Faith & Religion

The trauma of childhood abuse can lead us to question the relevance and significance of many things in our lives.  One of the areas we may question can be faith and religion, and its relevance to us as survivors. 

Anger with God (by however he/she/it is defined by you) can be viewed as a classic response to trauma.  It is understandable to feel anger at the abuse you have suffered, and survivors of abuse may ask “Why did God let this happen to me?”  Once work is undertaken to address the cause of the trauma, one can then move on to the issue of responsibility, and to consider that the abuse inflicted was directly caused by a person, not by God.  

If the abuse occurred within a crowd of people, there may be anxiety at the prospect of gathering in a place of worship with a congregation of others.  If you would like to attend a service but have feelings of apprehension due to your abuse, there are places of worship online via the internet which involve recordings of services.  It is also possible to view live recordings of services, and so you may feel as though you are in attendance.   
 
It is understandable that if the abuse is perpetrated by a religious authority (i.e. Priest, Vicar, Rabbi, Imam) we may experience fear of being near people who remind us of those who perpetrated the abuse.  As a result it may be worth considering changing your church/mosque/synagogue.  It is your choice, and one which many survivors of abuse have considered too, so you are not alone in feeling this way. 

The Faith Related section of the booklist contains some publications on the topic, which you may like to read. 

If you would like to talk to someone in confidence on how your childhood abuse has affected your Faith & Religion, you can contact us on the NAPAC freephone Support Line.