Out of the Closet Into the Light
The story of one man's painful and incredible journey.
Saturday, March 29, 2025
Special Easter Message
12691 NW Dogwood St
Sunday, December 15, 2024
Spiritual / Religious Abuse & Gaslighting
What is Gaslighting?
Gaslighting is an insidious form of manipulation and psychological control. Victims of gaslighting are deliberately and systematically fed false information that leads them to question what they know to be true, often about themselves. They may end up doubting their memory, their perception, and even their sanity. Over time, a gaslighter’s manipulations can grow more complex and potent, making it increasingly difficult for the victim to see the truth.
Sadly, Jordan's abuse has never stopped. He is still a victim of abuse, just in a different form. I understand it. I see it every day in people around me, and I was once a victim, too. Blessedly, God woke me up and opened my eyes to just how sinful and damaging it is to allow mortal men to step into His shoes and use His name to coerce others.
As I have said many times before, God sees and takes account of
everything. Nothing is kept secret from Him, and all will answer accordingly. We are all in His hands.
I pray that Jordan will be blessed with the strength, not only to make it through his health ordeal, but also break through the spiritual, emotional, and psychological abuse that is constantly heaped upon him.
Again, to those of you who truly care about Jordan and are true friends to him, thank you, and I pray that God's mercy and grace will rain down upon your lives.
Just a few facts:
What Is Spiritual Abuse?
Any attempt to exert power and control over someone using religion, faith, or beliefs can be spiritual abuse. Spiritual abuse can happen within a religious organization or a personal relationship.
Religious Abuse
One form of spiritual abuse, religious abuse, takes place within a religious organization. An example of religious abuse is a religious leader using scripture or beliefs to coerce or control the behavior of members of the organization. You may be experiencing religious or spiritual abuse if a religious leader has:
- Used scripture or beliefs to humiliate or embarrass you
- Coerced you into giving money or other resources that you didn’t want to give
- Forced you to be intimate or have sex that you didn’t want
- Made you feel pressured or obligated to do things against your will
These abusive tactics are found both in large, well-recognized faith organizations and in cults. Often, leaders of pseudo-religious groups will use spirituality as a way to exert control over followers. This can have serious consequences for adults and children.
Signs of Spiritual Abuse
Religion and spirituality should be a source of comfort, peace, community, and inspiration in your life. If that is not the case, you could be experiencing spiritual abuse.
You may be experiencing spiritual abuse if your religious leadership or intimate partner is using scriptures or religious beliefs to control your:
- Clothing
- Behavior
- Decision making
- Choice to have children or not
- Finances
Monday, December 9, 2024
Monday, December 2, 2024
Birthday Greetings!!!
Wishing my amazing friend, Jordan, a very happy birthday!
Jordan, even though I know you are ill and struggling, just know that you are loved and are never alone.
~Jewel
Monday, September 30, 2024
Religious and Emotional Gaslighting and the Disrupting of Jordan's Peace
After spending an amazing couple of weeks on a self-healing cruise, Jordan returned home to a bombarding of emotional abuse that is unreal, and it is stealing away the beauty of his healing journey and the strength he gained from it.
If there is one thing I despise, it is fake friends who gaslight and attempt to exercise control. I have no use for people who spend their time emotionally hurting and abusing someone while claiming to care about their wellbeing, and God will not excuse such actions either. There are many of these types of people in this world, which fills me with sorrow at times.
It hurts to see Jordan being hurt and picked apart by the very people he thought he could trust. These actions are not the stuff of Christlike love and friendship. You don't exert efforts to destroy someone who is trying to heal mentally, emotionally, and psychologically. And you definitely DON"T continually strive to take away a person's independence and their ability to think for themselves, supposedly doing it all in GOD'S name. I'm sure it angers Him to see this, though Jordan is not the only person living with this kind of treatment from day to day.
To those of you in Jordan's circle who are subjecting him to this emotional abuse, STOP! Please just STOP! To those who are truly there for him and honestly doing what you can to help him, I say THANK YOU! God in heaven has the perfect view of each and every one of us, inside and out. He sees inside every heart and knows our thoughts and our ways.
This is something we all need to remember.
Jordan, always remember, you are loved by the Father and His Son! In Them is where you place your trust. Man will always be fallible, but God will always be just!
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. ~Matthew 22: 37, 39
Jordan is more than my neighbor.
He is our family.