mauzy were legally bound to keep the abuse secret under clergy-penitent privilege. Adams continued molesting his kids for seven more years until he was arrested in 2017 with no help from the church. Judge Wallace Hoggatt called the children’s abuse “one of the most horrendous cases of child molestation” he’s ever presided over. In their lawsuit, Adams’ children allege, “The Mormon Church implements the Helpline not for the protection and spiritual counseling of sexual abuse victims… but for (church) attorneys to snuff out complaints and protect the Mormon Church from potentially costly lawsuits.” Over 20 U.S. states have laws requiring clergy and medical professionals who work with children to report any reasonable belief of child abuse or neglect to police or the state Department of Child Safety. However, the laws contain loopholes allowing clergy to withhold the info if the church determines it’s “reasonable and necessary” to do so under church doctrine, the AP reported. The church has said that its helpline “has everything to do with protecting children and has nothing to do with cover-up.” “These bishops did nothing wrong. They didn’t violate the law, and therefore they can’t be held liable,” Mormon church attorney William Maledon said. Among the victims, protesters, and legislators fighting to change the law are Miranda and Matthew Whitworth, a couple who adopted Adams’s youngest daughter at age two. “We just don’t understand why [the church is] paying all these lawyers to fight this,” Matthew Whitworth said. “Just change the policy.” Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R) and lawmakers from various religions and political affiliations have supported changing the law. Utah state Rep. Angela Romero (D) told Religious News Service, “I’m tired of making excuses for perpetrators.” Her proposal to reform the law has Mormon support, she added. Stuart Smith, a former Mormon bishop, also supports changing the church’s abuse reporting guidelines. “Such a requirement, codified in state law, may have the additional benefit of allowing the helpline for bishops now operated by the LDS church to better perform its stated purpose — which is to provide expertise and resources to help the victims of abuse,” Smith said. http://dlvr.it/SXLNKR

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automatismoateo · 3 years ago

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Protesters demand Utah require clergy to report sex abuse and rally against a state law that exempts Mormon leaders from being required to report child sexual abuse. via /r/atheism

Protesters demand Utah require clergy to report sex abuse and rally against a state law that exempts Mormon leaders from being required to report child sexual abuse.

https://religionnews.com/2022/08/22/protesters-demand-utah-require-clergy-to-report-sex-abuse/

Survivors and faith leaders rallied Friday at the Utah State Capitol to demand change to a state law that exempts religious leaders from requirements that they report child sexual abuse brought to their attention in spiritual confessions.

“If we as a people, as churches and as a state are failing to protect our children, then we are failing,” Lindsey Lundholm, the rally’s organizer, told an audience of more than 100 in Salt Lake City that included survivors of abuse applauding while tears streamed down their faces.

Lundholm spoke of her firsthand experience of abuse growing up in Idaho as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As a young girl and member of the faith widely known as the Mormon church, she said she told a local bishop about her abuse and instead of reporting it to law enforcement, the bishop guided her abuser to seek forgiveness from God.

Submitted August 22, 2022 at 05:14PM by Leeming (From Reddit https://ift.tt/PJsnLhA)

#reddit

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nerdygaymormon · 4 years ago

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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints put out a list of examples showing religious freedom is being challenged or curtailed. Each example is losing the freedom to discriminate against LGBTQ people without consequence. Seems this is what the Church has reduced what religious freedom means.

I thought knowing more about each example the Church listed would be useful to understand the multiple kinds of situations the Church thinks queer people should be discriminated against.

The Obama administration issued a policy to forbid federal contractors from refusing to hire homosexuals, the president of Gordon College signed onto a letter seeking a religious exemption and this led to a lot of criticism from alumni and students. As a result, the accrediting agency requested a review of the school’s conduct policy “to ensure that the college’s policies and processes are non-discriminatory and that it ensures its ability to foster an atmosphere that respects and supports people of diverse characteristics and backgrounds, consistent with the commission’s standards for accreditation.” While the accrediting agency said Gordon College’s accreditation wasn’t in danger, the College agreed to launch a campus taskforce on human sexuality to identify protocol improvements in on-campus living, education, and campus to “demonstrate greater pastoral sensitivity on issues surrounding human sexuality.”

