Step Five

Step Five: Share our struggles with others of like-mindedness trusting that our anonymity will be guarded by all.
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Coming out of the closet of religious abuse, or stepping from behind the Wizard’s curtain of hiding our true spiritual nature is not an easy task for many people. “Coming out” is especially difficult for those who have been bombarded by one particular religious belief system and who know that making a break will cost them the lifestyles they’ve known.
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Breaking away can cost us our jobs, our families, our homes, and even the love that we knew. Sometimes the break is forced upon us when tragedy strikes. This might happen when a marriage ends in divorce and the religious institution we attended tells us we are wrong and no longer worthy to be a part of their family. There are other mistakes that people make that are considered unforgivable by their religious society. And, there are many groups who have a closed society and any questioning or doubting can lead a person to be ostracized without any hope of reconciliation.

We share our struggles carefully for fear of further rejection, shame, blame, guilt, and condemnation. That’s why Religious Recovery strongly believes in anonymity. If we want to create a safe place where people can speak freely, then we must maintain one another’s anonymity. When we feel safe, we can let go of our pain. As we release, we heal.