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2.02 Mary Demuth // We Too
Manage episode 303388606 series 2932666
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Presenting Sponsor: Alan and Beth Stanfield, Stanfield Properties
Mary Demuth, a survivor of sexual abuse and author of We Too, joins us to talk about what it is like to build a healthy family as a person who has experienced abuse and trauma.
We also talk about our struggle with the voices who have tried to silence us when we have had something important to say, and how those voices sometimes seem to echo inside our heads creating fear that inhibits us from speaking up.
We define and discuss the control tactic of spiritual abuse, and how as women, we are often taught to acquiesce even when something is damaging to ourselves.
As followers of Jesus, we need to equip ourselves to respond well when someone discloses abuse. When they don’t respond well, secondary trauma is added to the initial trauma of the abuse. Mary explains that “happy world syndrome” is often responsible for the poor responses to abuse victims from those around them – people don’t want to believe that bad things happen in our world.
In fact, people would often rather shame the person bringing the bad news or ignore it while letting abuse continue than acknowledge it to be true.
We have forgotten that God is on the side of the downtrodden. Refusing to choose a side in instances of abuse is choosing to enable the perpetrator. If we want to be more like Jesus, we can’t close our eyes to abuse.
Come back next week to hear more from Mary about specific scriptures regarding sexual abuse and how the church should respond!
Music by Kate Short; Instagram @kate_tshort
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Show notes were written by Sarah McDuffee, Marketing Director: Robyn Boren, Social Media Manager: Molly Baize
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