The chief of Atlanta’s fire department wrote a book in which he referred to homosexuality as "unclean," "a sexual perversion," "vulgar" and "inappropriate." The mayor fired the chief and the chief took the city to court and lost a half dozen legal arguments, the city only lost on its pre-clearance rules for outside employment. The court said the fire chief’s status made it "not unreasonable for the city to fear" his views might cause "public erosion of trust in the fire department."

The Hastings College of the Law had a nondiscrimination policy that required recognized student organizations to "allow any student to participate, become a member, or seek leadership positions in the organization" regardless of the beliefs or status of that student. The Christian Legal Society (CLS) violated the policy by requiring students who join to “agree with its statement of beliefs about God and adhere to its standards of sexual conduct.” CLS took the school to court, and the US Supreme Court ruled against CLS and said the school was treating all student groups equally.

A lesbian from Oceanside, California was treated for infertility at the only clinic in her area that accepted her insurance. The 2 physicians at the clinic refused to perform artificial insemination because they claimed such treatment to an unmarried person violated their Christian religious beliefs. The lesbian took the clinic to court for violating the state’s Civil Rights law that prohibits businesses from discriminating on the basis of sex, gender, sexual orientation, race, and ethnicity. The state supreme court ruled unanimously in favor of the lesbian.

New York City was worried about violating the US Constitution’s Establishment Clause, and therefore prohibited holding worship services in the City's public schools. The Bronx Household of Faith had been meeting in the pastor’s dining room and was finding it too expensive to lease a space and applied to rent a school building on Sundays. The courts upheld the City’s ban, the US Supreme Court refused to accept the case and let the ruling stand. Since then, the city has decided to allow religious groups to rent school buildings on the weekend.

A graduate student in Eastern Michigan State University’s counseling program was assigned a client who’d previously been counseled about a gay relationship. The grad student notified her supervisor she couldn’t counsel him because of her religious beliefs. EMU’s counseling program adheres to the ACA Code of Ethics, which requires not discriminating against clients on the basis of “age, culture, disability, ethnicity, race, religion/spirituality, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status/partnership, language preference, socioeconomic status or any basis proscribed by law.” The student refused to to work with the university to resolve the issue and was kicked out of the program. Due to the publicity, the state of Michigan passed a bill to let students refuse to counsel or serve a client if it conflicts with heir sincerely held religious belief if the student refers the client to a counselor who will provide the counseling or services.

Kentucky Baptist Homes for Children is the state’s largest provider of services to children in crisis, which includes providing homes to abused, abandoned, or neglected children. An employee was fired when her coworkers discovered photos of her with her lesbian partner at the Kentucky State Fair. In response to the firing, 5 employees resigned, and the social work programs from Spalding University and University of Louisville withdrew their students from working with them. The fired employee sued but lost, however, the lawsuit has led to the state requiring faith-based groups that contract with the state to not pressure children in their care to participate in religious services and to give religious materials only to those who want them.

Yeshiva University is a private Jewish university in New York City, about 80% of the undergraduate student populations live on campus. Two lesbian students sued the university for barring same-sex couples from living in its subsidized, on-campus married-student housing. New York City’s civil-rights law prohibits discrimination based on personal characteristics, such as race, age, gender and sexual orientation. Yeshiva required a marriage certificate and at the time New York State didn’t legally recognize gay marriage. However, the state supreme court ruled that Yeshiva violated New York City's ban on sexual orientation discrimination. Yeshiva now allows all couples in the dorm.

#religious freedom #gay discrimination #homophobia

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pilgrimdrewbert-blog · 4 years ago

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The CHOSEN & the SHIFT: A Deeper Look with God’s Word

The following labor of love was written by my friend, Ingrid, and shared with her permission. Her initial audience was a group of believers who have fled unbiblical church environments and are recovering from spiritual abuse. I will offer some further thoughts at the end.

