Religious Abuse - Spiritual Abuse

Spiritual Abuse

Spiritual abuse includes:

• Psychological abuse and emotional abuse with the objective of unnatural domination and control of the victim for self-aggrandizing purposes by the perpetrator;
• Physical abuse that includes physical injury, deprivation of sustenance;
• Sexual 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 (personal autonomy) to make their own decisions (freewill, volition) on spiritual or natural matters;
• False accusation and repeated criticism by negatively labeling a person as disobedient, rebellious, lacking faith, demonized, apostate, enemy of the church or a deity (a god);
• Actions aimed at prevention from or interference with a person's practice or system faith or spirituality;
• Isolationism, separation, disenfranchisement, or estrangement from family and friends outside the group due to cult-religious or spiritual affiliation and indigenous beliefs;
• Exclusivity and elitism: dismissal of outsiders' criticism on the purported basis that the assessment, opinions, and criticism of the critic is invalid because he/she does not understand or rejects the unorthodox nuances of the belief system of the group or group guru; it is not uncommon for outside critics to be accused of being or being influenced by a demon;
• Esotericism: withholding information and giving of information only to a selected few; hidden agendas and requirements revealed to members only as they successfully advance through various stages of "spiritual enlightenment," which in reality is unorthodox, unproven, indigenous doctrines, beliefs, and/or practices;
• Conformity to an unorthodox, unproven, or unnatural, and often spiritually or even naturally dangerous unconventional cult-religious view or worldview and practice;
• Practice of spiritualism, mysticism, and/or unproven or unorthodox doctrines and theology;
• Hostility and disenfranchisement that includes shunning, relational aggression, parental alienation) or persecution;
• Apotheosis or de facto deification of the leadership: exaltation of the primary leader(s) to a God-like status in and over the group;
• Financial exploitation and enslavement of adherents with inordinate and burdensome required financial support ("donations") to the financial needs of the group, which often includes a self-aggrandizing personal financial lifestyle of the leadership that far exceeds the median lifestyle of the group adherents.