Be wary of “SIN” focused .. yet personally dismissive, angry, vindictive, patriarchal leadership

1. Al Mohler: The Humiliation of the Southern Baptist Convention

2. Toronto Police Investigating More Incidents At Saint Michael’s College School

3. Memphis megachurch pastor Andy Savage resigns admitting ‘immoral’ sexual misconduct

4. The Sin of Silence

As many know, as a hobby I write these items or blog posts about these ongoing cultural/ religious societal stories knowing that in many of these religious cultures – of which I am very familiar with – so many individuals for years before their stories ever became publicly known….

without question for speaking out or even wanting to question and speak out on issues that did not pass obvious smell tests fought private battles while subject to a litany of well known tactics. Tactics such as: carefully crafted NDA’s, threatened and followed through humiliation, family divisions, authoritative abuse, shunned, silenced, blackmailed, lied to, slandered, gossiped about amongst leadership and their puppet conformist, mocked, ostracized, indirectly addressed through laced “sermons”, instructed to leave the church and not to talk to anyone, questioned regarding what about & who they talked to (yes this happens), excommunicated, paraded through horrendous “church discipline” “procedures”, congregations were/are regularly fed BS about gossip and slander within the church as being the paramount “sin” that destroys churches (while they privately “gossip” & scheme amongst themselves destroying people, families and dissenters behind closed doors), congregations were/are regularly fed BS about the evils of the modern day news cycle including the “internet” in clear attempts to ensure ignorance and or enforce inoculative damage control measures around damning online accounts. Yet thankfully after ALL this only to be forced to come to terms with their own wretched ungodliness and exposed state of actual and real deserved “humiliation” and shame. A humiliation that seems eventually common to many in church leadership that rarely if ever leads to genuine restorative repentance let alone any thought of offered resignation commonly required in the real world. Thus resulting in outspoken “troublemaking” members being shunned and forced to be the ones to have to leave as they (corrupt leadership) smile and celebrate behind closed doors as ones who bear no shame nor conscience having silenced another and “protected the church and its reputation”.

A perversion and humiliation that with the right charismatic approach and clever narrative turns what was a forced shameful admission & resignation into a bizarre occasion for a celebrity standing ovation by congregational loyalists enablers, where perspective and critical self awareness needed to recognize what side Jesus ALWAYS stood with regarding religious hypocrites and their vulnerable victims are apparently in short supply and justice for victims is merely a passing fancy if even an afterthought.

Years of prideful posturing and active suppression of truth while so many were psychologically harmed with PTSD experiences for years around religious circles (including the actions of pedestalic devoted adherent followers who as discipled lemmings “obediently” carried out their dirty deeds) that have scarred them for life, of which God had no “sovereign” part of whatsoever.

Yet for some these scars became touchpoints of real strength, courage and outspokeness to face these abusers and enablers head on – many of which I am thankful for throughout recent and past history – while also recognizing the many whose faith were shipwrecked as a direct result of “church leadership”. And according to biblical record, “sound doctrine” and a topic understandably rarely if ever preached about in relation to themselves as “god appointed leaders”, a kind of spiritual eternal consequence far greater than having a millstone around ones neck and thrown into a cold watery grave awaits these individuals of harmful shipwreck causation as Jesus Himself stated in various New Testament accounts.

After being in religious cultures for nearly 30 years the answer to the title question isn’t the typical status quo placid and false “humility on display” clinics demonstrated around vague non-specific references to personal “sin, sin” and more “sin” that eminates so easily from countless pulpits. Vague pulpit “confessional” references to “personal sins” which not only make for great theatric demonstrations of grand “Christ-like humility” on display but virtue signals that seemingly are only mentioned as an opportunity to project such thinking into their target audiences minds in an attempt to project “conviction” or guilt regarding actions some in the listening audience may be considering taking against them. The often “church” sanctioned Machiavellian approach to ensuring, holding and wielding “biblical” power.

