Kind Of Depressed By Christian Misogyny In The Church...

:( you've gone through it... I don't know what to say... Have hope in women, but only through God. I'm definitely not telling you to date or remarry (remarriage is a sin anyway. Jesus's words not mine), but know that God sees something special in us (all people) even though we're messed up.

I had some experiences last year that honestly made me hate humanity. I started thinking everyone should just die and I don't know why God would even make us or let it live. Then I looked at myself and all the ways that I'm messed up, and couldn't believe that God let's me live. I tried to justify all my wrongs and flaws by telling myself that I was better because I felt remorse for my wrongs or because I didn't know better when I did certain things or because I didn't really mean to, etc., but I had to accept if I looked at things as they were I was just as screwed up as everyone else, and I began to have compassion on them.

I remembered a quote I read once (though I can't remember where I read it). It goes, "we are all doing the best we can in the best way we know how." I found this statement especially true when I heard the leader of ISIS explaining how they were helping bring all people to heaven by their plan to invade and terrorize the world. His logic was that they have to scare and threaten people so they will want to convert. He expressed grief over the sins of the western world and said that we would ask go to hell and face terrible judgment for things like abortion and homosexuality. He proposed that taking over and invading our country with fear tactics was the only way that we would serve Allah and be saved from hell, but those who refused would be killed as an example so others would be saved.

If they can think they are doing a good thing, I know that, every person must find something good in the bad things they do. Somehow, the women who wronged you thought that they were doing good things. They were doing the best they could in the way that they knew how. The problem with that is that we don't always know what we're doing, or we think we are doing good when we are actually doing something bad. In other cases, it's more a matter of doing what we know is wrong, but wishing we were doing better.

Jesus said, "forgive them, Father. They don't know what they are doing." sometimes we have to remember that people don't necessarily know any better when they are wronging us. I hope you can find it in your heart (if you haven't already) to forgive your ex-wives, even though you won't take them back. Believe that women (and all people) can be good, just because God is good and He is able to bring good and well-meaning people into our lives. I have said many times that I don't know if I believe in love or that I will ever have it, but I still have some belief because I know that God can do anything, and He's capable of bringing the kind of love I want and need into my life if He chooses to. Since God can do anything, we should believe in everything, even the goodness of humanity :)

Also, about dealing with people with personality disorders, I've dealt with that too (Narcissistic Personality Disorder and BPD), so I'm sympathetic. I wasn't even going out with these guys. We were just friends, but they would threaten me, manipulate, and blackmail me. There were also signs I should have seen early on, but I ignored them like you did. I wanted to believe they were good men of God, then later I wanted to help them to be better people. The toll it took on my own mental and emotional state probably wasn't worth it, but I dealt with the abuse because I wanted to help them and cared about them too much to just let go. I had to eventually though. I didn't want to enable their behavior. They are in my prayers now, and I have hope that God will save them and we will be friends in heaven again. You should pray for your ex wives as well :) Jesus did say to pray for our enemies, after all.

/r/TrueChristian Thread Parent