tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502152359497137754.post6378865008859239228..comments2024-03-18T08:33:25.907-04:00Comments on Inkwell Inspirations: The Battle Wounds of a BelieverLisa Karon Richardsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02175430876079208723noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502152359497137754.post-81821596808319462762010-04-09T17:19:02.368-04:002010-04-09T17:19:02.368-04:00Wenda, powerful post! Thanks for having the courag...Wenda, powerful post! Thanks for having the courage to speak up about your sister's experiences. I'm sorry the contest feedback was discouraging and, like Dina suggested, I hope you'll think about reworking your story as women's fiction/literary.Narellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07665380446283721576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502152359497137754.post-27268725784849340572010-04-09T00:27:52.719-04:002010-04-09T00:27:52.719-04:00Hi Suzie, Anita, and Dina,
As always, thanks so m...Hi Suzie, Anita, and Dina,<br /><br />As always, thanks so much for your encouraging support!<br /><br />I'm so glad Dina you learned to steer clear of controlling churches, and that Anita and Suzie have been able to avoid abusing churches. Of course church abuse is NOT the norm. <br /><br />Sadly, though, it happens and when it does the impact is, as I've said, pretty devastating.Wenda Dottridgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06086728367896516923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502152359497137754.post-21244030887616250982010-04-09T00:01:00.697-04:002010-04-09T00:01:00.697-04:00Wow, Wenda. What an incredible story. It just make...Wow, Wenda. What an incredible story. It just makes me kind of sick to my stomach. I am so glad your sister and her family broke away from this, and I pray they are healing and able to worship in a joyful, spiritually true church.<br /><br />I must confess to being a little on the sheltered side, because I honestly have never heard of a church like this-other than a cult. I, too, believe this Suzie Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06296203324088418271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502152359497137754.post-83384412807073850722010-04-08T22:33:20.179-04:002010-04-08T22:33:20.179-04:00Thank you Wenda for tackling this issue by bringin...Thank you Wenda for tackling this issue by bringing it into the open. I personally haven't experienced anything like this but I've heard others speak of similar stuff. <br /><br />I'll be praying for your sister and her family. Praise God they were able to 'come to their senses' and leave before the kids became corrupted and in too deep.Anita Mae Draperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16618699900826731377noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502152359497137754.post-55713228533524719902010-04-08T21:35:25.943-04:002010-04-08T21:35:25.943-04:00I went to a controlling church for a while in my t...I went to a controlling church for a while in my teen years. I've been very careful about that ever since.<br /><br />Wenda, I think I book about this subject would be great. I just think you should go a more serious women's fiction/literary type genre where readers aren't looking for escape, but want to tackle tough issues.Dina Sleimanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05214446103057806111noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502152359497137754.post-7530389515360266792010-04-08T17:33:31.907-04:002010-04-08T17:33:31.907-04:00Hi Susie,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and...Hi Susie,<br /><br />Thank you for sharing your thoughts and your prayers.<br /><br />And Susan,<br />You have provided a great analogy! That's it! That was my challenge in sharing about this subject. How do I cut through the prevalent and real "minor" stuff to talk about real abuse.<br /><br />Thanks for your contribution to the discussion!Wenda Dottridgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06086728367896516923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502152359497137754.post-21314984715281195032010-04-08T15:36:16.776-04:002010-04-08T15:36:16.776-04:00Hi Wenda -
I'm glad your sister and her famil...Hi Wenda -<br /><br />I'm glad your sister and her family found the courage to leave. Although wounded, they're alive and on their way to recovery.<br /><br />Having been a believer for many years, I've seen a lot. Authority has been used by some to dominate rather than protect. This is true both in the home and the church. <br /><br />Too often the problems of abuse are equated with Susan J. Reinhardthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07461276857852409546noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502152359497137754.post-80498070110760231132010-04-08T12:32:29.605-04:002010-04-08T12:32:29.605-04:00Wenda, what a powerful post. My heart breaks for y...Wenda, what a powerful post. My heart breaks for your sister's family and all of those affected by the abuse in their church. What a sad, frightening situation. Like Lisa and others, I pray that these folks will find a safe harbor and continue to grow in the Lord as they heal from this devastating experience. Thank you for sharing this story with us.Susanne Dietzehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09710634601407161821noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502152359497137754.post-54007559362538693452010-04-08T12:18:49.966-04:002010-04-08T12:18:49.966-04:00Thanks Jill for your understanding. There are some...Thanks Jill for your understanding. There are some excellent non-fiction books on church abuse if you know to look for them. <br /><br />I'm also pleased that survivors of this particular abusing church have created an open message board where they are breaking the code of silence and sharing their stories with each others and, hopefully, people still enmeshed in this system. That they are Wenda Dottridgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06086728367896516923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502152359497137754.post-33894899332255661812010-04-08T11:50:42.940-04:002010-04-08T11:50:42.940-04:00Hi Wenda and Inkies,
Wenda, you said: You could sa...Hi Wenda and Inkies,<br />Wenda, you said: You could say they were slain by a thousand small cuts, although some cuts hit deep. Churches that abuse, not just inadvertently wound, do exist in every flavour, theology, and denomination. Just like any human organization, the potential for the systematic victimization is always there. <br /><br />This is a very powerful post. I love fiction and I loveJillian Kenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12565274151603868808noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502152359497137754.post-60683060698739446742010-04-08T10:25:10.043-04:002010-04-08T10:25:10.043-04:00Good morning Deb and Lisa,
The difficulty in tack...Good morning Deb and Lisa,<br /><br />The difficulty in tackling this subject is that, like Deb says, there is definitely a revolving door in many churches where people come in, take offense at some real or perceived slight or slights, and then go out, hurt and wounded by their experiences.<br /><br />And like Lisa points out, churches are made up of fallible people, and wounds in churches, whereWenda Dottridgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06086728367896516923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502152359497137754.post-60118610768001523622010-04-08T09:47:57.439-04:002010-04-08T09:47:57.439-04:00The only perfect church is the one with no people ...The only perfect church is the one with no people in it. I've been hurt by people in the church, and it can be very difficult to not equate the whole church with that person or group. <br /><br /> It seems that Christians have a greater power to hurt one another. I guess because our defenses are lowered. So sorry for the wounds your family has suffered. I hope and pray that they have found a Lisa Karon Richardsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02175430876079208723noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502152359497137754.post-56908327605976211912010-04-08T09:40:43.451-04:002010-04-08T09:40:43.451-04:00Often I hear of people who go from church to churc...Often I hear of people who go from church to church, finding excuses for moving on, rather than stick through something that in reality is a minor offense. It's so easy to take offense, isn't it? But when we do, such as the 20 yrs your sister invested in that church family, it must be devastating.<br /><br />I'm sorry too, that your contest feedback made you reconsider tackling suchDebra E. Marvinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17853387871623424853noreply@blogger.com