By Ingrid McCullough May 2021 The Bereans have long been seen as a positive example of how a person or community should respond to things taught in the name of God. What can we learn from the noble Bereans? Acts 17: 10-11 tells us that “The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now, these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the Word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” What a wonderful reminder to us to do the same! There is so much taught in the name of God online, in churches, in devotions, in small groups, on TV. Not all of it is good despite the Christian label slapped onto it. As Christians, we should be testing all who present themselves as teachers in the church universal, and there is no point where we should stop testing what they teach against Scripture. As gotquestions.org succinctly states, “Jesus warned us that ‘false Christs and false prophets’ will come and will attempt to deceive even God’s elect (Matthew 24:23-27; see also 2 Peter 3:3 and Jude 17-18). The best way to guard yourself against falsehood and false teachers is to know the truth. To spot a counterfeit, study the real thing. Any believer who “correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15) and who makes a careful study of the Bible can identify false doctrine. For example, a believer who has read the activities of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in Matthew 3:16-17 will immediately question any doctrine that denies the Trinity. Therefore, we must study the Bible and judge all teaching by what the Scripture says.” And so, today, I ask you to examine carefully a recent cultural phenomenon, The Chosen, and its creator Dallas Jenkins. I ask you to join me in comparing what is being taught in the name of God to the Word of God (as Pastor Chris Rosebrough says). This is a wonderful opportunity to practice discernment by testing things against the Word of God together.

THE CHOSEN

Dallas Jenkins (left), Jonathan Roumie as Jesus (right)

What is The Chosen? The Chosen is a TV show created by Dallas Jenkins that claims to tell the story of the “authentic” Christ. The second season of the show is currently airing, but Mr. Jenkins has publicly stated that he plans to make seven seasons. The second season of The Chosen was filmed in Goshen, Utah, on the set replica of ancient Jerusalem built by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). The show’s hashtag is “Get Used to Different.” So let us look at some aspects of the show and things Mr. Jenkins has publicly said and compare those things to Scripture.

The Sufficiency of Scripture

We will start with this video (watch here) dated May 30, 2020 (I will call this Video 1 at times). In this video, Mr. Jenkins states The Chosen is not a replacement for Scripture at the 48-second mark and the 3:03 mark. This is absolutely true! The apostle Paul declared that the Holy Scriptures “are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:15–17). This is the doctrine known as the Sufficiency of Scripture. As gotquestions.org says, “If Scripture is “God-breathed,” then it is not man-breathed, and, although it was penned by men, those “men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21). No man-made writing is sufficient to equip us for every good work; only the Word of God can do that. Furthermore, if the Scriptures are sufficient to thoroughly equip us, then nothing more is needed.”

Except, Mr. Jenkins claims God “pressed it on his heart,” and others, that this would be one of the high callings of their lives and that he must take responsibility to tell the story of God’s people with extreme care and dedication (2:20 timestamp of Video 1). He repeats this claim in a recent interview with Melissa Dougherty. Starting at the timestamp 13:40 through to about 15 minutes in the interview with Ms. Dougherty, Mr. Jenkins claims that he felt God speaking to him 3-4 times in his life. He claimed he felt God “laying on his heart” that in several years The Chosen was going to be what people thought of when they pictured the disciples. He went on to say, “I felt like God was saying that ‘this will be the definitive portrayal of My people and this is what people are going to think of around the world when they think of My people. And I’m not going to let you screw it up’.”

Claims of having heard a special message directly from God aside (as we could spend a whole post talking about that claim alone), if The Chosen is not a replacement for Scripture, why would God purportedly say it will be what people think of when they picture the disciples or why would it be the definitive portrayal of God’s people? Do we need something more than the Bible to know what God wants us to know? By definition, The Chosen and the Bible cannot both be the definitive portrayal of God’s people. And if Mr. Jenkins is claiming that God told him The Chosen would be the definitive portrayal of God’s people, what does that say of Mr. Jenkins’ actual view of the Bible? What does it say about what he supposedly heard from God? His statements are contradictory at best and show a low view of God’s Word at worst.

