I understand that many Christians do not feel affected in these ways, but the following is a list of ways I've felt adversely affected by Christianity:
• Psychological captivity: having a mind chained down by man’s claims, difficulty thinking outside of those claims, unable/afraid to take back control of your own mind.
• Feeling spiritually deficient: “My lack of closeness to God is my fault.” “I can’t seem to be an effective light to the world like I should be.” “I’m still not sure what my spiritual gifts are.”
• Feeling spiritually confused: “I don’t understand what God’s trying to tell me. I’m just so pathetic at understanding God’s perfect wisdom.”
• Trying to make divine sense out of situations that simply aren’t supposed to make sense.
• Relying on a being that doesn’t exist.
• Making decisions based on what you think a non-existent being wants you to do.
• Time and emotional energy wasted in prayer.
• Tons of money and energy wasted on spreading false beliefs instead of providing real help to people in need.
• Wearing masks: social pressure to uphold the strong Christian image.
• Superiority complex: “I have everyone’s solution. I’m right. They’re all lost and hell-bound. By God’s authorization I speak boldly with knowledge of the absolute truth.”
• Judgmental complex. It may not be what Jesus taught, but it’s what belief in Jesus often produces in people.
• Unhealthy views of sex. Glorification of sex: viewing sex as eternal bond, as giving a piece of your soul which you can’t get back. Viewing non-virgin singles as damaged and less suitable. Criminalization of sex: viewing other’s sex as immoral when their circumstances don’t fit your beliefs.
• Alienation from our own world. “This world is not my home. In the world but not of the world. I’m just passing through.”
• Deemphasizing/devaluing our only life over false expectations of an afterlife. “God has something better in store for us if we devote this life to Jesus.”
• Pressure to never deny your (false) beliefs even when threatened at gunpoint.
• Abandoning the search for real answers.
• Inability to comprehend meaning and moral basis outside of your own.
• Inability to cherish that someone else has found meaning and happiness if it doesn’t align with your beliefs.
• Adopting an external value system instead of building robust internal values.
• Holding your relationship with a non-existent being as more important than your relationships with your family and friends.
• Believing you are worthless and defiled on your own, only redeemed and given value by Jesus.
Outstanding! I relate to—and have experienced—so many of these things. The "psychological captivity" you speak of really burns me up. I am referring to the captive mind of a child and how religious parents and educators abuse children's minds and psyches with their indoctrination. It sickens me.
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