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Church Support of Abuse is Tradition
Church abuse plays a part in continuing abuse in America
Cast and Power Structures
I’ve been doing a reread of old books I own along with some newer books. I just finished both, The Cross and the Lynching Tree by, James H. Cone, for the third time, and American Fascist by, Chris Hedges the same. I just began reading, Caste, by, Isabel Wilkerson and it made me think, what is it that those who have suffered abuse from the church or historically in America really want others to know? I believe what many may say is they are not only recovering from a bad or ongoing experience with church, but a creed that was pushed on them they either knew or later discovered was a fake morality, and once they escaped, their struggle needed to understand how they were taken in.
The organized church, like capitalism, is a power structure that has existed for years abusing not only individuals but entire groups of people and nations for the benefit of the few at the top at the expense of the many. Isabel Wilkerson likens, America to an old house, and I believe this could be said farther on down the line to local, regional, or even family power structures. In fact, with much of America’s claims about freedom since it was founded, it might be said, America is more like an old church; complete with creeds made up but rarely followed by its priest and abuses that are rationalized as necessary. An excerpt from, “ Caste:”
“America is an old house. We can never declare the work over. Wind, flood, drought, and human upheavals batter a structure that is already fighting whatever flaws were left unattended in the original foundation. When you live in an old house, you may not want to go into the basement after a storm to see what the rains have wrought. Choose not to look, however, at your own peril. The owner of an old house knows that whatever you are ignoring will never go away. Whatever is lurking will fester whether you choose to look or not. Ignorance is no protection from the consequences of inaction. Whatever you are wishing away will gnaw at you until you gather the courage to face what you would rather not see.” -Isabel Wilkerson
This book is a must-read for those concerned about inequality, abuse, making excuses for entitlements, and what is…
