People that have a nagging feeling in their spirits they may be spiritually abused, may be receiving a "wake up call" from God. This is time to do some deep soul searching, stepping back and looking objectively at the situation and trying to understand prayerfully why they are feeling there may be a spiritual abuse factor operating in their lives, and what the source is.
"Spiritual abuse occurs when a person in religious authority or a person with a unique spiritual practice mislead and maltreat another person in the name of God or church or in the mystery of any spiritual concept. Spiritual abuse often refers to an abuser using spiritual or religious rank in taking advantage of the victim's spirituality (mentality and passion on spiritual matters) by putting the victim in a state of unquestioning obedience to an abusive authority.
Spiritual abuse is the maltreatment of a person in the name of God, faith, religion, or church, whether habitual or not, and includes any of the following:
Psychological and emotional abuse
Any act by deeds or words that demean, humiliate or shame the natural worth and dignity of a person as a human being
Submission to spiritual authority without any right to disagree; intimidation
Unreasonable control of a person's basic right to make a choice on spiritual matters
False accusation and repeated criticism by negatively labeling a person as disobedient, rebellious, lacking faith, demonized, apostate, enemy of the church or God
Prevention from practicing faith
Isolation or separation from family and friends due to religious affiliation
Physical abuse that includes physical injury, deprivation of sustenance, and sexual abuse
Exclusivity; dismissal of an outsider's criticism and labeling an outsider as of the devil
Withholding information and giving of information only to a selected few
Conformity to a dangerous or unnatural religious view and practice
Hostility that includes shunning (relational aggression, parental alienation) and persecution."
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