“Enlightened” Thinking

Let’s Talk About “Enlightened” Thinking

“The Talmud’s insistence that human beings always are liable for the damage they cause sharply contrasts with an emerging norm in contemporary American life, in which people often are not held responsible even when they INTENTIONALLY cause damage. In “A Nation of Victims,” Charles Sykes documents numerous instances of this new type of “enlightened” thinking.” — Telushkin

Over the last several years many victims of abuse have witnessed this “enlightened” way of thinking from religious leaders within various sects. Victims have been accused of lying and, purposely trying to hurt the ministry. They have been accused of New Age thinking if they veer in any way from the religious, fundamental norm’s way of thinking. And yet, religious leaders, themselves have veered from the MORAL and ETHICAL norm to a New Age way of thinking called “enlightened” thinking and this has permeated every aspect of religious society causing great harm to those victims exposed to it.

As a result of this type of thinking, many are the secondary abuses that victims are enduring. Religious leaders not only attack and malign the victims, but they also entangle family members into the same web of deceitful thinking causing extra trauma to the victims and destroying familial relationships. The effects of this thinking cause behaviors toward victims that have long-lasting and far reaching tentacles of destruction in the lives of those affected by it.