For people unfamiliar with domestic violence and phenomenon such as Stolkholm Syndrom; the Trauma Bond occurs when the abuser creates a traumatic situation such as beating you or threatening to kill you. After the abuser has calmed down, they deflect all blame and seek to soothe you with attention. At the same time, the abuser tells you that you need to do better to prevent the abuse and that they love you more than anything. Thus creating a bond in which the victim seeks to please the abuser to get positive attention. This cycle is replayed over and over again until the victim leaves or is killed by their abuser.
The high levels of abuse in society mean that millions of people are susceptible to abusive cycles, yet little society does to curb domestic violence. As with many of the US’s social and economic problems, we can see the perpetuation of abuse and violence is part of the bedrock of US society, which began as a nation that enslaved people for life. Christianity certainly plays some role in the abuse and violence prevalent in US society today.
The far-right is replete with god loving jew hating christians. Furthermore, scores of people have died since the 1960’s alone at the hands of violent abusers who were christian white supremacists. From Timothy McVey to the QAnon insurrectionists who broke into the Capitol on January 6th white supremacist christians have done significant damage killing adults and children and leaving wakes of trauma behind their destruction.
While people in the US, especially the white people, are happy to justify the endless prison hell of Guantanamo Bay and violence against Muslims because they are Muslim and therefore violent; we fail to account for how violent white christians are in the US. Besides the millions of domestic violence cases, white chirstians have killed thousands of US citizens since 1865. I find this peculiar given the similarity between the two faiths and the long history each has of conquest and murder. Perhaps this is why when the mainstream media discuss white supremacist terrorists in the US; their religious affiliations are often ignored.
I keep thinking about abuse and christianity and terrorism and violence and always Kierkegaard’s Fear and Trembling pops into my head. Kierkegaard focuses on the seminal biblical story upon which all Abrahamic religions (Jewish, Christian, Muslim) praise deep faith and commitment to god. In the story of Abraham god, via an angel, tells Abraham he must make a sacrifice to him of his son to prove his love for god. The son that Abraham received after he pleaded with god. Abraham dutifully takes his son up the mountain, places him on an altar for burnt offerings and is about to plunge the knife into his child when god tells him to stop. He pleases god, and everyone lives happily ever after (no one really talks about how much PTSD this caused Issac).
Kierkegaard reckons that the story shows how you must leap into the unknown with faith to have a genuine relationship with and love of god. Sound familiar? Kierkegaard seems to be describing the Trauma Bond as an ideal model of christian faith. The powerful god gives you what you asked for, but only if you acknowledge the complete control of your life to god. Those that give control are punished, psychologically like Abraham and Issac or physically like Jesus and then rewarded with the promise of eternal bliss. Those that doubt are also punished until they relent or die with the promise of eternal torture. The prevalence of violence in US society cannot be fully understood without understanding white christianity.
melungeon mullins 