Identifying & Overcoming Spiritual Abuse -Interview with Christina Zaczkowski
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- Опубліковано 7 вер 2024
- Feel free to share this video if it was helpful to you! My dear friend Ashley Darkenwald interviews me about my experiences with spiritual abuse. Learn how I became able to leave and what helped me get well. Part 1 of the TIM Studios video series on spiritual abuse.
I guess the fact that I’m even searching for this video... says a lot about where I am right now, but I feel like this is a ton of confirmation.
Blessings to you on your search! Keep asking questions :)
My wife and I have experienced spiritual abuse at the last 2 churches we were a part of. The first was a strong central leader and almost cult-ish. The second was a "healing" centered ministry and a "safe place." We found that the Pastors used the carrot and the stick to manipulate people and had a very *circle the wagons" response to any question of their actions. Us vs them mentality.
We have been re-examining everything we have been taught about relationships within the church. It seems sometimes, we confuse being friendly is the same as Christian love.
We know The Lord is faithful.
We are thankful for your videos and candor in your interviews. Once you get bit by spiritual abusers and find out how they operate, you can usually sniff them out pretty quickly. When good things are mixed in, it can muddy your view
Peace
Thank you for your comment, Ed! I am so glad you are learning about spiritual abuse and hopefully never have to endure it again!
I was in a domestic violence cult of personality for 30 years. I just got out 8 years ago. I lost everything including 5 children my church and all community. These videos are very helpful to me.
Praying for you
Shelly, what you're describing sounds heartbreaking. I hope you're getting the support you need! So glad my videos help. Blessings to you!
I had a very similar experience with a church. So much of what you said hit the nail on the head for me. In particular, experiencing both good and bad from the leaders creating a ton of confusion, believing you can't trust your own judgment and the ptsd afterward. All very real.
I really can relate to your story and I want to thank you for your honesty and vulnerability. Around timestamp 40:00 you are giving such excellent advice, things that I feel that it took me years to learn ~ with Jesus' help. I grew up as a Jehovah's Witness. Now, more than 20 years on the other side I clearly see that group as a cult. However, at the time it was all I knew, since my parents joined when I was a baby. My entire understanding of who God is came out of their theology. I am sooooo grateful that God rescued me from the prison they had put me in. It has taken this past 20+ years to grasp who God really is, to pick apart every single belief that I held dear and hold it up to Scripture and battle it out wth the Holy Spirit. Every so often still I am confronted with with something deeply enbedded in my belief still that I must tear apart and examine. For a very long time I felt like it was hopeless. I had well meaning, very kind people trying to help. But I was soooo damaged that I didn't trust their words. I had been lied to sooo much and I didnt want to be duped again. Many people got exasperated with me, but I just had to pain stakingly pick apart everything that I was being told that was new theology to me and hold it up to Scripture. It was only by doing that that I could trust that some teaching /any teaching was true.
Now I am soooo grateful for that process because I feel very grounded in the faith of Jesus that He has included me in.
Her story is so freeing for me to hear.
Thanks for taking the time to listen, Ryan and Haleh! I am happy it was helpful to you!
We were in a group very similar. Our daughter was born with a cleft lip and palette and we were told and believed our sin did this to her. We left the group within 6 months. 3 years later people died in that group and it ended up in the news. The destruction in the lives of people was horrible. But today we are free and healed.
So glad to hear that you are out, free, and healed!! Thanks for sharing!
I 100% sympathize with this lady. I experienced the same exact thing in the Pentecostal church. Photoshop my face on this girl and I would say the same thing. I’m so glad she woke up to these monsters because they are truly EVIL!!
Thanks, Gwen! I'm glad you're out too! I hope you also have found healing :)
I spent 25 years in a cult just like this! Every day since I left in 2004 I thank God every day for my freedom!
Jennifer, thank you for sharing! I know the feeling of immense gratitude for freedom!
Thank you for sharing your story. I’ve been in abusive churches and an abusive marriage. I’ve been learning for 3 years this type is rampant. Praise The Lord for His freedom!!!
