Religious Manipulation
We are all too familiar with toxic religious leaders who try to convince people to do their bidding for self serving purposes that are either corrupt or immoral. Through wordy speeches, lively performances and sometimes music, religious individuals ensnare others to be their martyr or emotionally guilt them to accept pain and suffering as a daily circumstance to life on Earth, serving God. These are dangerous individuals to be around. It reeks of BIG user energy. They wouldn’t say this to Ukraine right now, or civil rights protestors, nor oppressed groups — Black Lives Matter, Hispanic children in cages (Trump era), or The Holocaust. The kind of people to utilize these words in order for you to do their bidding is generally for power positions, leadership, favorable attention (often lust & to be seen as sexually desirable or “the best”)/praise, and financial gain. This is why I say I’m Spiritual. Like Christianity, there are many other types of Spiritualists and my practice is uniquely my own but falls mostly under the belief of Jesus Christ, God, and ‘Do no harm but take no shit’.
Able to recognize an opportunist more easily now, I’m able to discern which information is enlightening versus oppressive. In the face of opposition, here are some words, religious Users and Abusers have tried to use on me while witnessing and sometimes participating in my abuse:
Weapons have formed but have not prospered, keeping going alone
You have unfinished business with this person (allowing or excusing someone to not respect your space, privacy or body and will commit multiple crimes to stay attached to you)
Move forward. That’s how growth happens. (This is only a useful example to verbal insults, this is not applicable to targeted verbal AND physical abuse. These are the wrong suggestions to offer to matters they don’t understand or are using you too).
Slow and steady
Things are happening as planned
You have this strength for others
You’re a leader
Everything is working out how it’s supposed to
Make sure you stay balanced and healed <because you’re speaking up for yourself and setting boundaries that have repercussions when they’re physically disrespected>
Stay your authentic self <but not like that or how we do>
You had to go through what you went through in order to help others.
Everything happens for a reason.
Divine timing
This had to happen.
Stay balanced
Let go, and let God
Have faith/You only get blessings (help) when you have ENOUGH faith
God saves his toughest battles for his strongest warriors
Pray more
Come to Christ. He will change you from the inside out. Listen <3
I’m an open minded person but can also detect when someone is trying to utilize me for perseverance porn or ulterior motives. There’s nothing wrong with hard work but I refuse to be anyone’s symbol for self serving purposes. The indoctrinated ideology translates to “I’m a user and I want to use you for unjust purposes”.
And who’s to say I honor THEIR religion? It’s an immediate red flag, right there, when a stranger orders you (disguised in a caring way) to practice their religious beliefs. It reeks of entitlement and “mother knows best” from strangers or people you don’t even emotionally connect with. This is a reminder of the forced, deadly, and oppressive history of the Christian Crusades.
Before the Holier than Thou speak, let’s discuss how there are several denominations within the Christian doctrine. When Danielle, Marcus, David or any other goof ball tell us how to worship God, they are disrespecting your religious values in the guise of challenging your faith or trying to make you “a better person”. This behavior is arrogant and entitled to even think their opinion is the right opinion, or one that should be respected. Under the umbrella of Christianity, they are many practices and rituals that are contrasting and improper to each other. And regardless of what they choose, they still cherry pick which rules to follow and which ones to ignore as they steal from the poor, cheat on their spouse, gossip, etc., in order to redeem themselves, thereby indicating a cultivated spiritual belief I (AGAIN) don’t agree with, respect or honor. These type of people, STRANGERS no less (because I’ve literally cut everyone off), live in a washing machine of arrogance and entitlement. They thrive in a cycle of toxicity and will rinse and repeat onto others.
(in a divided re, because the practices and rituals were chaotic respectively. It literally depends on your own preference, moral beliefs and principle. Having studied many religions in my youth, both with my family and independently, I decided to define myself as Spiritual. Yes, I believe in God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit. Yes, I believed Jesus (foolishly died for our sins- but seeing as how society adopted this very strange modern day Messiah obsession with people off the street, I’m apprehensive that a man did that for such selfish, undeserving and greedy people. Yep, you’ve seen it here— I believe this part was perhaps fabricated to make people sheep for their own purposes.)
So with that said, if Judaism, Catholicism, Baptism, Jehovah’s Witness etc. all believe there is a God and that Jesus was real, why do certain people display such vitriol if another practice can be respectfully born from it? Also, how many times has the Bible been revised (https://www.cambridge.org/us/bibles/bible-versions)? The Bible, the epithet for “the end all be all source of our history to life and our connection to God”, has had many versions from Old Testament to New King James version and New Living Translation. Alas, a beautiful and spiritual Black woman who chooses to honor God and respect other religions as long as they do not abuse, harm or control her is considered offensive to idiots and tyrants. I do not follow any religious practices that honor abusing someone’s rights, especially mine. There’s no wording, speech or theatrics that can convince me otherwise.
The thing about being a citizen in America, is that by law you are supposed to be protected to safely and respectfully enjoy your religious pursuits (UNLESS they physically violate or harm someone else— ie. Jim Jones cults and religious copycats like the ones that that are obsessed with me.) The excuses some of these people have used to illegally behave in inhumane ways says a lot about their ideas, values and moral beliefs — particularly to someone they don’t know, or used to have contact with. These are sad individuals that have nothing better than to exist as the next toxic examples before anarchy and a tyrannical dictatorship ensues. How would you like it if I observe you up and down and then instruct you to live how I see fit, especially while not providing anything of substance, only violence disguised as “love”?
And when they themselves get caught in a scandal, ie. child rape, exploitation, adultery, theft, etc., they’re automatically forgiven as soon as they repent or take a bath in holy water. It was at that point, I decided to dismiss the doctrine, a lot of religious people choose to not be aware of when they point fingers. Even if they do, it’s not my interest to be in their company longer than I need to. Not all devout religious people are bad, so I don’t want them to all to think they’re repulsive— my grandmother was a religious woman but was respectful to other people’s practices.