pezar wrote:
http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/2326224.html
The vast majority of the "evangelical" right wing churches are built around a charismatic preacher who eventually comes to dictate every aspect of his followers lives, and who swallows up increasing sums of their money. Eventually, it becomes all about submission to God's Prophet, and the tithing to him of most of your money. Power and greed. In some of the Slavic churches here, parishioners sign over welfare checks, and in return get an us-against-the-world philosophy that has led to hate crimes, usually against gays.
Either the church becomes a cult of greed and power or the pastor invents a bizarre interpretation of Christianity that leads his followers to act oddly or even become dangerous. If you read the comments, there was stuff going on that apparently the article writer thought were TOO far out, such as teen girls being forced to be sex slaves of the pastor and even a couple who were ordered to give up their new baby to an associate pastor.
Most of these religious leaders seem to be narcissists, sex addicts, and "bling" lovers. It makes you wonder about religious figures from the distant past. Islam's Prophet Muhammad engaged in some eyebrow raising behavior, according to some legends. Jesus may not have existed. The only guy I'm confident existed and was totally clean was Buddha, and Buddha's reported behavior fits that of an aspie. Other squeaky clean religious leaders may have been aspie as well. Religion and neurotypicality do NOT go together.
While this sort of thing definitely happens, I don't think terms like "vast majority" or even "most" are appropriate. On what would you base that? Your personal impression? Because you've visited and participated in enough of these churches to know?
I know of situations like this one that have happened in or near my community. And I also know that it was caught and stopped by the membership within a fairly reasonable amount of time, leaving the church to move forward in a more appropriate and Christian based manner. Even when I disagree with the teachings of a church, I usually have to concede that it is doing some good, and was built on good intentions, no matter how far off the road I feel it eventually strayed. Sure, some pastors allow the power of the pulpit to corrupt them. But I simply don't believe it is as pervasive as you suggest; there is no proof of that.
The real damage is to the faith of those deceived, and that doesn't heal very fast, from what I've seen. A friend of mine can trace her divorce back to her former husband's total disallusionment when a far smaller fraud was found at a church they were attending. If these situaitons were as common as you imply, the stories like hers would be more prevelant.
Still, it is something to be aware of and guard against. It can be surprising how fast someone who considers themselves well informed and intelligent can be deceived. It isn't always the disenfranchised who get played.
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Mom to an amazing young adult AS son, plus an also amazing non-AS daughter. Most likely part of the "Broader Autism Phenotype" (some traits).
15 Nov 2009, 7:17 pm
