Is Biblical Submission Abuse?

The term 'biblical submission' has long been thought of as an essential principle of a sanctified partnership. But more and more women have described this term being used to perpetuate a pervasive type of abuse that all too often goes unnoticed. Perhaps one can ask, is the term 'biblical submission' synonymous with spiritual abuse? Is Biblical Submission Abusive? Coach Sharon focuses on exposing incorrect thought patterns that yield to the weaponization of spiritual truths. As a survivor of physical, emotional, and spiritual abuse, Sharon is determined to support women to reclaim their voice, reframe their value, and maintain their spiritual footing. This is what makes her incredibly valuable to our community of women who know this pain. How Can Biblical Submission Be Emotional Abuse? Coach Sharon shares a profound part of her personal story: "The clergy, the church community, was telling me that the emotional stuff was just me not submitting to him. If I would satisfy him sexually, then that would cure him falling into temptation and we wouldn't fight so much. Or if I would just submit, because submission was a big part of our faith, I would be serious about submission in terms of what a woman's role was." "So, anytime I would challenge him if I had a difference of opinion, that was frowned upon. I had no voice. I think that emotional abuse was harder actually to deal with because it was unrecognized by myself or anyone else. Clergy did not recognize emotional abuse. So as long as he wasn't hitting me, I had no leg to stand on." Coach Sharon, Betrayal Trauma Recovery Team How Can I Know If Biblical Submission Is Being Used To Abuse Me? * You are told or made to believe that the wife must submit to the husband, regardless of circumstances * You feel that your thoughts, opinion, voice does not matter * You are told or made to feel that God wants you to forgive no matter what * You are told or made to feel that God has control over your body, not you * You are made to believe that you have no choice or decision-making role in your own relationship * The role of women/wife is very defined and non-compromising When Biblical Submission Crosses The Line Into Abuse Coach Sharon describes the scattered, confusing thinking that many victims feel when they are experiencing this type of emotional and spiritual abuse. She states, "I didn't know that spiritual abuse was a thing. I had never heard of the weaponization of Scripture until BTR. So, anytime I would hear a scripture, it seemed to validate what he was saying. Yes, the Bible does say that a woman is to submit in everything. So how can I stand up for rights if he was the spiritual head and the Bible says that? I had no idea that spiritual abuse even existed. It just left me at a disadvantage to be able to speak up for myself or keep myself safe. Because what could I do? I can't go against God; I would have been willing to stay in that abusive relationship forever if that meant I had to go against my faith. There was no way." Coach Sharon What If I Am Being Abused By My Beliefs? We understand that when spiritual beliefs collide with abuse it can be messy, confusing, bewildering. You can feel lost or hopeless at times. At BTR, we are here for you, no matter how what you believe or do not believe. We have a strong, supportive robust and vastly knowledgeable array of amazing coaches here for you---to help you sort through the chaos and find peace.