Adding to Scripture

To further complicate matters about Mr. Jenkins’ views on the sufficiency of Scripture, in video 1, Mr. Jenkins says he believes the Bible is the Word of God and needs no improvement (timestamp 2:30 – 3:00). Yet, by his own admission, he knowingly adds historical, cultural, and artistic details and states he does not believe this changes the Bible itself (timestamp 3:03-3:13 of Video 1). Of course, such additions do not change the actual Bible, but the changes mean he is not accurately portraying the written Word of God. Additionally, he adds more than historical, cultural, and artistic information. He has added information about the disciples, for instance, that Matthew is autistic and James the Lesser has cerebral palsy. He imagines and presents feuds between disciples and backstory that is never mentioned in the Bible. A reading of each episode’s synopsis shows extensive examples of extra-biblical information (like Peter breaking the Sabbath to fish and the extensive story arch resulting from that addition).

Yet, we are warned not to add to or change the Word of God: “Although the warning in Revelation 22:18-19 is specific to the Book of Revelation, the principle applies to anyone who seeks to intentionally distort God’s Word. Moses gave a similar warning in Deuteronomy 4:1-2, where he cautioned the Israelites that they must listen to and obey the commandments of the Lord, neither adding to nor taking away from His revealed Word. Proverbs 30:5-6 contains a similar admonition to anyone who would add to God’s words: he will be rebuked and proven to be a liar. Although the warning in Revelation 22:18-19 applies specifically to the Book of Revelation, its principle must be applied to the entire revealed Word of God. We must be careful to handle the Bible with care and reverence so as to not distort its message.” [more on that here]

The canon of Scripture is closed. We do not need additional revelation through television episodes or self-proclaimed, modern-day prophets or apostles. God determined that what we need to believe about Him and what He requires of us would be revealed in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament. It does not come from a movie or TV show that embellishes details to move us beyond what the Scriptures say.

Mr. Jenkins will sometimes emphasize that it’s just a show and definitely not adding to Scripture, yet he says God told him that The Chosen would be the definitive portrayal of His people and that God would make sure it was accurate. This would have to include the portrayal of Jesus. If God said “I won’t let you screw this up” then it follows that the portrayal of Christ also has some level of divine inspiration. It’s also not “just a show” because Mr. Jenkins is involved in writing study guides and devotionals that go along with his portrayal of Christ and His followers. Churches and small groups will be watching episodes of The Chosen and using the accompanying materials for the sake of spiritual growth. He argues that the Chosen doesn’t replace Scripture but He does claim that God is the one behind it, wanting to use the series to bring people closer to Christ. This same line of reasoning is used by the LDS to promote the Book of Mormon as seen in the sponsored Facebook ad below...

Mr. Jenkins is making the same argument for The Chosen. He says the Chosen is a special series that God wants him to make about Jesus. It doesn’t replace the Bible, he says. In other words, as you study the Bible along with The Chosen, you can gain a deeper understanding of the Gospels and draw closer to Christ.

He may not be adding verses and chapters to the Bible but he is presenting his version of the Gospels to the world and claiming that his additions are accurate. The series creates a new context that will be in peoples’ minds when they read the Biblical text. So let us look closer at the portrayal of Christ in the series.

Jesus

Mr. Jenkins also puts words into the mouth of Jesus that absolutely present Him in a different way than the Gospels did. For example, in this trailer, the actor portraying Jesus says, “If we are going to have a question and answer session every time we do something you are not used to, it is going to be a very annoying time together for all of us.” Or, “Get used to different.” In this clip, the actor portraying Jesus says, “I’m here to start a revolution” and “I want my people to participate in the healing of the world.” Not only does this not sound like the Jesus of the Bible at all, but it also presents a message that is different than the Good News found in scriptures.

