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The Fundamentalist Christian Mindfuck — Part III
July 9, 2023
I stumbled upon another documentary on spiritual abuse, “The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin” on Amazon Prime Video.
It’s sad that at this point, there’s nothing that can be said that is surprising. In fact, Gwen Shamblin is almost a saint amongst the other “Christian” leaders of megachurches guilty of serious spiritual abuse. Am I becoming desensitized? Maybe. And maybe that’s a good thing. I’m educated, now. I know how this whole cult of Evangelical Christianity works. I don’t have to be shocked any longer. I don’t have to think it only happened to me, or that my pain is the only pain, or the worst pain. The kind of abuse I’ve experienced has happened to millions of others. Millions. I was duped, but I am in very very very good company. I should have known better, but I didn’t. And that’s not on me. Millions of others have fallen for the same sham, the same promises, the same lies. I can take comfort in that. And I do. Actually. I do. I’m not any less intelligent, nor any less susceptible; I’m just as human as anyone else. And I take great comfort in that. No more self-condemnation, no more self-blame. It wasn’t my fault. And I’ve learned. Am I immune? I don’t know. But at least now, I know the signs. I know what to look for and I know how to trust my gut. That’s a win for me. I feel very good about…