But rather often the common reinforced near unbreakable chains that thread these unfortunate stories together is a culture and indoctrination of careful cleverly promoted, instructed, deconstructed then reconstructed mindsets and encouraged naivety with a wilful blindness towards in-house and leadership “sins” (a kind of slow suffocation of the mind & wholesale corporate dawning of transparent blinders if you will) wrapped in eloquent bows of “sound doctrine”, profound “hermeneutics”, “theological excellence” to “Loving Jesus” while “sacrificially serving and giving till it hurts” in the trenches of “church family” kingdom building cult (ures) (Catholic or Protestant evangelical) because “Jesus paid it all”.

Though that rings profoundly true, He never intended for so many He loves and paid for to continually pay by being “sovereignly”, powerless hence fatalistic victims at the hands and within the cult (ures) of dismissive, angry, vindictive, patriarchal leadership that (at one time) may have harboured His profound message of forgiveness through faith.

These manipulated truths, traits and behaviors are very often absurdly justified by the truth that “He paid for your sins” so, in essence, shut up about injustices and abuse in the church or leave. As noted by 2 pastors who left a trail of corrupt practice and mental anguish behind themselves before fleeing “the notion of abuse is overrated”, “ya can’t shut up”, and “some people should know when to shut up”! – Fred Eaton Christ City Church Kitsilano (**UPDATE: as of early 2020 Fred Eaton seems no longer on the staff at Christ City Church evidently following discussions over outbursts and finds himself now attending Westside Church. Looking for opportunities? 🤔)

Many abusive overreaches are very difficult to see or believe when entrenched within authoritative patriarchal church cultures until one has the existential experience of seeing then believing what was always right under your nose then having the strength or courage to rip ones self or family from such toxic, unhealthy, and required blind codependency.

Such misappropriated doctrines foster a kind of sanctioned innocuous laissez-faire “Jesus paid it all” view of in house “sin” that if identified in the real world would bring down their “house of worship” potentially ending these entitled kingdoms & dynasties of financial “storehouses” (a favourite terminology) for personal gain.

And I dare say Jesus would and is pleased when they come to an unravelled end and those He loves are rendered at least the choice or option of real world justice and restitution along with a measure of promised authentic internal peace that the Bible often speaks to.

He is NEVER the author of these dangerously narcissistic psychological behaviors or heinous acts. Indoctrinated entitled ingrown cult (ures) comprised of real & often compromised complicit people pleasers which are the backbone and fuel for this toxic leadership model are solely responsible.

Evangelical cult and cult like hero worship followings & practices that overlook common decency, common sense and seeks to discredit critical thought as sinful judgements while in parallel debasing dignity and or self-esteem as unbiblical “secular” psychological falsehoods are a very real thing to be aware of and seriously consider if observed.

These two parallel “teachings” or so called “biblical” positions whether they are proliferated deliberately or unaware accomplish two things. First they slowly strip you of your gut intuition and innate ability to make judgements on what clearly does not appear right or make sense to normal individuals, presuming this must be God and or they must be right as “the pastors and shepherds”. Then secondly when placing next to no value on human dignity through the relentless debasing of self-esteem to supposedly esteem Christ alone by some mystical means they evidently don’t even understand how to practice themselves, they affectively then strip you of your personhood to supposedly be like Christ in ways that are mere ideological cookie cutter lemmings afraid to step outside the bounds instructed and established for them for fear of “sinning”and losing god’s favour or the more practical functionally felt importance of losing favour with lauded leadership. A type of captivated counterfeit or maladjusted freedom none of the New Testament writers nor Jesus Himself intended disciples and those He loves to lose themselves to.

These types of hive colonies of the mind can never truly be seen while one is still in pursuit of standing, status, recognition, favouritism and reputation within these evangelical pastoral walls taught as ” ‘umbrellas of protection’ and ‘spiritual covering’ “.

Cypress Bowl fog inversion

Seeing through the fog and breaking into the clear is truly a work of the Spirit of Christ Himself and a difficult journey into the understanding of who we are, who He is and the motives that drive us.

The video below is a brief look at historical cult like viewpoints (still held today) especially considering Al Mohler’s conceited comments then, in contrast to his “enlightened” state of “humiliation” now. Doctrinal viewpoints that are the foundational views of many pastors who have him as their pedestalic celebrity example of patriarchal gospel leadership. The internet blogger Elephant room drivel are an added humorous bonus thanks to the “hermeneutic insights” of “The Great Matt Chandler” as he looks around the room of spiritual mob bosses for affirmation.