💔 The effects of religious harm don’t just disappear when you leave a church or community.

For many, the damage lingers in everyday life:
✨ Fear of making mistakes
✨ Struggles with intimacy and boundaries
✨ Exhausting rules you can’t name but always feel
✨ The belief that “I am still broken”

💔 Purity culture didn’t just harm women.
It harmed men, too.

Many men were told:
✨ “You can’t control yourself.”
✨ “Your worth is tied to dominance and strength.”
✨ “Women are either temptations or trophies.”

💔 Purity culture left scars on women.
Instead of creating safety, it taught us to carry guilt, shame, and fear:
✨ “My worth depends on my purity.”
✨ “I’m responsible for men’s choices.”
✨ “Control is the only way to stay safe.”

💔 The “Religious Good Girl” rules are exhausting.
They teach us to silence our opinions, take the blame, and put everyone else first—even when it costs us our mental health.

Faith can be healing, but for many, it has also been deeply wounding. Religious trauma can leave scars of fear, shame, and isolation that affect mental health for years.

We dreamed of their first steps, their graduation day, their first job, their launch into the world.

But for many parents of young adults today—especially those in Generation Z—what we’re seeing instead is stalled progress, emotional overwhelm, and a deep sense of uncertainty about what comes next.

The Character Test: Does This Sound Like God?

If someone claims “God told me” but the “instruction” they received would:

Override another person’s God-given free will,

Place them (or someone else) in an unsafe situation,

Require them to do something unethical, dishonest, or illegal…

…then it’s worth asking: Does this truly reflect the character of God?

God is not a manipulator. He is not reckless with people’s safety. He is not a lawbreaker. Scripture consistently shows Him as a God of truth, justice, love, and freedom.

When someone uses “God told me” to justify controlling another person’s choices, they are stepping into dangerous territory — both spiritually and relationally. It’s not just presumptuous; it can be a form of spiritual abuse.

From a mental health standpoint, when a person’s “word from God” asks you to surrender your boundaries, silence your conscience, or accept harm, that’s not a divine command — that’s coercion dressed in religious language.

Healthy faith never demands blind obedience to a human claim without testing it against Scripture, seeking wise counsel, and weighing it against God’s character.

“God hates divorce” — but He doesn’t ask you to stay in abuse. 💔

At Restoration Counseling LLC, we believe in fighting for marriages — but not at the expense of your mental, emotional, or spiritual well-being. Emotional abuse is real, and it matters to God.

🕊️ If your heart is breaking and you’re wrestling with what faithfulness looks like in a painful marriage, this blog is for you.

Click the link above to read more about Biblical truth, emotional safety, and when divorce may be a faithful step forward.

#RestorationCounselingDSM #FaithAndMentalHealth #ChristianTherapist #EmotionalAbuseAwareness #BiblicalCounseling #MarriageHelp #YouAreNotAlone