 |
| post-traumatic church disorders |
15 ways toxic religion does damage in our world:
1. The hypocrisy of claiming to know God but demeaning people
2. Disparaging practitioners of other faiths as a sign of devotion to yours
3. Casting judgment upon others while giving yourself a pass
4. Dividing the world up into “us” and “them”
5. Fostering fear of God
6. Telling people they are inherently bad
7. Repressing individuality and demanding conformity
8. Casting disapproval on those who question
9. Perpetuating a superiority class structure of “clergy” and “laity”
10. A performance-based system of earning God’s love and approval
11. Assigning maleness to God and esteeming men over women
12. Allowing differences of beliefs to prevent working alongside others to alleviate suffering in our world
13. Praying for divine intervention without taking direct action
14. Claiming a close relationship with God while perpetuating discord and hostility in human relationships
15. Using religious beliefs to rationalize or justify hate, violence, injustice, oppression, discord, the affliction of human or planetary suffering
Jim Palmer
