Suffer the Children, Part Two

The depravity of this pervasive abuse of children, under pretense of
'caring so much about their souls and wanting to actually help them'
is terrifying. Fanaticism and dogmatic devotion are at an all-time high
in America in particular, and just like Neo-Nazis, these hate and
mind-control cults are growing and becoming more entrenched in their
devotion.

Religious Extremism as the New Norm


The fact that these groups are tolerated and even sanctioned by
rational, thinking people is even more indefensible. These religious
cults are allowed free reign because of predominance and adamance
and habit; no one thinks to question, especially since many  adults
who are 'non-believers' had unpleasant experiences of their own
as children. That inability to question or go against church workings
is still present.

The Southern Poverty Law Center looks at Hate and ExtremismChildren are taught to memorize quotes and paraded about, parroting
them to acclaim and praise, not even capable of understanding the
meaning of what they are saying and doing. Good little soldiers,
obedient slaves, mindless drones; these are the prizes of fanatics.


Children have 'God'--the now scary and displeased and vengeful
wrathful brute--used as a club with which to bash out any action or
behavior that displeases the parent/care-taker/church adults....actions
that are generally normal childhood behavior demonized by crazy
church goers; speaking, moving, playing, being silly, getting dirty,
getting loud, being impatient, etc.

They are taught that disobeying an adult, merely being childlike--or
in the case of many Southern churches, being 'gender-inappropriate'--is the
same as going against God/Bible/church. That's way too heavy a burden
for a compliant, submissive child. It destroys psyches.

They know, too, that going against the adults will lead to being
dismissed, having love withheld, punishment, and--oh yeah--eternal
damnation. ("Praise be to myths and indoctrination!")


It's never a real shock to see how pastors' kids and other children
of highly-active church-goers become dangerous, high-risk livers,
drugging and drinking and sexing quite often. Or, the other effect,
becoming duplicitous, dichotomous people who feign their parents
interests and then have a double-live in private, in order to survive.
                                          ***
                                               ***
Neither outcome is desirable, but it beats those that have their
personality and emotions eradicated, forever living as a ghostly
shell at the whim of doctrine and dogma and fear....afraid to lose
the connection they were promised (if only they did what they were told.)


Institutionalized child abuse.

Generations...multitudes...of pople afraid of their own bodies, their
own minds, their sexuality, their voice. Afraid to live, love, dance,
feel...thinking they are always being supernaturally spied upon.
Drinking, drugging, committing suicide to escape the damage done to
them by those they trusted (or simply couldn't fight back against.)

One Church's Survivors Speak Out

Even their desires and feelings are subject to recrimination at the
whim of the superstitious infections that were grafted onto their minds.

-The church is rich and powerful; Check.
-All kinds of political and community leaders involved: Check.
-Children have always been expendable in this society,--no one
    cares: Check.
-You have to keep cultivating obsessed members for the church
    teachings to continue; Check.


That's quite a racket they have here.

********************************************************

Resources for Recovering:

Some Books on Surviving Religious Cults


Living After Faith


Recovering From Religion


Recovery from Ex-Gay Movement & Religious Schools


**********************************************************

    "Eighty percent of adult children of pastors surveyed
have had to seek professional help for depression."
                                           -courtesy Bill Bright, Campus Crusade for Christ

Suffer the Children, Part One

The religious target children with mind control and terrorist practices;
Coercion, threats, fear tactics, physical disciplining and abuse.
Inciting god's wrath to intimidate.

But not at first.

They gloss over the extremism and ugliness of their doctrine and dogma
with seductive measures, designed to lure impressionable, vulnerable
kids in. Insidiously engaging them with treats, games, songs, and lots
of hugs (from members of questionable sanity and intent,) the 'well-meaning'
adults (uh-oh! Even the sinners know where that path leads!) entice the kids
with the pretense of fun and love and belonging.

Then, WHAM! Right between the eyes.