Thanks Terri, I hope you won’t experience any further abuse!
Excellent video! Thank you for putting this together.
Even though this story is different from mine, so many red flags go up that are similar.
You are so brave and I admire you so much! Thank you for sharing your story!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Yes!!!!! The good mixed with the bad. And oh my goodness the dreams. The leader of the cult I was apart of sooo emphasized dreams and controlled the group through their dreams /words from God. Thank you ever so for sharing your story. It is videos like these that help to sort my experiences and make sense of them.
thanks so much for your comment! so grateful this has been helpful to you! may we find freedom from any oppression!
This was scary familiar. My husband and I were also in a cult like this in Spokane Washington from 1983-1985. People died in the group we were in. It was called the No Name Fellowship. Thank God He was looking out for us.
KimO, I am sorry to hear that~ glad you got out as I did. What were some lessons that you learned in the aftermath?
@@TruthInMotionStudios know the Bible for yourself and submit to God not man.
I found this video incredibly helpful. So glad you are out of that. Narcissists are just awful.
Wow, I can totally identify alot of what Christina shared. Omygosh I am so happy God took her out and that she is sharing her testimony. My question is how do you forgive from the heart? bc in my prayers I have said "I forgive them Lord" and have asked the Lord to forgive me for being "offended", "bitter", "angry" towards them etc...And they have said I am sick bc I have anger/bitter issues. So I find myself saying "I forgive them" and yet I am tormented in my thoughts w/ their hurtful, shameful scenarios that happened etc in the past. If I run into them in town I feel the awkwardness and want to avoid them seeing me nor do I want to even say "Hi". I really would love some guidance. My husband and I have not plugged into another "church" setting bc we are afraid. It's been almost 3 yrs since we left. Any advice is appreciated.
You inspired me to begin a vlog series on disease and myths some people perpetrate! Will post soon to my channel!
Here it is, I hope it helps: ua-cam.com/video/85QTvReFrT4/v-deo.html
Everythingwillbeok EWBOK I struggle with forgiveness too
Another good video! Thanks for sharing about your experiences- and recovery from- an unhealthy spiritually abusive group. What prompted you to start these videos on spiritual abuse now?
It became time when I felt I had hope to share!
Thanks for sharing!
I have also been in cultic group in germany!
Did you read " die Gottesverbrecher" from Ute Aland?
There are so many similarities to your story in that book!
Blessing an greetings from germany!
Ja, Ich habe "Die Gottesversprecher" gelesen :D Ute Aland ist eine gute Freundin von mir, das ist alles, was ich darüber sagen kann! Wenn du mir mehr erzählen möchtest, schreib mir gerne: timstudios2010@gmail.com
Great insightful interview!!!
thanks, torrin! I’m so glad you got something out of it!
What church/ religion do you practice now? I am familiar with SB as well.
Do you mean Southern Baptist with SB? I was a Baptist in Germany, then an even more fundamentalist evangelical, now I practice a relationship with presence. If God is the sea, we are the fish. I believe in the trinity and consider myself a Christian. I rest in knowing God, and getting to know their relationship with each other more and allow it to change me, on a deep and honest level. It all is about love, life, and freedom. Tomorrow, I might answer differently but the gist is I am a Christian who believes Christ is the highest revelation of what God is like and he lives inside of everyone and everywhere. (Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. John 1: 3-4)
Did you ever report the spiritual abuse to police?
Ahava, when this all happened, my cult leader was actually employed by the police. I didn't. I had thought about it for years though but me and other former members were simply too confused and too afraid.
My book is ready for editing or freelance writing and it talks about being in a religious cult and the proceeds will be helping survivors so please let me know if you know of anyone that could help write it
yeah - can't hear over the too-loud music - sorry
Brian Curry, sorry to see your response! The music is just a short bit at the beginning and quits right after the intro. I hope you were able to check out the video beyond this.
The Moses model....ugh 😣
I know! 😫 let us be done walking around the desert already 😆