Bully Pulpit: Confronting the Problem of Spiritual Abuse in the Church

by Michael J. Kruger

Moreover, instead of being humble, abusive pastors are notoriously arrogant, convinced they (and their churches) are truly special.

Because gentleness is the core trait of Jesus. And it is the opposite of being an abusive bully.

While all sins are equal in their effect (they separate us from God), they are not all equally heinous.

Evil always wins through the strength of its splendid dupes; and there has in all ages been a disastrous alliance between abnormal innocence and abnormal sin. —G. K. CHESTERTON

There are some wounds that cannot be wholly cured. —GANDALF

Van der Kolk goes on to make another critical observation. If the initial traumatic event was one that the victim was unable to escape from—that is, an event where they were “held down, trapped, or otherwise prevented from taking effective action”13—then that traumatic event is more prone “to leave long-lasting scars.”14 Why? Because the traumatic event is effectively prolonged, allowing the continued secretion of “stress chemicals,” and “the brain’s electrical circuits continue to fire in vain.”15 Victims who suffer this sort of trauma are therefore likely to have more long-term physiological effects.