Mr. Jenkins manages to present some biblical truth in The Chosen, but it is always with extra-biblical (or un-biblical) additions. It is inevitably Jesus +. He does this with the approval of his friends and biblical consultants – a Catholic, a Jew, and an Evangelical (here) and (here). While he has found some religious scholars to publicly affirm his choices, this does not make his decisions right.

In this clip, Mr. Jenkins discusses filming the scene where Jesus is seen preparing and writing the Sermon on the Mount (watch here). In it, Jesus is “sermon prepping” in a very unbiblical presentation not gleaned from Scripture. Jesus is fully God. He spoke the world into being! He speaks with the full authority of Heaven! We see in John 12: 49-50 Jesus said, “For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment – what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.” Jesus spoke precisely what the Father gave Him to speak. No preparation was necessary. To make this unbiblical presentation even worse, at timestamp 1:50, Jesus asked Matthew, “Which section stands out to you the most?” As if our Lord needed reassurance or feedback from one of His followers!

Let us again be reminded that this is being marketed as an authentic portrayal of Christ...

Creating a Universally Loved Jesus and a Universally Approved Gospel?

In the interview Mr. Jenkins gave to Ms. Melissa Dougherty (watch here), he states around the 15:35 mark that,

“[The Chosen] is really focused solely on the stories of Jesus. Which means that a lot of people from a lot of different tribes all love it..LDS, Catholic, Greek Orthodox, whatever. And they don’t disagree about the show, which makes a lot of people nervous because they’re like, wait a minute, we are supposed to disagree…supposed to be angry at each other.”

What Mr. Jenkins fails to understand is that many of these “tribes” teach heretical things about Jesus that are incompatible with saving faith. For example, Mormons believe that Jesus Christ was the firstborn spirit-child of the heavenly Father and a heavenly Mother. Jesus then progressed to deity in the spirit world. A belief in such a Jesus does not result in salvation but damnation. Which, by the way, does not make true believers angry. It makes us sad and spurs us to evangelize and pray for the lost. The fact that Mormons see this show and cannot tell that there is a difference between the Jesus they follow and the Biblical Jesus should give Mr. Jenkins pause. It should not, as it seems to do, reassure him that his show is really good.

Something is not true or good simply because a large group of people thinks it is so. That is a logical fallacy called “argumentum ad populum”, or the bandwagon fallacy. If everyone says the Jesus of The Chosen is the Jesus they know, something is wrong with the presentation. Jesus proclaimed, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). It is vital that we have a proper understanding of Jesus.

During an interview on a Mormon talk show, Mr. Jenkins shared how he’s learned so much about the LDS community since beginning his partnership with VidAngel. He then goes on to say in the interview, regarding Mormons, “We love the same Jesus...I’ll sink or swim on that statement.” Listen to this podcast at time stamp 44:50 to hear radio host Todd Friel offer a brief analysis of Mr. Jenkins’ critical statement. (View Dallas Jenkins’ full interview HERE. Statement at 10:15)

As for Catholics and the Eastern Orthodox, while they have a seemingly proper understanding of the hypostatic union, they do not recognize the work of Jesus on the cross as FINISHED. They preach a different gospel and put the heavy yoke of works righteousness on their followers. Our Lord’s burden is easy, and His yoke is light (Matthew 11:30). There is nothing we can do to save ourselves or sanctify ourselves. Jesus did the work! Ephesians 2:8–9 teaches, “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” God’s grace saves us, and grace, by definition, cannot be earned. We do not deserve salvation; we simply receive it by faith.

Like the LDS, if Catholics and the Eastern Orthodox can watch The Chosen and not see how their false gospel is different from the real Gospel clearly presented in the Bible, perhaps The Chosen is not giving a clear Gospel presentation.

Mr. Jenkins takes everything a step further than seeking widespread approval of his presentation of Jesus and the Gospel. He seems to actively try to appease other religious groups and incorporate their viewpoints while often denying he does so. In his interview with Ms. Dougherty, he repeatedly claimed that he is not swayed by nor did he incorporate LDS theology into his work. We will delve into his promotion of LDS theology more below, so I’ll set that aside and focus on his deliberate collaboration with representatives from other religions.

