April 21, 2013

  •  

     

     

     

    Question: "What is spiritual manipulation?"

    Answer: To  manipulate is to negotiate, control or influence for one’s own advantage.  Spiritual manipulation is a technique used by some abusive churches and cults to  control individuals and acquire gain, all the while giving the impression that  their teachings are based on the Bible.

    Some religious groups take  Scriptures out of context in order to support their beliefs. They isolate “proof  texts” and “cherry pick” verses to persuade the uninformed that their  interpretation is right, even to the extent of claiming they alone have “the  truth” and everybody else is wrong. Some have even altered the Bible and  produced their own translation to support their religious bias.

    Some  denominations use scholastic dishonesty to manipulate. They will use partial  quotations from first-century Christians and eminent Bible scholars in  suggesting that they agree with their views. Take, as an example, the booklet  “Should You Believe in the Trinity?,” published by the Watchtower  Society. Page 7 includes a partial quote from Justin Martyr: “Justin Martyr,  who died about 165 C.E., called the prehuman Jesus a created angel who is ‘other  than the God who made all things.’ He said that Jesus was inferior to God and  ‘never did anything except what the Creator . . . willed him to do and say.’”  What’s missing from this partial quotation is significant.  Justin Martyr said  that the “Son, who also, being the first-begotten Word of God, is even God.”  Nowhere did Justin Martyr say the pre-human Jesus was a created angel.

    Some individuals manipulate Scripture for their own personal benefit. An  authoritarian husband might demand that his wife submit to him as the head of  the house and quote Ephesians  5:22 (“Wives, submit to your husbands”). But that same man might  purposefully overlook verse 26, which says, “Husbands, love your wives, just as  Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” Instead of taking the bits  of Scripture he approves of and using them to lord it over his family, he would  do well to read 1 Corinthians 13 and practice the type of love that is patient,  kind, protects, trust and perseveres, etc.

    During a conversation between  Christians, someone might say, "The Lord has told me that. . . ." This phrase  essentially shuts down the conversation because it implies that, since God has  spoken a word, there can't be any further discussion. Don't be fooled by this  trick; it is a form of spiritual manipulation. Or a preacher says, "Sow into my  ministry, and God will repay you. Sow, and you will reap! God is no man's  debtor." Could such preaching simply be an exploitive appeal for money? Is the  preacher trying to influence people for his own financial advantage? If so, it  is spiritual manipulation.

    Another form of spiritual manipulation occurs  when abusive churches and cults twist Scripture to give more authority to the  leadership and keep the members under their control. One example is the use of  Hebrews  13:17 as a basis for demanding unquestioning loyalty and obedience to the  leaders. Some religious groups view questioning the leaders as tantamount to  questioning God. Some leaders claim to have divine authority and approval; thus,  to disobey them is to disobey God. This is perhaps the most pernicious form of  spiritual manipulation, and it has no place in a true church.

    Victims of  spiritual manipulation seldom realize what’s happening to them. Here are some  indicators of a spiritually manipulative church:

    Legalism
    Demands  for obedience
    Unquestioning submission
    Punishment (loss of privileges,  shunning or expulsion)
    Misplaced loyalty
    Emphasis on performance
    Exclusivism (“we alone are right, and everybody else is wrong”)
    Isolation  (refusal to associate with anyone but spiritual brothers and sisters)
    Humiliation of the "disobedient"

    Abusive churches train members to  block out any information that is critical of the group. With enough thought and  information control, the leaders can get those under their control to defend  their new identity against their former identity. The first line of defense is  denial – “What you say isn’t happening at all.” Next comes rationalization –  “This is happening for a good reason.” After that, justification – “This is  happening because it ought to.” Finally, wishful thinking – “I’d like it to be  true, so maybe it really is.”

    A characteristic of spiritually abusive  systems is that a misplaced sense of loyalty is fostered and even demanded. This  is not about loyalty to Christ, but about loyalty to an organization, church or  leader. Because authority is assumed or legislated, following that authority  must also be legislated. This is accomplished is by setting up a system where  disloyalty or disagreement with the leadership is construed as disobeying God.  Questioning leaders is not allowed. After all, the leader is the authority, and  authority is always right. Such spiritual manipulation denies the truth of Ephesians 1:22, which  says that Christ is the Head of the church. Our loyalty is due Him.

    All  Christians need to be alert to spiritual manipulation and follow this example  from Acts 17:11:  “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they  received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day  to see if what Paul said was true.” Did the apostle Paul take offense when the  Bereans researched to ensure that his preaching  was based on Scripture? Of course not, because Paul knew his preaching would  stand up under exhaustive scrutiny. Likewise with all teaching and preaching –  we must hold it up to the light of God’s Word before we accept it. Any religious  group that prevents its members from doing independent research, or from  challenging what the leadership says, must have something to fear.

    Jesus  told His disciples they would be like sheep among wolves and instructed them to  be “shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves” (Matthew  10:16). The Master’s yoke is easy, and His burden is light. He gives us rest  and is gentle and humble in heart (Matthew  11:28-29). That is the Christlike example all who shepherd Jesus’ flock must  exemplify.

    Read more:  http://www.gotquestions.org/spiritual-manipulation.html#ixzz2QfZRIE9p