Hmmmn. Surreptitiousness, deceit, lies, duplicity; all the things that
go into making a world class religion.

Out of nowhere, a child's limited world is rocked with:

"Only people who love Jesus get to Heaven...and..."
A) "You don't want to miss out on all the fun in Heaven like we're having here, do you?"
B) "You don't want to be kept away from Mommy/Daddy/Granny/Sissy, etc. if you don't
  do what Jesus wants, do you?"
(This wouldn't have worked on me! If I'd believed in heaven and thought my parents had
  a chance of showing up there, I'd have been damned determined to be elsewhere!)
C) "You don't want to upset Pastor Cock Snatch, do you?"
D) "You don't want to hurt Baby Jesus, after he died and was beaten for you, do you?"
E) "You don't want to burn in the pits of hell forever do you?"

I know what you're thinking--Subtle, right?

Many probably think this is an extremist's take on what goes on. In fact, it's
mild compared to the level and veracity of indoctrination that many children
suffer every day, constantly, in churches around the world, until they are
completely stomped into fearful submission.

And for the child that is the offspring of extremists, for whom every second of
every day is an extremist event whilst preparing for the end of the world, this
tragedy is only furthered. Fanaticism is on the rise. Home-schooling is on the rise.
And every time a child misses the opportunity to socialize in a normal environment
with normal children, their indoctrination deepens (which is precisely why home-
schooling exists to begin with.)(to be continued...)

And that's the point. Children are the easiest converts because they are
so gullible, so vulnerable, so needy, and so emotionally compromised. They
are impressionable and open to anything, as yet fully-developed in their ideas.
They don't yet have a protective system in place, a bullshit filter, an ability to
combat abuse from a group of people that each outweigh them by 3 x and have
absolute control over their lives.

Sucks To Be You...If You're Anything Like Rebel Jesus

So many who stand idly by claiming (or allowing others
to claim for them) allegiance to a particular form of
organized religion are actually not practicing members.
Hell, they aren't even believers.


They simply go through the motions of feigning involvement,
or keeping involvement as superficial as possible, spitting
back the appropriate number of affirmative remarks,
making a convincing number of head bobs in mock agreement.
Enthusiasm on cue.


Because they know how the True Believers and head cases
are with abusiveness (and casting out from the inner circle)
anyone who is even assumed to not be a 'team player.'


You must be a robotic supporter, never wavering or going
against a particular community's (which means a few mouthy
pricks') views on what they think God's law should say, according
to them. (Or lie about it, to get what they want!)


Not only do these nosy heifers stay up in your personal
business, gossip mercilessly, and intimidate and terrorize better
than Al Qaeda could ever hope to, but they have shaming and
ostracization down to a science.


Retaliation for perceived betrayal (nonconformity, or committing
one of the church-approved 'unthinkable sins--you know, the
ones the rest of the congregation were able to keep covered up)
can be mild, subtle, or innocuous-seeming in many circles.
After all, especially in small towns, directness and honesty
aren't a big part of church life.


But in many cases, being socially cast off and disparaged
can be so relentless, so brutal, that people's lives are ruined.
The gap between what 'spiritual' people purport to do and what
they actually do is an ever-widening gap that many have fallen
through the crack of.


A rebel's disregard for any portion of church activity or doctrine
(like, say, last Sunday, Father's Day's unprecedented nationally
coordinated second 'plate passing' to gather financial support
to crush gay marriage initiatives) is grounds for alienation within
the church. But, those churches less desirous of drama or conflict
can simply give the cold shoulder until the 'trouble-maker' gets
the picture and 'chooses' to take their unwelcome ass elsewhere.


Questioning teachings, addressing incorrect behavior, and
simply 'making noise' while the crazies are doing their thing
and riding high on their power are all grounds for alienation,
dismissal, abuse, harassment, or worse in more extreme
circles. And religion is nothing if not a breeding ground for
extremism.


