{"id":21051,"date":"2021-03-19T06:00:18","date_gmt":"2021-03-19T11:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ravenfoundation.org\/?page_id=21051"},"modified":"2021-09-20T14:19:43","modified_gmt":"2021-09-20T19:19:43","slug":"unlearning-violent-christianity","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.ravenfoundation.org\/unlearning-violent-christianity\/","title":{"rendered":"Unlearning Violent Christianity"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_section][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1614707577274{margin-top: 40px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_raw_html el_id=”branch-edits”]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[\/vc_raw_html][vc_row_inner el_id=”intro-image”][vc_column_inner el_class=”custom-image”][vc_raw_html]JTNDZGl2JTIwY2xhc3MlM0QlMjJiZWhpbmQlMjIlM0UlM0MlMkZkaXYlM0U=[\/vc_raw_html][vc_single_image image=”21053″ img_size=”1200×600″][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_empty_space height=”60px” el_class=”display-none”][vc_column_text]Lindsey Paris-Lopez<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Introduction: Healing From the Harm of Violent Christianity<\/h2>\n
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There is a longing in every human heart to be loved for exactly who we are. Many of us yearn to belong within a community that recognizes our potential and helps us live into it. The desire for kindness, for mercy that helps us heal our own wounds and the wounds we have inflicted upon others, for a generosity of spirit that brings out the best within us and everyone around us\u2026 these are the deep yearnings of the spirit that run through us all.<\/p>\n

At their very best, faith communities help to fulfill these longings. All religions have beautiful expressions of inclusion that help connect us to the Source of Love and bring out the best within us. People who don\u2019t profess belief in any higher being can also find communities that help them live into their deepest values of compassion and cooperation.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, religious communities can also be sources of judgmentalism and spiritual violence. Instead of welcoming all and honoring the irrevocable dignity of every human being, some communities stress \u201cright\u201d belief or behavior as criteria for belonging and salvation.<\/p>\n

Christian communities that do their best to follow Jesus in his way of generosity, mercy, and unconditional love can be sources of joy and hope. Yet violent interpretations of scripture and theology have helped to fuel deeply entrenched systems of violent exclusion such as racism, sexism, and homophobia. The Church as a whole has both shaped and been shaped by these forms of cultural violence, even as many individual churches worked hard to heal the pain caused by violent Christianity. The damage wrought by harmful interpretations of scripture is both pervasive and deeply personal.<\/p>\n

Those who remain in church often wonder what to do about the violence within Christian theology or culture, especially if they or their loved ones are hurt by that violence. Some walk away after experiencing harm or heartache directly or indirectly. The pain, isolation, confusion, and sometimes even sense of condemnation that comes from feeling estranged from one\u2019s faith community \u2013 whether or not one physically leaves a church \u2013 can be overwhelming.<\/p>\n

In this guide, we\u2019ll focus on how individuals can unlearn the spiritual and emotional harm that comes from exclusive theologies and judgmental gatekeeping.<\/b> This is separate from \u2013 but related to \u2013 the work Churches must do to disentangle themselves from systems of violence that flow from and reinforce violent theologies.<\/p>\n

Just as racism and patriarchy and homophobia permeate our atmosphere and infect our worldviews in ways we cannot understand unless we face them in all their ugliness, harmful understandings of Christianity must also be tackled head on before they can be healed. Acknowledgement of the violence is the first step to unlearning violent Christianity.<\/b><\/p>\n

So, first things first …<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

How do we unlearn Violent Christianity?<\/h3>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]The antidote to bad theology is better theology.<\/b> The ongoing harm of violent Christianity will continue if we fail to question toxic interpretations and expressions of faith.<\/p>\n

Our faith guides us in our quest not only to recognize the violence committed in the name of Christianity, but to understand how violent interpretations and expressions of faith come about and how to reinterpret scripture and reset our actions on the path of Love.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_video link=”https:\/\/youtu.be\/-caGTT9oq0I” el_aspect=”43″][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]Some people find that the best way to heal themselves and others is to step outside of religion entirely. Yet others who believe in God need a God worth believing in and a nontoxic, loving and affirming faith community.<\/p>\n

To detoxify Christianity there is much we must unlearn:<\/p>\n