Forgiven

By Jake Reimer

Twas it not you, that said that I
would never touch or reach the sky
That if by twisted chance I might
attain some hapless wingless flight
Twas not my lot, twas not my right
Tell me, Who, gave you that right
to ground me ere, I could take flight
How many times, I heard it said
and had it beat, into my head
You poured it on, the guilt the shame
you were the blessed, I was to blame
And then I thought, that if by chance
I couldn't fly, then I would dance
And then you said, that I would not
that I was just, a drunken sot
And then I thought, that I would crawl
that maybe I, could reach the wall
and if by chance, could get a grip
to raise one knee, and then a hip
but then alas, twas not to be
You broke my grip and smashed my knee
And then I said that I would die
though never having reached the sky
And I recall I heard it said
that life it hangs, just by a thread
Would be my goal and if by chance
I'd lose my soul
twould be no loss, the way I felt
just one more blow, of many dealt
You crushed my spirit and my soul
Not just the part, you took the whole
But I will pray, that by God's grace
that he will smile upon your face
Extend to you, what you stole from me
To live with him, eternally

jcreimer@mts.net

Welcome

THE BRIDGE IS OUT! Are we going to help other families avoid trouble, or just help them out of the water? Do you wish someone had stepped in sooner?

This blog is a collaboration of past members or regular attendees of churches that abuse power. A place where they can share their experience. This is a place for healing and truth. This is a collection of experiences many people and families have experienced. Many of these people posting have no connection. Most have never met. Their account of events span over twenty years. The common thread is the totalitarian and legalistic ruling of one man.

“We didn't tell you why we left because we wanted you to make your own decision." To them I would say, "When a bridge is out, should you warn me, or let me make my own decision after we're underwater?"

There are people standing on the shore saying sadly, "Oh, by the way, the bridge is out, but we didn't want to interrupt your Sunday drive. Here, can we help you out of the water?"  This is not how Christians should treat one another.

We are sharing our stories. Some of us will post our names. Some of us won't in order to protect our families and friends still attending this church.

Spiritual Abuse

Spiritual abuse is a serious form of abuse which occurs when a person in religious authority or a person with a unique spiritual practice misleads and maltreats another person in the name of God or church or in the mystery of any spiritual concept. Spiritual abuse often refers to an abuser using spiritual or religious rank in taking advantage of the victim's spirituality (mentality and passion on spiritual matters) by putting the victim in a state of unquestioning obedience to an abusive authority.

Spiritual abuse is the maltreatment of a person in the name of God, faith, religion, or church, whether habitual or not, and includes any of the following:

• Psychological and emotional abuse
• Any act by deeds or words that demean, humiliate or shame the natural worth and dignity of a person as a human being
• Submission to spiritual authority without any right to disagree; intimidation
• Unreasonable control of a person's basic right to make a choice on spiritual matters
• False accusation and repeated criticism by negatively labeling a person as disobedient, rebellious, lacking faith, demonized, apostate, enemy of the church or God
• Prevention from practicing faith
• Isolation or separation from family and friends due to religious affiliation
• Physical abuse that includes physical injury, deprivation of sustenance, and sexual abuse
• Exclusivity; dismissal of an outsider's criticism and labeling an outsider as of the devil
• Withholding information and giving of information only to a selected few
• Conformity to a dangerous or unnatural religious view and practice
• Hostility that includes shunning, (relational aggression, parental alienation) and persecution

Despite the comparative frequency of spiritual abuse, those types of behaviour and actions which are today classified as spiritual abuse can be seen to be prohibited in the major texts and scriptures of numerous religious traditions. Indeed, in the Christian Bible, spiritually abusive behaviour is condemned as being one of the worst forms of sin due to its capacity to diminish or even to destroy an individual's relationship with God.

Submission Guidelines

*** These are only suggested guidelines. All of these guidelines are set in place to protect the author. Please be as cautious as possible while sharing your experience, while being as truthful as possible. ***

No general accusations such as “He lied to me.” Instead say, “He said ______ , which was untrue”. If it`s your opinion, say that it`s your opinion.

Try to be as non-confrontational as possible while using clean language.

We encourage you to also share the positive side of your story. Don't be accused of only being negative and be thankful when necessary. Practice humility!!

If you did something you regret, come clean, accepting blame where blame is due. Tell the entire truth. You won't have any credibility if you leave stuff out. Tell YOUR story, not something you heard from someone else.

You are encouraged to include supporting documentation when available. Any type of proof is welcome. (documents, letters, emails etc...) Events and meetings should be as detailed as possible. The more detail, the more effective your story is. There is no limit to how long it can be. It may be posted in segments. Please tell the full story, not half the story.

A lot of what you will say is heresay because it was only done verbally and without witnesses. If there were witnesses, say so.

Author's name should be published with the story. We're standing up for truth!!! In certain circumstances, the story may be published anonymously.

Your submission will be proofread. We will not edit your story for content, but make corrections for spelling and grammatical errors. Your story will not be published without your final approval. For those people who are not comfortable with typing and would like help, TBIO offers their assistance. Just email and someone will help you out. Your approval gives permission for your story to be published on the blog.

Your submission will not be shared outside of the blog administrators before being published.

Submissions Policy

The Bridge Is Out thanks you for taking the time to write about your experience. We are aware that your story is probably one of heart ache, loneliness and confusion.

TBIO respects that and wants all our contributors to feel safe and comfortable here.
This is why we have a careful submissions policy.

We believe that if you have a history of spiritual abuse or a church has done harm to you and your family in any way, you should be treated with gentleness and respect.

Please read the Submission Guidelines before writing your story. Stories may be emailed to bridgeisout@gmail.com, and will be reviewed by the administrators to make sure that it meets the Submissions Policy and the Mission Statement of this blog. The submissions will be checked for spelling errors and readability. For example, if an article we receive has no paragraph breaks, breaks will be inserted for better readability on the blog. A copy will be emailed to you for your approval before posting. Your submission will not be shared outside of the blog administrators before being published.

Please refrain from direct naming of third parties. Provide only facts, all the facts, even if includes some mistakes you made. We ask that you include your name; however, TBIO understands that some may choose to not have their names published because of family still attending or to protect the identity of innocent people.