So, people say they believe, or act the part to avoid being
the object of conflict or neglect, finding it easier to fly under
the radar and let others be the focus of rage and control
and insanity that every church harbors in their indoctrination
or condemnation fest (or smear campaigns.) Many would rather
live a lie and keep family and friends happy than deal with
their wrath.


After seeing first hand how self-professed 'godly' people act
(and the examples from Phelps, NOM, AFA, and all the
rest get more and more outrageous every day on the news,)
there is no denying that these folks are unbalanced and dealing
with serious mental health issues.

Perhaps, when someone becomes 'born again,' they really
just revert back to ridiculously helpless babies with no clue
how to engage the world.


The evidence seems to support that theory.


*****************************************************

Get it Straight...(well, you know)...

And that's not even considering;

*Teachers holding prayers before lunch in schools (NOT moments of silence)

*School books that reflect religious-based ignorance of history and science

*Ten Commandments posted in county, state, and federal buildings

*Voting held at churches and religious buildings for elections

*Using the Bible for swearing in folks in court

*Prayer before sporting events and other secular public events

*POLITICKING FROM PULPIT: BULLYING PUBLIC OFFICIALS AND
    CHURCH-MEMBERS: PROMOTING POLITICAL AGENDAS TO MEMBERS
    'ON BEHALF OF' THE 'DIVINE'

*Phone banks and collections for political use on church grounds, with church money

*Using emotional influence and terrorism  and promises to get favors, funds, and
    attack enemies

*Back-room deals

*Tax-exempt status while not maintaining separation of church and state

*Taking federal funds for running 'charities' and institutions' while promoting
    discrimination tactics and policies in said agencies

*Terrorizing and frightening children to induct them into their cults (child abuse)

*Engaging in and Covering up sexual rape of children, usually systematically

*Religious-based colleges and high schools allowed to promote religious bias

*Using social injustice and fear tactics to raise huge funds

*Crying poor-mouth over 'victimization' where none exists; using falsehoods
   to rally support and sympathy

*Blackmailing ('boycotting') businesses to have them subscribe to their beliefs

..and many, many more.

These bullshit traditions and expectations are so firmly entrenched in daily life,
most never question them, and when they do they are labeled unholy, unpatriotic,
heathens, blasphemers, etc., as if they were the problem for pointing out the
incorrect behavior of the believers (and the institutions that cater to them.)

AND STILL, these folks aren't happy until they control everything.


Ultimate freedom; owing and bowing to none (since they make up their weird
    interpretations of their fictional tome)

A sense of privilege, ego and entitlement thanks to their delusion over being
an ordained rep of their Big Kahuna, which evidently allows them to go ape-shit
crazy and feel they are no longer bound by human laws, decency, truths, or
sense.

*******************************************************************

Unlike Jesus, It Really Does Exist!

Funny how the partial interpretation of existing laws

and rights are used to support the religious in

their fervor to push their agenda, but the same

established laws are disregarded when it

comes time to protect the rights of opposition or

alternate beliefs!

Like any rights

(such as the freedom to practice religion,)

it can be taken away if it is abused.

Religious terrorism is not acceptable.

Religious indoctrination within society

is not acceptable.

Religion is a privilege, not an innate right.

Abuse it and lose it.

****

Bible Rewrites...A-Gain!

In an ever-constant attempt to further modernize,

rewrite, and popularize the horrible old tome,

new publishers are putting a new spin on the

fables, new and old, to better reach a younger

and...well, here's a snippet of their efforts.

*******************************

"Ooh, I done TOLD y'all not to come

up in here with all that loud carrying-on

and nastiness!

Get ta stepping, I say!

You ain't gots to go home, but ya

got to get the hell up outta here!"

***

"Grrrrlll, pleez!
You so tired!
You so old!

Why you don't gets you a new game?
This one all played out.

You a played out trick.

I wish somebody would crucify me...

it'd be less painful than

puttin' up wit' yo' bizness!"

***