39: On Accountability Struggles, Performance Focus, & Unspoken Rules

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Series Title: Diagnosing Spiritual Abuse [Part I of III]

Nathan and Valerie break down 9 consistent markers of spiritually abusive systems [family or churches]. The scholarship used in this episode comes from non-Latter-Day- Saint researchers looking at religious systems in general and pointing out the specific features of the churches that tend to perpetuate the most unrighteous dominion.

The 3 points that they cover in this episode are as follows: 

1. Heavy emphasis on charismatic leader who becomes the ultimate spokesperson on all spiritual issues. This includes tactics that minimize the humanity of the leadership body and maximize of focus on the humanity of the membership, with little to no checks and balances amongst the leadership, and a leadership that is not representative of a cross-section of the membership.  
2. Legalistic beliefs and accompanying focus on PERFORMANCE: right performance, enough performance, and the adequate measurement of performance.
3. A system of unspoken rules that no compliant member articulates [due to fear of punishment], but everyone knows.  

Articles/Book referenced: 

• 14 Signs of Spiritual Abuse, by Mark DeJesus
• The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse: Recognizing and Escaping Spiritual Manipulation and False Spiritual Authority Within the Church, by David Johnson and Jeff Van Vonderen

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