Phobic about churches

by Mickey mouse 3 Replies latest jw friends

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  Mickey mouse

  I am reading Releasing the Bonds at the moment and yet again Steve Hassan has brought to my attention a phobia I didn't even realise I had. Entering a church. I remember on a couple of occasions being with JW's who refused point blank to enter a church even when they had cause to do so. There's a passage in the book where Hassan relates the experience of a young JW boy who refused to be evacuated during a fire alert to a church because it contained the devil. When I have gone in a church I've experienced a racing pulse, dry mouth and feeling of discomfort. I have even seen JW's too afraid to shake a clergyman's hand on the ministry or at a funeral.

  Such is the fear of being tainted by "Babylon the Great".
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  Aculama

  Fear is sometimes a defence mechanism for self preservation. I'm sure any programing you've recieved could cause this reaction to happen. In the martial arts you practice repetative motions so that when needed you can draw from your training experience without having to think about it. Maybe this is a little like that....?
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  milligal

  I have this same fear! My husband wants to attend church for social reasons (we are both df'd witnesses) I said fine to that, and then when we started researching which church to attend I had a meltdown!

  "I can't do this, churches smell bad, and what about all that Jesus freak nonsense, am I going to have to listen to Jesus this, and Jesus that (thoughts of the 'jump for Jesus trampolene from the Fletch movie)....I'm not going!" My husband was like, "Okay, it's no big deal we don't have to go" and he walked away laughing....

  I'm a churchaphobic.
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  Mickey mouse

  milligal, there is a very interesting section in Releasing the Bonds about why many ex-cultists have an almost physical reaction to all things spiritual. It kind of explained to me why so many ex-JW's are staunchly atheistic and not only that but almost deny their whole spitiual side. It's understandable really, I suppose it would be the same for someone who was violated sexually. They uaually attempt to avoid any sexual activity for a while.