In this episode 1 behind the scenes video, Mr. Jenkins introduces the Catholic, Evangelical and Jewish religious consultants for the show. In this video, he readily admits that he is trying to portray their religious viewpoints accurately and gives several examples of how he incorporates their religious views into the show. Furthermore, his desire to be accepted and approved by any who claim Christ is evident in a video he did with a Catholic and Evangelical about Mary (watch here). Around the 3:50 timestamp, Mr. Jenkins said he was “a little nervous from a Catholic perspective. Would they be comfortable seeing Mary as worried, as even incorrect?” He also takes great pains around the 4:40 mark to promote the Catholic position that Hail Mary prayers are supposed to point the supplicant to Jesus.

In reference to how he portrayed Mary from the Catholic perspective, Mr. Jenkins asked the Catholic priest around the 8-minute mark, “How’d we do?” Why is he catering to the Catholic perspective of Mary? Why is he incorporating Catholic and Jewish interpretations of Jesus and the Gospel? This all comes across as an effort to cater to the widest group of people who claim to be God’s people. In so doing, he cannot hold to nor present biblical truth.

Mr. Jenkins: Authority and Teaching

In Video 1, Mr. Jenkins peddles his evangelical street creds (and he repeats them in his interview with Ms. Dougherty). He explains that he has been part of a conservative bible-believing background his whole life and was a Bible major in college. But does the fact that he was raised in Christian culture and was a Bible major in college make him more reliable when it comes to rightly dividing the Word of God? No. It does not.

Mr. Jenkins repeatedly says in interviews and social media posts that he holds to orthodox Christian teaching. However, nowhere does he post a clear statement of faith, confessional statement, or guiding creed. We have to take him at his word. Video 1 is labeled as his statement of faith, but, in no way was it a typical statement of faith. After watching it, we know nothing of his actual stance on the primary doctrines of the faith. We do, however, have an understanding of the show’s values.

Mr. Jenkins and his wife have positioned themselves as Bible teachers. Through collaboration with other people, they now write and sell several devotionals, Bible study guides, and other material that correspond to the show. As such, their theology matters. Their ability to rightly handle the Word of God matters. Yet, in one sponsored ad, Mr. Jenkins promoted his Bible study guide as a tool to “explore the scriptural context that augments your viewing experience.”

This is completely backward! If, as Mr. Jenkins has claimed, Scripture, not The Chosen, is our authority, why is it that it is Scripture that augments the show and not the other way around? Not that it is much better the other way around, theologically speaking. But Mr. Jenkins has shown in this statement his true view of Scripture and that it is there to augment his show, his vision, his Jesus.

The Fruit of the Spirit

There are some additional concerns over some of Mr. Jenkins’s online behavior. If anyone has a problem with what he does, Mr. Jenkins deflects and says, “get used to different.” If he gets critical feedback, he presents it disparagingly on his Facebook page, where it is mocked by his followers.

This is not a Christian response to those who raise valid concerns about the primary doctrines of the faith. There is much that could be said here. But rather than go into it in-depth, I urge you to peruse his social media presence and see who it glorifies and who it attacks. Does he glorify the Lord or himself? Does he seek to placate the masses or hold to the truth? Does he clearly love the brethren, or does he treat them mockingly?

Marketing and Partnerships

Many Christians have expressed concern with Mr. Jenkins’s partnership with the LDS church. Yet, he brushes off these concerns as irrelevant. Partnering with a cult that endeavors to be seen as Christian is dangerous. It gives the cult respectability and makes them seem as though they are part of mainstream Christianity. In his interview with Ms. Dougherty, Mr. Jenkins tried to equate his partnership with the LDS church to using an atheist space. While yes, atheists are unsaved, just like Mormons, they aren’t masquerading as Christians either. There is a vital difference in that which Mr. Jenkins absolutely refuses to see.

