Submission - What the Bible Really Says Biblical Submission. This is a difficult topic. Many abusive spouses and churches take what God meant for good and twist it into something that keeps women in bondage to their abusive spouses. So, what does the Bible really say?...
Abuse victims in the church are often kept in bondage because they are told that abuse is not "biblical grounds for divorce." Leslie Vernick disagrees, (and so do I). In a recent blog, Leslie answered the question, "What are biblical grounds for divorce when there is...
The more I work with domestic violence survivors, the more I realize how many have been sexually abused as children. I am no longer shocked in my counseling sessions when someone begins sharing how their father, uncle, brother or cousin sexually abused them when they...
What do you believe about divorce? Many believe that according to the Bible, the only two valid causes for divorce are adultery and abandonment by an unbeliever. I have written about this before. I also talk extensively about what the Bible says about divorce in my...
The folks at A Cry For Justice recently shared a guest blog written by an American pastor. After dealing with abusers in his own church, this pastor came to several surprising conclusions about how a pastor should handle abuse within the church. It was so right on, I...
I have been a domestic violence advocate for seven years, an author and blogger for six. During that time, I cannot count how many domestic violence victims I have spoken to who were counseled by their church leaders (pastors) to stay in a marriage with their abusive...
We are often told that we should "lay down our lives" for others. The person that says this to us is often (but not always) trying to manipulate us. When they are trying to manipulate us, what they really mean is lay down your life for ME. Using the Bible to...
There is much confusion about what the Bible says about domestic violence, marriage and divorce. The Bible was not meant to be read out of context. Many abused spouses are told that "God hates divorce" and that "the only biblical grounds for divorce are infidelity and...
For six years I have been a domestic violence advocate, helping abuse victims and survivors. The vast majority have been women. Having very little experience with male victims, I have often wondered what their experience might be like. Recently, a blog I follow...
Last week, I asked the question, "If God is loving, why is the world so evil?" For those of us who have suffered greatly, we may be asking God more personal questions, such as: “Why did you allow this to happen to me?” and “Where were you when I experienced this?”...
Click for a preview of DV Guide for Churches now.