Prejudice Against Survivors

I was allowed to visit on “probation” and told that if I ever switched once, I would be forced to leave the study. I went, and after four months the leader was surprised and amazed.

“You’ve been a real blessing to us here, “ she exclaimed. “I thought all multiples were strange.”

But I made a mistake. A few weeks later, when discussing why I felt broken sexually and had male tendencies at times, a male alter who was quiet and appropriate came out and discussed his emotional pain. The only problem is, he had a slight Irish accent and so others could tell that I “switched.”

The leaders met with me and told me this was unacceptable since he was “demonic”. I left the study, crying.

I have not found a church yet in my own life that understands or accepts the reality of ritual abuse.

I wish that I were not alone in this. I believe that this is one of the number one problems today for a survivor leaving a cult group. They are literally giving up everything emotionally important to themselves in their lives: their family of origin, their closest friends, even spouses who are members of the group. They are looking for understanding and support, and instead are met by unbelief (this stuff doesn’t happen in this day and age), or else intense rejection. In most churches, it is okay to be a recovering alcoholic, a recovering addict, or even the victim of domestic violence, but it is not okay to have been the victim of ritual abuse.

It frightens people. They don’t want to see living proof that it really does happen, and will turn their heads the other way. This doesn’t mean that all churches respond this way, but a very large percentage of them do (the majority in fact; the ones that don’t are the rare and encouraging minority).

Others have shared their pain when the body of Christ, called to minister to its wounded, instead either adds to the wounding, or worse yet, isolates and ignores them.

Karen is a wonderful, loving, and compassionate Christian survivor who has helped to found a support group for other ritual abuse survivors and was told that her dissociation and DID were “attention seeking” devices. Here is her response:

“You know I love it when I hear people use the

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