He also refused to take a stand on Mormonism in that interview, which was quite suspicious. Even if the LDS church is not outright telling Mr. Jenkins what to do or what to write, you can be sure that having LDS folks run his distribution platform, own the set he is filming on, and providing many crew members, there is influence taking place. He is not going to write lines or portray something that might interfere with that support network. They don’t even have to say anything. He knows that continued support is necessary. That is influence – whether he recognizes it as such or not.

Mr. Jenkins partners with far more than the LDS church. He partners with NAR-connected (New Apostolic Reformation) worship leaders who sing on set and participate in the show. Individuals like Sean Feucht of Bethel Music fame, Elevation Church and Gateway Church connected Cody Carnes and Kari Jobe, Hillsong, Chris Tomlin, and Phil Wickham. Mr. Jenkins also partners with Catholic, Matt Maher, and progressive, Christian Dan Haseltine. All of this is seen on The Chosen Facebook page. The undiscerning may see these artists on the page, hear their catchy tunes, and look up the dangerous churches from which they come. Churches that peddle the unbiblical prosperity gospel, promote false prophets, and teach heretical things about Jesus and the Gospel.

Which brings us to another issue...

THE SHIFT

Travis Cluff (right) portrays Satan in short film, “The Shift”

Dallas Jenkins has done more than partner with Mormons to market, make and distribute The Chosen. He has signed on to be the executive producer for a movie length version of The Shift. The Shift is a short film written and directed by Brock Heasley, a Mormon. I beg you not to watch this blasphemous, heretical film. Truly, it is terrible. It is a Mormon depiction of Satan, temptation, and prayer, and it presents their theology of other worlds. Mr. Heasley refers to himself as a Christian filmmaker and presents his aberrant theology as Christian. It is not. And now Mr. Jenkins has signed up to help create the full-length movie version of this short film. If you must watch it, you can do so here.

Pastor Richard Moore summed up The Shift nicely as follows...

“Stay away unless you want to be influenced by the theology of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons).

Problems include:

It makes Satan more powerful than he is. i.e., the power to move people to other planets, realities, and determine destinies. Satan does NOT have that power. GOD IS SOVEREIGN!

“Open Theism” perspective in which God is helpless against the devil’s schemes. It makes us more powerful than we are to command Satan to do anything.

It removes or at least doesn’t mention the power of the Gospel to overcome Satan through the vicarious sin-bearing work of Christ Jesus on the cross.”

Brief summary concerning Satan and Open Theism:

Who is Satan in the Bible: Satan is a personal being with a mind, emotions, and a will (Job 1; Matthew 4:1–12).

He is a created being and is not equal to God (Ezekiel 28:15).

Satan does not rule hell. Hell was created as a punishment for Satan and his demons (Matthew 25:41). Neither does Satan live in hell, as the Bible describes how he can enter Heaven and roam the earth (Job 1:6–7).

The devil can only do what God allows (Job 1:12).

Satan is not omnipresent. But he does oversee a horde of demons, called “the powers of this dark world and . . . the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12). He uses this network to tempt and deceive people.

He actively works to nullify the effect of the Word of God in people’s hearts (Matthew 13:3–4, 19), and he blinds the intellect of those who do not believe so they cannot understand the Gospel (2 Corinthians 4:4).”

What is Open Theism?

Open theism holds that the future is not knowable. Therefore, God knows everything that can be known, but He does not know the future. Open theism bases these beliefs on Scripture passages that describe God “changing His mind” or “being surprised” or “seeming to gain knowledge” (Genesis 6:6; 22:12; Exodus 32:14; Jonah 3:10). In light of the many other Scriptures that declare God’s knowledge of the future, these Scriptures should be understood as God describing Himself in ways that we can understand. God knows what our actions and decisions will be, but He “changes His mind” in regard to His actions based on our actions. God’s disappointment at the wickedness of humanity does not mean He was not aware it would occur.

In contradiction to open theism, Psalm 139:4, 16 states, “Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD…All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”